Monday, Aug. 27

á      The United States and Mexico reached a two-way trade deal Monday, moving President Donald Trump one step closer to revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement. The deal would have to be ratified by congress to become effective. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/27/us-mexico-trade-deal-nafta-trump-administration-797464?nname=playbook-pm&nid=0000015a-dd3e-d536-a37b-dd7fd8af0000&nrid=00000158-890d-dfd4-ad7b-c96fadf30001&nlid=964328

á      Trump threatened tariffs against Canada if upcoming negotiations fail to yield either a separate deal or CanadaÕs entrance into the deal announced with Mexico.

á      Trump ordered the American flag to be flown at half-staff this week in honor of Sen. John McCain after intense bi-partisan criticism. The announcement came after the flag on the White House was raised to full-staff earlier in the day, less than 48 hours after McCainÕs death. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/flags-at-white-house-return-to-full-staff-after-brief-tribute-to-mccain/2018/08/27/14f5a9b2-a9ec-11e8-a8d7-0f63ab8b1370_story.html?utm_term=.f696670445b7&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

á      McCain family representative Rick Davis said Monday that Trump will not attend the funeral or memorial services in Washington for McCain and that Vice President Pence will serve as the administration designee at a ceremony Friday at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-trump-will-not-attend-john-mccains-funeral-family-spokesman-says/2018/08/27/ac778dd8-aa1d-11e8-8a0c-70b618c98d3c_story.html?utm_term=.12e1ee94dc54

Tuesday, Aug. 28

á      White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the administration is Òtaking a lookÓ at imposing regulations on Google following Trump's tweet accusing the search engine of favoring news outlets critical of him in search results. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/28/larry-kudlow-google-regulations-conservative-outlets-798995?nname=playbook-pm&nid=0000015a-dd3e-d536-a37b-dd7fd8af0000&nrid=00000158-890d-dfd4-ad7b-c96fadf30001&nlid=964328

á      The Washington Post reported that cancellation of Secretary of State Mike PompeoÕs trip to North Korea came after North Korean official Kim Yong Chol sent a secret letter to Pompeo that convinced both him and Trump the visit was not likely to succeed. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2018/08/27/why-trump-cancelled-pompeos-trip-to-north-korea/?utm_term=.44df79f46bed

á      A report from George Washington University was released saying Hurricane Maria led to a spike in mortality in Puerto Rico, with an estimated 2,975 excess deaths in the six months after the storm. The government of Puerto Rico embraced the estimate as the official death toll, up from 64. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/study-hurricane-maria-and-its-aftermath-caused-a-spike-in-puerto-rico-deaths-with-nearly-3000-more-than-normal/2018/08/28/57d6d2d6-aa43-11e8-b1da-ff7faa680710_story.html?utm_term=.0daacd79094d

Wednesday, Aug. 29

á      Trump announced via Twitter that White House Counsel Don McGahn will leave his position this fall. https://www.axios.com/don-mcgahn-white-house-counsel-departure-emmet-flood-b4aeedcd-ac15-4502-995a-1e972ffa530e.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twsocialshare&utm_campaign=organic

á      The FBI pushed back on an unfounded claim in an earlier Trump tweet that Hillary ClintonÕs emails were hacked by China, saying it had found no evidence that the private servers she used while secretary of state had been compromised. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-without-citing-evidence-says-china-hacked-hillary-clintons-emails/2018/08/29/cdbd6c60-ab71-11e8-8a0c-70b618c98d3c_story.html?utm_term=.0d205a54f5f1&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

á      In a boon to newspapers, the International Trade Commission reversed the White HouseÕs tariff on newsprint. The ITC said that U.S. makers of newsprint are not harmed by imports from Canada. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/29/business/trump-tariffs-newsprint.html?emc=edit_ne_20180829&nl=evening-briefing&nlid=7599979120180829&te=1

