Monday, Aug. 12

á           The Trump administration issued a final rule that allows federal officials to deny green cards to legal immigrants who have received certain public benefits, including food stamps, welfare, Medicaid and housing assistance, or who are deemed likely to do so in the future.

á           The Trump administration finalized major changes to the way it enforces the Endangered Species Act to reduce amount of habitat set aside for wildlife and remove tools officials use to predict future harm to species from climate change.

á           The military is investigating whether friendly fire caused the death of a Marine gunnery sergeant in Iraq, the first U.S. combat death in that country since U.S. troops returned there in 2014 to battle the Islamic State.

á           Attorney General William Barr harshly criticized the failure of federal detention center officials in New York to prevent the death last Saturday of Jeffrey Epstein while in custody on federal sex trafficking charges.

Tuesday, Aug. 13

á           The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced it would delay imposing tariffs on a number of consumer goods imported from China, including cellphones, laptops, video game consoles and certain footwear and clothing until Dec. 15, rather than the Sept. 1 deadline President Donald Trump had formerly announced.

á           The Justice Department reassigned the warden of the prison where Jeffrey Epstein died and put staffers on leave while it continues itÕs investigation into the death.

Wednesday, Aug. 14

á           The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond dipped below the yield on the 2-year U.S. Treasury bond, signaling the U.S. could be headed toward a recession soon.

Thursday, Aug. 15

á           Documents supporting the search warrants for last weekÕs immigration raids in Mississippi poultry plants were unsealed, and indicated federal immigration officials had probable cause that all five were knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants.

á           The Washington Post reported that for weeks, Trump has pushed top aides to investigate whether the U.S. government can purchase Greenland, a self-governing country that is part of the kingdom of Denmark.

á           The House Judiciary Committee  subpoenaed former Trump campaign aide Corey Lewandowski and ex-White House official Rick Dearborn to testify on Sept. 17.

á           The State Department submitted a package for an $8 billion sale of new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan to Congress for an informal review in a move likely to draw objections from China amid the deepening trade dispute between that country and the U.S.

Friday, Aug. 16

á           ÒOf course, Greenland is not for sale,Ó GreenlandÕs government said in a statement as Danish politicians reacted with bewilderment, ridicule and anger over reported interest in buying the island nation by Trump.

á           The New York City medical examiner concluded that Jeffrey Epstein died as a result of suicide by hanging while in federal custody.

á           Trump met Friday with cabinet officials and national security advisers for a briefing on an agreement on an initial U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

á           The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said officials are working with  health departments in at least five states with confirmed cases of pulmonary illness linked to e-cigarette use and are probing 94 possible cases in 14 states.

á           California filed suit against the Trump administration over the Òpublic chargeÓ rule announced Monday that could deny green cards to immigrants who receive public assistance.

Saturday, Aug. 17

á           No news to report.

Sunday, Aug. 18

á           No news to report.