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As the House Judiciary Committee gaveled a rare prime time impeachment hearing inside the vaulted hall of the Ways and Means Committee Room on the evening of December 11, Donald Trump stood at a lectern in the White Houses East Room, lavishing praise on his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. I love Jared, Trump told casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer, and other high-profile guests attending the White Houses annual Hanukkah reception. A few hours earlier, at Kushners urging, Trump had signed a controversial executive order that classified Jews as a nationality for the purposes of enforcing anti-discrimination laws on college campuses. That morning, Kushner defended the policy in a New York Times op-ed. The flurry of activity reflected an emerging truth: As Trump ends the year by becoming only the third president in history to be impeached, Kushner is completing what is, by any measure, an unexpected comeback.

A year ago, it was conventional Washington wisdom that Kushner could be indicted in the Robert Mueller probe. Trumps previous chief of staff John Kelly effectively marginalized him during pivotal domestic and foreign policy debates. Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Guiliani even told Fox News that Kushner was disposable. Today, Kelly is gone and Giulianis fate is uncertain, while Kushner is exerting influence over virtually every significant White House decision, from negotiating trade deals to 2020 campaign strategy to overseeing Trumps impeachment defense. Jared is running everything, a former West Wing official told me.

Inside the West Wing, Kushner has both eliminated opponents and installed acquiescent officials. Jared was very frustrated with [Reince] Priebus and John Kelly, a Republican close to the White House, said. Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney was Jareds pick, the source said, and has allowed Kushner to function as de facto chief of staff. Mick has decided not to be in control, a former West Wing official said. Jared treats Mick like the help. Theres no pushback, a prominent Republican said. John Bolton, who recently mocked Kushner in a private speech, has been replaced by Robert OBrien, a Kushner ally. Sources say that Vice President Mike Pence and his advisers dont challenge Kushner after a string of leaks that Kushner wanted to replace Pence on the ticket with Nikki Haley. Pence people look at Jared apprehensively. Pence treats Jared as a peer, said former Trump aide Sam Nunberg. (The White House did not respond to a request for comment.)

One remaining opponent is Kellyanne Conway. Kushner has so far unsuccessfully lobbied Trump to fire Conway because of her husbands attacks on Trump. Kushner, though, recently prevailed over Conways objections that Trump didnt need to set up a White House war room, a source told me. Trump brought on former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi and Treasury Department spokesperson Tony Sayegh to run a daily messaging operation from a basement office underneath the West Wing. Kellyanne hates Bondi, a Republican close to the White House said. Jared pushed to get a war room because congressional Republicans said they needed it. (Reached for comment, Conway said she and Bondi "have been friends for years and years.")

Kushners survival owes a lot to the Trumpworld truism that family comes first and last. The family has a larger degree of trust and protection that no one else enjoys, the former West Wing official said. Trump has adopted Kushners view that the White House is winning the impeachment fight. Jared thinks Nancy Pelosi is running away from this as fast as she can, a prominent Republican said. But its also true that, at this point in Trumps term, Trump cant find anyone actually qualified who wants to work for him. Compared to everyone else, Jared has proved to be competent, Nunberg told me. It may be a low bar, but hes an asset there. As much influence as Kushner has now, some critics fear what a second term would look like. Theres no pushback now, said the prominent Republican. As they go into the second term, theyll be able to do whatever they want.

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Jared Treats Mick Like the Help: Its Jareds White House Now (Trumps Just Living in It) - Vanity Fair

Idaho Gov. Brad Little, seated directly to President Trumps left at a White House roundtable meeting with governors Monday on deregulation, said it was an honor to participate and tout Idahos progress on trimming regulations.

Regulatory reform has been one of Littles major initiatives in his first year as governor, including streamlining, scaling back or outright repealing hundreds of longstanding state administrative rules.

Little was among five GOP governors, one governor-elect, two state lawmakers and a Colorado tribal chairwoman invited to the White House meeting, which was attended by both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. In October, Trump announced his Governors Initiative on Regulatory Innovation and appointed Pence to head it up.