Thursday, Aug. 30

á      Trump cancelled pay raises due to federal civilian workers in January because of budget constraints, constraints believed to be caused by the tax cuts and resulting deficit passed earlier this year. https://www.forbes.com/sites/francescoppola/2018/08/31/american-public-sector-workers-will-pay-for-trumps-tax-cuts/ - 3a9fa5ee4673

á      The Justice Department made a court filing in a student lawsuit asserting that ÒHarvardÕs race-based admissions process significantly disadvantages Asian-American applicants compared to applicants of other racial groups.Ó https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/30/justice-department-sides-with-students-suing-harvard-over-use-of-race-in-admissions-804156?nname=playbook-pm&nid=0000015a-dd3e-d536-a37b-dd7fd8af0000&nrid=00000158-890d-dfd4-ad7b-c96fadf30001&nlid=964328

á      More than a thousand Puerto Rican families who fled Hurricane Maria will get two more weeks of U.S.-funded housing in hotels and motels across the country but will then need to fend for themselves, ruled U.S. District Judge Timothy Hillman. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/30/justice-department-sides-with-students-suing-harvard-over-use-of-race-in-admissions-804156?nname=playbook-pm&nid=0000015a-dd3e-d536-a37b-dd7fd8af0000&nrid=00000158-890d-dfd4-ad7b-c96fadf30001&nlid=964328

Friday, Aug. 31

á      Trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S. were upended after inflammatory off-the-record remarks by Trump to Bloomberg were obtained by the Toronto Star. Trump said he is not making any compromises at all with Canada — and that he could not say this publicly because ÒitÕs going to be so insulting theyÕre not going to be able to make a deal.Ó https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/08/31/bombshell-leak-to-toronto-star-upends-nafta-talks-in-secret-so-insulting-remarks-trump-says-he-isnt-compromising-at-all-with-canada.html

á      A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows disapproval of Trump at 60 percent. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-60-percent-disapprove-of-trump-while-clear-majorities-back-mueller-and-sessions/2018/08/30/4cd32174-ac7c-11e8-a8d7-0f63ab8b1370_story.html?utm_term=.d97a9d8c1338

á      W. Sam Patten pleaded guilty to failing to register as a foreign lobbyist and told prosecutors he arranged for a straw donor to give $50,000 to TrumpÕs inauguration in place of a Ukrainian businessman who was legally barred from contributing to the event. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/washington-consultant-for-ukraine-party-set-to-plead-guilty-to-violating-lobbyist-disclosure-law/2018/08/31/172cf2c8-ad23-11e8-a8d7-0f63ab8b1370_story.html?utm_term=.99d7fe8152a8&wpisrc=al_news__alert-po

á      Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced that she will not stand in the way of states that want to use federal grants to purchase guns for schools, saying that is a decision for local officials to make. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/31/devos-schools-guns-federal-grants-806103?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=00000158-890d-dfd4-ad7b-c96fadf30001&nlid=630318

á      In a filing made shortly before midnight, Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, the first suspect charged in special counsel Robert MuellerÕs Trump-Russia probe, asked the court to allow him to avoid prison time for lying to federal investigators. The prosecution has recommended a six-month prison term. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/01/papadopoulos-mueller-russia-probe-prison-lawyers-plea-806110?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=00000158-890d-dfd4-ad7b-c96fadf30001&nlid=630318

Saturday, Sept. 1

á      McCainÕs funeral was held in WashingtonÕs National Cathedral, with eulogies from former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/mccain-to-be-eulogized-at-memorial-service-by-two-former-presidents/2018/08/31/1c180bb8-ad5c-11e8-b1da-ff7faa680710_story.html?utm_term=.684c84b6eaa0&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

á      Reuters reported that the Pentagon has decided to cancel $300 million in aid to Pakistan that had been suspended over IslamabadÕs perceived failure to take decisive action against militants. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pakistan-military-exclusive/exclusive-pentagon-cancels-aid-to-pakistan-over-record-on-militants-idUSKCN1LH3TA

Sunday, Sept. 2

á      McCain was buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland.