Here's what's going on in the world of politics today...
WaPo: Kushner wanted secret channel with Russia
-- Since Friday, multiple reports have been circulating that President Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner proposed a secret line of communication between the Trump transition team and the Kremlin - stemming from a Washington Post report.
While CNN said they have yet to confirm the Post's report, ABC News and the New York Times have confirmed the report with two sources.
Sources told media outlet Kushner proposed the back channel with Russian during a meeting in Trump Tower, in which former National Security Advisor Gen. Michael Flynn attended, in order to discuss Syria and other policy-related matters.
The reports cite communications intercepted by U.S. intelligence officials. President Trump has yet to comment publically on the matter.
President Trump continues G7 meetings; Delays Paris decision
-- President Trump will continue his series of meetings with Group of Seven (G7) countries Saturday Taormina, Italy.
Terrorism, NATO, and climate change are expected to be among the topics of discussion during meetings between leaders of the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, and Canada.
"Many NATO countries have agreed to step up payments considerably, as they should. Money is beginning to pour in- NATO will be much stronger," President Trump tweeted Saturday.
The president also said he needs to continue to discuss climate change with leaders before making a decision whether to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 Paris Accord aimed at curbing global carbon emissions.
The Associated Press reported Saturday morning that the G7 final declaration says the U.S. is "not in a position to join consensus" on climate change.
Big G7 meetings today. Lots of very important matters under discussion. First on the list, of course, is terrorism. #G7Taormina
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2017
Many NATO countries have agreed to step up payments considerably, as they should. Money is beginning to pour in- NATO will be much stronger.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2017
I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2017
Speaking of Trump's tweets...
-- According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump's tweets may be vetted by a team of lawyers - from both the White House and outside - in the future.
The idea for the system is so that "tweets don't go from the president's mind out to the universe" according to the report.
Former House Speaker: Trumps has been 'a complete disaster'
-- Former House Speaker John Boehner said aside from getting the House to pass a new health care bill, the president's time in office thus far has been "a complete disaster."
"I was a little more optimistic about it early in the year; now my odds are 60/40 ... The border adjustment tax is deader than a doornail," Boehner said during an appearance at the KPMG Global Energy Conference. Boehner was referencing the tax plan currently being written by House GOP leaders.
He went on to call the preliminary discussions on a tax reform by colleagues as "just a bunch of happy talk."
As for Congress, Boehner said he's still celebrating his leave saying, "I wake up every day, drink my morning coffee and say, 'Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.'"
White House will comply with Ethics request
-- The White House said Friday it will agree to comply with an Office of Government Ethics request to disclose the names of anyone who had been granted an exemption from ethics rules.
"We intend to release them by June 1," White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said in an email to CNN.
CNN said because the Trump administration has kept ethics waivers secret, it's unclear how many have been granted.
CNN, ABC News, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
