US Expels 15 Cuban Diplomats, And Other Trump News From Today
Tuesday, October 3rd. Day 257.
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US Expels 15 Cuban Diplomats
After the US reduced its diplomatic staff in Cuba to 27 people following targeted sonic attacks, the Trump administration also expelled 15 Cuban diplomats. The administration says the expulsions are meant to equalize conditions diplomatically between the states, as a way to encourage Cuba to identify the attacker(s), according to the New York Times.
Trump Arrives In Puerto Rico, But FEMA Hasn't Approved Full Disaster Aid
President Trump has landed in Puerto Rico to survey the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria. In a roundtable, Trump praised the federal government's response by comparing the death toll in Puerto Rico to Hurricane Katrina's in Louisiana in 2005. Trump said Puerto Rico has "thrown our budget out of whack," but that it was okay because it "saved a lot of people."
Earlier, Trump complained that Puerto Rico needed to "give us more help" on a local level.
FEMA has yet to authorize large-scale infrastructure repairs that it authorized for Texas 10 days after Hurricane Harvey, Vox reports.
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz will attend a meeting with Trump, despite clashes between them.
Trump Says 'We'll Be Talking About Gun Laws As Time Goes On'
Outside the White House, President Trump told reporters "We'll be talking about gun laws as time goes on," keeping the possibility open that he may work with Democrats on stricter gun legislation in response to the mass shooting Monday in Las Vegas. Yesterday, Trump delivered a statement that failed to mention gun laws or any potential remedy to America's persistent problem with mass shootings.
EPA Chief Dines With Coal And Power Execs, Ignores Environmental Groups
In a 320-page account of EPA chief Scott Pruitt's schedule, the New York Times found that Pruitt repeatedly met with and dined with energy executives at high-profile DC restaurants, while leaving environmental groups out to dry. The EPA responded to an inquiry by saying that "the agency is now meeting with those ignored by the Obama administration."
