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