Wednesday's Headlines: After warning to Iran, some question aggressive U.S. policy

Trump characterizes alleged attacks by Iran on tankers as 'very minor'; 'It's difficult to relive': Shanahan speaks on family's violent incidents

Democracy Dies in Darkness

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After warning to Iran, some question aggressive U.S. policy Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned that any attack by Tehran or its proxies resulting in a single American casualty will generate a counterattack, U.S. officials said. The departure of acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan could further sideline the Pentagon, which has sought to reduce the potential for hostilities. By Missy Ryan, Greg Jaffe and John Hudson · Read more Trump characterizes alleged attacks by Iran on tankers as 'very minor' In an interview with Time magazine, the president said he would "certainly" go to war over nuclear weapons but left open the question of taking action to protect oil supplies. By John Wagner and Paul Sonne · Read more   'It's difficult to relive': Shanahan speaks on family's violent incidents The defense secretary nominee withdrew from consideration after an unusually lengthy FBI background check delayed his nomination. By Aaron Davis and Shawn Boburg · Read more   Trump's vetting process questioned Senators are asking why they weren't told sooner about the domestic abuse allegations involving Patrick Shanahan's family. By Karoun Demirjian · Read more   Low prices of some lifesaving drugs make them impossible to get Bladder cancer patients are scouring clinics in search of a critical treatment. At a time of intense focus on escalating drug prices, the shortage shows a flip side: Prices can be too low to spur companies to produce urgently needed medications. By Laurie McGinley · Read more   Campaign 2020 Trump launches reelection bid with familiar themes, redoubling focus on most avid backers While the high drama and persistent controversies that have defined the Trump White House are a continuation of how he conducted his 2016 campaign, he is now an incumbent with a record of actions that have affected people's lives. By Toluse Olorunnipa, Chelsea Janes and Anne Gearan · Read more   Campaign 2020 Pouring rain, food trucks and protests: The scene outside Trump's reelection speech "Our patriotic movement has been under assault from the very first day," Trump said after taking the stage at the 20,000-seat Amway Center in this state that was key to his 2016 victory. By Chelsea Janes, Anne Gearan and Felicia Sonmez · Read more   The Fix: Five takeaways from the president's speech Not much new, but here's what stuck out. By Aaron Blake · Read more   Fact Checker | Analysis Trump rehashes old, misleading lines in kickoff speech Phony numbers on trade. Unfounded claims about immigrants. False statements about special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation. The president's speech contained the usual. By Salvador Rizzo · Read more   Trump vows to deport millions, but his plan may run up against ICE's limits A large-scale push to arrest and deport hundreds of thousands of migrants would be exorbitantly expensive and highly unlikely, experts say. By Nick Miroff, Maria Sacchetti, Abigail Hauslohner and Josh Dawsey · Read more     ADVERTISEMENT   Opinions Let's talk about what really matters in 2020: Hillary Clinton's emails By Dana Milbank · Read more Shanahan's departure worsens Trump's credibility problem with Iran By David Ignatius · Read more Harvard did the right thing by revoking Kyle Kashuv's admission By Christine Emba · Read more On collusion, Trump is right and George Stephanopoulos is wrong By Marc Thiessen · Read more Trump's latest immigration threat is yet another half-cooked plan By Editorial Board · Read more We ought to be concerned about preserving the order of the Supreme Court By Leah Litman, Joshua Matz and Steve Vladeck · Read more   ADVERTISEMENT   More News Today's WorldView | Analysis Trump sees Mideast peace. Others see a 'racist, colonial mentality.' Next week the administration will hold an event aimed wooing West Bank development projects, but the Palestinian political and business communities have rejected it outright. By Ishaan Tharoor · Read more   U.N. joins call for independent probe into death of Egypt's ousted president Morsi The nation's first democratically elected president, who died this week inside a Cairo courtroom, had been denied adequate medical care while held for years in solitary confinement, rights groups say. By Sudarsan Raghavan and Claire Parker · Read more   Trump suggests he might want to remove Federal Reserve chairman The president's remarks on Jerome H. Powell constitute an almost unprecedented attack on the central bank just as leaders are meeting today to decide what to do on interest rates. By Heather Long · Read more   McConnell seems to call prospect of D.C. statehood 'full-bore socialism' The comments by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) came as the Democratic-controlled House is moving forward with plans to hold a hearing — and perhaps a floor vote — on D.C. statehood for the first time in decades. By Jenna Portnoy · Read more   Trump called for the execution of the Central Park Five. He still won't apologize. The president refused to apologize Tuesday for the full-page ad he ran in 1989 calling for the execution of the Central Park Five and suggested the men might still be guilty, even though they were exonerated years ago. By Colby Itkowitz and Michael Brice-Saddler · Read more   Review 'Toy Story 4' is a visually dazzling delight in a summer of stupid sequels Sheriff Woody and crew are back, achieving something that eludes most sequels, especially this far into a series: a near-perfect balance of familiarity and novelty, action and emotion, and joyful hellos and bittersweet goodbyes. By Ann Hornaday · Read more

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