President Donald Trump is allowing more employers to opt out of providing no-cost birth control to women by claiming religious or moral objections, issuing new rules Friday that take another step in rolling back the Obama healthcare law.

Employers with religious or moral qualms will also be able to cover some birth control methods, and not others. Experts said that could interfere with efforts to promote modern long-acting implantable contraceptives, such as IUDs, which are more expensive.

The new policy was a long-anticipated revision to Affordable Care Act requirements that most companies cover birth control as preventive care for women, at no additional cost. That Obama-era requirement applies to all FDA-approved methods, including the morning-after pill, which some religious conservatives call an abortion drug, though scientists say it has no effect on women who are already pregnant.

As a result of the ACA, most women no longer pay for contraceptives. Several advocacy groups immediately announced plans to try to block the Trump administration rule.

Catholic bishops called the administration's move a "return to common sense."

Trump's religious and moral exemption is expected to galvanize both his opponents and religious conservatives who back him, but it seems unlikely to have a major impact on America's largely secular workplaces.

Tens of thousands of women could be affected by Trump's policy, but the vast majority of companies have no qualms about offering birth control benefits through their health plans. Human resource managers recognise that employers get an economic benefit from helping women plan their pregnancies, since female workers are central to most enterprises.

The administration estimated that some 200 employers who have already voiced objections to the Obama-era policy would qualify for the expanded opt-out, and that 120-thousand women would be affected.

However, it's unclear how major religion-affiliated employers such as Catholic hospitals and universities will respond.

Many Catholic hospitals now rely on an Obama-era workaround under which the government pays for the cost of birth control coverage. That workaround can continue under the new rules.

Since contraception became a covered preventive benefit, the share of women employees paying with their own money for birth control pills has plunged to 3 per cent, from 21 per cent, according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation figures.

Doctors' groups that were instrumental in derailing Republican plans to repeal the health law expressed their dismay.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said the new policy could reverse progress in lowering the nation's rate of unintended pregnancies.

The new rules take immediate effect.

Cambridge, Massachusetts – 6 October 2017

1. Close view of a mother walking with her young child and dog

2. SOUNDBITE (English): Marisa Curran, Massachusetts resident

"Contraception isn't just for people who are having mistakes. You know, it's for rape victims, it's for people who, you know, can't afford to have babies, it's important and people who are having health risks because they can't have a baby because they might die."

3. Wide view of woman pushing a child in a stroller waiting to cross the road

4. SOUNDBITE (English): Nancy Hughes, Massachusetts resident

"This administration that claims to make America great again has done the opposite in terms of human rights, definitely women's rights, people of colour and, I think, lacking in compassion and a real understanding of what American women – and women throughout the world – need, to be safe and to be able to make decisions about their bodies."

5. Couple walking with a child

San Francisco, California – 6 October 2017

6. Medium view of NARAL official Amy Everitt in office

7. Medium view of computer screen

8. Close view of computer screen

9. SOUNDBITE (English): Amy Everitt, State Director, NARAL Pro-Choice California

"In the last couple of years under Obamacare that we have had the lowest abortion rate in American since Roe v. Wade?' That is because women are able to access all different forms of contraception that works for them, that they can now afford. Now we have Trump and Mike Pence and Paul Ryan and their comrades rolling that back."

St. Anthony, Minnesota - 6 October 2017

10. Medium view of Stephani Liesmaki of the Minnesota Family Council

11. Close view of hands on computer

12. SOUNDBITE (English): Stephani Liesmaki, Communications Director, Minnesota Family Council

"Government is supposed to be the protector of America's freedoms, not it's greatest threat. And so by advancing this religious freedom protection we're simply, President Trump is simply securing a place for individuals who object to these kinds of drugs from being forced to violate their conscience."

13. Medium view of Liesmaki in office

President Donald Trump is allowing more employers to opt out of providing no-cost birth control to women by claiming religious or moral objections, issuing new rules Friday that take another step in rolling back the Obama healthcare law.

Employers with religious or moral qualms will also be able to cover some birth control methods, and not others. Experts said that could interfere with efforts to promote modern long-acting implantable contraceptives, such as IUDs, which are more expensive.

The new policy was a long-anticipated revision to Affordable Care Act requirements that most companies cover birth control as preventive care for women, at no additional cost. That Obama-era requirement applies to all FDA-approved methods, including the morning-after pill, which some religious conservatives call an abortion drug, though scientists say it has no effect on women who are already pregnant.

As a result of the ACA, most women no longer pay for contraceptives. Several advocacy groups immediately announced plans to try to block the Trump administration rule.

Catholic bishops called the administration's move a "return to common sense."

Trump's religious and moral exemption is expected to galvanize both his opponents and religious conservatives who back him, but it seems unlikely to have a major impact on America's largely secular workplaces.

Tens of thousands of women could be affected by Trump's policy, but the vast majority of companies have no qualms about offering birth control benefits through their health plans. Human resource managers recognise that employers get an economic benefit from helping women plan their pregnancies, since female workers are central to most enterprises.

The administration estimated that some 200 employers who have already voiced objections to the Obama-era policy would qualify for the expanded opt-out, and that 120-thousand women would be affected.

However, it's unclear how major religion-affiliated employers such as Catholic hospitals and universities will respond.

Many Catholic hospitals now rely on an Obama-era workaround under which the government pays for the cost of birth control coverage. That workaround can continue under the new rules.

Since contraception became a covered preventive benefit, the share of women employees paying with their own money for birth control pills has plunged to 3 per cent, from 21 per cent, according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation figures.

Doctors' groups that were instrumental in derailing Republican plans to repeal the health law expressed their dismay.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said the new policy could reverse progress in lowering the nation's rate of unintended pregnancies.

The new rules take immediate effect.

Cambridge, Massachusetts – 6 October 2017

1. Close view of a mother walking with her young child and dog

2. SOUNDBITE (English): Marisa Curran, Massachusetts resident

"Contraception isn't just for people who are having mistakes. You know, it's for rape victims, it's for people who, you know, can't afford to have babies, it's important and people who are having health risks because they can't have a baby because they might die."

3. Wide view of woman pushing a child in a stroller waiting to cross the road

4. SOUNDBITE (English): Nancy Hughes, Massachusetts resident

"This administration that claims to make America great again has done the opposite in terms of human rights, definitely women's rights, people of colour and, I think, lacking in compassion and a real understanding of what American women – and women throughout the world – need, to be safe and to be able to make decisions about their bodies."

5. Couple walking with a child

San Francisco, California – 6 October 2017

6. Medium view of NARAL official Amy Everitt in office

7. Medium view of computer screen

8. Close view of computer screen

9. SOUNDBITE (English): Amy Everitt, State Director, NARAL Pro-Choice California

"In the last couple of years under Obamacare that we have had the lowest abortion rate in American since Roe v. Wade?' That is because women are able to access all different forms of contraception that works for them, that they can now afford. Now we have Trump and Mike Pence and Paul Ryan and their comrades rolling that back."

St. Anthony, Minnesota - 6 October 2017

10. Medium view of Stephani Liesmaki of the Minnesota Family Council

11. Close view of hands on computer

12. SOUNDBITE (English): Stephani Liesmaki, Communications Director, Minnesota Family Council

"Government is supposed to be the protector of America's freedoms, not it's greatest threat. And so by advancing this religious freedom protection we're simply, President Trump is simply securing a place for individuals who object to these kinds of drugs from being forced to violate their conscience."

13. Medium view of Liesmaki in office

Immigration advocates in New Jersey were joined by the American Civil Liberties Union at Newark International Airport on Thursday to celebrate the court orders that blocked US President Donald Trump's revised travel ban.

Diane Du Brule, of the ACLU of New Jersey, called the revised ban "nothing more than a thinly failed version of the same discriminatory order".

Judges in Hawaii and Maryland blocked the executive order from taking effect as scheduled on Thursday, using the president's own words as evidence that the order discriminates against Muslims.

The initial ban sparked chaos at US airports and widespread criticism around the world when it was signed in January.

It was later blocked by a judge in Washington state - a ruling that was upheld by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

While the Hawaii ruling temporarily blocks the entire executive order, the Maryland order applies only to the travel ban and took the form of a preliminary injunction, which will remain in effect indefinitely as the case is litigated.

Newark, New Jersey - 16 March 2017

1. Protesters holding signs, chanting "No ban, no wall"

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Diane Du Brule, Interim Executive Director, ACLU of New Jersey:

"As you know a federal judge blocked the executive order scheduled to take affect today that would have banned immigrants from six Muslim nations as well as refugees from entering the country and it was stopped for good reason. It was discriminatory and unconstitutional, based on religion and country of origin."

3. Protesters holding signs

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Diane Du Brule, Interim Executive Director, ACLU of New Jersey:

"President Trump and his administration recognized that his first ban on Muslims entering the United States was indefensible. Unfortunately his Muslim ban 2.0, as we call it, was nothing more than a thinly failed version of the same discriminatory order. The intent of the ban was to target Muslims and that intent violates the first principle of the establishment cause of the constitution which forbids government from singling out particular religions for favour or disfavour."

5. Protesters holding signs

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Diane Du Brule, Interim Executive Director, ACLU of New Jersey:

"Repackaging the ban does not alter its intent or effect, to target members of a particular religion, and the purported national security justifications for doing so have been refuted by none other than the Department of Homeland Security itself. It's a core principle of our nation not to discriminate. The ACLU will continue to do everything in its power to stop these kinds of assaults on our core values."

7. Protesters holding signs

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Deb Maclean, Immigration Committee Chair, BlueWaveNJ:

"These attempted bans further erode our moral standing around the world so we lose allies, respect and admiration, making our country not the place where a better life is possible but an unwelcoming country whose fundamental values have been abandoned. And most importantly, this is not who we are. This is not the America that I grew up in. This is not the America that my father fought in World War II to defend, and this is not the America that we want for our children."

9. Protesters holding signs

STORY

On January 12th 2017 President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to run the CIA says Russian meddling in the president election was an aggressive action taken by senior Russian leaders. At his confirmation hearing on Thursday, congressman Mike Pompeo of Kansas says it's pretty clear Russia worked to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy. Trump has voiced scepticism that Russia was behind hacking of political sites. But he said Wednesday for the first time that he believes Russia was responsible for the hacking. Pompeo also said he expected to be able to present the incoming administration with intelligence that is sound and that the leadership would make decisions based on that intelligence. US President Donald Trump said in his speech on January 20th that he will govern the country by putting America first. Trump said as president that "from this day forward it's going to be only America first". He said that every decision he makes, on issues from trade to taxes to immigration and foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and families. "We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries" taking American jobs, Trump said. US President Donald Trump signed his first executive order on January 20th, ordering federal agencies to ease the burden of former President Barrack Obama's sweeping health care law. No details were given on what the order contained. Trump was joined in the Oval Office by Vice President Mike Pence, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and other top advisers as he signed the executive order on the so-called "Obamacare" law that he opposed throughout his campaign. Trump also formally signed the commissions of incoming Defence Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. Pence later swore them in at a separate ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where the vice president's suite of offices is located. On January 26th White House press secretary Sean Spicer said US President Donald Trump will seek a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for a proposed border wall. The wall is part of Trump's plan to halt illegal immigration to the U.S., and he has long insisted that Mexico will pay. Mexican President Pena Nieto insists his country will not. On the flight back to Washington, Spicer told reporters travelling with the president that Trump will seek to impose a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for the wall. Congressional approval would be needed for such a step. Trump's brief trip to Philadelphia to speak with Congressional Republicans at their policy retreat, marked his first flight on Air Force One, the familiar blue and white government plane that has long ferried presidents around the country and the world. Trump spoke to reporters on board the plane, describing Air Force One as a "beautiful, great plane." On January 27th President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May were seen holding hands for a brief period of time as they walked along the colonnade at the White House, before Trump tapped on May's hand and they let go. The two appeared to be in conversation following joint remarks made earlier at a news conference. May's meeting with the US president in Washington, D.C. is being hailed by the British government as a sign that the tarns-Atlantic "special relationship" is valued by the new US administration. On January 29th protests have erupted for the second day after US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to temporarily bar refugees and citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the US. Dozens of protesters gathered outside the White House, while a smaller group protested outside an airport in Morrisville, North Carolina, holding banners in support of refugees and immigrants and chanting anti-Trump slogans. Several thousand people gathered near Prime Minister Theresa May's London residence on January 30th to protest against a planned state visit by US President Donald Trump. Protesters held signs and placards, some branding May "shameless", and chanted "No state visit!" Many said they were protesting to express their anger over Trump's immigration ban. January 30th's protest near 10 Downing Street was the largest of a series of protests across the country, including in Oxford, Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff and Glasgow. An online petition opposing Trump's state visit has more than 1.5 million signatures. Any petition with more than 100,000 signatures must be considered for a debate in Parliament, though not a binding vote. US President Donald Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates on January 31st after she announced she would not defend his controversial immigration order. He is naming Dana Boente, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve in her place. The White House press office said in a statement that Yates "has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States." The statement calls Yates an Obama administration appointee "who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration." Trump's order from Friday temporarily suspends the US refugee programme and bars immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Trump has picked Senator Jeff Sessions to lead the Justice Department, but he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. US Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly on January 31st defended President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration. Kelly said that the order is "not a travel ban. This is a temporary pause that allows us to better review the existing refugee and visa vetting system." Nordstrom says it will stop selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories, creating some questions about the future of the brand elsewhere. The Seattle-based department store chain said the decision was based on the sales performance of the first daughter's brand. Neiman Marcus may be the next one to pull back on the label, as the branded jewellery is nowhere to be seen on the up scale retailer's website as of 3rd February. "We've said all along we make buying decisions based on performance," said Nordstrom in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. "We've got thousands of brands” more than 2,000 offered on the site alone. Reviewing their merit and making edits is part of the regular rhythm of our business." Nordstrom said that each year the chain cuts about 10 percent and refreshes its assortment with about the same amount. "In this case, based on the brand's performance we've decided not to buy it for this season," Nordstrom added. Lord & Taylor only said it continues to carry the brand. Neiman Marcus, Macy's and Dillard's, which also carry the label, didn't immediately reply to AP's query. The move by Nordstrom Inc. comes amid a social media campaign called "Grab Your Wallet," urging a boycott of stores that stock Ivanka Trump or Donald Trump products. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press late Friday, Rosemary K. Young, senior director of marketing at Ivanka Trump, said that the brand continues to expand across all categories and distribution, resulting in "significant" revenue growth last year compared to the previous year. "We believe that the strength of a brand is measured not only by the profits it generates, but the integrity it maintains," said Young in the statement. "The women behind the brand represent a diverse group of professionals and we are proud to say that the Ivanka Trump brand continues to embody the principles upon which it was founded." An unnamed spokesperson for the brand contradicted Nordstrom's statement, saying that Nordstrom did order both shoes and clothing for spring and moved forward with the purchase of clothing. Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL Strategic Retail, says that retailers walk a tight rope when it comes to celebrity brands but given the politics surrounding the Ivanka Trump brand, that only adds extra controversy, particularly given such a politically divisive climate. Liebmann noted a decision of whether to pull a brand is politically loaded even if it's based on poor sales performance. "The brand is vulnerable," Liebmann said. "Retailers view their role as having the right products for the right consumer, not being pulled in a political situation." She noted that some shoppers may not want to wear the Ivanka Trump brand because they may want to avoid making a political statement. Ivanka Trump announced earlier this month that she would take a leave of absence from her clothing and accessories business as well as the Trump organization. US President Donald Trump's embattled national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned late on February 13th, following reports that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia. His departure upends Trump's senior team after less than one month in office. In a resignation letter, Flynn said he gave Pence and others "incomplete information" about his calls with Russia's ambassador to the US. The vice president, apparently relying on information from Flynn, initially said the national security adviser hadn't discussed sanctions with the Russian envoy, though Flynn later conceded the issue may have come up. Trump named retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as the acting national security adviser. Kellogg had previously been appointed the National Security Council chief of staff and advised Trump during the campaign. Trump is also considering former CIA Director David Petraeus and Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a US Navy SEAL, for the post, according to a senior administration official. The Trump team's account of Flynn's discussions with the Russian envoy changed repeatedly over several weeks, including the number of contacts, the dates of those contacts and ultimately, the content of the conversations. Late in January, the Justice Department warned the White House that Flynn could be in a compromised position as a result of the contradictions between the public depictions of the calls and what intelligence officials knew to be true based on recordings of the conversations, which were picked up as part of routine monitoring of foreign officials communications in the US. A US official told The Associated Press that Flynn was in frequent contact with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as at other times during the transition. US President Donald Trump on February 16th said his ousted national security adviser was a "fine person" after offering his resignation amid reports of contact with Russian officials. Trump was recounting why he asked Michael Flynn for his resignation. The president said at a news conference that he was "not happy" with how information about Flynn's phone call to a Russian diplomat was relayed to Vice President Mike Pence. But Trump says what Flynn did "wasn't wrong" - and called attention to what he described as "classified information that was given illegally." Dakota Access pipeline protesters are ceremonially burning some of their living structures ahead of the closure of a long-standing camp in North Dakota. About 200 to 300 protesters remain at the camp near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. The Army Corps of Engineers has ordered the camp closed at 2 p.m. February 22nd, citing the potential for spring flooding. Those left in camp milled about peacefully Wednesday, many in prayer. At least four wooden structures were being burned in what protesters say is part of the ceremony of leaving. Authorities in North Dakota are offering assistance and services to Dakota Access pipeline protesters as they close a long-standing encampment near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. A White House spokeswoman said March 3rd that Vice President Mike Pence "did everything to the letter of the law" after public records revealed that he used a private email account to conduct public business as Indiana's governor. The Indianapolis Star reported that emails provided through a public records request show that Pence communicated with advisers through his personal AOL account on homeland security matters and security at the governor's residence during his four years as governor. The governor also faced email security issues. Pence's AOL account was subjected to a phishing scheme last spring, before he was chosen by Donald Trump to join the GOP presidential ticket. Pence's contacts were sent an email falsely claiming that the governor and his wife were stranded in the Philippines and needed money. As Trump's running mate, Pence frequently criticized rival Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as President Barrack Obama's secretary of state, accusing her of purposely keeping her emails out of public reach and shielding her from scrutiny. Hours before it was to take effect, President Donald Trump's revised travel ban was put on hold March 15th by a federal judge in Hawaii who questioned whether the administration was motivated by national security concerns. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson also said Hawaii would suffer financially if the executive order blocked the flow of students and tourists to the state, and he concluded that Hawaii was likely to succeed on a claim that the ban violates First Amendment protections against religious discrimination. A federal judge in Greenbelt, Maryland, has blocked US President Donald Trump's revised travel ban targeting six predominantly Muslim countries. Judge Theodore Chuang ruled on Thursday in a case brought near the nation's capital by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and other groups representing immigrants, refugees and their families. It was the latest ruling against Trump's revised travel ban. On March 15th, a federal judge in Hawaii blocked Trump's revised travel ban hours before it was to take effect, marking the second time courts have thwarted Trump's efforts to freeze immigration by refugees and citizens of some predominantly Muslim nations. Government lawyers argued that the ban was substantially revised from an earlier version signed in January that was later blocked by a federal judge in Washington state. They said the ban was ordered in the interest of national security to protect the US from "radical Islamic terrorism." During his campaign as a Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump called for a "total and complete shut-down of Muslims entering the United States." Trump's campaign said in a statement that such a ban should stand "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." It said the proposal comes in response to a level of hatred among "large segments of the Muslim population" toward US citizens. At an evening rally in South Carolina in December 2015, Trump supporters cheered and shouted in support as he read his statement. An earlier version of the executive order, issued in late January, was blocked by a judge in Seattle, sparking harsh criticism from the president of both the judge and his decision. Trump said at the time that the court fight over his refugee and immigration executive order could end up in the Supreme Court. Speaking to reporters on 7 February 2017, Trump said he was going to take his fight to uphold the directive "through the system." A federal appeals court refused to reinstate President Donald Trump's ban on travellers from seven predominantly Muslim nations, dealing another legal setback to the new administration's immigration policy. In a unanimous decision, the panel of three judges from the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block a lower-court ruling that suspended the ban and allowed previously barred travellers to enter the US. Moments after the ruling was released, Trump tweeted, "SEE YOU IN COURT," adding that "THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!" Declaring "the start of a new era" in energy production, President Donald Trump signed an executive order March 28th that he said would revive the coal industry and create jobs. The move makes good on his campaign pledge to unravel former President Barrack Obama's plan to curb global warming. The order seeks to suspend, rescind or flag for review more than a half-dozen measures in an effort to boost domestic energy production in the form of fossil fuels. Environmental activists, including former Vice President Al Gore, denounced the plan. But Trump said the effort would allow workers to "succeed on a level playing field for the first time in a long time." "That is what this is all about: bringing back our jobs, bringing back our dreams and making America wealthy again," Trump said, during a ceremony at the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters, attended by a number of coal miners. In addition to pulling back from the Clean Power Plan, the administration will also lift a 14-month-old moratorium on new coal leases on federal lands.

SHOWS

(HD version available in \\Source_Clips\Newsroom Failures)

Pompeo: Russia aimed to influence US election

4075583

POOL

Washington DC - 12 January 2017

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Marco Rubio, (R) Florida:

"In your personal opinion, is Vladimir Putin and the Russians looking at all this and saying 'we did a really good job of creating chaos, division, instability in the American political process?"

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Mike Pompeo, CIA Director Nominee:

"I have no doubt that the discourse that's been taking place is something that Vladimir Puttin would look at and say, 'Wow, that was among the objectives that I have."

00:20:23

Trump to govern by putting America first

4076960

POOL

Washington, DC - 20 January 2017

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President: ++INCLUDES SHOTS OF CROWDS++

" From this day forward a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America First, America First." (++Crowds clapping)

00:39:22

Trump signs executive orders in Oval Office

4077026

POOL

Washington DC - 20 January 2017

4. US President Donald Trump signing commission allowing General James Mattis to be sworn in as Defence Secretary

00:46:24

Spicer: Trump Seeks 20% Tax on Mexican Imports

4078053

POOL

On Board Air Force One - 26 January 2017

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"If you tax that $50 billion at 20 percent of imports - which is by the way a practice that 160 other countries do - right now our country's policy is to tax exports and let imports flow freely in, which is ridiculous."

01:02:06

Trump, May hold hands outside White House

4078211

AP TELEVISION

Washington,D.C. - 27 January 2017

6. Tracking shot of British Prime Minister Theresa May and President Donald Trump walking outside White House, holding hands for a few seconds

01:10:09

US protests against Trump's immigration ban

4078426

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC/Morrisville - 29 January 2017

7. Protesters on ground gathering outside White House, holding banners and chanting slogans in support of refugees

01:21:12

UK protest against Trump's state visit

4078640

AP TELEVISION

London - 30 January 2017

++NIGHT SHOTS++

8. Protesters standing in front of Downing Street with signs and posters

9. Close of sign that reads (English) "Shameless May, Fascist Tyrant"

10. Close of sign that reads (English) "No to racism, no to Trump"

01:46:12

Trump fires Attorney General Sally Yates

4078666

POOL

FILE: Washington, DC - 28 June 2016

11. Various of Sally Yates, now former acting US Attorney General speaking at briefing while serving as Deputy Attorney General

01:54:19

US Homeland Security chief defends travel ban

4078785

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 31 January 2017

12. SOUNDBITE (English): John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security:

" It is important to understand that there are terrorists and other bad actors who are seeking to infiltrate our homeland every single day."

02:02:13

Nordstrom will stop selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories

4079404

AP Entertainment

New York, 29 June 2012

13. Medium of Ivanka Trump talking and showing her clothing line

AP Entertainment

New York, 14 April 2015

14. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arriving at the Vanity Fair Tribeca Film Festival party

02:17:16

US National Security Adviser Flynn resigns and Kellogg takes over as acting US National Security Adviser

4080946

US POOL

Washington DC - Recent/File

Washington DC - 20 January 2017

15. Michael Flynn arrives at inauguration

New York - 7 October 2016

16. General Kellogg, sitting next to Trump, speaking

02:30:06

Trump: Russia links reports are "fake news"

4081499

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 16 February 2017

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"I can tell you from speaking for myself, I own nothing in Russia, I have no loans in Russia, I don't have any deals in Russia. (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin called me up very nicely to congratulate me on the win of the election, he then called me up extremely nicely to congratulate me on the inauguration which was terrific, but so did many other leaders, almost all other leaders from almost all other countries, so that's the extent. Russia is fake news, this is fake news put out by the media."

03:03:24

Pipeline Protesters Set Fires to Close Camp

4082450

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Near Cannon Ball - 22 February 2017

++QUALITY AS INCOMING++

18. Wide pan of area with protesters and fire

03:16:18

Pence responds to use of private email account

4084169

POOL

Janesville, Wisconsin - 3 March 2017

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Pence, Vice President:

(Reporter question off camera: "Why did you decide to use your private email accounts to deal with some public business?")

"I did. We issued a statement on that. I am very confident that our email practices were in full compliance with all of Indiana's laws. And in my service as a vice president will continue, will continue that practice."

03:31:02

Federal judge in Hawaii puts travel ban on hold

4086131

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Honolulu - 15 March 2017

20. Wide of press conference beginning

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Doug Chin, Hawaii Attorney General

" It showed that they were trying even harder to mask what was a religious animus."

03:42:17

Trump suffers second travel ban defeat

4086216

POOL

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina - 7 December 2015

22. Donald Trump walking to podium

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate:

"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on. We have no choice."

04:07:09

Trump signs roll-back on Obama era climate plans

4088397

POOL

Washington DC - 28 March 2017

24. US President Donald Trump signing executive order

HD version available in \\Source_Clips\Newsroom Failures

President Donald Trump says he's signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to "ban all devices" like bump stocks used in last year's Las Vegas massacre.

The president is making the announcement to curb the use of the rapid-fire devices during a ceremony recognizing bravery by the nation's public safety officers.

Trump is responding days after the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school. He's pointing to the need to propose regulations to ban the device that was used in the October shooting deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas.

White House officials say the president will be meeting with students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence. Past efforts to address gun violence in Congress have failed.

Washington - 20 February 2018

1. President Donald Trump walks into East room and to Podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"As we come together to recognize these brave Americans, I know all of us here today and across the entire nation are grieving for the community of Parkland, in the great state of Florida. We're working very hard to make sense of these events."

3. Pan of medal recipients

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"And we must do more to protect our children. We have to do more to protect our children. This week, I will be holding a number of discussions with students, local leaders, and law enforcement to develop concrete steps that we can take to secure our schools, safeguard our students and protect our communities. School safety is a top priority for my administration."

5. Wide

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"This includes implementing common-sense security measures and addressing mental health issues, including better coordination between federal and state law enforcement to take swift action when there are warning signs. In addition, after the deadly shooting in Las Vegas, I directed (the) Attorney General to clarify whether certain bump stock devices like the one used in Las Vegas, are illegal under current law. That process began in December and just a few moments ago I signed a memorandum directing the Attorney General to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn into legal weapons into machine guns. I expect that these critical regulations will be finalized, Jeff, very soon."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

President Donald Trump says he's signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to "ban all devices" like bump stocks used in last year's Las Vegas massacre.

