blayne alexander is live on capitol hill with the very latest. blayne?ther complicating those negotiations is just the short time frame. congress returns from recess on tuesday night, giving lawmakers three days to pass the spending bill before friday's deadline. for president trump, the clock is ticking. one week to get a spending bill through congress or face a government shutdown. >> the government is coming along really well. lot of good things are happening. thank you. >> reporter: the budget talks now include a controversial sticking point, the president's long promised border wall. >> we're going to build the wall, mexico's going to pay for the wall. >> reporter: mick mulvaney now insisting the spending plan the wall. even some pro-wall lawmakers are against that idea. >> let's get the government funded, and move on to the debate when it comes to other writers. >> reporter: today the president tweeted about the deadline, calling it a ridiculous standard, saying no matter how much i accomplish, media will kill. this as the white house is pushing co

live on capitol hill, blayne alexander, news4. >> scott macfarlane, u.s. secret service just announced restrictions for the public on the south side of the white house. starting tonight, 11:00 p.m. secret service is going to restrict access to that sidewalk on the south fence line of the white house which is frequented by the secret service says no additional barriers will be installed. right now as the news4 i-team first reported they're in the process of adding security, new fencing to the north side of the white house. planning to build a higher fence with a higher base in an attempt to keep jumpers off white house property, doreen. >> thank you, scott. >>> president trump's job approval rating climbed this week although it's still in negative territory. the university just released a new poll say 40% approve of the job mr. trump is doing while 56% say they do into the proved. two weeks ago mr. trump's approval rating was five points lower. >>> mr. trump's numbers appear to have been helped by his decision to order missile strikes after the chemical att

>> blayne alexander, thank you, blayne. >>> righting a wrong that happened more than 150 years ago.rrick ward is on the georgetown university campus to show us how the school is apologizing for profiting from selling hundreds of slaves. >> reporter: some alumni might not recognize this name, isaac hawkins hall, this is the hall's new name. who is isaac hawkins? used to be property of the jesuits. the reason for the whole ceremony today. the university said they're sorry and they're ways to move forward. >> we pray with you today because we have greatly sinned and because we are profoundly sorry. >> i've been in d.c. since 2003 and to know i've been passing by georgetown all of this time and not realized the connection has been kind of a surreal moment for me. >> reporter: later on news4, more about georgetown university recognizing its slave-owning past and charting a course for the future. >>> several new laws are on the books this afternoon in maryland, all related to sexual assault. governor larry hogan signed them into law. one expands the definition of sexual abuse to include h

>> blayne alexander, thank you. >>> new at 6:00, he served four terms as mayor and 16 years on the d.c. council. now the district is closer to building a statue to honor the late marion barry. tom sherwood has more on how the permanent tribute is coming along. >> so this would be him at six feet. this would everyone keep in mind, this is a sketch. >> reporter: sculpt steven wiseman discussing plans for an eight-foot statue of former mayor marion barry. for the northeast corner of the district, along pennsylvania avenue downtown. >> i wanted to create him in a gesture that greeted everyone who would come and i also wanted to get that little smile that he had, that if you knew marion barry, you would see it. it's a glint in his eye. >> reporter: the fine arts commission, which has passed artistic and aesthetic judgment in the capitol since 1910 liked the statue, but -- >> the concern is trying to find the spot that really shows off the statue in the best way. and move it a little bit closer to the outside corner where it can really be seen. >> reporter: the new barry statue would be on t

blayne alexander, nbc news, washington. >>> shining a spotlight on sexual assault. the message from san francisco's d.a. he took the stage on how to make nightlife safer in san francisco. specifically pointing to drug induced sexual assault. helping bartenders and servers identify potential victims. >> raise everyone's awareness to protect one another. >> if they can prevent the attacks. april is sexual awareness month. >>> a man says he was attacked by a teenage mob. it happened yesterday evening. the man was taking in the view at the lake. four teenage boys punched him in the face while the others grabbed his camera. no clear description of the suspects. >>> about to get quieter for people near cal tran tracks. cal tran launching a noise reduction project. the work involves grinding the rails to smooth out defects. the result of smoother and quieter rides. the gripeding, which will be loud it set to end in the south bay in three weeks. the only thing for cal train, the grinder will run from 10:00 at night to 4:30 in the morning. >>> it was in but now it's out. fol

