First Draft on Politics: Flynn Out

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, February 14, 2017 [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser, during a news conference on Monday.]( Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser, during a news conference on Monday. Stephen Crowley/The New York Times Good Tuesday morning, Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today: - Michael T. Flynn [resigned]( as national security adviser after being accused of misleading the White House about his dealings with a Russian diplomat. Mr. Flynn is said to have broken protocol by discussing policy with a foreign diplomat weeks before the inauguration. The White House said in a statement that it was replacing Mr. Flynn with retired Lt. Gen. Joseph K. Kellogg Jr., a Vietnam War veteran, as acting national security adviser. - At angry town hall meetings, representatives in Wisconsin, California, Utah and across the United States have been facing constituents demanding to know what will replace the Affordable Care Act — and so far, [they have few answers](. - President Trump and his top aides coordinated their response to North Korea’s nuclear missile test Saturday in front of gawking diners at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida club, [drawing fierce criticism]( from some Democrats. - Steven T. Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker, was confirmed as Treasury secretary. [He will help]( overhaul the tax code, reshape financial regulations and renegotiate trade deals. — The First Draft Team HAVE A CONFIDENTIAL NEWS TIP? Do you have the next big story? Want to share it with The New York Times? We offer several ways to get in touch with and provide materials to our journalists. [Learn More »]( ADVERTISEMENT What We’re Watching - ​Mr. Trump is scheduled to meet with Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey over lunch at the White House. Is Mr. Christie moving back toward the president’s inner circle? - Later in the day, Mr. Trump will meet with Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. It’s safe to assume law enforcement and border security are on the agenda. - The Senate is expected to vote to approve Linda E. McMahon, the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, as head of the Small Business Administration. - On the House side, the Ways and Means Committee will host its first markup of the year, where members will discuss, among other things, the fiscal 2018 budget. [The Morning Briefing. In Your Inbox.]( Sign up for the Morning Briefing. Get what you need to know to start your day, delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday. [• Sign up »]( Market Timing [It’s Probably a Bad Idea to Sell Stocks Because You Fear Trump]( By NEIL IRWIN [The New York Stock Exchange last Thursday. Much of the movement in stocks has little to do with what the president does.]( The New York Stock Exchange last Thursday. Much of the movement in stocks has little to do with what the president does. Mark Lennihan/Associated Press “So should I cash out of the stock market?” This is the question I’ve heard from several liberal-leaning friends in the last few months. I get a few emails in this vein every time the stock market hits new highs, as it did on Friday. They are worried that the combination of high share prices and an erratic president mean that the only direction for stocks is down. They are considering shifting some of their assets into cash or bonds. The short and safe answer to give them is: “I don’t know.” But there’s also a long answer. Letting one’s political opinions shape investing decisions is a good way to lose money. Whether a given chunk of your savings should be in stocks, bonds or cash depends on your appetite for risk and when you’re going to need that money. It shouldn’t be shaped by whether you love or hate the current occupant of the White House. We all have a tendency to fall for [motivated reasoning](. If you think President Trump and his policies are bad, there’s a natural tendency to think that this will soon be reflected in share prices. That could turn out to be true. But politics makes us stupid. It can cause us to overweight the risks and perils we want to see, and underweight the possibility that, at least in terms of markets, things could go quite well. [Read More »]( [Case of Captive in Yemen Could Test President’s Guantánamo Pledge]( By ADAM GOLDMAN, MATT APUZZO AND ERIC SCHMITT A terrorism suspect could present a legal and policy experiment for President Trump, who has promised to resume sending suspects to the military prison in Cuba. Mediator [When a Pillar of the Fourth Estate Rests on a Trump-Murdoch Axis]( By JIM RUTENBERG The ties between Rupert Murdoch and President Trump are undeniably close, our media columnist writes. But what does that mean for the press, and the rest of us? [Angry Town Hall Meetings Over Health Care Law, and Few Answers]( By