The president is making the announcement to curb the use of the rapid-fire devices during a ceremony recognising bravery by the nation's public safety officers.

Trump is responding days after the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school. He's pointing to the need to propose regulations to ban the device that was used in the October shooting deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas.

White House officials say the president will be meeting with students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence. Past efforts to address gun violence in Congress have failed.

Washington - 20 February 2018

1. President Donald Trump walks into East room and to Podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"As we come together to recognise these brave Americans, I know all of us here today and across the entire nation are grieving for the community of Parkland, in the great state of Florida. We're working very hard to make sense of these events."

3. Pan of medal recipients

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"And we must do more to protect our children. We have to do more to protect our children. This week, I will be holding a number of discussions with students, local leaders, and law enforcement to develop concrete steps that we can take to secure our schools, safeguard our students and protect our communities. School safety is a top priority for my administration."

5. Wide

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"This includes implementing common-sense security measures and addressing mental health issues, including better coordination between federal and state law enforcement to take swift action when there are warning signs. In addition, after the deadly shooting in Las Vegas, I directed (the) Attorney General to clarify whether certain bump stock devices like the one used in Las Vegas, are illegal under current law. That process began in December and just a few moments ago I signed a memorandum directing the Attorney General to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn into legal weapons into machine guns. I expect that these critical regulations will be finalised, Jeff, very soon."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

President Donald Trump says he's signed a memo directing the Justice Department to propose regulations to "ban all devices" like bump stocks used in last year's Las Vegas massacre.

The president is making the announcement to curb the use of the rapid-fire devices during a ceremony recognizing bravery by the nation's public safety officers.

Trump is responding days after the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school. He's pointing to the need to propose regulations to ban the device that was used in the October shooting deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas.

White House officials say the president will be meeting with students, teachers and state and local officials to discuss ways of providing more school safety and address gun violence. Past efforts to address gun violence in Congress have failed.

Washington - 20 February 2018

1. President Donald Trump walks into East room and to Podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"As we come together to recognize these brave Americans, I know all of us here today and across the entire nation are grieving for the community of Parkland, in the great state of Florida. We're working very hard to make sense of these events."

3. Pan of medal recipients

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"And we must do more to protect our children. We have to do more to protect our children. This week, I will be holding a number of discussions with students, local leaders, and law enforcement to develop concrete steps that we can take to secure our schools, safeguard our students and protect our communities. School safety is a top priority for my administration."

5. Wide

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"This includes implementing common-sense security measures and addressing mental health issues, including better coordination between federal and state law enforcement to take swift action when there are warning signs. In addition, after the deadly shooting in Las Vegas, I directed (the) Attorney General to clarify whether certain bump stock devices like the one used in Las Vegas, are illegal under current law. That process began in December and just a few moments ago I signed a memorandum directing the Attorney General to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn into legal weapons into machine guns. I expect that these critical regulations will be finalized, Jeff, very soon."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

STORY

MISSION, TEXAS (AP) —As Trump arrives, South Texas fights his proposed wall

SUGGESTED CAPTION:

President Donald Trump's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas comes as his administration fights many of the region's landowners, religious leaders, and environmentalists over the few miles of barrier it's already trying to build.

Natural Sound Up Full: Choppers circling overhead

THE BORDER WALL BATTLE IS GETTING NOISIER AND NASTIER AS PROPERTY OWNERS IN SOUTH TEXAS FACE OFF AGAINST A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INTENT ON SEIZING THEIR LAND…

LAND NEEDED FOR A PORTION OF WALL CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS APPROVED BY CONGRESS MONTHS AGO.  

THE 1.4 BILLION-DOLLAR PROJECT HAS RAISED THE IRE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ITS NEIGHBORS ALONG THE RIO GRANDE RIVER— AND COULD SIGNAL WHAT LIES AHEAD IF THE PRESIDENT'S PLANS FOR MORE WALL BUILDING GO THROUGH.

(CHOPPER CROSSING)

THE LA LOMITA CHAPEL— THE NAMESAKE FOR THE CITY OF MISSION, TEXAS— HAPPENS TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ALREADY APPROVED PATH. BUILDING COULD BEGIN AS EARLY AS FEBRUARY… IF LAWSUITS DON'T STOP IT FIRST.

(natural sound up of Father Roy showing where a wall would go)

FATHER ROY SNIPES —OFTEN DONNING A COWBOY HAT WITH HIS CRUCIFIX-   IS A CATHOLIC PRIEST IN THE OBLATE ORDER…WHICH HAS MINISTERED IN THE VALLEY SINCE THE 1840S.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Father Roy Snipes, La Lomita Pastor: " we're here at the old La Lomita Chapel. which is kind of the mother church of our whole area."

THE Catholic  DIOCESE DOES NOT WANT TO SELL THIS LAND OR GIVE IT UP. So it's suing the government, SAYING This VIOLATES CATHOLIC TEACHINGS, THE CHURCHES RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT MIGRANTS, AS WELL AS ITS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Father Roy Snipes, La Lomita Pastor: ""the serenity and simplicity of the place would be ruined."

… STAND UP Super: John Mone, Associated Press: "MUCH OF THE CONSTRUCTION WILL BE LIKE THESE STEEL BALLARDS AND CONCRETE LAW ENFORCEMENT ZONES. THOUGH MANY IN THE VALLEY SAY THE PRICE OF A physical and VISUAL DETERRENT ISN'T WORTH WHAT IT WILL COST HERITAGE IF THE GOVERNMENT TAKES LAND BY EMINENT DOMAIN.

Marianna Trevino Wright, National Butterfly Center: " uncle sam is gonna impact that dramatically by eliminating all of these trees full of nests, eggs, baby birds piling them up somewhere and burning them."

AT THE NATIONAL BUTTERFLY CENTER — THE CONCERN IS WHAT A WALL  AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ZONE WILL DO MIGRATORY BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES

Marianna Trevino Wright, National Butterfly Center: " you eliminate the plant, that is the reproductive basis for the butterfly, you eliminate the butterfly."

THE CENTER IS A NATURE PRESERVE AND TOURIST MAGNET — AND ITS ALSO SUING TO PREVENT THE GOVERNMENT FROM BUILDING HERE—

DIRECTOR MARIANA TREVINO WRIGHT SAYS THE END RESULT WILL BE A CONCRETE FEDERAL FOOTPRINT ON WILDLIFE—

(GOATS bleating on the farm)

NEARBY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY SURVEYED WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FROM THE CAVAZOS FAMILY'S 64 ACRES…

Soundbite (English) Eloisa Cavazos, Opposes Wall: "" that wall itself? it's not going to stop anything."

MANY FAMILIES LIKE THEM HAVE MULTIPLE HEIRS TO THEIR PROPERTIES SO THE TOTAL IMPACT OF LAND SEIZURES IS YET UNKNOWN.

CONSTRUCTION MAY CUT OFF ACCESS THEY HAVE TO THE WATER THEY GREW UP FISHING ON…

(NATS— Father Roy in boat, RIGHT over on that side is mexico)

THE SAME RIVER FATHER ROY USES TO BOAT TO WORK…  

SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Father Roy Snipes, La Lomita Pastor:

" for god's sake leave our chapel alone. you don't have to build a wall along this beautiful river. if you're the smartest and richest and most powerful people in the world can't you think of something better than that?

THE OBLATE MISSIONARY ALSO RENTS LAND FROM THE CAVAZOS', SO HIS OWN HOUSE AND THE COMMUNITY'S HOUSE OF WORSHIP COULD BE BEHIND A BARRIER… TOO —JOHN MONE ASSOCIATED PRESS MISSION TEXAS.

MISSION, TEXAS — JANUARY 8 2019

1. Various of DHS choppers flying over La Lomita Chapel, the Border Patrol is planning on building wall that would further bifurcate public and church property

2. Border Patrol SUV drives on the levee dividing the land

3. Choppers continue to pass

4. Pan from levee road to La Lomita Chapel land

5. Cross sitting atop church roof

HIDALGO, TEXAS — JANUARY 8 2019

6. Various of steel ballard design fence on the US-Mexico Port of Entry in Hildago, which would look similar to what will be built in Mission area

MISSION, TEXAS — JANUARY 8 2019

7. Various La Lomita, exterior

8. Various inside sanctuary

9. Natural sound up full Father Roy Snipes showing where wall would be built

10. Various inside sanctuary, prayer candles, Father Roy

11. Soundbite (English) Father Roy Snipes, La Lomita Pastor: see script

12. Various inside sanctuary

13. Various outside shrine of Our Lady and flowers

14. Soundbite (English) Father Roy Snipes, La Lomita Pastor: see script

15. Outside the building for the National Butterfly Center

16. Soundbite (English) Marianna Trevino Wright, National Butterfly Center: see script

17. Various of National Butterfly Center, wildlife, tracking shot along the interior road

18. Two butterflies share a flower

19. Soundbite (English) Marianna Trevino Wright, National Butterfly Center: see script

20. Bird on branch

21. Various of tourists making photos

22. Goats on the Cavazos farm

23. The Cavazos family during interview

24. Longhorn cattle on the farm

25. Soundbite (English) Eloisa Cavazos, Mission, Texas: see script

26. Various of Cavazos family on their river front property, fishing and talking

27. Tracking shot on the river, on top of Father roy's boat

28. Father Roy steering his boat

29. Cutaways

30 Soundbite (English) Father Roy Snipes, La Lomita Pastor: see script

31. Various of Father Roy

32. Chopper patrolling overhead

33. Zoom out from chapel

President Donald Trump's assertion that he would be open to accepting a foreign power's help in his 2020 campaign ricocheted through Washington on Thursday, with Democrats condemning it as a call for further election interference and Republicans struggling to defend his comments.

