How A College QB Became Trump’s Body Man

A former college quarterback who became famous in the sports world for a miraculous Youtube trick shot video now serves as a close confidant and body man for President Donald Trump.

John McEntee, 27, joined Trump’s campaign on the ground floor as a volunteer but quickly ingratiated himself with the staff and Trump himself, developing a reputation as a team player willing to do any job. The University of Connecticut alumni worked briefly as a production assistant at Fox News before sending numerous emails to the Trump campaign offering his services free of charge.

“Johnny got it,” former Trump campaign chairman Corey Lewandowski told Politico Magazine. “Whatever we needed, it didn’t matter: He was on it.”

Despite the fact that he’s been in Trump’s inner circle for roughly two years, McEntee has managed to maintain an extremely low profile, often appearing in photos with Trump in which all parties are named in the caption except for him. In a testament to his low profile, he was misidentified in a CNN article about Trump’s first 10 months in office.

McEntee, who has very intimate access to the president of any White House staffer, has established himself as a loyal confidant, refusing to share details of his job with family members.

“He literally loves the president. Not even to me, he would never say anything negative, not in a million years,” his father, John, said. “He loves the president and that family. Jared and Ivanka, too.”

McEntee, who started one season for UConn, made a name for himself with a trick shot video featuring blindfolded throws and spectacular long range tosses from stadium nosebleed seats into garbage cans placed on the field. The video has 7 million views and gained the attention of NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

While Trump and McEntee often discuss sports during rare moments of down time, McEntee has characteristically avoided bringing up his trick shot video.

“I thought for sure, because it was so cool, they would have,” discussed the video, McEntee’s father said. “But he never brought it up. That’s Johnny.”

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Too cold for a theme park, Disney looks to toy stores in Russia

Children pose for a photo at the first Disney store opened on in Moscow, Russia December 1, 2017. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva

December 1, 2017

By Maria Kiselyova and Olga Sichkar

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Though too cold for a theme park, Russia’s underserved toy market makes it an attractive business prospect for Walt Disney Co <DIS.N>, the head of its Russian operations said on Friday.

Opening the U.S. group’s first toy store in the country, Marina Zhigalova-Ozkan said it planned at least five more, and was working with local manufacturers to keep prices competitive.

“We think that in Russia there aren’t too many toy shops … and we thought it would be interesting and complementary to what already exists in the market to open our own branded stores together with partners,” she said in an interview.

The new outlet occupies around 300 square meters in the central Moscow children’s department store, alongside British toy retailer Hamleys, which opened two years ago. Three more Disney stores are planned for Moscow, one in St Petersburg and one in Russia’s south this and next year, Zhigalova-Ozkan said.

Disney has teamed up with Russian company Ideas4Retail, which will run the stores and pay a royalty fee to Disney, with the two working together on product range and pricing.

Ideas4Retail also works with Hamleys as well as children-focused brands Imaginarium and Mamas & Papas in Russia.

Unlike Disney stores elsewhere, which also sell clothing and decor, shops in Russia will only sell toys and will represent the Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel franchises.

Disney’s current Russian business focuses on distributing and producing cartoons and movies, and licensing its brands for use on a wide range of consumer goods and in digital content.

It also has a joint venture with Russian company UTH, which owns Disney Channel in the country.

Merchandise for the stores will be supplied by local manufacturers with licensing agreements with Disney, while some will be imported from other countries. Disney has around 300 licensees in Russia, of which 136 manufacture goods in Russia.

Zhigalova-Ozkan said the company had been focusing on localizing production in recent years, and had stepped this up after the rouble fell sharply at the end of 2014.

“Because of the (exchange) rate differences many of the products that we were bringing in became out of reach for the Russian consumer,” she said.

“We have expanded the number of goods we sell at mid prices. We realize that the average spent may be lower but demand for children’s goods does not decline. Children want toys anyway.”

However, Disney has no plans for a theme park in Russia.

“Sadly, it’s cold in Russia. A theme park should work 12 months in a year. And in terms of number of people in Russia unfortunately it’s not very efficient,” Zhigalova-Ozkan said.

Disney does not break down its business figures by countries.

