K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For October 20th, 2017 – Morning

WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS PROMISING TAX CUTS THE "BIGGEST IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY" FOLLOWING SENATE PASSAGE OF A $4 TRILLION BUDGET. THE BUDGET PLAN LAYS THE GROUNDWORK FOR ACTION ON A TAX OVERHAUL REPUBLICANS HOPE TO PUSH THROUGH BY YEAR'S END. THE BUDGET FRAMEWORK ALLOWS REPUBLICANS TO GET TAX LEGISLATION THROUGH THE SENATE WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC VOTES. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF LAND-MINES AHEAD EVEN AS REPUBLICANS WARN THAT FAILURE COULD COST THEM NEXT YEAR'S MIDTERM ELECTIONS.

WASHINGTON (AP) - WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN KELLY DEFENDED HIS BOSS, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, IN AN UNANNOUNCED APPEARANCE BEFORE REPORTERS THIS WEEK. KELLY, A RETIRED THREE-STAR GENERAL WHOSE SON WAS KILLED WHILE SERVING IN AFGHANISTAN, DRESSED DOWN THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN WHO HAD CRITICIZED TRUMP FOR COMMENTS TRUMP MADE IN ONE CONDOLENCE CALL. TRUMP INITIATED A DEBATE ON HOW PRESIDENTS RESPOND TO GRIEVING FAMILIES, SUGGESTING HE DID IT BETTER THAN HIS PREDECESSORS.

BEIRUT (AP) - TURKEY'S PRESIDENT HAS CRITICIZED WESTERN NATIONS, MAINLY THE UNITED STATES, OVER THEIR SUPPORT FOR SYRIAN KURDISH FIGHTERS IN THE WAKE OF THE LIBERATION OF THE SYRIAN CITY OF RAQQA FROM THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP. RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN TOOK OFFENSE AT U.S.-BACKED AND KURDISH-LED FIGHTERS WHO, AMID THE CELEBRATIONS IN RAQQA, HUNG POSTERS OF ABDULLAH OCALAN_THE LEADER OF THE OUTLAWED KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY, IMPRISONED IN TURKEY ON TERRORISM CHARGES. ANKARA CONSIDERS PKK A TERRORIST GROUP.

WASHINGTON (AP) - PROMINENT CHEFS, BAKERS AND RESTAURANT OWNERS WANT THE SUPREME COURT TO RULE AGAINST A COLORADO BAKER WHO WOULDN'T MAKE A CAKE FOR A SAME-SEX COUPLE'S WEDDING. THE FOOD MAKERS SAY THAT ONCE THEY OPEN THEIR DOORS FOR BUSINESS, THEY DON'T GET TO CHOOSE THEIR CUSTOMERS. THE CASE IN FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT PITS THE RIGHTS OF A GAY COUPLE AGAINST BAKER JACK PHILLIPS' RELIGIOUS OBJECTIONS TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. THE CASE WILL BE ARGUED DEC. 5.

BARCELONETA, PUERTO RICO (AP) - A MONTH AFTER HURRICANE MARIA ROLLED ACROSS THE CENTER OF PUERTO RICO, POWER IS STILL OUT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE AS THE WORK TO RESTORE HUNDREDS OF MILES OF TRANSMISSION LINES AND THOUSANDS OF MILES OF DISTRIBUTION LINES GRINDS ON. AND IT WON'T GET DONE SOON WITHOUT MORE WORKERS, MORE EQUIPMENT AND MORE MONEY, ACCORDING TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT. OFFICIALS ESTIMATE IT WILL TAKE HUNDREDS OF MORE CONTRACTORS TO RESTORE ELECTRICITY BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
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TWO ILLINOIS MEN FAILED TO CLAIM $20,337 IN CASH FEDERAL OFFICIALS SEIZED FROM THEM THIS SUMMER AFTER A TRAFFIC STOP AND DRUG BUST.

AND THE REASONS THEY GAVE FOR TRAVELING WITH THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY DIDN'T HELP THEIR CASE.

FEDERAL COURT RECORDS SAY JACOB DOTSON AND DUSTIN ALVIS WERE NOTIFIED THIS WEEK OF THE FORFEITURE THAT STARTED JULY 8TH WHEN A RANGER PULLED THEM OVER FOR TRAVELING 61 MPH IN A 45 MPH ZONE.

THE RANGER SMELLED BURNT MARIJUANA IN THEIR CAR, AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY IN THE CAR, TO WHICH THEY SAID NO.

THE RANGER ASKED DOTSON AND ALVIS TO GET OUT OF THE CAR, FOUND A BACKPACK WITH AN ESTIMATED $20,000 IN CASH AND DRUGS, AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THE BACKPACK'S CONTENTS.

BOTH SAID SOME OF THE MARIJUANA WAS THEIRS.

DOTSON ALSO SAID $11,000 OF THE MONEY WAS HIS, HE WORKED AS A SHOE SALESMAN, HE DIDN'T USE A CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD FOR THE MONEY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE A PAPER TRAIL, AND HE HAS EXPENSIVE TASTES AND THAT'S WHY HE CARRIED SO MUCH CASH.

ALVIS SAID HE HAD $10,000 IN CASH BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ONE TO WATCH IT, HE DOESN'T KEEP MONEY IN A BANK, AND INSTEAD KEEPS IT UNDER HIS MATTRESS.

THE RANGER TOOK THEM TO MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS WHERE DOTSON SAID THEY PLANNED TO TRAVEL TO OREGON TO BUY MARIJUANA AND RETURN TO ILLINOIS TO SELL IT.

THEY PLEADED GUILTY TO SIMPLE MARIJUANA POSSESSION AND U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE MARK CARMAN FINED THEM $1,000 EACH, AND SENTENCED THEM TO FIVE YEARS OF PROBATION DURING WHICH THEY WERE BANNED FROM YELLOWSTONE.

BECAUSE THE MONEY WAS INTENDED FOR CRIMINAL PURPOSES, THE WYOMING U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FILED THE FORFEITURE DOCUMENT.
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A REPORT COMMISSIONED BY THE WYOMING LEGISLATURE IDENTIFIED WAYS THE STATE COULD SAVE UP TO $227 MILLION IN EACH TWO-YEAR BUDGET CYCLE, BUT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD COST ABOUT $17 MILLION.

THE LEGISLATURE'S GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND EFFICIENCY COMMISSION ON WEDNESDAY RECEIVED THE REPORT THAT WAS COMMISSIONED LAST YEAR AS PART OF LAWMAKERS' EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE BUDGET SHORTFALL.

THE REPORT PRODUCED BY A CONSULTING FIRM SUGGESTED WAYS THE STATE COULD CONSOLIDATE SERVICES AND MAKE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS MORE EFFICIENT. IT ALSO SUGGESTED CREATING A PROJECT MANAGER OFFICE THAT WOULD HELP IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

IF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PUT INTO PLACE, THE REPORT ESTIMATES THE STATE COULD RECEIVE A ONE-TIME SAVINGS OF UP TO $17.7 MILLION. BETWEEN $112 MILLION AND $227 MILLION COULD BE SAVED IN EACH TWO-YEAR BUDGET CYCLE.