Monday, Jan. 15
As the nation paid tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., some of his relatives sharply criticized President Trump on over his
outlook on race and its effect on the country. Speaking to a congregation at Ebenezer
Baptist Church in Atlanta, the Rev. Bernice King, Dr. KingÕs youngest child ÒWe
cannot allow the nations of the world to embrace the words that come from our
president as a reflection of the true spirit of America.Ó NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/15/us/martin-luther-king-children-trump.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FKing%2C%20Martin%20Luther%20Jr.&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection
Tuesday, Jan. 16
The New York times reported on Tuesday that Stephen K. Bannon, President TrumpÕs former chief strategist, was
subpoenaed last week by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, to testify
before a grand jury as part of the investigation into possible links between
Mr. TrumpÕs associates and Russia, according to a person with direct knowledge
of the matter.
The move marked the first time Mr. Mueller is known to have
used a grand jury subpoena to seek information from a member of Mr. TrumpÕs
inner circle. NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/16/us/politics/steve-bannon-mueller-russia-subpoena.html?emc=edit_th_180117&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879
Wednesday, Jan. 17
Cardiologists not associated with the White House said
Wednesday that President TrumpÕs physical exam revealed serious heart concerns,
including very high levels of so-called bad cholesterol, which raises the risk
that Mr. Trump could have a heart attack while in office. The presidentÕs
personal physician had said that he was in Òexcellent health.Ó NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/us/politics/trump-physical-heart-health-cholesterol.html?emc=edit_th_180118&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879
John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff told Democratic lawmakers
that some of the hard-line policies President Trump advocated during the
campaign were Òuninformed.Ó He said that the United States will never build a
wall along its entire southern border, and that Mexico will never pay for it. http://www.sentinelsource.com/mcclatchy/kelly-tells-lawmakers-that-trump-s-campaign-promises-over-border/article_728d72b2-a57b-5baa-82c6-4e95c94b699a.html
Thursday, Jan. 18
President Trump contradicted comments that his chief of
staff, John F. Kelly, made on Wednesday. In back-to-back tweets Thursday
morning, the president characterized the North American Free Trade Agreement Òa bad jokeÓ and said that new trade deals with Mexico would
pay for the wall Òdirectly or indirectly.Ó Trump tweeted: ÒThe Wall is the
Wall, it has never changed or evolved from the first day I conceived of it.Ó
WP: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/kelly-calls-some-of-trumps-campaign-pledges-on-immigration-and-wall-uninformed-meeting-attendees-say/2018/01/17/3e2524bc-fb86-11e7-a46b-a3614530bd87_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.90fcdc176219&wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1
The Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower courtÕs order
requiring North Carolina lawmakers to revise the stateÕs congressional voting
map, increasing that the midterm elections this year will be conducted using
districts favorable to Republican candidates.
The lower court found that Republican legislators in the
state violated the Constitution by drawing congressional voting districts to damage
the electoral chances of Democratic candidates. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/us/politics/supreme-court-north-carolina-gerrymandering.html
The Senate voted to extend by six years a controversial law
known as section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It
authorizes the National Security AgencyÕs warrantless surveillance program.
Under Section 702, the government, without a warrant, may collect from American
companies, like AT&T and Google, the emails, texts, phone calls and other
private messages of foreigners abroad — even when those targets
communicate with Americans. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/us/politics/surveillance-congress-snowden-privacy.html
Friday, Jan. 19
Secretary of defense, Jim Mattis
revealed major changes in U.S. defense policy. After more than 16 years of focusing
on the fight against terrorism, the United States is switching its priority to
countering Chinese and Russian military might. Pentagon officials said the new
national security strategy will provide a blueprint
for years to come. NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/us/politics/military-china-russia-terrorism-focus.html?emc=edit_th_180120&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=29585879
The federal government shut down for
the first time in more than four years Friday after senators rejected a
temporary spending patch and bipartisan efforts to find an alternative fell
short as a midnight deadline came and went. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/shutdown-looms-as-senate-democrats-dig-in-against-gop-spending-plan/2018/01/19/f4370868-fccd-11e7-a46b-a3614530bd87_story.html?utm_term=.a233e98147d3&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1
Saturday, Jan. 20
A year after millions of people turned out for the WomenÕs
March, demonstrators gathered in cities across the United States, galvanized by
their disdain for Mr. Trump and his administrationÕs policies. More than
200,000 protesters attended the march in New York City. NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/20/us/womens-march.html
One year to the day after taking office with vows to end
dysfunction in Washington, President Trump, bitterly cast blame for the
Government shutdown on Democrats. He said they had orchestrated the shutdown to
mar the anniversary of his inauguration. It is the first time that a government
shutdown has occurred when the White House and both houses of
Congress were controlled by the same party. Mr. Trump cancelled a lavish
$100,000-per-couple party to celebrate his first year in office, which was to
be held at his Mar a Lago property. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/20/16912726/trump-shutdown
Sunday, Jan. 21
Adult film star Stormy Daniels, who
claimed to have slept with Donald Trump not long after he married Melania, performed yesterday and today at a strip club in
Greenville, South Carolina, capitalizing on her newfound fame after the Wall
Street Journal reported she had received hush money before the 2016 election. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/stormy-daniels-star-of-the-latest-trump-sideshow-took-her-act-to-a-strip-club-it-was-a-scene/2018/01/21/57a469d2-fe7b-11e7-a46b-a3614530bd87_story.html?utm_term=.e548201887cf&wpisrc=al_trending_now__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1