An expert in constitutional law told the Associated Press that the assertion is not appropriate and "it may be unlawful".  Syracuse University College of Law Professor William C. Banks says "as a legal matter the law forbids accepting campaign contributions from foreign entities or anything of value."

Banks said, "the law here on just receiving information is a little bit murky because someone would have to determine whether the information that he received is of value. You would think that in the circumstances of the 2016 election or an upcoming 2020 election, information about an opponent would be of value and therefore unlawful."

He went further to say, "it turns on whether what he's heard is of value or if it's of value and it has an impact on his campaign. If his campaign is going to use that information, then he's violated the campaign finance laws."

Trump seemed to dismiss the threat posed by Russia's interference in the 2016 election, one that led to sweeping indictments by special counsel Robert Mueller, and his incendiary remarks come as congressional investigations into the meddling have quickened.

Asked by ABC News what he would do if Russia or another country offered him dirt on his election opponent, Trump said: "I think I'd want to hear it." He added that he'd have no obligation to call the FBI. "There's nothing wrong with listening."

Meanwhile, a federal watchdog agency is recommending that President Trump fire one of his most ardent defenders, counselor Kellyanne Conway, for repeatedly violating a law that limits political activity by government workers.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which is unrelated to special counsel Robert Mueller's office, said in a letter to Trump that Conway has been a "repeat offender" of the Hatch Act by disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media.

Professor Banks said, "There's very little question on the basis of what the inspector general found that Miss Conway violated the Hatch Act multiple times."

Syracuse, New York - 13 June 2019

++SKYPE INTERVIEW++

++AUDIO AND VIDEO AS INCOMING++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"I don't think it is appropriate and it may be unlawful. The law clearly forbids foreign interference in our elections. Obviously, ours is a democratic system and we want the voters to choose who it is that represents us. If the president accepts information from a foreign entity about an opponent he's, he's undermining that democratic principle."

++BLACK FRAMES++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"As a legal matter, the law forbids accepting campaign contributions from foreign entities or anything of value. So the law here on just receiving information is a little bit murky because someone would have to determine whether the information that he received is of value. You would think that in the circumstances of the 2016 election or an upcoming 2020 election information about an opponent would be of value and therefore unlawful."

++BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"Again it turns on whether what he's heard is of value. If it's of value and it has an impact on his campaign. If his campaign is going to use that information, then he's violated the campaign finance laws."

++BLACK FRAMES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"Now we're talking about a political problem, one that Congress could, of course, address in an impeachment proceeding. I think it's very much against the norms and values of the presidency to allow any foreign entity to influence in any way a democratic election for president of the United States whether or not it's forbidden directly by a statutory provision."

++BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"Well, he's tone deaf or perhaps he's trying to protect his son who was involved in the 2016 meeting with the Russians. Or perhaps he forgot that he simply said some weeks ago that he would not accept such information in a future election. It seems that he contradicted himself. That's not  unusual for this president either."

++BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"There's very little question on the basis of what the inspector general found that Miss Conway violated the Hatch Act multiple times by seeking out and naming political opponents and criticizing them publicly while serving in her official capacity. That's a clear violation of the Hatch Act, but of course, now it's a question of what the president or anyone else does with that information. The chance of her being sanctioned or dismissed for having violated the Hatch Act are pretty slim I would think."

++BLACK FRAMES++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"Well, these are named officials - Miss Conway is in a named position. It's different than someone, a functionary at one of our federal entities or agencies making an offhand comment outside the workforce. She's a very visible and public figure who makes public statements for the administration on a regular basis. So I think there's no question that her statements would be subject to the limits of the Hatch Act."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

President Donald Trump's assertion that he would be open to accepting a foreign power's help in his 2020 campaign ricocheted through Washington on Thursday, with Democrats condemning it as a call for further election interference and Republicans struggling to defend his comments.

An expert in constitutional law tells the Associated Press that the assertion is not appropriate and "it may be unlawful".  Syracuse University College of Law Professor William C. Banks says "as a legal matter the law forbids accepting campaign contributions from foreign entities or anything of value."

Banks said, "the law here on just receiving information is a little bit murky because someone would have to determine whether the information that he received is of value. You would think that in the circumstances of the 2016 election or an upcoming 2020 election, information about an opponent would be of value and therefore unlawful."

He went further to say, "it turns on whether what he's heard is of value or if it's of value and it has an impact on his campaign. If his campaign is going to use that information, then he's violated the campaign finance laws."

Trump seemed to dismiss the threat posed by Russia's interference in the 2016 election, one that led to sweeping indictments by special counsel Robert Mueller, and his incendiary remarks come as congressional investigations into the meddling have quickened.

Asked by ABC News what he would do if Russia or another country offered him dirt on his election opponent, Trump said: "I think I'd want to hear it." He added that he'd have no obligation to call the FBI. "There's nothing wrong with listening."

Meanwhile, a federal watchdog agency is recommending that President Trump fire one of his most ardent defenders, counselor Kellyanne Conway, for repeatedly violating a law that limits political activity by government workers.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which is unrelated to special counsel Robert Mueller's office, said in a letter to Trump that Conway has been a "repeat offender" of the Hatch Act by disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media.

Professor Banks said, "There's very little question on the basis of what the inspector general found that Miss Conway violated the Hatch Act multiple times."

Syracuse, New York - 13 June 2019

++SKYPE INTERVIEW++

++AUDIO AND VIDEO AS INCOMING++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"I don't think it is appropriate and it may be unlawful. The law clearly forbids foreign interference in our elections. Obviously, ours is a democratic system and we want the voters to choose who it is that represents us. If the president accepts information from a foreign entity about an opponent he's, he's undermining that democratic principle."

++BLACK FRAMES++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"As a legal matter, the law forbids accepting campaign contributions from foreign entities or anything of value. So the law here on just receiving information is a little bit murky because someone would have to determine whether the information that he received is of value. You would think that in the circumstances of the 2016 election or an upcoming 2020 election information about an opponent would be of value and therefore unlawful."

++BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"Again it turns on whether what he's heard is of value. If it's of value and it has an impact on his campaign. If his campaign is going to use that information, then he's violated the campaign finance laws."

++BLACK FRAMES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"Now we're talking about a political problem, one that Congress could, of course, address in an impeachment proceeding. I think it's very much against the norms and values of the presidency to allow any foreign entity to influence in any way a democratic election for president of the United States whether or not it's forbidden directly by a statutory provision."

++BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"Well, he's tone deaf or perhaps he's trying to protect his son who was involved in the 2016 meeting with the Russians. Or perhaps he forgot that he simply said some weeks ago that he would not accept such information in a future election. It seems that he contradicted himself. That's not  unusual for this president either."

++BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"There's very little question on the basis of what the inspector general found that Miss Conway violated the Hatch Act multiple times by seeking out and naming political opponents and criticizing them publicly while serving in her official capacity. That's a clear violation of the Hatch Act, but of course, now it's a question of what the president or anyone else does with that information. The chance of her being sanctioned or dismissed for having violated the Hatch Act are pretty slim I would think."

++BLACK FRAMES++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) William C. Banks, Syracuse University College of Law:

"Well, these are named officials - Miss Conway is in a named position. It's different than someone, a functionary at one of our federal entities or agencies making an offhand comment outside the workforce. She's a very visible and public figure who makes public statements for the administration on a regular basis. So I think there's no question that her statements would be subject to the limits of the Hatch Act."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

China said Tuesday it rejects human rights as a reason to interfere in its internal affairs after United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised the issue of work camps for Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang during his recent trip to Beijing.

Geng Shuang, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a media briefing that the anti-extremism measures China was taking in Xinjiang were "totally legitimate" and had "wide support from the people in Xinjiang".

Geng also commented on an international arms-trade treaty from which US President Donald Trump has said he'll withdraw.

He said China was studying the possibility of signing up to the treaty, saying that "China supports the international community to take necessary measures to regulate international arms trade activities and combat illegal arms transfer and trafficking."

Asked about the details of six foreigners being sentenced by a court in southern China for drug offences, including a Canadian given the death penalty, Geng didn't respond directly.

Beijing – 30 April 2019

1. Wide of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang walking towards podium

2. Wide of journalists

3. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry:

"China is willing to discuss human rights issues with others on the basis of equality and mutual respect. In the meantime, we strongly oppose any interference in China's internal affairs that uses human rights as an excuse. Secondly, the situation in Xinjiang is part of China's internal affairs. Terrorism and extremism are trampling on fundamental human rights. China's preventative anti-terrorism measures and the eradication of extremism in Xinjiang are totally legitimate. The measures respect and protect human rights and have won wide support from the people in Xinjiang."

