Monday, Dec. 11

á      Nebraska Republican National Committeewoman Joyce Simmons resigned Monday in protest of the committeeÕs financial support for Roy Moore, candidate for the Alabama Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when he became Attorney General. Moore had been accused of predatory sexual behavior by several women. http://politi.co/2iPUgZt

á      A woman who last year accused President Donald Trump of ogling her and her fellow Miss USA contestants in their private dressing room said Monday that the recent tidal wave of sexual assault allegations and repercussions against powerful men has opened a window for her and other women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct to try again to seek accountability from the president. http://politi.co/2iPaUsm

á      A former business associate of Michael Flynn, Thomas Cochran, told lawmakers that phone records, which he produced, contradict an anonymous whistleblowerÕs allegation that the ex-national security adviser sent an Inauguration Day text declaring a controversial Middle East nuclear energy deal Ògood to go.Ó http://politi.co/2kX7M1H

á      Three months after President Trump announced that transgender troops wonÕt be allowed to serve in the military, a federal judge blocked enforcement of TrumpÕs directive and kept in place an order requiring the military to begin accepting transgender recruits starting Jan.1. The administration requested an emergency stay within hours. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/judge-denies-pentagon-bid-to-delay-jan-1-deadline-to-accept-transgender-recruits/2017/12/11/820d6d4e-dc58-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html?utm_term=.acc6dd5a5dfc&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

Tuesday, Dec. 12

á      Trump sought to discredit both the news media and some of the women who have accused him of sexual harassment, calling the allegations against him Òfabricated storiesÓ and Òfake news.Ó https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/12/12/trump-seeks-to-dismiss-sexual-harassment-allegations-as-fake-news/?utm_term=.85f5368965f0&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

á      Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in AlabamaÕs U.S. Senate special election. Moore refused to concede defeat. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/voters-head-to-the-polls-in-contentious-senate-race-in-alabama/2017/12/11/26e36b56-deb7-11e7-8679-a9728984779c_story.html?utm_term=.e369c5cfada4&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

á      U. S. District Judge Thomas Durkin ordered that Dennis Hastert never be left alone with anyone under 18 unless another adult is present who is aware of the former U.S. House speakerÕs conviction in a hush-money case that revealed he had sexually abused several high school students. The order came three months into HastertÕs two-year period of supervised release from prison. http://bit.ly/2CcjPwu

Wednesday, Dec. 13

á      The conference committee to reconcile the GOPÕs two tax bills held its first and only meeting, just as news broke of a Republican compromise that would lower the corporate tax rate to 21 percent beginning in 2018. The agreement would also lower the top tax rate for families and individuals from 39.6 percent to at least 37 percent. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/republicans-reach-compromise-tax-plan-expanding-tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy/2017/12/13/4f9ca66c-e028-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html?utm_term=.f82c40a3ef15&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

á      Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton confirmed that heÕs chosen Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to replace resigning Sen. Al Franken in the U.S. Senate. Smith said she intends to run for election next year to keep the seat. http://bit.ly/2nYPi1R

Thursday, Dec. 14

á      Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.) announced he will not seek reelection in 2018, amid allegations that he sexually harassed female staff and created a hostile work environment. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/farenthold-wont-seek-reelection-amid-allegations-of-sexual-harassment/2017/12/14/7217a402-e0dd-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html?utm_term=.b4971a3dcfce&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

á      The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to allow Internet providers to speed up service for websites they favor — and block or slow down others — in a decision repealing Obama-era regulations overseeing broadband companies such as AT&T and Verizon. The vote was 3-2 along party lines. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/12/14/the-fcc-is-expected-to-repeal-its-net-neutrality-rules-today-in-a-sweeping-act-of-deregulation/?utm_term=.791d8a15514d&wpisrc=al_news__alert-economy--alert-national&wpmk=1

á      Politico reported that Paul Ryan is considering retirement after 2018. http://politi.co/2jUUgbB

á      Vice President Mike Pence delayed a planned trip to the Middle East to preside over the tax vote in the Senate.

Friday, Dec. 15

á      The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D-Nev.), who was previously accused of sexual harassment by an aide during his 2016 campaign. He has denied the allegations. http://politi.co/2kwk6lX

á      Kansas Democrat Andrea Ramsey, accused of sexual harassment, has decided to drop out of a race for the House of Representatives. The accusations were contained in a 2005 lawsuit. http://bit.ly/2Bfk5L6

á      Republicans finalized their tax plan, bridging differences between the House and Senate bills and appear to have secured the votes they need to pass the measure through both houses. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/15/the-final-gop-tax-bill-is-complete-heres-what-is-in-it/?utm_term=.ccd435088eaf&wpisrc=al_news__alert-economy--alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

á      The White House said it is standing by the nomination of Matthew Petersen, a nominee for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, despite a clip from his confirmation hearing posted on Twitter in which Petersen was unable to answer questions about legal and courtroom terms posed by a Republican senator. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-push-to-fill-courts-with-conservative-judges-hits-first-speed-bump/2017/12/15/46afc8c0-e1b5-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html?utm_term=.892f12853019&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1

Saturday, Dec. 16

á      The Trump administration is prohibiting officials at the Centers for Disease Control from using a list of seven words or phrases in official documents being prepared for next yearÕs budget. The forbidden terms are Òvulnerable,Ó Òentitlement,Ó Òdiversity,Ó Òtransgender,Ó Òfetus,Ó Òevidence-basedÓ and Òscience-based.Ó https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/2017/12/15/f503837a-e1cf-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html?utm_term=.6e8196299d1a&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1

á      Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D-Nev.) announced he will not seek reelection next year amid allegations that he sexually harassed women, making him the seventh  — and youngest — member of Congress to resign or decline to seek reelection since October. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/12/16/rep-ruben-kihuen-wont-seek-reelection-amid-sexual-harassment-allegations/?utm_term=.e9563f40f4fa&wpisrc=al_politics__alert-politics&wpmk=1

Sunday, Dec. 17

á      A new NBC/WSJ poll on whom voters prefer to control Congress said 50 percent prefer Democrats, while only 39 percent prefer Republicans. This is the first time since Sept. 2008 that Democrats have hit 50 on this question in the poll. http://nbcnews.to/2ziMrEX

á      A Republican on the House judiciary committee said heÕs gotten a commitment from committee chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) to subpoena top officials at the FBI and Justice Department in House RepublicansÕ ongoing inquiry into claims of bias against President Donald Trump at the FBI. http://politi.co/2yMinOn