live on capitol hill, blayne alexander, news4. >>> i'm pat lawson muse with a closer look at a timeline as we follow the money. in flynn earned $45,000 at a gala for rt, a media organization owned by kremlin. flynn sat next to president vladimir putin. then last fall, flynn's private intelligence company received $530,000 to lobby on behalf of a turkish businessman with links to the turkish government. there's now reporting from politico this week that the turkish company may have been funded by a russian oligarch. nbc news has not confirmed that. the pentagon is investigating whether flynn violated a law prohibiting top officials from receiving payments from foreign governments. retired generals are bound by the law, because they could be called back to service at any time. and the big question is whether flynn informed the defense department. we didn't file paperwork as a foreign agent until march. flynn's lawyer said he did inform the defense intelligence agency of his foreign dealings in 2015, but a letter sent to the house oversight committee says there's no record of that. back to

blayne alexander has all of it covered from capitol hill blayne? >> pat, good afternoon to you.ou just heard during that news conference, the president, 91 days in, has certainly got a lot on his plate. today he talked about foreign policy and much more. today more foreign focus for president trump, hosting the italian prime minister at the white house. the president, starting the day on a different foreign front, ordering an investigation into foreign-made steel and its possible effect on national security, notably, not pointing the finger at china. >> this has nothing to do with china, this has to do with worldwide. >> reporter: the president is relying on china to help north korea. today the white house facing more questions over a naval strike group reportedly heading to north korea when it was nowhere close. >> it's like saying a ship off the coast of san diego is headed to new york. >> reporter: this as the president looks to take a tougher stance on iran. rethinking and possibly throw out the obama-era iran nuclear deal that even proponents admit isn't perfect. >> we'd ra

blayne alexander is on capitol hill with the warnings from both sides. blayne? >> as you know, president trump and kim jong-un are both leaders who have made it abundantly clear that they are not backing down. so for many experts and many people watching the situation, the growing tensions are causing growing concerns. today a first look at the impact from the so-called mother of all bombro killing 36 isis fighters in afghanistan. >> this was the right weapon against this target. >> reporter: this, just days after the u.s. missile strikes on syria. now, growing tensions as the u.s. now stares down north korea, the country defiantly poised to conduct another nuclear or missile test. >> there's a reason no u.s. president in recent history has pulled the trigger on north korea. we've got 20 million people in seoul that would be a target. >> reporter: the country is now marking the birthday of north korean founder kim il-sung, a time the nation has typically chosen to flex its military muscles. but the u.s. considering pre-emptive or retaliatory action, sending more

blayne alexander is monitoring the situation for us. what are you hearing? >> you'll remember that this was the strike group that was supposedly heading to north korea during a time of very tense emotions between the u.s. and north korea. it was supposed to be a show of strength but today the whereabouts of those ships are more of a source of confusion. today tough questions for the white house over seemingly misplaced u.s. war ships. >> it is happening. >> reporter: last week the pentagon announced it was headed toward north korea amid tensions over a nuclear test. the president telling fox business news last week. >> we are sending an armada, very powerful. >> reporter: but now revealed the strike group was actually going into the opposite directionar we were asked a question about what signal is sent we answered the question. i'm not the one who commented on timing. >> it makes it look as though the united states did not have intent, it did not follow through, it did not have determination. >> reporter: this as the white house signals it may be ready to t

blayne alexander is on capitol hill to try to break it all down for us. >> certainly a lot to digest and some of that breaking news coming this afternoon. that federal judge out in california ordered that block today of the president's executive order that he signed back in january. so another setback as he tries to mark his accomplishments, nearing the end of his first 100 days. mean whil, the russia continue to plague this white house. and now today, one lawmaker is calling on now fired nsa adviser michael flynn to come to capitol hill and testify. as he approaches his 100-day mark, president trump unable to shake questions about russia and the national security adviser he fired, michael flynn. >> i'm fairly curious as to how widespread this is. >> reporter: today key lawmakers demanding to know whether flynn broke the law when applying for security clearance by not disclosing travel to and payment from russia. >> i mean, he was supposed to get permission and report it and he didn't. period. i mean, there's no evidence of it. >> reporter: in a statement today, flynn said he did not