4. Wide of journalists

5. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry:

"We hope that the relevant countries could do more to help consolidate the international arms control mechanism and maintain international and regional peace and stability. China attaches great importance to the problems caused by the illicit transfer of conventional weapons, especially small and light weapons. China supports the international community to take necessary measures to regulate international arms trade activities and combat illegal arms transfer and trafficking."

6. Wide of journalists

7. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry:

"China conducts strict controls over arms trade and participated in the negotiation of the arms trade treaty with a constructive role. China supports the purpose of the treaty and joined the relevant meetings as an observer. China has been studying the issues of accession to the treaty."

8. Wide of journalists

9. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry:

"The Jiangmen Intermediate People's Court of Guangdong Province has issued a very detailed announcement. According to my understanding, in the announcement, there are very clear explanations about who was sentenced to death, who was sentenced to death with a suspended execution, and who was sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment. I suggest you read it carefully again."

10. Wide of journalist

11. End of press conference

The Trump administration proposed revoking Obama-era discrimination protections for transgender people in health care on Friday, a move LGBT groups fear will result in some Americans being denied needed medical treatment.

The Health and Human Services Department released a proposed regulation that in effect says "gender identity" is not protected under federal laws that prohibit sex discrimination in health care.

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar of The Associated Press describes how the move fits into a backdrop of administration actions to limit or move back some of the new recognition for LGBT people in areas ranging from military service to housing.

"The transgender civil rights groups they say that there have been many more court cases that they have won on this than they have lost," said Alonso-Zaldivar.

"It seems like this comes out of a debate. It's a constant debate about social issues and the laws of the land. And that's really where the dispute arises."

The HHS official overseeing the writing of the new regulation said transgender patients would continue to be protected by other federal laws that bar discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability.

The Trump administration's proposed rule reverses the Obama administration, which concluded that the Affordable Care Act's anti-discrimination section does indeed protect transgender people seeking health care services.

Friday's action had been expected by activists on both sides of the nation's social issues divide. Trump's religious conservative base has argued that the Obama administration stretched the meaning of "sex discrimination" when it included gender identity as a protected class. Civil rights and LGBT groups say that view is logically and legally flawed.

The proposed rule change is unlikely to have immediate consequences beyond the realm of political and legal debate.

It faces a 60-day comment period and another layer of review before it can be finalized. Court challenges are expected.

Washington DC - 24 May 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"Well the the Trump administration is proposing to roll back, a protection that the Obama administration put into federal regulations for transgender people. And it involves discrimination, sex discrimination in a health care setting. When you're a patient, you're at the hospital or seeking services from a from a doctor."

++SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"The the Affordable Care Act that was passed under President Obama had a nondiscrimination clause and that nondiscrimination clause prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex. Now when a federal law passes, the departments translated into regulation and when the Obama administration translated the law into regulation they included gender identity as a category protected under sex discrimination. And now what's happened is the Trump administration has come and said 'No, you read too much into the law. The law didn't specify gender identity. Therefore we are proposing to remove it'."

++SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"The transgender civil rights groups, they say that there have been many more court cases that they have won on this than they have lost and that some of these cases even predate the Obama regulation. So it seems like this comes out of a debate. It's a constant debate about social issues and the laws of the land. And that's really where the dispute arises."

++SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"I put the question to HHS to the regulation writers and they say that's not what they want to see. They say that LGBT people will be protected under a gamut of other federal laws that prohibit discrimination for example on the basis of, race, national origin, you name it,  disability, that's another that's an important one for four health care settings."

The Trump administration proposed revoking Obama-era discrimination protections for transgender people in health care on Friday, a move LGBT groups fear will result in some Americans being denied needed medical treatment.

The Health and Human Services Department released a proposed regulation that in effect says "gender identity" is not protected under federal laws that prohibit sex discrimination in health care.

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar of The Associated Press describes how the move fits into a backdrop of administration actions to limit or move back some of the new recognition for LGBT people in areas ranging from military service to housing.

"The transgender civil rights groups they say that there have been many more court cases that they have won on this than they have lost," said Alonso-Zaldivar.

"It seems like this comes out of a debate. It's a constant debate about social issues and the laws of the land. And that's really where the dispute arises."

The HHS official overseeing the writing of the new regulation said transgender patients would continue to be protected by other federal laws that bar discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability.

The Trump administration's proposed rule reverses the Obama administration, which concluded that the Affordable Care Act's anti-discrimination section does indeed protect transgender people seeking health care services.

Friday's action had been expected by activists on both sides of the nation's social issues divide. Trump's religious conservative base has argued that the Obama administration stretched the meaning of "sex discrimination" when it included gender identity as a protected class. Civil rights and LGBT groups say that view is logically and legally flawed.

The proposed rule change is unlikely to have immediate consequences beyond the realm of political and legal debate.

It faces a 60-day comment period and another layer of review before it can be finalized. Court challenges are expected.

Washington DC - 24 May 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"Well the the Trump administration is proposing to roll back, a protection that the Obama administration put into federal regulations for transgender people. And it involves discrimination sex discrimination in a health care setting. When you're a patient, you're at the hospital or seeking services from a from a doctor."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"The the Affordable Care Act that was passed under President Obama had a nondiscrimination clause and that nondiscrimination clause prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex. Now when a federal law passes, the departments translated into regulation and when the Obama administration translated the law into regulation they included gender identity as a category protected under sex discrimination. And now what's happened is the Trump administration has come and said no. You read too much into the law. The law didn't specify gender identity. Therefore we are proposing to remove it."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"The transgender civil rights groups, they say that there have been many more court cases that they have won on this than they have lost and that some of these cases even predate the Obama regulation. So it seems like this comes out of a debate. It's a constant debate about social issues and the laws of the land. And that's really where the dispute arises."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"Well the, the LGBT civil rights groups and activists say that this basically is going to open the door to discrimination in, in providing medical services that it will give health care providers, clinicians and hospitals, an excuse to discriminate. And that people could be denied needed treatment because of this."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"Now I put the question to HHS to the regulation writers and they say that's not what they want to see. They say that LGBT people will be protected under a gamut of other federal laws that prohibit discrimination for example on the basis of, race, national origin, you name, it disability, that's another that's an important one for four health care settings."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"The rule is open for a 60 day comment period. And that that 60 day comment period, after it's over, by statute and practice the department has to review the comments that come in and then they have to see whether they want to change the rule to accommodate any of the points that have been raised. It's a it's a process that usually takes more than 60 days and then, when that's all over and it's published as a final rule, there are groups lining up to say that they're going to sue in court. So at the moment it seems to be anybody's guess when this actually takes effect."

The Trump administration proposed revoking Obama-era discrimination protections for transgender people in health care on Friday, a move LGBT groups fear will result in some Americans being denied needed medical treatment.

The Health and Human Services Department released a proposed regulation that in effect says "gender identity" is not protected under federal laws that prohibit sex discrimination in health care.

Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar of The Associated Press describes how the move fits into a backdrop of administration actions to limit or move back some of the new recognition for LGBT people in areas ranging from military service to housing.

"The transgender civil rights groups they say that there have been many more court cases that they have won on this than they have lost," said Alonso-Zaldivar.

"It seems like this comes out of a debate. It's a constant debate about social issues and the laws of the land. And that's really where the dispute arises."

The HHS official overseeing the writing of the new regulation said transgender patients would continue to be protected by other federal laws that bar discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age and disability.

The Trump administration's proposed rule reverses the Obama administration, which concluded that the Affordable Care Act's anti-discrimination section does indeed protect transgender people seeking health care services.

Friday's action had been expected by activists on both sides of the nation's social issues divide. Trump's religious conservative base has argued that the Obama administration stretched the meaning of "sex discrimination" when it included gender identity as a protected class. Civil rights and LGBT groups say that view is logically and legally flawed.

The proposed rule change is unlikely to have immediate consequences beyond the realm of political and legal debate.

It faces a 60-day comment period and another layer of review before it can be finalized. Court challenges are expected.

Washington DC - 24 May 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"Well the the Trump administration is proposing to roll back, a protection that the Obama administration put into federal regulations for transgender people. And it involves discrimination sex discrimination in a health care setting. When you're a patient, you're at the hospital or seeking services from a from a doctor."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"The the Affordable Care Act that was passed under President Obama had a nondiscrimination clause and that nondiscrimination clause prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex. Now when a federal law passes, the departments translated into regulation and when the Obama administration translated the law into regulation they included gender identity as a category protected under sex discrimination. And now what's happened is the Trump administration has come and said no. You read too much into the law. The law didn't specify gender identity. Therefore we are proposing to remove it."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"The transgender civil rights groups, they say that there have been many more court cases that they have won on this than they have lost and that some of these cases even predate the Obama regulation. So it seems like this comes out of a debate. It's a constant debate about social issues and the laws of the land. And that's really where the dispute arises."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"Well the, the LGBT civil rights groups and activists say that this basically is going to open the door to discrimination in, in providing medical services that it will give health care providers, clinicians and hospitals, an excuse to discriminate. And that people could be denied needed treatment because of this."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"Now I put the question to HHS to the regulation writers and they say that's not what they want to see. They say that LGBT people will be protected under a gamut of other federal laws that prohibit discrimination for example on the basis of, race, national origin, you name, it disability, that's another that's an important one for four health care settings."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP Reporter:

"The rule is open for a 60 day comment period. And that that 60 day comment period, after it's over, by statute and practice the department has to review the comments that come in and then they have to see whether they want to change the rule to accommodate any of the points that have been raised. It's a it's a process that usually takes more than 60 days and then, when that's all over and it's published as a final rule, there are groups lining up to say that they're going to sue in court. So at the moment it seems to be anybody's guess when this actually takes effect."

Health care and immigration were high on voters' minds as they cast ballots in the midterm elections, according to a wide-ranging survey of the American electorate conducted by The Associated Press.

AP VoteCast also shows a majority of voters considered President Donald Trump a factor in their votes.

A majority of voters overall say the country is headed in the wrong direction. Still, about two-thirds say economic conditions are good.

With control of the Senate and the House of Representatives at stake, Trump encouraged voters to view the first nationwide election of his presidency as a referendum on his leadership.

VoteCast debuted Tuesday, replacing the in-person exit poll as a source of detailed information about the American electorate.

In all, the survey included interviews with more than 113,000 voters nationwide.

++SOUNDBITES OVERLAID WITH VIDEO++

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"We just got our first set of data from AP's new survey of voters which were debuting for the first time in this midterm elections. And one of the things that we looked at is what issues were important to voters as they headed into the polls. And what we found is that voters were really focused on health care and immigration, two issues that have really been at the forefront of this campaign. We also found that voters were very interested in the economy. Donald Trump has been running on a strong economy. He also though has been running really on immigration, particularly in the closing weeks of the campaign. Democrats meanwhile have been running on health care. If you've traveled to any of these states, you've seen Democrats really pushing this issue really focusing on things like protecting pre-existing conditions and protecting Barack Obama's health care law."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE New Berlin, Wisconsin - August 1, 2018

2. Shoppers checking out at Target

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Donna, Texas - 6 November 2018

3. Various sequences of soldiers setting up fence line

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE Washington, D.C. - Date Unknown

4. Various of doctor checkups

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"On health care, six in 10 voters think that the government should be responsible for ensuring that people have health care coverage which is an interesting result given the debate over health care in America on the Affordable Care Act. Voters are really divided over the Affordable Care Act. This is Barack Obama's signature health care law just as many say that that law should be kept in place as say it should be repealed. Now Republicans made repealing Obamacare really a centerpiece of their campaigns during Obama's presidency. But even some Republicans have backed off of that issue as they've seen the Obamacare law grow more popular as far as President Trump voters are more favorable about his handling of the economy than other issues. And that's no surprise given that the economy is in a strong position about two thirds of the voters that we surveyed here had positive things to say about the state of the economy. But what's interesting in looking into those numbers is that you had a pretty sizable share of the electorate about half were worried about the impact that the Trump administration's terror policies could have on this good economy."

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Washington, D.C. - Date Unknown

6. Various of anti-Obama care protests on Capitol grounds

POOL

Belgrade, Montana - 3 November 2018

7. Donald Trump walks into campaign rally

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE New Berlin, Wisconsin - August 1, 2018

8. Various of shoppers checking out at Target

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE Tianjin, China - 22 February 2012

9. Various of ships and containers at Tianjin port

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president really inserted himself into this election in an aggressive way particularly in the closing weeks of the campaign. He really implored his voters to imagine that he was on the ballot himself. Certainly his policies were on the ballot and two thirds of voters that we surveyed said that Trump was a factor in their vote."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

11. AP VoteCast graphic showing 64% of voters said Trump was a factor in their voting

POOL

Location unknown - Recent

12. Trump walking off Air Force One and waving

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Allis,Wisconsin - 6 November 2018

13. Various shots of voters in polling precinct

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"We've talked a lot about enthusiasm in this election and our surveys showed that interest in this election was extremely high. The overwhelming majority of voters said they were very interested in this election. One of the big pivot points in this election was the debate over the confirmation of Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh. And three fourths of the voters that we surveyed said that that debate was somewhat important in their decision."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 8 October 2018

15. Brett Kavanaugh being sworn in as Supreme Court justice

16. Various shots of Kavanaugh protesters outside Supreme Court

Health care and immigration were high on voters' minds as they cast ballots in the midterm elections, according to a wide-ranging survey of the American electorate conducted by The Associated Press.

AP VoteCast also shows a majority of voters considered President Donald Trump a factor in their votes.

A majority of voters overall say the country is headed in the wrong direction. Still, about two-thirds say economic conditions are good.

With control of the Senate and the House of Representatives at stake, Trump encouraged voters to view the first nationwide election of his presidency as a referendum on his leadership.

VoteCast debuted Tuesday, replacing the in-person exit poll as a source of detailed information about the American electorate.

In all, the survey included interviews with more than 113,000 voters nationwide.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"We just got our first set of data from AP's new survey of voters which were debuting for the first time in this midterm elections. And one of the things that we looked at is what issues were important to voters as they headed into the polls. And what we found is that voters were really focused on health care and immigration, two issues that have really been at the forefront of this campaign. We also found that voters were very interested in the economy. Donald Trump has been running on a strong economy. He also though has been running really on immigration, particularly in the closing weeks of the campaign. Democrats meanwhile have been running on health care. If you've traveled to any of these states, you've seen Democrats really pushing this issue really focusing on things like protecting pre-existing conditions and protecting Barack Obama's health care law."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New Berlin, Wisconsin - August 1, 2018

2. Shoppers checking out at Target

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Donna, Texas - 6 November 2018

3. Various sequences of soldiers setting up fence line

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Washington, D.C. - Date Unknown

4. Various of doctor checkups

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"On health care, six in 10 voters think that the government should be responsible for ensuring that people have health care coverage which is an interesting result given the debate over health care in America on the Affordable Care Act. Voters are really divided over the Affordable Care Act. This is Barack Obama's signature health care law just as many say that that law should be kept in place as say it should be repealed. Now Republicans made repealing Obamacare really a centerpiece of their campaigns during Obama's presidency. But even some Republicans have backed off of that issue as they've seen the Obamacare law grow more popular as far as President Trump voters are more favorable about his handling of the economy than other issues. And that's no surprise given that the economy is in a strong position about two thirds of the voters that we surveyed here had positive things to say about the state of the economy. But what's interesting in looking into those numbers is that you had a pretty sizable share of the electorate about half were worried about the impact that the Trump administration's terror policies could have on this good economy."

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Washington, D.C. - Date Unknown

6. Various of anti-Obama care protests on Capitol grounds

POOL

Belgrade, Montana - 3 November 2018

7. Donald Trump walks into campaign rally

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New Berlin, Wisconsin - August 1, 2018

8. Various of shoppers checking out at Target

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Tianjin, China - 22 February 2012

9. Various of ships and containers at Tianjin port

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president really inserted himself into this election in an aggressive way particularly in the closing weeks of the campaign. He really implored his voters to imagine that he was on the ballot himself. Certainly his policies were on the ballot and two thirds of voters that we surveyed said that Trump was a factor in their vote."

POOL

Location unknown - Recent

11. Trump walking off Air Force One and waving

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Allis,Wisconsin - 6 November 2018

12. Various shots of voters in polling precinct

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"We've talked a lot about enthusiasm in this election and our surveys showed that interest in this election was extremely high. The overwhelming majority of voters said they were very interested in this election. One of the big pivot points in this election was the debate over the confirmation of Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh. And three fourths of the voters that we surveyed said that that debate was somewhat important in their decision."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 8 October 2018

14. Brett Kavanaugh being sworn in as Supreme Court justice

15. Various shots of Kavanaugh protesters outside Supreme Court

Health care and immigration were high on voters' minds as they cast ballots in the midterm elections, according to a wide-ranging survey of the American electorate conducted by The Associated Press.

AP VoteCast also shows a majority of voters considered President Donald Trump a factor in their votes.

A majority of voters overall say the country is headed in the wrong direction. Still, about two-thirds say economic conditions are good.

With control of the Senate and the House of Representatives at stake, Trump encouraged voters to view the first nationwide election of his presidency as a referendum on his leadership.

VoteCast debuted Tuesday, replacing the in-person exit poll as a source of detailed information about the American electorate.

In all, the survey included interviews with more than 113,000 voters nationwide.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"We just got our first set of data from AP's new survey of voters which were debuting for the first time in this midterm elections. And one of the things that we looked at is what issues were important to voters as they headed into the polls. And what we found is that voters were really focused on health care and immigration, two issues that have really been at the forefront of this campaign. We also found that voters were very interested in the economy. Donald Trump has been running on a strong economy. He also though has been running really on immigration, particularly in the closing weeks of the campaign. Democrats meanwhile have been running on health care. If you've traveled to any of these states, you've seen Democrats really pushing this issue really focusing on things like protecting pre-existing conditions and protecting Barack Obama's health care law."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New Berlin, Wisconsin - August 1, 2018

2. Shoppers checking out at Target

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Donna, Texas - 6 November 2018

3. Various sequences of soldiers setting up fence line

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Washington, D.C. - Date Unknown

4. Various of doctor checkups

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"On health care, six in 10 voters think that the government should be responsible for ensuring that people have health care coverage which is an interesting result given the debate over health care in America on the Affordable Care Act. Voters are really divided over the Affordable Care Act. This is Barack Obama's signature health care law just as many say that that law should be kept in place as say it should be repealed. Now Republicans made repealing Obamacare really a centerpiece of their campaigns during Obama's presidency. But even some Republicans have backed off of that issue as they've seen the Obamacare law grow more popular as far as President Trump voters are more favorable about his handling of the economy than other issues. And that's no surprise given that the economy is in a strong position about two thirds of the voters that we surveyed here had positive things to say about the state of the economy. But what's interesting in looking into those numbers is that you had a pretty sizable share of the electorate about half were worried about the impact that the Trump administration's terror policies could have on this good economy."

