The Spy Game:The CIA in 2017 was forced to extract a high-level Russian spy with access to the Kremlin because his cover was in danger of being blown, several news outlets report. The informant was recruited decades ago and became more valuable as he climbed through the ranks of government, the stories report.

  The informant became priceless when the Russians tried to influence the 2016 US election. The NY Timesreports that he confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the election hacks and that Putin favored Donald Trump for President.

  CNN initially broke the story, saying the informant had to be pulled out of his home country in part because President Trump mishandled intelligence and might have let something slip when Russian officials visited his office.

   The NY Timescounters that, reporting that inquiries about US information sources from the American press became a major concern. The paper says, “former intelligence officials said there was no public evidence that Mr. Trump directly endangered the source, and other current American officials insisted that media scrutiny of the agency’s sources alone was the impetus for the extraction.”

Weather Report:The NY Timesreports that the Secretary of Commerce actually threatened to fire people in the National Weather Service after they disagreed with President Trump’s erroneous claim that Alabama would be hit by Hurricane Dorian.

  This story isn’t going away. NOAA’s top scientist says he’s investigating why the agency’s leadership endorsed President Trump’s false predictionafter National Weather Service meteorologists in Birmingham said it wasn’t true.

  In an email, Craig McLean, acting chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, suggested that the agency’s backing of Trump’s falsehood was politically motivated. “I am pursuing the potential violations of our NOAA Administrative Order on Scientific Integrity,” McLean wrote. “My understanding is that this intervention to contradict the forecaster was not based on science but on external factors including reputation and appearance, or simply put, political.”

By the Numbers:After climbing during the summer, President Trump’s approval rating is falling, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News Poll. The poll says Trump’s overall approval rating is 38 percent, down from 44 percent in June. A whopping 56 percent of voting age Americans now say they disapprove of his performance in office.

  While Trump slides, Democrat Elizabeth Warren is rising. She has climbed from a low of seven percent among Democrats to a current 18 percent. The leader, former Vice President Joe Biden, has slipped from a high of 41 percent to his current 29 percent. 

Resort News:News that an Air Force crew that landed in Scotland checked into President Trump’s Turnberry Resort 20 miles away has set off new inquiries into the President’s mixture of business and government.

  The air crew appears to have been sent to the Trump resort as part of a deal made by the Trump organization with Prestwick Airport to help local tourism. The airport refers transiting travelers to local hotels. The Trump resort is farther away and costs more than many others.

  The US Air Force has a separate agreement with the airport to refer crews to hotels. It was through that deal that a seven-person C-17 crew stayed at Turnberry for $135 a night, less than the per diem maximum of $166.

  Trump tweeted a denial of any involvement saying, “I know nothing about an Air Force plane landing at an airport (which I do not own and have nothing to do with) near Turnberry Resort (which I do own) in Scotland, and filling up with fuel, with the crew staying overnight at Turnberry (they have good taste!). NOTHING TO DO WITH ME”

The News Roundup: President Trump has declared peace talks with the Taliban “dead.” — A high school in Florence, Alabama has removed the doors from bathroom stalls to discourage kids from vaping. — Apple is introducing a new iPhone today. It makes phone calls.

Editor’s Note:The editorial staff of The Rooney Report is going off the grid for another night in the watery wilds of upstate New York. We’ll be back on Thursday. In the meantime, consult your favorite sources of Fake News!  

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