The initiative is aimed at working with state, local and tribal leaders who are championing deregulation and working toward cutting regulations and costs, reforming occupational licensing, and better aligning state and federal regulations.

During the meeting, Trump appeared to refer to Little as Fred. Littles spokeswoman, Marissa Morrison, said she thinks the president was saying Brad, but just with an accent on it.

Little posted a video clip from the White House meeting on his Facebook page, where Trump is seen thanking Pence, seated at his right, saying, Thank you, Mike, very much, and then turning to Little on his left and saying, Fred?

Well, Mr. President, Little responds, following your leadership, my first executive order was the two-for-one, to which Trump commented, Right, and Little continued, That for every new rule we get rid of two. I did pretty well exceeded that by 4,000%, he said to laughter from around the table.

We got rid of 82 rules for every new rule were implementing this year, Little said. But the whole effort of what it does, reducing the friction cost, particularly startup for small businesses, people that have a tougher time.

Trump, leaning toward Little, again commented, Right.

Washing away that regulatory friction at both the federal level and the state level, is a lot of that job creation, Little continued. And its the gift that keeps on giving, if you just keep being diligent on it.

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After a few more comments along those lines, Little concluded, We look forward to continuing to work with your administration on this, and Trump responded, Great job, thank you very much.

Heres how Little summed up the meeting on social media: It was an honor to meet with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence today to discuss the Governors Initiative on Regulatory Innovation. Idaho leads the way in Red Tape Reduction as the least-regulated state in America!

Little announced at a press conference Dec. 4 that Idaho has surpassed South Dakota as the least regulated state, based on a metric designed by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University that compares state regulatory codes with regards to both the number of words, and the recurrence of the words shall, must, may not, required, and prohibited in each states regulations.

In Idaho, Little said, The agencies reduced administrative code by over 1,800 pages since we took office. This amounts to 75% of all rules and regulations were either cut or simplified.

Little also had several other meetings while he was in Washington, D.C., on Monday and Tuesday, including with members of Idahos congressional delegation. He flew back to Idaho Tuesday afternoon.

Betsy Z. Russell is the Boise bureau chief and state capitol reporter for the Idaho Press and Adams Publishing Group. Follow her on Twitter at @BetsyZRussell.

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Idaho Gov. Little meets with Trump, Pence on regulatory reform - Idaho Press-Tribune

Glen Pannell, an activist and actor, has been making laps around New York City dressed as Mike Pence for years. (Twitter)

A gay guy has been doing laps around New York City collecting donations for LGBT+, pro-choice and refugee charities dressed as US vice president Mike Pence.

Yup, you read that right.

Nicknamed Mike Hot-Pence, hes been spotted in Times Square and Union Square and went viral last week after being papped by a passerby.

Donned in a full suit but tight blue short shorts, he carries around a small tub collecting loose change from commuters.

After arts administrator Howard Sherman snapped a photo of the Pence lookalike, he posted it to his Facebook page in an effort to identify him.

Today in "Times Square Weirdness," my continuing series: he's Mike Hot-Pence and he's collecting funds to support

Posted by Howard Sherman onSaturday, December 3, 2016

Amid dozens of Never change, NYC comments, the guy was later identified by vigilant New Yorkers as Glen Pannell.

Shortly after, Sherman interviewed Hot-Pence/Pannell, dubbing him a Times Square icon. He even asked Pannell what he would say to Pence if he was to ever meet him.

Just one? Ill keep it short, he said.

You have to represent all people, not just the ones that look like you. And me.

Speaking to Buzzfeed News, Pannell, a 51-year-old graphic designer and freelance actor, explained that the election result of 2017 dragged him down.

So, I finally decided I had to do something, he said, and it had to be bold and immediate, something I could point to at the end of the day and say: Heres what I did to make change.

For years, Pannell has donned his Pence outfit and taken to the streets of New York City to collect money. In keeping his top half pure Pence, Pannell finished his look with a pair of vintage athletic shorts from his high-school days.

Family and friends first noticed Pannells resemblance to the vice president, wondering if he was going to go as Pence for Halloween.

I have family in Indiana so I knew that Pence was governor, Pannell told Sherman.

But it wasnt until he signed the anti-gay Religious Freedom Bill last year that I really started paying attention to him.

Im gay so that made me sit up and take notice. And its those kinds of policy decisions that are energizing my activism now.

From National Coming Out Day to NYC Pride, Pannell accessorises his suit with rainbow ties and pocket squares to raise money for the Trevor Project a suicide prevention charity for LGBT+ youth.

He also told the outlet that he has shaken buckets for Planned Parenthood, the Natural Defence Council and the International Refugee Assistance Project.

These are all groups and causes that suffered when Pence was in office, so I worry about them in the next few years under a Trump-Pence administration, the 51-year-old said.

I had never thought of them as hot pants, but Mike Hot-Pence rocks that look.

I never expect anything I do to go viral online, he explained.

I do understand why people respond to it. Its funny, and its hopeful, and people need that right now.

Read more:
This gay guy dresses up as Mike Pence and collects money for LGBT+ charities and honestly, give him a Nobel Peace Prize - PinkNews

Idaho Gov. Brad Little, seated directly to President Trumps left at a White House roundtable meeting with governors Monday on deregulation, said it was an honor to participate, even though Trump appeared to refer to Little first as Fred and then as Bread. Littles spokeswoman, Marissa Morrison, said she thinks the president was saying Brad, but just with an accent on it.

Little was among five GOP governors, one governor-elect, two state lawmakers and a Colorado tribal chairwoman invited to the White House meeting, which was attended by both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. In October, Trump announced his Governors Initiative on Regulatory Innovation and appointed Pence to head it up.

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Thanks! You'll start receiving the headlines tomorrow!

The initiative is aimed at working with state, local and tribal leaders who are championing deregulation, and working toward cutting regulations and costs, reforming occupational licensing, and better aligning state and federal regulations. You can read my full story here at idahopress.com (subscription required), or pick up Wednesday's edition of the Idaho Press.

Betsy Z. Russell is the Boise bureau chief and state capitol reporter for the Idaho Press and Adams Publishing Group. Follow her on Twitter at @BetsyZRussell.

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Idaho Gov. Little meets with Trump, Pence on regulatory reform; link to my full story - Idaho Press-Tribune

Rep. Greg Pence (R-IN)

Editors Note: The Armenian Weekly Editorial Board has corrected the story below to reflect the accurate name of the school that Congressman Pence visited in November. During a phone conversation with the Weekly, Congressman Pences office denied the following events, conveyed to the Weekly by a source, ever took place.

Evidence that the State Departments gag rule on discussing the Armenian Genocide is alive and well arose the week after the historic landslide vote in the United States House of Representatives. While the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.296) passed by a vote of 405 to 11, notable among the 11 no votes was Republican Congressman Greg Pence of Indiana, older brother of Vice President Mike Pence.

When Congressman Pence visited Central Middle School in Columbus, Indiana the week after the vote, school administrators directed teachers that no one should raise the Genocide Resolution or Cong. Pences no vote during his visit. It is reasonable to infer that Pences staff requested the imposition of the gag rule and that he wanted to avoid the embarrassment of defending his vote.

While it is possible that Pences staff was trying to avoid partisan politics during a school visit, Congressman Pences own words contradict this. In an article reporting on the visit in the Columbus Republic newspaper, Pence is quoted at length denouncing the Houses impeachment inquiry and calling it a Soviet-style or Russian-style witch hunt.

Congressmen Pences office has denied the aforementioned events, as conveyed to the Weekly by a source.

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Global Gag Rule Alive and Well in Indiana - Armenian Weekly