THOMAS KAPLAN Representatives in Wisconsin, California, Utah and across the United States faced constituents demanding to know what will replace the Affordable Care Act — and so far, they have few answers. [What’s Next for Trump’s Travel Ban? Justice Dept. and States Plot Moves]( By ADAM LIPTAK As trial and appeals courts considered how to proceed, the Justice Department said it would continue to defend President Trump’s targeted travel ban. [Michael Flynn Resigns as National Security Adviser]( By MAGGIE HABERMAN, MATTHEW ROSENBERG, MATT APUZZO AND GLENN THRUSH Mr. Flynn, who served in the job for less than a month, said he had given “incomplete information” about a telephone call he had with the Russian ambassador weeks before President Trump’s inauguration. [From Mar-a-Lago to Facebook, a National Security Crisis in the Open]( By MICHAEL D. SHEAR AND MAGGIE HABERMAN President Trump and his aides coordinated their response to North Korea’s nuclear missile test at his Florida club without retiring to a secure location. [Trudeau and Trump Try to Bridge Some Gaps While Avoiding Others]( By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA AND IAN AUSTEN President Trump wants to renegotiate Nafta, a free-trade pact that Canada depends on. White House Memo [A Presidential News Conference Filters Out the Tough Questions]( By MARK LANDLER Plenty of reporters had questions about the embattled national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, but President Trump did not call on them. [Democrats’ Quandary on Gorsuch: Heed the Base or Honor the Process]( By MATT FLEGENHEIMER The Supreme Court nominee presents a challenge for moderate Democratic senators, who must negotiate the anger of liberal voters and an instinct for comity among lawmakers. [Steven Mnuchin Is Confirmed as Secretary of the Treasury]( By ALAN RAPPEPORT Mr. Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker, will help overhaul the tax code, reshape financial regulations and help renegotiate trade deals.  [A General Motors pickup truck assembly line in Flint, Mich. The company builds a large percentage of its pickups in Mexico.]( [Profitable Pickups May Be in Cross Hairs of Trump Border Tax]( By BILL VLASIC Trucks from General Motors and Chrysler rely heavily on Mexican labor and parts. If a tariff wall goes up, Ford could benefit at their expense. [Members of the White House press corps during a briefing this month.]( [White House Grants Press Credentials to a Pro-Trump Blog]( By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM Gateway Pundit gained notice for its support of the Trump campaign and for posting false stories about voter fraud and Hillary Clinton’s health. [Voters cast their ballots in Loudon, N.H., in November. There is no evidence to support President Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud in the state.]( [Voter Fraud in New Hampshire? Trump Has No Proof and Many Skeptics]( By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE President Trump and an adviser have claimed that thousands were bused to New Hampshire to vote illegally, an idea that prominent Republicans in the state call absurd. [Melania Trump with Akie Abe, Japan’s first lady, at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Fla., last week.]( [Melania Trump Thanks Model Who Defended Her Against a Reporter’s Insult]( By NIRAJ CHOKSHI Emily Ratajkowski, an actress and model, said on Twitter that a New York Times reporter had made a derogatory comment about the first lady. ADVERTISEMENT  [Republicans Tweet, Then Delete, a Fake Lincoln Quote]( By JACEY FORTIN There’s no evidence Abraham Lincoln ever said anything about the “years in your life” or the “life in your years.” So who did? [A Short Hop From U.S., Some Canadians Opt to Just Stay Put]( By CATHERINE PORTER President Trump’s policies about who will be allowed to cross the border have Canadians so worried that some have decided not to make the short trek into Michigan. [Union Vote at Boeing Plant Tests Labor’s Sway Under Trump]( By NOAM SCHEIBER AND CHRISTOPHER DREW A bid to organize workers in South Carolina challenges the company’s leverage over the union at its facilities near Seattle. [For Religious Conservatives, Success and Access at the Trump White House]( By JEREMY W. PETERS Their relationship has consequences for policy on issues like health care, education and free speech, and how the federal courts will decide cases. HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [washington-newsletter@nytimes.com](mailto:washington-newsletter@nytimes.com?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback). FOLLOW NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@NYTPolitics]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »](  | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps for just $0.99. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's First Draft newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018