Monday, Dec. 10

¥       The Supreme Court declined to review two cases raising the issue of whether states can block Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from their Medicaid programs, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joining the courtÕs four liberal jurists.

á           Inspired by President Donald TrumpÕs behavior, the Washington Post fact checker introduced a new category, ÒThe Bottomless PinocchioÓ to account for Òpoliticians who repeat a false claim so many times that they are, in effect, engaging in campaigns of disinformation.Ó

Tuesday, Dec. 11

á           Trump clashed with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer over funding for TrumpÕs border wall in an acrimonious Oval Office meeting before live television cameras. Trump said he would be proud to shut down the government to try to get the money he wants.

á           A new CNN poll shows that half of Americans say they think it is likely that the Mueller investigation will implicate the president in wrongdoing and only 29 percent say they approve of TrumpÕs handling of the Russia investigation.

 

á           TrumpÕs top White House adviser on energy and climate was mocked and protested at U.N. climate talks in Katowice, Poland, when he promoted fossil fuel use.

 

Wednesday, Dec. 12

á           Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison. Cohen had pleaded guilty to committing multiple crimes, including lying to Congress about a possible Trump business deal in Russia and buying the silence during the 2016 presidential campaign of women who alleged affairs with the future president.

á           Trump told Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) — one of his leading congressional allies and a contender for White House chief of staff — that he would like Meadows to remain on Capitol Hill, taking the lawmaker out of contention for the job.

Thursday, Dec. 13

á           Congress passed long-stalled, bi-partisan legislation to combat sexual harassment in Congress following negotiations between the Senate and the House over differences in the versions passed by each house separately.

á           Russian national Maria Butina pled guilty to conspiring with a senior Russian official to infiltrate the gun rights movement in the U.S. as an agent for the Kremlin from 2015 until her arrest in July.

Friday, Dec. 14

á           Trump named Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff.

á           Former New Jersey governor and former head of TrumpÕs transition team Chris Christie asked Trump to take him out of consideration for the job of White House chief of staff.

á           Sen. John Kyl, who in September took over the position of the late Sen. John McCain, said he is resigning at the end of the year.

á           A federal judge in Texas, U.S. District Judge Reed OÕConnor, ruled that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional because of a recent change in federal tax law that eliminated the tax penalty for people who do not carry health insurance, thereby rendering the individual mandate unconstitutional. The decision is expected to be appealed.

Saturday, Dec. 15

á           Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke resigned. Zinke is the subject of at least 15 ethics investigations of his real estate dealings in Montana and his conduct while in office.

á           ProPublica reported that TrumpÕs inaugural committee paid the Trump Organization for rooms, meals and event space at the companyÕs Washington hotel at prices negotiated by Ivanka Trump, a senior executive with the Trump Organization.

Sunday, Dec. 16

á           No news to report.