our blayne alexander has the latest from capitol hill. k kicking off today, blayne. >> incredibly busy and it's only tuesday if you can believe it. the good news s it does appear that the president and congress will be able to avoid that government shutdown. but for the white house, it's really those questions of michael flynn and russia that just continue to plague this administration, despite the fact that flynn was fired from his position more than two months ago, and now at least one lawmaker is calling on flynn to come before capitol hill and testify. mark, president trump unable to shake questions about russia and the national security adviser he fired, michael flynn. >> i'm fairly curious as to how widespread this is. >> reporter: today key lawmakers demanding to know whether flynn broke the law when applying for security clearance by not disclosing travel to and payment from russia. >> i mean, he was supposed to get permission, and he was supposed to report it and he didn't. period. there's no evidence of it. >> reporter: in a stat

blayne alexander is tracking it all. >> well, there's certainly no question this administration has aendous amount on its plate right now, between tax reform, health care, and of course, avoiding a government shutdown. but despite all of that, today it was once again russia that was taking center stage. >> fired national security adviser michael flynn, now under pentagon investigation for money he received from russia and shred that he disclosed his payments. >> reporter: today the house oversight committee's top democrat releasing defense intelligence agency documents showing there's no record of flynn asking permission for or disclosing work for foreign governments despite an explicit warning. >> the pentagon's warning to general flynn was bold, talicized and could not have been clearer. >> reporter: also lashing out at the white house for not turning over documents on flynn as requested. >> these guys are playing games. come on, man. >> i was, frankly, taken back by his comments today, because they're not true. >> reporter: the white house today blaming the obama stragedz which las

blayne alexander has the details. >> good afternoon to you. we did hear the president today in wisconsin in that speech, returning to a very familiar theme -- buy american, hire american. of course focusing on another campaign promise, jobs. but it's very clear on this tax day, the questions about his tax returns aren't going away. as millions of americans scramble to meet the dead linds, today the president's return remainsnd >> no more secrets, no more lies! >> reporter: nearby, dozens of protesters calling on him to release his tax returns. the white house said the president is still under audit. >> i think people are gonna keep demanding it and making their voices heard on this. >> reporter: the president and his party already looking ahead to tax reform. >> tax reform plan to make our industry more competitive and also to provide a level playing field for our workers. >> reporter: but democrats say, unless the president shows his returns, they won't sign off. >> is he doing it to benefit himself, his friends? we don't know. >> reporter: r

blayne alexander is pouring through the plan. what can you tell us? >> reporter: this is just a proposal. a number of steps before this would become a reality. what the president is proposing could effect every taxpayer in this country and the white house says they want to move very fast on this. they want this done by the end of the year but they do admit that there is some work to be done before this is ready for a vote proudly dubbing it the biggest overhaul in history, today the white house unveiled a sweeping tax reform proposal. >> what this is about is creating jobs and creating economic growth. >> reporter: for individuals the proposed plan would eliminate most tax deductions. >> we are going to eliminate on the personal side all tax deductions other than mortgage interest and charitable deductions. >> reporter: seven tax brackets would be reduced to three. for married couples no tax on tax benefits to help with child care and eliminating the death tax. >> we're going to cut taxes for the american people especially low and middle income famili

blayne alexander live on capitol hill to break it all down for us. >> and wendy, that is exactly why timing is so important this week, to the president. of course he and his team want to mark a number of accomplishments, including securing funding for that border wall. but critics say that could come at the expense of keeping the government his 100th day in office, president trump today hosting members of the united nations security council. showing he is willing to work with a group he wants criticized. >> north korea's a big world problem. and it's a problem we have to finally solve. >> reporter: that has the white house imposes new sanctions against syria. on the home front, the president facing a looming friday deadline. pass a spending bill through congress or face government shutdown. >> they are currently negotiating. we feel very confident that they understand the president's priorities and it will come to an agreement by the end of friday. >> reporter: but lawmakers on both sides ush approximating back against one of those priorities. white house demands for billions of doll

blayne alexander is tracking the developments. >> so much of it has to do with what happens here on capitol hill. now, we're looking at some complicated talks next week, and further complicating those talks is a very congress returns from recess tuesday night, so that means lawmakers only about three full days to pass that spending bill before friday's deadline. for president trump, the clock is ticking, one week to get a spending bill through congress or face a government shutdown. >> the government is coming along really well. lot of good things are happening, thank you. >> reporter: the budget talks now include a controversial sticking point, the president's long promised border wall. >> we're going to build the wall. mexico's going to pay for the wall. >> reporter: budget director mick mulvaney now insisting the spending plan include billions of dollars for the wall. even some pro-wall lawmakers are against the idea. >> let's get the government funded first and move on to the continuation of the debate. >> reporter: for the president to add another accomplishment before the end of his f

