Today in the Trump Administration

Today in the Trump Administration

“The Takeout” 

Most election forecasters found themselves in a social media buzzsaw the day after Donald Trump stunned the country with his triumph over Hillary Clinton. Major political oddsmakers had predicted a Clinton win, and famed numbers savant Nate Silver announced the day before the election, “Clinton is a 71 percent favorite to win the election.” He wasn’t alone, though, and since then, analysts, academics and number crunchers have been trying to figure out why they were wrong.

“Freakonomics” co-founder Stephen Dubner brings a different lens to the argument, though, suggesting in this week’s episode of “The Takeout” podcast that we may all just be looking at this the wrong way. 

Watch “The Takeout” with Major Garrett and Steve Chaggaris on CBSN -- Fridays at 9 p.m. -- or on the CBS News app on iPhones and Android devices, as well as Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Playstation, Xbox and Chromecast.

For more from Dubner’s conversation with Garrett and CBS News Senior Political Editor Steve Chaggaris, listen to “The Takeout” podcast, available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and CBSNews.com. And follow “The Takeout” on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @TakeoutPodcast.

Trump Schedule

Discusses health care bill with key committee members, 11:30 a.m.; speaks with Mahmoud Abbas by phone, 12:15 p.m.; lunch with Tillerson, 12:45 p.m.; meets with Ben Carson, 3:30 p.m.

What you missed yesterday

Cork Wine Bar sues Trump hotel over unfair competition

How do you compete with a restaurant at President Donald Trump’s hotel down the road from the White House? Two Washington restaurateurs argue you can’t — and have sued him over it.

The plaintiffs are Khalid Pitts and Diane Gross. They allege unfair competition under local law and have filed a lawsuit against Trump personally and the Trump Old Post Office LLC, which operates the Trump International Hotel. The two plaintiffs own Cork Wine Bar, which is in the Logan Circle neighborhood, about a mile and a half away from the hotel. Cork Wine Bar is a well-regarded brick-walled market and wine bar that serves New American small plates.

Comey meets with senators, House members

FBI Director James Comey went to Capitol Hill Thursday to brief the Gang of Eight members of Congress on President Trump’s wiretapping allegations, as well as other national security matters, CBS News’ Nancy Cordes reports.

Comey met with the Gang of Eight in two separate meetings -- one with the senators and one with the House members. The Gang is composed of the leaders from each party in the House and Senate, as well as the chair and ranking member from the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.

Sean Spicer says White House is “not aware” of any Justice Department investigation into Trump

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Thursday struggled with the question of whether President Donald Trump is under investigation by the Department of Justice, saying in a lengthy exchange with reporters that the White House is “not aware” of any investigation involving the president.

On Wednesday, Spicer was asked about the issue in the wake of Mr. Trump’s allegations about being wiretapped at Trump Tower during the 2016 election. He replied that there’s “obviously a lot of concern” about the issue.

Later in the briefing, however, an aide handed him a note and he was more definitive in his answer.

Mike Pence says Turkey ties are “affirmation” of decision to fire Michael Flynn

Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s work to further the interests of the government of Turkey is “an affirmation” of President Donald Trump’s decision to ask for his resignation.

Pence told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview airing Thursday evening that media reports about Flynn’s work were “the first I heard of it and I think it is an affirmation of the President’s decision to ask General Flynn to resign.”

Rex Tillerson recuses himself from Keystone pipeline decision

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has recused himself from TransCanada’s application for a presidential permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, the State Department says.

AP: GOP scores win on health bill with pre-dawn vote

Republicans on a pivotal House committee scored an initial triumph in their effort to scuttle former President Obama’s health care overhaul, using a pre-dawn vote Thursday to abolish the tax penalty his statute imposes on people who don’t purchase insurance and reshaping how millions of Americans buy medical care.

Yet the Ways and Means  panel’s approval of health care legislation only masked deeper problems Republican backers face. Hospitals, doctors and consumer groups mounted intensifying opposition to the GOP health care drive, and the White House and Republican leaders labored to rally a divided party behind their high-stakes overhaul crusade.

Trump taps Jon Huntsman as U.S. ambassador to Russia

President Trump is nominating former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman to serve as U.S. ambassador to Russia, two sources familiar with the situation have confirmed to CBS News’ Major Garrett.

The nomination, like many in the Trump world, has been on the table for weeks and it took some time to complete the paperwork. Before the president nominated Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, Huntsman was among the contenders considered for the job.

The wall

A Wisconsin Democrat will be introducing congressional legislation Thursday aimed at ensuring that taxpayers won’t be paying for President Trump’s southern border wall, CBS News’ Rebecca Shabad reports.

The “No Taxpayer Funding for the Wall Act,” obtained first by CBS News, is sponsored by Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wisconsin, and would prohibit the use of federal funds to build a fence, wall or any other physical barrier along the border with Mexico.

“I am not in favor of the wall, but if there is a wall, then I do not want the United States of America to pay for the wall,” Moore said in an interview with CBS, adding that she doesn’t want American taxpayers and consumers harmed by the cost.

WSJ: Landlord for Trump’s daughter and son-in-law is a billionaire suing the U.S. government

President Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law are renting a house from a foreign billionaire who is fighting the U.S. government over a proposed mine in Minnesota.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are renting a $5.5 million house in Washington’s Kalorama neighborhood from Andrónico Luksic. One of the Chilean billionaire’s companies is suing the federal government over lost mineral right leases for a proposed copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota.