February 2019

Mueller Investigation / Collusion / McCabe

• Andrew McCabe, Ex-FBI Deputy, Describes ‘Remarkable’ Number Of Trump-Russia Contacts by Carrie Johnson (NPR)
• Read the Full Transcript of Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s 60 Minutes Interview by Casey Quackenbush (TIME)
• Trump can’t run the Mueller playbook on New York feds by Darren Samuelsohn (Politico)
• Graham vows probe after McCabe interview on Trump (BBC)
• Trump lashes out at ‘treasonous’ officials after McCabe interview (BBC)
• Ex-FBI Chief Says Trump Believed Russia Over U.S. Intelligence: “I Believe Putin” by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• ‘I Believe Putin:’ Andrew McCabe Claims Trump Listened To Russia More Than U.S. Intelligence by Nick Visser (Huffington Post)
• ‘Very Illegal Act.’ Trump Lashes Out at FBI Officials Involved in Russia Probe by AP (TIME)
• ‘So many lies’: Trump attacks McCabe over explosive CBS interview by Martin Pengelly, Erin Durkin (The Guardian)
• Forgotten challenge to Mueller lingers at appeals court by Josh Gerstein (Politico)
• Stone apologizes to federal judge for posting photo of her with crosshairs by Christian Vasquez (Politico)

National Emergency / Border Wall

• Trump Will ‘Protect’ Emergency Declaration If Congress Disapproves, Miller Says by Matthew S. Schwartz (NPR)
• Could Congress Block Trump’s Emergency Declaration? by Perry Bacon Jr. (FiveThirtyEight)
• Trump Allies Struggle to Defend His Totally Real, Definitely-Not-Made-Up National Emergency by Eric Lutz (Vanity Fair)
• Trump news – LIVE: California attorney general sues White House over national emergency declaration with 12 states expected to join by Chris Riotta (Independent)
• Several states to join California lawsuit against Trump’s border emergency declaration by Justin Wise (The Hill)
• Protests slam Trump’s declaration as states ready lawsuit (AP)
• 16 States Sue Over Trump’s National Emergency Declaration by Francesca Paris (NPR)
• California leads 16 states in lawsuit against Trump emergency declaration by Jeremy B. White, Gabby Orr (Politico)
• At Least 13 States Will Join Lawsuit Challenging Trump’s Emergency Declaration by Daniel Politi (Slate)

Venezuela

• Trump to say Venezuela’s military at risk for supporting Maduro by Steve Holland (Reuters)
• Trump to seek to raise pressure on Venezuela military (BBC)
• Trump: ‘All options are on the table’ for Venezuela by Marc Caputo, Gabby Orr (Politico)
• Trump Warns Venezuela’s Maduro Supporters: ‘You Will Lose Everything’ by Vanessa Romo (NPR)

Other News

• Trump appoints son-in-law of new attorney general as legal adviser, prompting conflict of interest fears by Chris Riotta (Independent)
• Trump’s pick for UN ambassador just withdrew her name over an immigration controversy by Jen Kirby (Vox)
• China accuses US of trying to block development after Pence Huawei comments by John Bowden (The Hill)
• Trump to approve lean Space Force by Jacqueline Klimas (Politico)

Opinion

• How higher education has been weaponized in the age of Trump — and how it can be redeemed by Henry A. Giroux (Salon)
• How Mitch McConnell Enables Trump by Adam Jentleson (NY Times)

National Emergency / Border Wall

• Stephen King Offers $10,000 For A Trump Border Wall Debate by Mary Papenfuss (Huffington Post)
• Stephen Miller Just Went on Fox News to Discuss Trump’s National Emergency. It Went Poorly. by Jamilah King (Mother Jones)
• Democrat Adam Schiff Just Laid Out Why Trump’s National Emergency Is Unconstitutional by Jamilah King (Mother Jones)
• Here’s why Trump’s move to declare a state of emergency is unconstitutional by Addy Baird (ThinkProgress)
• White House indicates Trump to veto disapproval of emergency by Zeke Miller (AP)
• California tells Trump that lawsuit over border wall is ‘imminent’ by David Morgan and David Lawder (Reuters)
• ‘Uncharted territory’: Political, legal hits continue after Trump’s emergency declaration by Amy B. Wang, Felicia Sonmez, and Missy Ryan (Washington Post)

Mueller Investigation / Collusion / McCabe

• Mueller questions Cambridge Analytica director Brittany Kaiser by Carole Cadwalladr (The Guardian)
• Schiff: Evidence of collusion between Trump campaign, Russia ‘pretty compelling’ by Michael Burke (The Hill)
• McCabe: ‘I was fired because I opened a case against the president’ by Quint Forget (Politico)

SNL

• Donald Trump Is So Mad at Saturday Night Live That He Went on an Unhinged Rant Against the Networks by Jamilah King (Mother Jones)
• Trump suggests networks should face ‘retribution’ for ‘hit jobs’ after SNL mocks president by Chris Riotta (Independent)
• Trump Slams SNL After Show Mocked Emergency Declaration: “This is the Real Collusion!” by Daniel Politi (Slate)

Other News

• Trump tells European countries to take back IS fighters (BBC)
• US troops withdrawal from Syria ‘will be gradual’ process by Imran Khan (Al Jazeera)
• Trump bets on North Korea to break his losing streak by Eliana Johnson (Politico)
• Former Trump Officials Signed a Pledge to Avoid Lobbying. At Least 33 of Them Have Found a Way Around It. by Derek Kravitz (Mother Jones)
• Trump policies unite allies against him at European security forum by Robin Emmott, John Irish (Reuters)
• Trump claims tariffs brought China to its knees. His trade war is hurting Midwest farmers instead. by Melanie Schmitz (ThinkProgress)
• Trump’s repeal of light bulb standards will increase pollution, cost billions by Igor Derysh (Salon)
• Rift Between Trump and Europe Is Now Open and Angry by Steven Erlanger and Katrin Bennhold (NY Times)
• Trump ally Graham will subpoena McCabe and Rosenstein over ‘coup’ by Martin Pengally (The Guardian)
• Report: Japan Nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize at the White House’s Request by Jamilah King (Mother Jones)
• Mike Pence Expected Applause When He Mentioned Trump in Munich. He Got Silence. by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• ‘I believe Putin’: Trump dismissed US advice on North Korea threat, says McCabe by Kate Lyons (Guardian)

National Emergency / Border Wall

• Trump’s National Emergency Sets Up Legal Fight Over Spending Authority by Nina Totenberg (NPR)
• Trump Takes Off To Mar-A-Lago After National Emergency Declaration by Amy Russo (Huffington Post)
• Trump Takes Refuge from His National Emergency at Florida Golf Course by Noah Lanard (Mother Jones)
• Dems ready aggressive response to Trump emergency order, as GOP splinters by Mike Lillis And Scott Wong (The Hill)
• Senate Homeland chief weighs Trump rebuke on emergency declaration by Quint Forgey (Politico)
• Analysis: In declaring a national emergency, Trump reminds Republicans: It’s all about him by Dan Balz (Washington Post)

Mueller Investigation

• What To Know About The Mueller Investigation Into Russian Election Interference by Nick Robins-Early, Ryan J. Reilly (Huffington Post)
• Paul Manafort is keeping one big secret & that’s a ticket out of jail for both him and Donald Trump by Lucian K. Truscott IV (Salon)
• Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone directly colluded with Russian operatives behind DNC email hack by Adam Peck (ThinkProgress)
• Robert Mueller May Have Handed Paul Manafort a Life Sentence by Kevin Fitzpatrick (Vanity Fair)

Other News

• Dems prepare to force Trump to reveal private talks with Putin by Andrew Desiderio (Politico)
• Trump science adviser calls for more collaboration between industry and government by Sara Reardon (Nature)
• Pence met with silence after mentioning Trump in Munich speech by Tal Axelrod (The Hill)
• The House inquiries into the secret Trump-Putin talks are (slowly) taking shape by Amanda Sakuma (Vox)
• Venezuela crisis: US planes carrying aid arrive in Colombia (BBC)
• Trump Claims Japanese Prime Minister Nominated Him For A Nobel Peace Prize by Mary Papenfuss (Huffington Post)
• Pence chastises EU, rejects Merkel’s call to work with Russia by Robin Emmott and Paul Carrel (Reuters)
• Trump’s UN ambassador pick, Heather Nauert, withdraws from consideration by Staff (The Guardian)
• Heather Nauert Withdraws From Consideration For U.N. Ambassador by Emma Bowman (NPR)