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova and Olga Sichkar; Editing by Mark Potter)

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Oil prices gain after OPEC extension of output cut

A oil pump is seen at sunset outside Scheibenhard, near Strasbourg, France, October 6, 2017 . REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

December 1, 2017

By Aaron Sheldrick

TOKYO (Reuters) – Oil futures rose on Friday after OPEC and other major producers agreed to extend their production curbs in a widely expected move aimed at ending a persistent glut in global supplies.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporters (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers led by Russia on Thursday agreed to maintain the output cuts until the end of 2018, while also signaling a possible early exit from the deal if the market overheats.

U.S. crude futures were up 18 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $57.58, as of 0514 GMT. Brent February crude futures rose 24 cents to $62.87.

Analysts had earlier said the nine-month extension was already priced in. Over November, Brent rose about 3.6 percent and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) gained about 5.6 percent as traders pushed up prices in anticipation of the cuts being extended past their scheduled expiry in March 2018.

Gains are likely to be muted as inventories need to be cut further, said an official from a Japanese refiner.

“Oil prices are likely to hover around current levels till next June, when stockpiles would be optimized through continued production cuts, but the market will likely tighten after that,” said Kiyoshi Homma, a director at Idemitsu Kosan.

The deal cuts 1.8 million barrels a day (bpd) from the market to tackle oversupply and bolster prices.

Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih said it was premature to talk about exiting the cuts at least for a couple of quarters as the world was entering a season of low winter demand. He said OPEC would examine progress at its next regular meeting in June.

OPEC and Russia together produce over 40 percent of global oil. Moscow’s first real cooperation with OPEC, put together with the help of President Vladimir Putin, has been crucial in roughly halving an excess of global oil stocks since January.

OPEC is showing “a strong commitment to normalizing inventories and also to remain data dependent, which reduces the risk of both unexpected supply surprises and excess stock draws,” Goldman Sachs said in a note.

Russia had been pushing for a clear path to exit the cuts and avoid a rally in prices that would only fuel more drilling in the United States, which is not a party to the agreement.

Rising U.S. production helped fuel a slump in prices, starting in 2014, and shale oil drilling has picked up as prices rose, undermining the OPEC and non-OPEC output cuts.

U.S. oil production hit a new record of 9.68 million bpd last week, according to government data released this week. [EIA/S].

(Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick; Additional reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Tom Hogue and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

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Donald Trump: ‘Disgraceful Verdict’ in Kate Steinle Case

President Donald Trump called the not guilty verdict in the case of an illegal alien and the 2015 murder of Kate Steinle, “disgraceful” on Thursday night.

“A disgraceful verdict in the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration,” wrote Trump.

A disgraceful verdict in the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2017

A jury found Jose Garcia Zarate not guilty on Thursday in the shooting death of 32-year-old Kate Steinle. Previously known as Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, Zarate told a local news outlet in a jailhouse confession shortly after he was arrested that he shot Steinle. He also admitted that he chose to come to San Francisco because he knew he would not be pursued by immigration officials. San Francisco is a sanctuary city, and California legislators have since voted to make the entire state a sanctuary state.

Steinle was shot in the back while walking on San Francisco’s Pier 14. Her last words were a plea to her father for help as she died in his arms.

Zarate was found guilty only of felony possession of a weapon on Thursday. The conviction carries a maximum three years in prison according to Breitbart News’s Joel Pollak and, with time served, he could be out of jail very soon.

Steinle’s death made national headlines when it happened. Trump referenced the young woman many times on the presidential campaign trail. He also met with and highlighted many families who have lost loved ones at the hands of foreign nationals illegally present in the United States. In June, President Trump hosted many of these families at the White House and advocated for multiple immigration enforcement bills.

Building a wall along the U.S. southern border and enforcing immigration laws were cornerstone promises of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

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Libyan PM Sarraj hopes for easing of arms embargo

November 30, 2017

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj said on Thursday that he was hopeful that a U.N.-imposed arms embargo would be partially lifted against some branches of the country’s military.

The Libyan government is allowed to import weapons and related materiel with the approval of a U.N. Security Council committee overseeing the embargo imposed in 2011.

“…We hope that this embargo will be partially ended at least against some of the military branches such as the presidential guard and the coast guard,” Sarraj, the head of the Government of National Accord (GNA), said before meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis at the Pentagon. He was speaking through a translator.

