Monday, July 15

á           White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway defied a subpoena authorized by the House Oversight and Reform Committee and refused to appear for an investigation into her alleged violations of federal ethics law.

á           Reps. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.) held a press conference to condemn President Donald TrumpÕs racist remarks, including his tweet Sunday that the four should Ògo backÓ to their countries of origin — though they are all U.S. citizens and all but Omar were born in the United States.

á           Trump rejected criticism that his tweet about the four representatives, women of color, was racists, saying they hate American and Israel and suggesting they support terrorists.

Tuesday, July 16

á           After a partisan debate over the presidentÕs language, the House voted on party lines to condemn TrumpÕs comments about four congresswomen of color Òto go backÓ to their countries of origin, as racist.

á           Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced travel sanctions barring entry to the United States on MyanmarÕs top military commander, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and three of his highest-ranking generals for their role in the Rohinga Muslim genocide.

á           North Korea warned that planned military exercises involving the U.S. and the Republic of Korea violate the spirit of negotiations between Trump and Kim Jong Un, and hinted it might respond by resuming nuclear and missile tests.

á           The Justice Department announced it will not bring charges against the police officers involved in the death of Eric Garner, a black man selling untaxed cigarettes in New York City in 2014. The police arrest tactics triggered an asthma attack in Garner, who said 11 times, ÒI canÕt breathe.Ó

á           The ACLU filed suit against the Trump administration in U.S. District Court in an attempt to halt implementation of a new policy disqualifying most asylum seekers who pass through Mexico from Central America before reaching the U.S.

Wednesday, July 17

á           The House passed a bill that orders intelligence reviews of Russian and other foreign influence operations, and an expansion of secrecy surrounding the identities if covert agents.

á           The House voted to table a resolution by Rep. Al Green (D.-Texas) to impeach Trump for his comments that the previously condemned as racist

á           The House voted in favor of a series of measures that block arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

á           The House voted 419 to 6 to repeal the steep tax on high-cost, generous health insurance plans that had been set to go into effect in 2022 after having been delayed twice.

á           The House voted to hold Attorney General William P. Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt of Congress after they refused to provide access to key documents regarding the Trump administrationÕs attempts to put a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

á           The Pentagon will deploy an additional 1,100 active duty troops and 1,00 members of the Texas National Guard to the United States Mexico border, increasing the number of American Forces there by more than 45 percent.

Thursday, July 18

á           During a hearing focused on the separation of migrant children from their parents, lawmakers grilled Kevin L. McAleenan, secretary of homeland security, on the poor conditions and mistreatment migrants face at border holding facilities.

á           Just after Iran offered a plan to calm tensions with the United States, the American military shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz in what Trump called self-defense.

Friday, July 19

á           Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats announced the creation of a new senior position that will oversee election security intelligence. The position, filled by Shelby Pierson, is part of an effort to protect elections from influence by foreign governments.

á           Two-dozen senate Democrats sent President Trump a letter demanding that the administration brief them on how it will use the $4.5 billion in funding for the U.S.-Mexico border. They warned that it is ÒunacceptableÓ to use that funding in an unintended capacity or to refuse to spend it at all.

á           The Federal Trade Commission reportedly reached a settlement with Google after investigating weather itÕs handling of childrenÕs videos on YouTube violated federal data privacy laws.

Saturday, July 20

á           No news to report

Sunday, July 21

á           The United States Military accused Venezuela of flying a fighter aircraft ÒaggressivelyÓ close to a U.S. military aircraft in international airspace Òfor a prolonged period of time, endangering the safety of the crewÓ.