Tipsheet: Kushner said to be 'digging in' amid troubles — Sponsored by CVS Health

View in your browser     The Memo: Kushner said to be 'digging in' amid troubles By Niall Stanage      Jared Kushner is willing to do battle with chief of staff John Kelly to preserve his position at the center of the White House, more than a half-dozen sources close to the situation tell The Hill. Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, has been buffeted by a succession of troublesome stories recently. Read the full story here     Hicks departure leaves void in White House By Jonathan Easley The White House has a massive hole to fill as it seeks to replace communications director Hope Hicks, whose departure is seen as a devastating blow to President Trump at a time when his administration is besieged by conflict. Read the full story here     GOP boos Trump decision on tariffs By Niv Elis and Vicki Needham Republicans loudly booed President Trump’s announcement Thursday that he will impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Opposition came from GOP leaders in the House and Senate, rising Republican stars and hardline conservatives. Read the full story here     Dow closes down 420 points as stocks slammed by Trump tariff plan By Sylvan Lane U.S. stocks slid Thursday after President Trump announced new, steep tariffs on steel and aluminum to be imposed next week. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 420 points on the day, a 1.7 percent decline, while the Nasdaq and Standard & Poor's 500 indexes closed down roughly 1.3 percent each. Read the full story here     NRA official after meeting: Trump supports 'strong due process' By John Bowden A top official with the National Rifle Association's lobbying arm (NRA-ILA) said Thursday following an Oval Office meeting with President Trump and Vice President Pence that the pair "don't want gun control." Read the full story here     Baffled Republicans distance themselves from Trump on guns By Melanie Zanona House conservatives say they are baffled by President Trump’s recent support for a string of Democratic-backed gun control ideas, with some lawmakers even questioning how committed he is to protecting the Second Amendment. Read the full story here     DOJ watchdog report expected to criticize McCabe over media disclosures: report By Jacqueline Thompson A report from the Justice Department’s inspector general will reportedly criticize former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe for allowing agency officials to provide information about an ongoing investigation to the media. Read the full story here     White House pushes back on report of McMaster exit By Jordan Fabian The White House on Thursday pushed back on a new report that national security adviser H.R. McMaster could be replaced as soon as this month, but stopped short of issuing an outright denial. Read the full story here     Trump’s family becomes flashpoint for new controversies By Jordan Fabian President Trump’s family members are increasingly coming under fire, deepening the sense of crisis surrounding the White House. Read the full story here     US approves sale of 210 antitank missiles to Ukraine By Rebecca Kheel The State Department has officially approved a possible $47 million sale of Javelin antitank missiles and related equipment to Ukraine, the Pentagon announced Thursday. The move marks a significant escalation of lethal aid to Ukraine in its ongoing struggles against Russia. Read the full story here         SPONSORED CONTENT   Sponsored by CVS Health We're going well beyond pharmacy to rethinking the very role of health care by making prescriptions more affordable, helping to fight the opioid epidemic and treating chronic illness. Learn more.         Could federal watchdog tamper with Trump wiretap evidence? It may not be a first By Sharyl Attkisson  OPINION | Everyone hopes the Department of Justice’s inspector general (IG) will fairly investigate surveillance activities conducted on U.S. citizens by the FBI and intel agencies. But, for me, there’s reason to be wary. Read the full story here     Xi Jinping's 'Putinization' of China is a rude awakening for Washington By David Blumenthal  OPINION | Faced with a serious geopolitical challenge, China’s Xi Jinping will have to choose between escalating his anti-U.S. strategy or de-escalating and turning his attention to the manifold social and economic problems that the Chinese people will surely demand that he address. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: ‘Every day is a new adventure’: Trump upends Washington and Wall Street with shifts on trade, guns By Damian Paletta and Josh Dawsey    President Trump whiplashed Washington through 24 hours of chaos and confusion, culminating Thursday with a surprise announcement that he will unilaterally impose steep tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Oil was central in decision to shrink Bears Ears Monument, emails show By Eric Lipton and Lisa Friedman   Even before President Trump officially opened his high-profile review last spring of federal lands protected as National Monuments, the Department of Interior was focused on the potential for oil and gas exploration at a protected Utah site, internal agency documents show. Read the full story here     Reuters: Smith & Wesson maker says increased gun sales reported after Florida attack By Reuters Staff   The chief executive officer of American Outdoor Brands Corporation (AOBC.O), maker of Smith & Wesson guns, on Thursday said some gun retailers reported increased foot traffic and sales after the Florida high school shooting. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: President sends mixed signals on gun legislation By Natalie Andrews and Kristina Peterson   A day after President Donald Trump called for a sweeping overhaul of U.S. gun policy, lawmakers from both parties appeared divided on what they would support, with some pitching their own plans and others calling for Mr. Trump to keep up the public pressure. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: China weighs whether to retaliate over Trump’s tariff hikes By Joe McDonald After threatening to retaliate if U.S. President Donald Trump raised trade barriers, Chinese leaders need to decide whether his hikes in steel and aluminum tariffs justify starting a fight that might disrupt access to one of China’s biggest markets. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet           Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.