President Donald Trump will host Sarraj at the White House on Friday for talks on counterterrorism cooperation and ways to expand bilateral engagement.

The North African country has been in turmoil since Muammar Gaddafi’s downfall gave space to Islamist militants and smuggling networks that have sent hundreds of thousands of migrants to Europe.

Political and military fractures have left the country mired in conflict. Rival parliaments and governments have vied for power.

Libya’s eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar is aligned with a government and parliament in eastern Libya. He has rejected a U.N.-backed Government of National Accord based in the capital, Tripoli, as he has gradually strengthened his position on the ground.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

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NRSC stole donor data from House Republicans

With Zach Montellaro and Elena Schneider

The following newsletter is an abridged version of Campaign Pro’s Morning Score. For an earlier morning read on exponentially more races — and for a more comprehensive aggregation of the day’s most important campaign news — sign up for Campaign Pro today. (http://www.politicopro.com/proinfo)

Story Continued Below

DATA BREACH — “Senate GOP campaign arm stole donor data from House Republicans,” by POLITICO’s Kevin Robillard and Elena Schneider: “Staffers for Senate Republicans’ campaign arm seized information on more than 200,000 donors from the House GOP campaign committee over several months this year by breaking into its computer system, three sources with knowledge of the breach told POLITICO. … Multiple NRSC staffers, who previously worked for the NRCC, used old database login information to gain access to House Republicans’ donor lists this year.

“The donor list that was breached is among the NRCC’s most valuable assets, containing not only basic contact information like email addresses and phone numbers but personal information that could be used to entice donors to fork over cash — information on top issues and key states of interest to different people, the names of family members, and summaries of past donation history. The list has helped the NRCC raise over $77 million this year to defend the House in 2018.” Full story here.

PARTY’S OVER — “Paul Ryan Cancels Fund-Raiser for Lee Zeldin Over Tax Bill Vote,” The New York Times reports: “House Speaker Paul D. Ryan scratched plans for a fund-raiser on Wednesday that was to benefit the re-election campaign of Representative Lee M. Zeldin, after Mr. Zeldin, a Republican from Long Island, voted against the sweeping tax overhaul that cleared the House earlier this month. Several people familiar with the planning for the fund-raiser said the cancellation was designed to punish Mr. Zeldin, who not only voted against the bill but was outspoken about one aspect: the elimination of the federal deduction for state and local taxes, which particularly impacts high-tax states like New York. … The fund-raising lunch event still occurred on Wednesday, but the proceeds now went to Mr. Ryan’s political operation and the National Republican Congressional Committee, rather than Mr. Zeldin’s campaign.” Full story here.

PRIMARY ADDITION — Blankenship says he’s jumping into West Virginia Senate race: Former energy executive Don Blankenship, who served a one-year prison sentence for “conspiring to willfully violate mine safety standards,” said he’s filing papers to run for Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s seat, reports WCHS. Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Rep. Evan Jenkins are already competing in the GOP primary.

Days until the 2018 election: 340

Thanks for joining us! You can email tips to the Campaign Pro team at sbland@politico.com, eschneider@politico.com, krobillard@politico.com, dstrauss@politico.com and mseverns@politico.com.

You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @danielstrauss4 and @maggieseverns.

FIRST IN SCORE — Diane Black digital ad highlights tax reform support: Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Rep. Diane Black is airing a new digital ad touting her support for Trump’s tax plan. The ad starts with a clip of Trump saying, “I called Diane Black and you came through, Diane.” The rest of the minute-long ad is a montage of Black praising the tax reform plan on television. Watch the ad here.

— Meanwhile in Nashville … Jeb Bush is headlining a fundraiser for Black opponent Randy Boyd today, per the Tennessean’s Joel Ebert.

MAYBE, MAYBE NOT — “Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner reconsiders: She may challenge John Katko for Congress,” by Syracuse.com’s Mark Weiner: “Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner says she’s reconsidering whether to run for Congress next year and challenge Rep. John Katko, a month after she had ruled out the possibility. Miner said she changed her mind after Katko voted for a Republican overhaul of the tax code that she fears will disproportionately harm working poor and middle-class residents of Syracuse and Central New York.” Full story.

