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Your view: Citizen-based democracy under threat

Arctic Samis celebrate their national day centenary

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local): 12:25 p.m. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer thinks actress Melissa McCarthy could dial it back a bit if she reprises her impression of him "Saturday Night Live." McCarthy lampooned Spicer in a sketch that shows him taunting reporters, firing a water gun at one, and using the White House briefing room lectern to ram another. Spicer tells Fox News that the sketch was "was cute" and "funny," but says he'd "rather us be talking about the issues that the president is so committed to helping Americans on." As for his advice for McCarthy, Spicer tells the entertainment show "Extra" he thinks she "could dial back" a bit. He says she, "needs to slow down on the gum chewing; way too many pieces in there." ___ 9:30 a.m. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she will seek common ground "wherever possible" with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, despite differences over Trump's entry ban for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries. Germany has Europe's biggest economy and is a major exporter. In 2015, the U.S. was its biggest trading partner, and there's concern in Berlin over the possibility of a more protectionist approach in Washington. Merkel told reporters in Munich on Monday: "We will try to find common ground wherever possible." Merkel added: "We will see issue by issue where we can cooperate and where we have different opinions, but it's in Germany's interest to strengthen the common ground there is." ___ 8 a.m. President Donald Trump is insisting "I call my own shots" and that any negative polling data is "fake news." It's unclear what prompted Trump's early morning tweets on Monday. The New York Times released an unflattering portrait of Trump's nights at the White House, suggesting Trump spends much of his time watching cable news and wasn't fully briefed before signing an executive order elevating Stephen Bannon to the National Security Council. Trump tweeted early Monday: "I call my own shots, largely based on an accumulation of data, and everyone knows it. Some FAKE NEWS media, in order to marginalize, lies!" ___ 3:25 a.m. President Donald Trump is making his first visit to the headquarters for U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. Both military commands are headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Trump is heading to the base Monday on the way to Washington following his first weekend away from the White House. Trump spent the weekend at his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, joined by first lady Melania Trump. At MacDill, Trump is to be briefed by CENTCOM and SOCOM leaders, join troops for lunch and deliver a speech. CENTCOM oversaw a recent raid by U.S. special operations forces on an al-Qaida compound in Yemen. A Navy SEAL was killed during the operation.

The Latest: Press Secretary Sean Spicer responds to SNL skit