Opinion

• Trump Is Trying to Hollow Out the Constitutional System of Checks and Balances by Peter M. Shane (Slate)

National Emergency / Border Wall

• Trump Declares National Emergency To Help Fund Southern Border Wall by Jessica Taylor, Brian Naylor (NPR)
• Trump says he will sign a national emergency to build border wall (Al Jazeera)
• Mexico border wall: Trump confirms emergency move (BBC)
• Does Trump’s National Emergency Set A Problematic Precedent For Conservatives? by Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (FiveThirtyEight)
• Trump declares national emergency to unlock border wall funds by Anita Kumar, Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump Plans to Steal $6 Billion From National Defense for His Wall by Kevin Drum (Mother Jones)
• “I Didn’t Need to Do This:” Trump Uses Emergency Declaration Speech to Make Case Against Himself by Noah Lanard (Mother Jones)
• Ocasio-Cortez, Castro plan to introduce bill to block national emergency by Rachel Frazin (The Hill)
• A Complete Guide to Trump’s Embarrassing “National Emergency” Declaration by Jay Willis (GQ)
• Trump’s Bizarre, Rambling Announcement of a National Emergency by David A. Graham (The Atlantic)
• Read President Trump’s Speech Declaring a National Emergency by Olivia Paschal (The Atlantic)
• Trump’s ‘Emergency’ Action: Unlawful and Unconstitutional by Erwin Chemerinsky (The American Prospect)
• Trump declared a national emergency at the border. I asked 11 experts if it’s legal. by Sean Illing (Vox)
• Analysis: A State of Unreality; Trump’s emergency declaration is going to run into four hurdles. by David From (Atlantic)
• Opinion: A Trump-Made Emergency by the Editorial Board (NY Times)
• Trump says he ‘didn’t need to’ declare national emergency but wants to get the border wall ‘done faster’ by John Haltiwanger (Business Insider)
• The Trump administration is already being sued 4 hours after the president’s emergency declaration by Joe Perticone (Business Insider)
• Opinion: The Real Problem With Trump’s National Emergency Plan by Peter H. Schuck (NY Times)
• In Wielding Emergency Powers, Trump Paves a Dangerous Path Forward by Carl Hulse (NY Times)
• Analysis: Can Congress or the courts reverse Trump’s national emergency? by Chris Edelson) (PRI)
• Trump’s Emergency Declaration Will Be Challenged in Court. Will He Lose? by Noah Lanard (Mother Jones)
• Many Presidents Have Declared Emergencies — But Not Like Trump Has by Scott Horsley (NPR)
• Analysis: 5 ways Trump’s national emergency declaration could be stopped by Li Zhou and Emily Stewart  (Vox)
• Opinion: This Trump performance is why people talk about the 25th Amendment by Dana Milbank (Washington Post)
• Opinion: Trump’s make-believe crisis is untethered from truth and reality by the Editorial Board (Washington Post)
• Analysis: Trump Isn’t Just Defying the Constitution. He’s Undermining SCOTUS. by Dalia Lithwick (Slate)

Mueller Investigation / Manafort / Roger Stone

• Independents Trust Mueller, Which Could Be Bad News For Trump by Nathaniel Rakich (FiveThirtyEight)
• Andrew McCabe, Paul Manafort and Mueller’s theory: A criminal conspiracy implicating the president? by Heather Digby Parton (Salon)
• Judge gags Roger Stone from Mueller comments around D.C. courthouse by Darren Samuelsohn (Politico)
• WH press secretary Sarah Sanders interviewed by special counsel’s office by Pamela Brown and Alex Rogers (CNN)
• Mueller interviewed Sarah Sanders in Russia probe by Matthew Choi (Politico)
• Special Counsel Announces Evidence Of Roger Stone’s WikiLeaks Contact by Lydia O’Connor (Huffington Post)
• Mueller: Guidelines call for Manafort to get up to 24.5 years in prison for Virginia convictions by Darren Samuelsohn, Josh Gerstein (Politico)
• Federal Judge Imposes Gag Order In Roger Stone Case by Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Mueller seeks tough sentence for ex-Trump campaign chairman Manafort by Sarah N. Lynch, Nathan Layne (Reuters)

Other News

• ICE Is Sending Hundreds of Asylum-Seekers to a Private Prison in Mississippi by Noah Lanard (Mother Jones)
• Trump Wants To Use Iraqi Base To Watch Iran. Now Iraqi Parties Want U.S. Forces Out by Jane Arraf (NPR)
• Trump says Japanese prime minister nominated him for Nobel Peace Prize by Katie Galioto (Politico)
• The Trump Administration Can’t Get a United Front Against Iran by Kathy Gilsinan (The Atlantic)
• Justices to decide if 2020 census can ask about citizenship by AP (Politico)
• Eric Trump Blames Democrats for Ruining His Plans to Profit Off the Presidency by Bess Levin (Vanity Fair)
• U.S. to deliver over 200 tons of aid to Venezuelan border (Reuters)
• NJ attorney general subpoenas Trump’s inaugural committee (AP)
• Trump taps Jeffrey Byard as new FEMA head by Brent D. Griffiths (Politico)
• Behind The Border ‘Crisis’: More Migrant Families Risk Dangerous Remote Crossings by Joel Rose (NPR)

Opinion

• Impeach Donald Trump by Yoni Applebaum (The Atlantic)
• How California became the leader of the resistance against Trump by Raphael J Sonenshein (Guardian)

Shutdown / Border Wall / National Emergency

• Congress Expected to Swiftly Pass Border Deal to Prevent Shutdown by Emily Cochrane (NY Times)
• Trump to Declare National Emergency Over Border Wall by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)
• Trump will sign spending bill and declare national emergency by Sarah Ferris, John Bresnahan (Politico)
• Trump shocks GOP with emergency declaration by Burgess Everett, Andrew Desidero, Melanie Zanona (Politico)
• Trump to sign border security bill and declare emergency over wall (BBC)
• Trump Plans to Sign the Border Deal—and Declare a National Emergency by Jim Newell (Slate)
• Trump vows emergency declaration over wall, agrees to shutdown-averting bill by Richard Cowan, Steve Holland (Reuters)
• Trump to sign border deal, declare national emergency by Alexander Bolton (The Hill)
• Nancy Pelosi Slams President Trump’s Plan to Declare National Emergency: There Is No Border Crisis by AP (TIME)
• White House Scrambles to find pots of money to use for wall by Lolita Baldor And Lisa Mascaro (AP)
• Analysis: Trump Will Declare a National Emergency. What Happens Next? by Nicholas Fandos (NY Times)
• Opinion: A Trump-Made Emergency by the Editorial Board (NY Times)
• Trump blocks back pay for government contractors who lost wages during shutdown by Igor Derysh (Salon)
• Analysis: Can Trump legally use emergency powers to build a border wall? Experts weigh in by Lorelei Laird (ABA Journal)

McCabe

• Andrew McCabe Confirms 25th Amendment Discussions to Remove Trump From Office by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)
• Andrew McCabe says officials discussed removing Trump after Comey firing by Erin Durkin (The Guardian)
• McCabe says he opened investigations into Trump to put Russia probe ‘on solid ground’ by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump lashes out at McCabe over reveals about Russia probe and alleged Rosenstein wiretap by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• McCabe says he quickly opened FBI investigation of Trump for fear of being fired by Matt Zapotosky and John Wagner (Washington Post)
• CBS: Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe Feared Cover-Up Of Russia Probe by Philip Ewing (NPR)

William Barr

• Senate confirms William Barr as attorney general in 54-to-45 vote by Matt Zapotosky and Karoun Demjirian (Washington Post)
• US Senate confirms William Barr as attorney general (Al Jazeera)
• Attorney General William Barr Swears Oath Of Office After Senate Confirmation by Philip Ewing (NPR)

Border / Asylum

• Trump administration sends back first migrant families to Mexico by Rafael Bernal (The Hill)
• U.S. sends first families to Mexico to await asylum, rights groups sue by Lizbeth Diaz, Mica Rosenberg (Reuters)
• Asylum-Seekers Just Sued the Trump Administration for Its Dangerous “Remain in Mexico” Policy by Fernanda Echavarri (Mother Jones)
• Trump Administration Is Illegally Forcing Asylum Seekers Out of the United States by Michael Tan and Julie Veroff (ACLU.org)

Other News

• Trump Judicial Nominees Are Refusing to Endorse Brown v. Board of Education by Stephanie Mencimer (Mother Jones)
• Germany Preps a Plan B for Trump’s Foreign Policy ‘Zigzag’ by Emily Schultheis, Uri Friedman (The Atlantic)
• The 2020 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet by David A. Graham (The Atlantic)
• Howard Schultz Is Already Helping President Trump by Ronald Brownstein (The Atlantic)
• Anger, Confusion Over Dwindling Refunds. Is Trump’s Tax Plan To Blame? by Daniella Cheslow (NPR)
• Federal Watchdog Issues Scathing Report On Ed Department’s Handling Of Student Loans by Cory Turner (NPR)
• Trump demands California return $3.5B in federal high-speed rail money by Jeremy B. White, Debra Kahn (Politico)
• Senate passes bill to make lynching a federal crime by Jordain Carney (The Hill)
• Trump medical: President now officially obese, according to newly released health report by Chelsea Ritschel (Independent)
• Trump Organization Cans Two Hotel Chain Deals Citing Toxic Political Climate Created By You Know Who by Elliot Hannon (Slate)

Analysis

• Robert Mueller Might Be Wrapping Things Up. Has He Proved a Conspiracy Between Trump and Russia? by Ben Mathis-Lilley (Slate)
• Former Trump Officials Are Supposed to Avoid Lobbying. Except 33 Haven’t. by Derek Kravitz (ProPublica)

Opinion

• Paul Manafort’s day in court spells trouble for Trump by Jennifer Rubin (Washington Post)

Government Shutdown / Border Wall

• Why Trump Isn’t Sweating a Shutdown This Time by Elaina Plott, Elaine Godfrey (The Atlantic)
• Wary of shutdown, Trump edges toward support for funding deal by Richard Cowan, Steve Holland (Reuters)
• Trump hints at backing funding deal to dodge gov’t shutdown (Al Jazeera)
• How Republicans Are Talking Trump Into Accepting a Smaller Border Wall Deal by Brian Bennett, Tessa Berenson, Alana Abramson (TIME)
• Analysis: Poll: Voters overwhelmingly approve of border deal, want Trump to sign it by Matthew Sheffield (The Hill)
• Trump reportedly wants to grab funds intended for disaster relief, military housing, and flood-control projects to pay for his border wall by Michelle Mark (Business Insider)
• Trump field tests 2020 campaign attack lines amid latest shutdown drama by John T. Bennett (Roll Call)
• Congress Awaits Final Border Bill With Shutdown Deadline Looming by Susan Davis, Kelsey Snell (NPR)

Manafort / Mueller Investigation / Trump-Russia

• How Paul Manafort Couldn’t Stop Colluding With a Suspected Russian Intelligence Associate by David Corn, Dan Friedman (Mother Jones)
• Roger Stone to judge: Mueller must prove he didn’t tip off CNN by Matthew Choi, Darren Samuelsohn (Politico)
• ‘Mr. Manafort did not lie’: Attorneys take final stand against Mueller charges by Darren Samuelsohn (Politico)
• Analysis: Public Opinion Of The Mueller Investigation Has Become More Partisan by Drumil Mehta (Five Thirty Eight)
• Manafort Found to Have Lied to Prosecutors While Under a Cooperation Agreement by Sharon LaFraniere (NY Times)
• Analysis: Mueller just caught a fourth Trump aide lying about contact with the Russians by Aaron Blake (Washington Post)
• Paul Manafort Lied to Robert Mueller About Russian Contacts, Judge Rules by Dan Friedman (Mother Jones)
• Manafort Intentionally Lied To Special Counsel, Judge Says by Carrie Johnson, Jessica Taylor (NPR)

