Friday's Headlines: Senate GOP leaders scramble to save tax bill after deficit snag

After years of deficit preaching, Republicans face a hard lesson in a report on their tax plan; Wonkblog: Why it's such a big deal the bill would add $1 trillion to debt; White...

Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Senate GOP leaders scramble to save tax bill after deficit snag Congress's nonpartisan tax analyst found that the plan would add at least $1 trillion to the debt over 10 years, heightening concerns over the bill's cost and sparking an hour-long standoff on the Senate floor. At one point, Sens. Bob Corker and Jeff Flake demanded fundamental changes to add hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue into the package. GOP leaders have conceded that numerous changes were now under consideration. By Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis and Damian Paletta  •  Read more » After years of deficit preaching, Republicans face a hard lesson in a report on their tax plan Republicans seemed almost shocked by how little credit the Joint Committee on Taxation report gave to the power of tax cuts to drive economic growth. The tax committee projected the bill would raise economic growth by only 0.8 percent over a decade, a small fraction of what Republicans had projected, resulting in a projected $1 trillion increase in the deficit over 10 years. By Heather Long  •   Read more »   Wonkblog: Why it's such a big deal the bill would add $1 trillion to debt Republicans had approved adding up to $1.5 trillion to America's debt to pay for tax cuts, claiming that the price tag won't be nearly that high because the plan would unleash a lot more economic growth. The estimate says that growth makes up for only about a third of the bill's cost. By Heather Long  •   Read more »   White House lays groundwork for seismic personnel change with plan to oust Tillerson The plan to force out Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and install loyalists to President Trump in two top national security positions, which has been confirmed by two administration officials, would shake up an already turbulent presidency. By Ashley Parker, Philip Rucker and Josh Dawsey  •   Read more »   Tillerson would leave without banner diplomatic achievements, with little to show for signature effort The secretary of state would not be greatly missed by the department's rank and file, several current and former officials said privately, but his supporters suggested that he has far stronger credentials than his most likely replacement, CIA Director Mike Pompeo. By Anne Gearan and Carol Morello  •   Read more »   @PKCapitol: Cotton to CIA? The move would say a lot about how the GOP star views his party's future. Tom Cotton falls in the camp of some young and ambitious politicians who hold in derision the dysfunctional nature of the plodding Senate. By Paul Kane  •   Read more »   These Las Vegas teens survived a mass shooting. Now they must endure what's next. The girls couldn't wait for homecoming week, with its dress-up days, football game and dance. But first, they were going to a country music concert. It was there that a gunman high above them fired more than 1,100 rounds into the crowd. They lived, but the wounds from the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history weren't just physical. By Story by John Woodrow Cox | Photos by Matt McClain  •   Read more »   Trump tells confidants that a government shutdown might be good for him politically The president's mixed messages on a partial shutdown have hampered Republicans' ability to negotiate with Democrats on spending legislation. Meanwhile, Trump has asked friends about how a shutdown would affect him and said he would put the blame on Democrats. By Josh Dawsey, Sean Sullivan and Ed O'Keefe  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Opinions   Tillerson's fall could turn State into a hawk's nest By David Ignatius  •   Read more »   This is getting worse By Eugene Robinson  •   Read more »   Apparently Republicans want to kick the middle class in the face By Catherine Rampell  •   Read more »   Trump wants to gut America's progress against AIDS By Michael Gerson  •   Read more »   Maybe Trump knows his base better than we do By Fareed Zakaria  •   Read more »   Rename the block in front of the Russian Embassy By Editorial Board  •   Read more » ADVERTISEMENT More News   Franken fighting for political survival as Democrats demand 'zero tolerance' for sexual misconduct On the same day that a fifth accuser stepped forward with allegations against the senator from Minnesota, a move by top Democrats to force out Rep. John Conyers showed a growing eagerness to immunize the party on an issue that is turning into a social movement. By Karen Tumulty, Elise Viebeck and Ed O'Keefe  •  Read more »     Jimmy Kimmel and Roy Moore got in a Twitter war. Then Kimmel delivered this scathing response. The Republican Senate candidate accused of sexual misconduct against teen girls invited Kimmel to Alabama to hash things out "man to man." Kimmel happily accepted the offer. By Emily Yahr  •   Read more »   Jury finds illegal immigrant not guilty in San Francisco killing, infuriating Trump Jose Ines Garcia Zarate had been deported five times and was wanted for a sixth deportation when Kate Steinle was fatally shot. He did not deny shooting Steinle and said it was an accident. The case became a major Republican talking point during the 2016 presidential campaign. By Fred Barbash  •   Read more »   Modest 4.1-magnitude earthquake hits Delaware, rattling windows as away far as D.C. The Delaware Emergency Management Agency said there were no reports of damage or injuries. Almost everywhere in the affected region, the shaking was reported by residents to be either "weak" or "light." By Joel Achenbach  •   Read more »   As 'Today' grapples with Matt Lauer's firing, the question becomes: What's next? Replacing Lauer might be a challenge for the lucrative morning show, and the question of how much NBC executives knew before the host was fired will probably continue to come up, a media analyst said. By Emily Yahr  •   Read more »   Paul Manafort reaches bail deal with Mueller investigation prosecutors for judge's approval The former chairman of the Trump presidential campaign secured his release by pledging homes worth $11.6 million and agreeing to limit his travel. By Spencer S. Hsu  •   Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:    Twitter     Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Today's Headlines or because it is included in your subscription. 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