Monday, Sept. 14

á           The federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration has the legal ability to end temporary protected status, which grants humanitarian protections allowing hundreds of thousands of people to remain in the United States, for citizens of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti and Sudan.

á           President Donald Trump threatened that an attack from Iran in retaliation for the U.S. killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani would be met with a response Ò1,000 times greater in magnitude.Ó Iranian government spokesperson Ali Rabiei responded that Iran hopes the U.S. does not make Òa new strategic mistake.Ó

Tuesday, Sept. 15

á           The World Trade Organization ruled that tariffs Trump imposed on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods are illegal, the first time the trade body has ruled against Trump's tariffs.

á           A Wall Street Journal report revealed the Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into whether Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton, mishandled classified information when he published ÒThe Room Where It Happened,Ó a book about BoltonÕs time in the White House.

á           The Centers for Disease Control released a report showing racial minorities account for 78 percent of COVID-19 deaths under the age of 21 in the U.S. between February and July: 45% were among Latino youth, 29% Black and 4% American Indians or Alaskan Natives.

á           Immigration officials said a federal watchdog will investigate a whistle-blower complaint filed Monday alleging that detainees in a Georgia immigration detention center had received hysterectomies and other gynecological procedures against their will.

Wednesday, Sept. 16

á           The Justice Department charged five Chinese citizens with profit-motivated hacks targeting over 100 companies and institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere, including social media companies and telecommunications providers, as part of a broader effort to tamp down alleged Chinese cybercrimes.

á           CDC Director Robert Redfield told a congressional committee that a coronavirus vaccine could be broadly rolled out by Òlate second quarter, third quarter 2021.Ó Trump contradicted Redfield only hours later, saying the vaccine would be released much earlier.

Thursday, Sept. 17

á           The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a Hezbollah official and two Lebanon-based companies it accused of helping enrich the Shia Islamist political partyÕs leadership.

á           A whistle-blower complaint alleged that law enforcement considered the use of a crowd control device called a Òheat ray,Ó a military weapon that emits a beam of energy to cause a burning heat sensation, to deal with George Floyd protesters outside the White House on June 1.

á           Attorney General William Barr encouraged federal prosecutors to consider aggressive charges, including sedition, against those suspected of violence at protests.

á           Judge Stanley Bastian of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, blocked the Post OfficeÕs new Òleave mail behindÓ policy, and other changes such as the removal of equipment, which have slowed down mail nationwide. Bastian called the changes Òa politically motivated attack on the efficiency" of the mail service before the November election.Ó

á           FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that Russia is interfering in the 2020 presidential elections with a Òsteady drumbeat of misinformationÓ to denigrate Democratic candidate Joe Biden and undercut American confidence in the election process.

Friday, Sept. 18

á           The CDC reassumed its original position recommending the testing of asymptomatic people for coronavirus. A month ago, the CDC said close contacts of a coronavirus-positive person did not need to get tested if they did not feel sick, but following widespread criticism, the CDC reversed its guidance, saying on its website Òdue to the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmissionÓ of the virus, asymptomatic people should, in fact, be tested.

Saturday, Sept. 19

á           Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at age 87 of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Her death sparked controversy among lawmakers as to whether her seat should be filled by Trump, as Republicans set the precedent of not filling a Supreme Court seat in an election year in 2016. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has since worked aggressively to fill the seat.

á           CNN reported that an envelope was sent to the White House earlier in the week containing the deadly poison ricin.

Sunday, Sept. 20

á           The Trump administration banned two Chinese social media apps, TikTok and WeChat, from app stores, accusing them of acting as fronts for user data collection retrieved by the Chinese government. Soon afterwards, a judge delayed the ban on WeChat, saying the ban would affect usersÕ First Amendment rights.