Other News

• Michael Bloomberg’s $500 million anti-Trump moonshot by Mark Caputo (Politico)
• Midwest farmers going broke at record rates thanks to Trump’s trade war by Igor Derysh (Salon)
• Omar fires back after Trump calls for her resignation: ‘You have trafficked in hate your whole life’ by John Bowden (The Hill)
• U.S. National Debt Hits Record $22 Trillion by Bill Chappell (NPR)
• Trump ally defends Saudi Arabia despite Khashoggi murder by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump Lied About Getting Special Permission From El Paso Fire Dept, Says Fire Dept by Jenna Amatulli (Huffington Post)
• Trump: China trade talks going ‘very well’ before high-level parley by Roberta Rampton, Ben Blanchard (Reuters)
• Trump’s empty pledge to revive coal is only punishing Appalachia by Mark Hand (ThinkProgress)
• Congratulations to Donald Trump on His Purchase of a $50,000 Golf Simulator by Jim Newell (Slate)
• FEMA Head Brock Long Announces His Resignation by Colleen Long, AP (TIME)
• Top U.S. trade envoys to meet China’s Xi, no decision on deadline extension by David Lawder, Michael Martina (Reuters)

Government Shutdown / Border Wall

• Government Can Waive Environmental Laws To Build Border Wall Prototypes, Court Rules by Matthew S. Schwartz (NPR)
• Trump Says He’s Not ‘Happy’ With Budget Deal But Thinks Shutdown Unlikely by Domenico Montanaro (NPR)
• Trump says he’s ‘not happy’ with bipartisan deal to avert shutdown (Politico)
• Trump dislikes congressional deal but does not expect shutdown by Susan Cornwell, Richard Cowan (Reuters)
• Wall Street rallies on trade optimism, hopes of avoiding government shutdown by Amy Caren Daniel (Reuters)
• Trump appears to have already soured on border-security plan, saying it would be Democrats’ fault if the government shuts down again by Joe Perticone (Business Insider)
• Trump criticizes bipartisan border deal but predicts there won’t be another shutdown by Erica Werner, Sean Sullivan, Damian Paletta, and John Wagner (Washington Post)
• US workers facing debt from last shutdown fear deal may collapse by Ola Salem (Al Jazeera)

Trump Rally

• Trump supporter attacks BBC cameraman at El Paso rally (BBC)
• Trump Supporter Violently Shoves BBC Cameraman At Rally In El Paso, Texas by Bill Chappell (NPR)
• El Paso fire department says Trump’s crowd size claims were false by Justin Wise (The Hill)
• Trump Supporter Attacks BBC Cameraman at Rally by Molly Olmstead (Slate)
• El Paso Fire Department denies Trump’s crowd claim at rally by Rebecca Morin (Politico)
• Trump makes wild claim that Ralph Northam wants to ‘execute’ newborn babies by Amanda Michelle Gomez (ThinkProgress)
• Opinion: Irrelevant and incoherent Trump is upstaged in El Paso by Jennifer Rubin (Washington Post)
• White House Correspondents’ Association condemns attack on journalist at Trump rally by Rebecca Morin (Politico)
• Trump’s Followers Believe His Lies About the Wall by William Saletan (Slate)
• Trump dismisses FBI data, asks followers to trust him when he says border fence made El Paso safer by Aaron Rupar (Vox)
• The best way to resist Trump? Beto and El Paso show us how it’s done by Amanda Marcotte (Salon)

Trump-Russia

• Senate Intel chair slams Trump fixer Michael Cohen, as House Democrats staff up probes by Karoun Demirjian and Rhonda Colvin (Washington Post)
• Senate investigation finds no direct evidence of a conspiracy between Trump campaign and Russia by Matthew Chapman (Salon)
• Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats Dispute Claims That Russia Probe Found No Collusion by Dan Friedman (Mother Jones)

Other News

• Pompeo: Putin threatening democracies worldwide (Al Jazeera)
• Trump calls for freshman Dem’s resignation over anti-Semitic tweets by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump Calls On Rep. Ilhan Omar To Resign Over Remarks Criticized As Anti-Semitic by Merrit Kennedy (NPR)
• Trump administration still separating families at border, advocates say by Edwin Delgado (The Guardian)
• U.S. immigration officers’ union opposes Trump pick to lead key agency by Sarah N. Lynch (Reuters)
• Senate advances Barr attorney general nomination by Marianne Levine (Politico)
• Trump says he could let China trade deal deadline slip, ‘not inclined to’ by Steve Holland, Ben Blanchard (Reuters)
• President Trump And Allies Push To Save A Very Specific Coal Plant by Jeff Brady (NPR)
• McConnell Plans To Bring Green New Deal To Senate Vote by Danielle Kurtzleben (NPR)
• Formerly separated immigrant families begin process for suing Trump administration by Lorelei Laird (ABA Journal)