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Washington, D.C. - Date Unknown

6. Various of anti-Obama care protests on Capitol grounds

POOL

Belgrade, Montana - 3 November 2018

7. Donald Trump walks into campaign rally

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New Berlin, Wisconsin - August 1, 2018

8. Various of shoppers checking out at Target

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Tianjin, China - 22 February 2012

9. Various of ships and containers at Tianjin port

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president really inserted himself into this election in an aggressive way particularly in the closing weeks of the campaign. He really implored his voters to imagine that he was on the ballot himself. Certainly his policies were on the ballot and two thirds of voters that we surveyed said that Trump was a factor in their vote."

POOL

Location unknown - Recent

11. Trump walking off Air Force One and waving

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Allis,Wisconsin - 6 November 2018

12. Various shots of voters in polling precinct

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 6 November 2018

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, AP Washington Bureau Chief:

"We've talked a lot about enthusiasm in this election and our surveys showed that interest in this election was extremely high. The overwhelming majority of voters said they were very interested in this election. One of the big pivot points in this election was the debate over the confirmation of Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh. And three fourths of the voters that we surveyed said that that debate was somewhat important in their decision."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 8 October 2018

14. Brett Kavanaugh being sworn in as Supreme Court justice

15. Various shots of Kavanaugh protesters outside Supreme Court

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says the Trump administration will make school safety "our top national priority" after last week's attack on a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Pence recounted President Donald Trump's calls for strengthening the federal background check system for purchasing firearms and for regulating bump-stocks like those used in last year's Las Vegas massacre.

It was a markedly different tone than that deployed on stage minutes earlier by NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre, who delivered an unbowed defense of gun ownership and lashed out at Democrats - saying they are using the tragedy for "political gain."

Pence also criticized what he described as "fawning media coverage" toward the recent appearance of Kim Jong-un's sister at the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.

Pence said, "So for all those in the media who think I should have stood and cheered with the North Koreans, I say, the United States of America doesn't stand with murderous dictatorships."

"We stand up to murderous dictatorships," he said.

National Harbor, Maryland - 22 February 2018

1. Mid of Mike Pence approaching podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"Yesterday, President Trump and I met with the family of Meadow Pollack and other students and families reeling from the attack in Parkland. We also met in the White House with families from other communities who've experienced the same violence first hand, and as the President said, we'll never forget it. We prayed with them, we listened to them as they poured out their hearts. As the President has said, no child, no teacher should ever be in danger in an American school."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"Earlier this week, President Trump called on Congress to strengthen background checks, and two days ago, he directed the Department of Justice to expedite the regulation of bump stocks. Later this week, when the President meets with the nation's governors in our nation's capital, we'll make the safety of our nation's schools and our students our top national priority."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

4. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"I can assure you all of this, President Trump and our entire administration will continue to take strong action to make our schools safe, and to give law enforcement and our families the tools they need to deal with those struggling with dangerous mental illness."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

5. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"You know for all the media fawning over the sister of the North Korean dictator, I think it's important that every American knows who this person is and what she's done. The sister of Kim Jong-un is a central pillar of the most tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet. An evil family clique that brutalizes, subjugates, starves and imprisons its 25 million people. Even the United Nations reported that, in their words, the gravity, scale and nature of these violations reveal a state that does not have a parallel in the contemporary world. That's why the United States government has sanctioned her for her role in abetting North Korea's horrendous human rights abuses and crimes against humanity. People are routinely jailed and executed for the most minor acts of defiance, and every American remembers the heartbreaking story of Otto Warmbier. So for all those in the media who think I should have stood and cheered with the North Koreans, I say, the United States of America doesn't stand with murderous dictatorships, we stand up to murderous dictatorships."

6. Wide of Pence after speech

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says the Trump administration will make school safety "our top national priority" after last week's attack on a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Pence recounted President Donald Trump's calls for strengthening the federal background check system for purchasing firearms and for regulating bump-stocks like those used in last year's Las Vegas massacre.

It was a markedly different tone than that deployed on stage minutes earlier by NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre, who delivered an unbowed defence of gun ownership and lashed out at Democrats - saying they are using the tragedy for "political gain."

Pence also criticised what he described as "fawning media coverage" toward the recent appearance of Kim Jong-Un's sister at the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.

Pence said, "So for all those in the media who think I should have stood and cheered with the North Koreans, I say, the United States of America doesn't stand with murderous dictatorships."

"We stand up to murderous dictatorships," he said.

National Harbor, Maryland - 22 February 2018

1. Mid of Mike Pence approaching podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"Yesterday, President Trump and I met with the family of Meadow Pollack and other students and families reeling from the attack in Parkland. We also met in the White House with families from other communities who've experienced the same violence first hand, and as the President said, we'll never forget it. We prayed with them, we listened to them as they poured out their hearts. As the President has said, no child, no teacher should ever be in danger in an American school."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"Earlier this week, President Trump called on Congress to strengthen background checks, and two days ago, he directed the Department of Justice to expedite the regulation of bump stocks. Later this week, when the President meets with the nation's governors in our nation's capital, we'll make the safety of our nation's schools and our students our top national priority."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

4. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"I can assure you all of this, President Trump and our entire administration will continue to take strong action to make our schools safe, and to give law enforcement and our families the tools they need to deal with those struggling with dangerous mental illness."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

5. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"You know for all the media fawning over the sister of the North Korean dictator, I think it's important that every American knows who this person is and what she's done. The sister of Kim Jong-un is a central pillar of the most tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet. An evil family clique that brutalises, subjugates, starves and imprisons its 25 million people. Even the United Nations reported that, in their words, the gravity, scale and nature of these violations reveal a state that does not have a parallel in the contemporary world. That's why the United States government has sanctioned her for her role in abetting North Korea's horrendous human rights abuses and crimes against humanity. People are routinely jailed and executed for the most minor acts of defiance, and every American remembers the heartbreaking story of Otto Warmbier. So for all those in the media who think I should have stood and cheered with the North Koreans, I say, the United States of America doesn't stand with murderous dictatorships, we stand up to murderous dictatorships."

6. Wide of Pence after speech

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says the Trump administration will make school safety "our top national priority" after last week's attack on a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Pence recounted President Donald Trump's calls for strengthening the federal background check system for purchasing firearms and for regulating bump-stocks like those used in last year's Las Vegas massacre.

It was a markedly different tone than that deployed on stage minutes earlier by NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre, who delivered an unbowed defense of gun ownership and lashed out at Democrats - saying they are using the tragedy for "political gain."

Pence also criticized what he described as "fawning media coverage" toward the recent appearance of Kim Jong-un's sister at the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.

Pence said, "So for all those in the media who think I should have stood and cheered with the North Koreans, I say, the United States of America doesn't stand with murderous dictatorships."

"We stand up to murderous dictatorships," he said.

National Harbor, Maryland - 22 February 2018

1. Mid of Mike Pence approaching podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"Yesterday, President Trump and I met with the family of Meadow Pollack and other students and families reeling from the attack in Parkland. We also met in the White House with families from other communities who've experienced the same violence first hand, and as the President said, we'll never forget it. We prayed with them, we listened to them as they poured out their hearts. As the President has said, no child, no teacher should ever be in danger in an American school."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

3. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"Earlier this week, President Trump called on Congress to strengthen background checks, and two days ago, he directed the Department of Justice to expedite the regulation of bump stocks. Later this week, when the President meets with the nation's governors in our nation's capital, we'll make the safety of our nation's schools and our students our top national priority."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

4. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"I can assure you all of this, President Trump and our entire administration will continue to take strong action to make our schools safe, and to give law enforcement and our families the tools they need to deal with those struggling with dangerous mental illness."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

5. SOUNDBITE (English): Mike Pence, Vice President

"You know for all the media fawning over the sister of the North Korean dictator, I think it's important that every American knows who this person is and what she's done. The sister of Kim Jong-un is a central pillar of the most tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet. An evil family clique that brutalizes, subjugates, starves and imprisons its 25 million people. Even the United Nations reported that, in their words, the gravity, scale and nature of these violations reveal a state that does not have a parallel in the contemporary world. That's why the United States government has sanctioned her for her role in abetting North Korea's horrendous human rights abuses and crimes against humanity. People are routinely jailed and executed for the most minor acts of defiance, and every American remembers the heartbreaking story of Otto Warmbier. So for all those in the media who think I should have stood and cheered with the North Koreans, I say, the United States of America doesn't stand with murderous dictatorships, we stand up to murderous dictatorships."

6. Wide of Pence after speech