in the meantime, blayne alexander reports that president trump is wrapping his first 100 days with new escalations in the north korea crisis, including a hour. >> reporter: as he prepares to enter his 100th day in office, president trump raising concerns in an interview with reuters, offering this prediction on north korea. >> well, there's a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with north korea. >> reporter: secretary of state rex tillerson offering a more diplomatic approach, warning members of the nump security council, especially china, it's time to ramp up pressure on north korea. >> it is likely only a matter of time before north korea dweppedz the capability to strike the u.s. mainland. >> reporter: on capitol hill, congress is set to vote on north korea economic sanctions as early as next week. today's focus successfully avoiding a government shutdown. >> t >> reporter: congress passing a one-week extension, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate a spending bill. also next week, a vote signs of life. >> i was on the phone until 11:00, we're just a few sho

blayne alexander is piecing it all together on capitol hill. >> reporter: the president's h this.act, they say they want to see this done by the end of the year but they do admit that there is some work to be done before this can go to a vote. proudly dub tg the biggest overhaul in history, today the white house unveiled a sweeping tax reform proposal. >> what this is about is creating jobs and creating economic growth. >> reporter: for individuals, the proposed plan would eliminate most tax deductions. >> we are going to eliminate on the personal side all tax deductions other than mortgage interest and charitable deductions. >> reporter: seven tax brackets would be reduced to three. for married couples no tax on the first $24,000 income. tax benefits to help with child care and eliminating the death tax. >> we're going to cut taxes for the american people especially low and middle income families. >> reporter: but business would see big breaks too with rates dropping from a c 39% down to 15 effecting everyone from major corporations to small mom and pop shops but already question

blayne alexander has more. >> the white house says when it comes to north korea, nothing is off the table. meanwhile, today we heard a rather grim warning from that nation's ambassador to the u.n., saying that the u.s. is pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war. today president trump and the first lady hosting hundreds of children for the white house easter egg roll, but even during the light holiday tradition, hangs the heavyweight of foreign policy. >> gotta behave. >> reporter: the white house now signaling it's leaning on china to help ramp down north korea, but holding all options open. >> i don't think that you're going to see the president drawing red lines in the sand, but i think that the action that he took in syria shows that when appropriate, this president will take decisive action. >> reporter: today at the united nations, north korea's ambassador blaming the u.s. for escalating tensions. >> the any mode of war desired by the american. >> reporter: north korea, instead of a nuclear test opting for a less provocative medium-range missile, which exploded seconds after l

blayne alexander is tracking it all. >> good afternoon to you.te house says when it comes to north korea, nothing is off the table. meanwhile, we heard a rather grim warning from that nation's u.n. ambassador, saying that the u.s. is pushing the region to the brink of nuclear war. today president trump and the first lady hosting hundreds of children for the white house easter egg roll. but even during the light holiday tradition, hangs the he the white house now signaling it's leaning on china to help ramp down north korea, but holding all options open. >> i don't think that you're going to see the president drawing red lines in the sand, but i think the action that he took in syria shows that when appropriate, this president will take decisive action. >> reporter: today at the united nations north korea's ambassador blaming the u.s. for escalating tensions. >> the dprk is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the american. >> reporter: north korea, instead of a nuclear test, opting for a less provocative medium-range missile, which explod

alexander joins us live from washington, d.c. how president trump is weighing in on the situation. blayne? >> there its one major sticking point between the nations. that is the syrian leader. to russia, he is a friend. but to the u.s., he is a face of a hostile regime. so, it seemed that even after two hours of conversations between leaders of the two nations today, they weren't any closer to being on the same page about this. secretary of state rex tillerson after a two-hour meeting with russian president vladamir putin, delivering a grim outlook. >> the current state of u.s./russia relations is at a low point. there is a low level of trust between our two countries. >> in a joint news conference with russian counterpart, tillerson said they discussed common goals, fighting terror and disarming north korea. but the two nations remain at odds over u.s. air strikes on syria. following last week's chemical attack on syrian civilians. >> planned and directed and excuted by syrian regime forces. and we're quite confident of that. >> russia refusing to concede that assad was behind the attacks