Monday, Jan. 22

á      The Senate voted to end a three-day government shutdown, sending hundreds of thousands of federal employees back to work, but funding will only last until Feb. 8, when Congress will again have to act to avert another government shutdown. Democrats agreed to temporary funding after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised that an immigration bill would be considered in February. http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/370104-senate-votes-to-end-shutdown

á      President Donald Trump approved duties of as much as 30 percent on solar equipment made outside the U.S., a move that threatens to handicap a $28 billion industry that relies on parts made abroad for 80 percent of its supply. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-22/trump-taxes-solar-imports-in-biggest-blow-to-clean-energy-yet

á      A Justice Department official confirmed that House Republicans have refused to share with the Justice Department a secret memo alleging misconduct by federal officials investigating the 2016 Trump campaignÕs Russia ties. The FBI, too, has been denied access to the document. The memo claims senior FBI officials abused FISA, a secret surveillance program, to target the Trump campaign last fall. http://politi.co/2DZFVDC

á      The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the stateÕs U.S. House maps were based on a Republican partisan gerrymander that violated the stateÕs constitution and struck them down. The ruling gave PennsylvaniaÕs government until Feb. 15 to get a new map through the legislature and signed into law. If they fail to do so, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will take over the process. https://www.vox.com/2018/1/22/16920636/pennsylvania-gerrymander-ruling-house

Tuesday, Jan. 23

á      ÒThe wall offerÕs off the table,Ó Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, thus withdrawing a concession he had earlier made to strike a deal on DACA: to  fund President TrumpÕs promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/politics/immigration-wall-mexico-schumer-senate.html?emc=edit_th_180124&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

á      The United States formally accused SyriaÕs government of a chlorine gas attack on civilians in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel enclave near the Syrian capital, Damascus, that had been the site of previous chemical assaults. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, denounced the attack, a war crime under international law, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reprimanded Russia for failing to stop such attacks. Russian authorities said the U.S. accusations were Òbaseless.Ó : https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/world/middleeast/syria-chemical-weapons-ghouta.html?emc=edit_th_180124&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

á      The Washington Post reported that, shortly after Trump fired James Comey as FBI director in May 2017, he summoned Acting Director Andrew McCabe to a meeting in which, among other things, he asked McCabe whom he voted for in the 2016 election. McCabe reportedly said he didnÕt vote. http://wapo.st/2F74ZYC

Wednesday, Jan. 24

á      Trump said he was willing to be interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating RussiaÕs alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election.   https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/us/politics/trump-mueller.html?emc=edit_th_180125&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

á      The Justice Department warned Representative Devin Nunes (R-Ca), the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, that it would be Òextraordinarily recklessÓ for Republicans to release a committee memo based on classified information that casts a negative light on the origins of the Russia investigation. The Justice Department had said Monday that Nunes would not share the memo with the Department. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/us/politics/devin-nunes-fbi-russia.html?emc=edit_th_180125&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

á      The Justice Department sent letters to 23 sanctuary cities, counties and states demanding that they turn over all records of policies barring or ÒdiscouragingÓ officials from sharing information about undocumented immigrants in local custody. Among those getting letters were California, Los Angeles and San Francisco. http://politi.co/2GdMt2d

Thursday, Jan. 25

á      The New York Times reported that Trump tried last June to fire special counsel Robert Mueller The president withdrew his order after the White House counsel, Don McGahn, threatened to resign rather than carry out the order. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/25/us/politics/trump-mueller-special-counsel-russia.html?emc=edit_th_180126&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

á      In a new negotiating position, Trump proposed a path to citizenship for an estimated 1.8 million undocumented immigrants in exchange for increases in border security and curbs on legal immigration. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-supports-path-to-citizenship-for-up-to-18-million-dreamers-in-new-white-house-proposal/2018/01/25/fa3f01aa-01e3-11e8-8acf-ad2991367d9d_story.html?utm_term=.627a85fa26d3&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-n

Friday, Jan. 26

á      Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer came out against the immigration framework released by the White House Thursday, a potentially fatal blow for the legislation. http://politi.co/2rK16qC

á      The U.S. economy grew steadily in the fourth quarter, losing a bit of momentum from the summer but still rising at an annual rate of 2.6 percent from October through December, the Commerce Department said. http://on.wsj.com/2GgBBR8

Saturday, Jan. 27

á      Stephen Wynn resigned his position as chairman of the Republican National Committee after being accused of sexual misconduct by employees of his casino. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/27/us/politics/steve-wynn-rnc-resignation.html?emc=edit_th_180128&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

á      Politico reported that senior aides in congress say there might not be a DACA deal until the summer due to the judicial stay on deportations, which has removed the March 5 deadline imposed by Trump.

Sunday, Jan. 28

á      Republican lawmakers discussed the possibility that special counsel Robert Mueller might need legislative protection in light of a report in the New York Times Thursday that Trump ordered that Mueller fired last year. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told CNNÕs ÒState of the Union, ÒIt certainly wouldnÕt hurt to put that extra safeguard in place given the latest stories.Ó : http://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/371118-republican-lawmakers-consider-need-to-protect-mueller