Monday, Jan. 8

· Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s proposal to prop up struggling coal and nuclear power plants by authorizing cost recovery for plants with onsite fuel supplies was rejected by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/08/rick-perry-energy-coal-nuclear-269263

· The Trump administration announced Monday that by Sept. 9, 2019, it will end temporary immigration status for Salvadorans that was granted almost two decades ago following a series of earthquakes. There was no word on the fate of their 175,000 children, almost all of whom are American citizens. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/08/trump-end-salvadorans-protected-status-327570

Tuesday, Jan. 9

· President Trump appeared open the possibility of negotiating a broad immigration deal that would, in time, offer a path to citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants in a bipartisan meeting, according to a press briefing afterwards by White house Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/us/politics/trump-daca-immigration.html?emc=edit_th_20180110&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

· A panel of federal judges struck down North Carolina’s congressional map as unconstitutional arguing that Republican legislators had drawn the map seeking political advantage. The ruling immediately imperiled Republican seats in the 2018 elections, according to the New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/us/north-carolina-gerrymander.html?emc=edit_th_20180110&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

· The Trump administration ruled out offshore drilling for oil and gas on Florida’s coastline after Republican Gov. Rick Scott registered strong opposition. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/climate/trump-florida-offshore-drilling.html?emc=edit_th_20180110&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

· San Francisco-based U.S. District Court judge William Alsup ordered the Trump administration to resume accepting renewal applications from so-called dreamers, under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/09/trump-dreamers-daca-judge-333143

Wednesday Jan. 10

· President Trump declined to commit to an interview by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating whether his campaign colluded with Russia to sway the 2016 election. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/us/politics/trump-russia-election-interference.html?emc=edit_th_20180111&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

· Federal immigration agents stormed 98 7-Eleven convenience stores in 17 states in a predawn raid, arresting 21 undocumented workers and demanding records from owners and managers. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/us/7-eleven-raids-ice.html?emc=edit_th_20180111&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

· House Republicans presented a version of immigration policy that opposed President Trump’s recent overtures of bipartisanship. The proposal, championed by the chairmen of the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, would crack down on illegal immigration and sharply reduce the number of legal immigrants to the United States. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/us/politics/house-republicans-hard-line-immigration-trump.html?emc=edit_th_20180111&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

· A burst of Republican congressional retirements in recent weeks will likely weaken the party’s hold on the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections, POLITICO said. California Reps. Darrell Issa and Ed Royce both recently announced that they will not seek reelection in 2918. Republicans hold the House by a margin of 29 seats. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/10/house-republican-retirements-issa-royce-333851

Thursday, Jan. 11

· The Trump administration issued guidance to states that it will permit them to require people to work or prepare for jobs to receive Medicaid. It is the first time in the 50-year history of Medicaid, that such a requirement has been placed on Medicaid. The new policy comes as 10 states are waiting for federal permission to impose work requirements on able-bodied adults in the program. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-administration-opens-door-to-let-states-impose-medicaid-work-requirements/2018/01/11/d6374482-f628-11e7-a9e3-ab18ce41436a_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.99f366e2eb3e&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” President Trump is reported to have asked in a meeting on immigration, as told by the Washington Post. The president’s comments came when lawmakers discussed protecting immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as part of a bipartisan immigration deal. Trump also said the United States should bring more people from countries such as Norway. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-attacks-protections-for-immigrants-from-shithole-countries-in-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/11/bfc0725c-f711-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.e6c9c500d1ec&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

Friday, Jan. 12

· The Wall Street Journal reported that an adult-film star, Stephanie Clifford, was allegedly paid $130,000 by a lawyer for Donald Trump in the weeks before the 2016 election to not talk publicly about a sexual relationship with the Republican candidate. However, the Washington Post reported that it was not able to independently confirm the payment. : https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/porn-star-was-paid-130000-to-keep-quiet-about-a-relationship-with-trump-wall-street-journal-reports/2018/01/12/fde75e72-f7ef-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.956473cbf9be&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· The Daily Stormer, one of the world’s largest neo-Nazi websites, praised Donald Trump for referring to Haiti, El Salvador and several African countries as “shitholes,” saying it showed that the President aligned with them on race and immigration. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/368807-neo-nazis-celebrate-trump-shithole-comment-hes-on-the-same-page

Saturday, Jan. 13

· President Trump’s extraordinary expletive and comments about African countries, El Salvatore and Haiti drew global condemnation Friday, putting the White House and Republicans on the defensive and complicating negotiations over immigration legislation, said the Washington Post. : https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-acknowledges-tough-language-but-appears-to-deny-shithole-remark/2018/01/12/c7131dae-f796-11e7-beb6-c8d48830c54d_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.9184854c920a&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· In response to a federal court ruling on Tuesday, the federal government indicated Saturday that it would resume processing renewal requests for the DACA program that protects young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally when they were children. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/14/us/politics/daca-renewals-requests.html?emc=edit_th_180114&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

Sunday, Jan. 14

· The White House is disputing that President Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he has a good relationship with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. The White House says Trump said “I’d have a good relationship with Un. The Wall Street Journal released a recording of the interview which is not completely clear. http://on.wsj.com/2FElE7a The recording: http://bit.ly/2AZBmWE

· Rep. John Lewis said on ABC’s “This Week” that he will not vote on government funding until there is a deal on DACA.