It's Tuesday, and national Ferris Wheel Day. And there's that other thing, too.
National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigns
Flynn steps down after coming under fire over Russia call
WASHINGTON — Michael T. Flynn, the national security adviser, resigned on Monday night after it was revealed that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other top White House officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, according to a person close to the Trump administration.
Mr. Flynn, who served in the job for less than a month, stepped down after days of reports that he had spoken to the ambassador in late December about American sanctions against Russia, weeks before Mr. Trump’s inauguration. Mr. Flynn previously had denied that he had any substantive conversations with Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak, and Mr. Pence repeated that claim in television as recently as earlier this month.
But on Monday, a former administration official said the Justice Department last month warned the White House that Mr. Flynn had not been fully forthright about his conversations with the ambassador. As a result, the Justice Department feared that Mr. Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail by Moscow.
Officials said Mr. Pence has told others in the White House that he believes Mr. Flynn lied to him by saying he had not discussed the topic of sanctions on a call with the Russian ambassador in late December. Even the mere discussion of policy — and the apparent attempt to assuage the concerns of an American adversary before Mr. Trump took office — represents a remarkable breach of protocol.
Valentines Day has arrived and with it, lots and lots of spending. While the usual things like dinners at nice restaurants and expensive flowers are staples, some data suggests Americans may be spending a little less on their significant other this year.
From the Sacramento Bee:
"Since emerging from the recession, American consumers have been willing to spend plenty of dollars on romance. This year, maybe not so much.
It appears that a fair number of Sacramento-area residents are cutting back on Valentine’s Day spending.
“I love my hubby, but I’m trying to hold on to my dollars a little tighter this year,” said Carmichael resident Tonya Bailey, looking at Valentine’s Day cards at a Hallmark store in the Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights. “… It feels like Christmas was just last week, and we’re still paying those bills.”
Matt Patterson has been with The Oklahoman since 2006. Prior to joining the news staff in 2010, Patterson worked in The Oklahoman's sports department for five years. He previously worked at The Lawton Constitution and The Edmond Sun....
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