GETTING THE NOD — NewDem PAC adds candidates to ‘watch list’: The NewDem PAC added 10 candidates to its ‘watch list’ on Thursday: Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), Greg Stanton (AZ-09), Jason Crow (CO-06), Lauren Baer (FL-18), Dean Phillips (MN-03), Susie Lee (NV-03), Max Rose (NY-11), Dan McCready (NC-09), Ben McAdams (UT-04) and Dan Kohl (WI-06).

TRUMP BUMP — “Trump appears to back Hawley in Missouri Senate race,” by Robillard: “President Donald Trump appeared to endorse Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley in the state’s GOP Senate primary. … ‘He’ll be a great senator,’ Trump said during a rally for tax reform in St. Charles, Mo., adding later: ‘You have my word that I’m going to come here and campaign for you.’” Full story here.

ICYMI — “Judge allows DNC to depose Spicer on election night activities,” by POLITICO New Jersey’s Matt Friedman: “A federal judge said Wednesday that he’ll allow the Democratic National Committee to depose Sean Spicer, the former Republican National Committee communications director and White House spokesman, on whether he violated a 35-year-old consent decree barring the RNC from engaging in ballot security or voter suppression efforts. But the judge, Michael Vazquez, denied a DNC request for an evidentiary hearing on whether the RNC violated the consent decree.

“Vazquez said that despite comments from high-ranking Trump campaign officials about poll watching efforts in the lead-up to the 2016 election, the DNC had presented no evidence that the RNC participated in them. ‘As far as what’s before this court, you’ve presented me with no evidence of actual voter suppression efforts on the day of the election, much less tying it to the RNC,’ Vazquez told DNC attorneys.” Full story here.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I think that her comments on Sunday set women back and — quite frankly, our party back — decades,” Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice said of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s response to the sexual assault allegations made earlier this week against Rep. John Conyers.

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Israel’s embassy in Jordan can’t reopen before legal action against guard – source

November 30, 2017

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) – Jordan will not allow Israel to reopen its embassy in Amman until it has launched legal proceedings against an Israeli security guard who shot dead two Jordanian citizens in July, a Jordanian diplomatic source said on Thursday.

Israel must also be able to assure its Arab neighbor that “justice has been served” in the case, the senior source said, asking not to be named.

The embassy was closed shortly after Israel hastily repatriated the guard under diplomatic immunity to prevent Jordanian authorities from interrogating him and taking any legal action against him. The Israeli ambassador and embassy staff were pulled out.

Israeli sources said on Wednesday they were planning to replace Ambassador Einat Schlein at the Amman embassy in an effort to improve ties. However they did not address the long-standing Jordanian demand to take legal action against the security guard.

“They can look for a new ambassador but that ambassador will not be welcome in Jordan until a due legal process takes its course and justice is served,” the diplomatic source said.

“Our position remains solid in Jordan.. The embassy will not reopen until these conditions are met… which is the position we took from the very beginning,” he added.

Jordan maintains that even if the guard had diplomatic immunity that did not mean he could not be punished.

“The guard enjoyed immunity and not impunity under Vienna conventions,” the source said, referring to the Vienna Convention that specifies privileges given to diplomats.

“Jordan acted in compliance with its obligation under international law and Israel has to do the same,” the source said.

Jordanian officials have treated the shooting as a criminal case and say the two unarmed Jordanians, one a bystander and the other a teenage workman, were killed in cold blood by the armed guard.

Israel said the armed guard opened fire after being attacked and lightly wounded by the workman, who was delivering furniture at his home within the embassy compound, and acted in self- defense, in what Israeli officials called a “terrorist attack”.

A televised welcome and hero’s embrace by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the guard enraged King Abdullah. In a rare outburst, the monarch accused Netanyahu of using the incident as a “political show” saying it was “provocative on all fronts”.

The king called on Israel to put the guard on trial.

“From the very beginning they had addressed this issue in a disgraceful way to politically exploit it,” the source said.

The handling of the shooting has tested ties between Israel and Jordan, one of only two Arab states that has a peace treaty with Israel. They have a long history of close security ties.

Many Jordanians, in a country where the peace treaty is unpopular and pro-Palestinian sentiment widespread, were outraged the guard was allowed to leave and staged protests calling on the authorities to scrap the 1994 peace treaty.

Israel has said it is highly unlikely it would prosecute the security guard but has hinted at financial compensation to the family of one of the dead Jordanians.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)

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