Monday, Jan. 1

· Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the federal court system must take steps to protect law clerks and other employees from sexual misconduct, the New York Times said. In his year-end report on the status of the federal judiciary, Roberts wrote, “Events in recent months have illuminated the depth of the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace, and events in the past few weeks have made clear that the judicial branch is not immune.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/31/us/politics/john-roberts-courts-sexual-harassment.html?emc=edit_th_20180101&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

Tuesday, Jan. 2

· The Washington Post reported that President Donald Trump upped the ante with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday in a tweet: “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2018/01/02/trump-to-north-korean-leader-kim-my-nuclear-button-is-much-bigger-more-powerful/?utm_term=.52acfa2aa735&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

· The Washington Post reported that President Trump seems to suggest in a tweet that Huma Abedin, a former top aide to Hillary Clinton, should go to jail, after the State Department released emails found on her estranged husband’s computer that included classified information. Trump also urged the Justice Department to prosecute James B. Comey, the former FBI director. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2018/01/02/trump-urges-justice-department-to-act-on-comey-suggests-huma-abedin-should-face-jail-time/?undefined=&utm_term=.1fe983adee47&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

Wednesday, Jan. 3

· Paul J. Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager, petitioned a federal court to revoke the Justice Department’s appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller, and dismiss charges that Mueller’s office had filed against him. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/ex-trump-campaign-chairman-manafort-challenges-his-indictment-in-russia-probe-by-filing-lawsuit-against-mueller/2018/01/03/708016f8-f0c1-11e7-97bf-bba379b809ab_story.html?utm_term=.2d0027c7999b&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

· Trump shut down the White House commission he had established to investigate voter fraud. The commission had failed to generate significant evidence of voter fraud or other election irregularities. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/us/politics/trump-voter-fraud-commission.html?emc=edit_th_20180104&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-abolishes-controversial-commission-studying-voter-fraud/2018/01/03/665b1878-f0e2-11e7-b3bf-ab90a706e175_story.html?utm_term=.ea20cb1c9bd9&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

Thursday, Jan. 4

· The Trump administration proposed to permit offshore exploration and drilling in most U.S. coastal waters, including the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, as well as protected areas of the West Coast. The proposal was embraced by oil and gas exploration and drilling companies, but faced stiff opposition from political authorities in most effected areas, the Washington Post reported. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/01/04/trump-administration-plans-to-allow-drilling-off-all-u-s-waters/?utm_term=.0b7552577d1b&wpisrc=al_news__alert-hse--alert-national&wpmk=1 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/04/climate/trump-offshore-drilling.html?emc=edit_th_20180105&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

Friday, Jan. 5

· The Trump administration proposed to spend $18 billion over the next decade for the initial phase of a border wall with Mexico. It was the first time the administration provided detailed financial information on the proposal. The budget proposal envisions 316 miles of new fencing as well as reinforcement of an additional 407 miles where barriers already exist. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-border-wall-gets-18-billion-price-tag-in-new-request-to-lawmakers/2018/01/05/34e3c47e-f264-11e7-b3bf-ab90a706e175_story.html?undefined=&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· Politico reported that Trump had earlier instructed the White House’s top lawyer to prevent Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself in the Justice Department’s probe into Russian influence in the 2016 election. According to Politico, Donald F. McGahn II and lobbied Sessions to remain in charge of the inquiry, according to two people with knowledge of the episode. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2018/01/05/big-mike-schmidt-scoop-trump-asked-wh-counsel-to-instruct-sessions-to-stay-on-russia-probe-reince-and-dina-at-off-the-record-bannon-on-the-outs-brett-mcgurk-and-gina-chons-new-daughter-235139

· Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recommended that the Justice Department investigate retired British spy Christopher Steele for possible criminal charges. Steele is the author of the dossier alleging the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin during the 2016 election. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senior-republican-refers-trump-dossier-author-for-possible-charges/2018/01/05/ead4585e-f0af-11e7-b390-a36dc3fa2842_story.html?utm_term=.8c522750bf68&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

Saturday, Jan. 6

· Trump defended his mental fitness for office, calling himself a “very stable genius” in several Twitter posts, and in a news conference with Republican leaders at Camp David after release of the critical book “Fire and Fury,” by Michael Wolff. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-boasts-that-hes-like-really-smart-and-a-very-stable-genius-amid-questions-over-his-mental-fitness/2018/01/06/f166c8e8-f314-11e7-b3bf-ab90a706e175_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.a5d1805f2f3f&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

Sunday, Jan. 7

· The New York Times reported that the Department of Interior plans to approve a land change in Alaska that would permit the isolated town of King Cove to construct a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, a sensitive wetlands area. The decision would reverse a determination made by former interior secretary, Sally Jewell in 2013. That determination found that a road would cause irreparable harm to the ecology of Izembek, endangering wildlife, including the grizzly bear, caribou and geese, for whom the refuge is a critical habitat. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/07/climate/alaska-road-refuge.html?emc=edit_th_20180107&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879

· The New York Time said on Sunday that President Trump declared on Saturday that he was mentally healthy, and that he accused his critics of trying to score political points by questioning his mental condition. In several Twitter posts, Mr. Trump said that his political opponents were attacking his mental state because they had failed to prove collusion between his campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/us/politics/trump-genius-mental-health.html?emc=edit_th_20180107&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879