News from the Note:
Federal Budget Deficit Projected to Top $1 Trillion in 2020
The federal government’s annual budget deficit is set to widen significantly in the next few years, topping $1 trillion in 2020 despite healthy economic growth, according to new projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Mattis: Won’t rule out action against Assad
The US has not ruled out launching airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in response to the weekend’s suspected chemical gas attack on civilians, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Monday.
Top ethics officer questions Pruitt’s actions in letter to EPA
David Apol, the acting director of the Office of Government Ethics, wrote a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding recent reports about EPA chief Scott Pruitt’s potential ethics violations, the New York Times reports.
Trump: Farmers will understand if they get hurt in China trade spat
“But if we do a deal with China, if, during the course of a negotiation they want to hit the farmers because they think that hits me, I wouldn’t say that’s nice. But I tell you, our farmers are great patriots,” Trump said.
White House has no plan for countering Comey
Former FBI Director James Comey is about to return to the national spotlight with the release of his memoir next week — but the White House is doing little to prepare for the onslaught, according to two officials.
These officials said it’s understood within the West Wing that laying out an advance media strategy is largely a futile exercise since President Donald Trump could blow up any prepared talking points with a single tweet.
