Monday, Dec. 3

á           Chinese state media outlets made no mention of a several agreements President Donald Trump said he reached with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires including a 90-day time frame for finalizing the agreements, a reduction in tariffs on imported U.S. cars, or any specifics about buying more American products.

á           Trump appointed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, a negotiator who has expressed deep skepticism toward China, to lead trade talks for the United States to finalize the deal Trump said he reached Saaturday with Xi Jinping.

Tuesday, Dec. 4

á           The National Republican Congressional Committee announced that it had suffered a major email hack during the 2018 elections. Party officials did not say when the hack began or who was behind it, although some have said privately they believe it was a foreign agent due to the nature of the attack.

á           The 9th Circuit Count of Appeals  struck down a portion of federal law that makes it a crime to encourage foreigners to enter or reside in the United States illegally as being contrary to the First Amendments protections on free speech.

á           The attorneys general for Maryland and the District of Columbia are seeking financial records and other documents from as many as 13 Trump business entities as part of a lawsuit alleging that TrumpŐs business violates the ConstitutionŐs ban on gifts or payments from foreign governments.

Wednesday, Dec. 5

á           A state funeral was held for former President George H. W. Bush at WashingtonŐs National Cathedral. Trump and the four living former presidents were in attendance.

á           The U.S. accused Russia of violating the Treaty on Intermediate-range Nuclear Force, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington would freeze its commitments under the treaty in 60 days if Russia doesnŐt return to compliance. Russia denied it has violated the treaty.

Thursday, Dec. 6

á           The Senate, in a 50 to 49 vote along party lines, confirmed Kathy Kraninger as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to replace acting Director Mick Mulvaney.

Friday, Dec. 7

á           Trump announced he plans to nominate former Attorney General William Barr, who filled the Justice Department top post under George H. W. Bush, to replace Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.

á           Trump announced he plans to nominate former Fox News commentator and current State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert to succeed Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the U.N.

á           Federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York and from Special Counsel Robert MuellerŐs investigation filed new court papers in the sentencing hearing for TrumpŐs former attorney Michael Cohen directly implicating Trump in plans to buy the silence of two women alleged to have had affairs with him and offering new evidence of Russian efforts to forge a political alliance with Trump before he became president.

á           Federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York urged ŇsubstantialÓ jail time for former Trump attorney Cohen, while MuellerŐs team made no specific recommendation but said CohenŐs help was significant and any sentence should be served concurrently with a possible sentence from another case.

á           Special counsel Mueller said in a filing in federal court that Paul Manafort, TrumpŐs former campaign chairman, told Ňmultiple discernible liesÓ during interviews with prosecutors, including about his contacts with an employee alleged to have ties to Russian intelligence.

Saturday, Dec. 8

á           Trump announced that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will leave the post by yearŐs end.

Sunday, Dec. 9

á           TrumpŐs top pick to be his next chief of staff, Nick Ayers, currently chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, announced via Twitter that he will not take the job with Trump and will instead leave the White House at the end of the year.

á           The United States joined a controversial proposal by Saudi Arabia and Russia at a United Nations working group focused on science and technology this weekend, to weaken a reference to a key report on the severity of global warming, saying only that the U.S. ŇnotedÓ the existence of the report but did not ŇwelcomeÓ it.