Opinion

• The U.S. Doesn’t Deserve the World Bank Presidency by Anne Lowry (Atlantic)

Government Shutdown / Border

• If Trump Declares An Emergency To Build The Wall, Congress Can Block Him by Tamara Keith (NPR)
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom To Withdraw Hundreds Of National Guard Troops From Border by Kathleen Ronayne (Huffington Post)
• California governor to pull troops from US-Mexico border (Al Jazeera)
• Trump and his allies try to pin blame on Dems for border impasse by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• US shutdown: Parties in fresh talks as next deadline looms (BBC)
• ICE Detention Beds New Stumbling Block In Efforts To Prevent Another Shutdown by Brian Naylor (NPR)
• Negotiators say they’ve agreed on border bill (AP)
• ‘Agreement In Principle’ Reached On Border Security Funding, Top Republican Says by Kelsey Snell (NPR)

AI

• Trump to launch ‘American AI Initiative’ later today by James Vincent (The Verge)
• Trump to sign an executive order to prioritize AI issues by Rachel Kraus (Mashable)
• Trump’s planned AI initiative includes education, but lacks key details by Brian Heater (TechCrunch)

Other News

• Pompeo says US ‘not covering up’ Jamal Khashoggi’s murder (Al Jazeera)
• Trump: ‘No president ever worked harder than me’ by Avery Anapol (The Hill)
• Donald Trump Claims ‘No President Ever Worked Harder.’ Twitter Isn’t Buying It. by Hayley Miller (Huffington Post)
•  Trump’s goal to eradicate the HIV epidemic in the United States is achievable — yet remote, Editorial (Nature)
• The One Thing All the 2020 Democratic Candidates Agree They Hate by Nihal Krishan (Mother Jones)
• Trump Foundation argues NY state lawsuit is politically biased by Brett Samuels (The Hill)
• Trump objects to measure ending U.S. support for Saudis in Yemen war by Patricia Zengerle (Reuters)
• Prosecutors make secret filing in case linked to Mueller by Morgan Chalfont (The Hill)
• The White House burns the intelligence community again with a threatening message to Iran by Alex Lockie (Business Insider)
• Trump’s Favorite Tabloid Worried Its Saudi Propaganda Was As Bad As It Looked by Bess Levin (Vanity Fair)
• Top Senate Intelligence Committee Democrat fears Barr nomination could threaten Russia probe by Joshua Eaton (ThinkProgress)
• Michael Cohen’s Senate testimony delayed by Darren Samuelsohn (Politico)
• Rand Paul will vote against Trump’s pick for attorney general by Marianne Levine (Politico)
• Former Trump Aide Sues President for Allegedly Using Campaign NDA to Exact Retribution for Tell-All Book by Elliot Hannon (Slate)

Opinion

• Trump offers socialism for the rich, capitalism for everyone else by Robert Reich (Guardian)

Government Shutdown

• Shutdown talks stalled by Marianne Levine, Heather Caygle, Burgess Everett (Politico)
• US shutdown talks stall ahead of deadline (BBC)
• Border Security Negotiations in Congress Break Down as Another Shutdown Looms Friday by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• Trump’s Chief of Staff Says Another Government Shutdown Might Be Unavoidable by Nathalie Baptiste (Mother Jones)
• Shutdown Talks Stall Over Detention Beds by Kevin Drum (Mother Jones)
• White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney warns that “you cannot take a shutdown off the table” by Matthew Rozsa (Salon)
• Another government shutdown looks increasingly likely as lawmakers clash over border funding ahead of Friday deadline by Katie Warren (Business Insider)

Other News

• Trump Defends Use of “Executive Time”: “I Probably Work More Hours Than Almost Any Past President” by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• Warren Says Trump May Not “Be a Free Person” by 2020 After He Appears to Mock Trail of Tears in Tweet by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• Mumps Confirmed In 7 Detainees At Houston ICE Facility by AP (Huffington Post)
• Donald Trump Blasts ‘Executive Time’ Report, Claims He Doesn’t Often Use It To Relax by Hayley Miller (Huffington Post)

Opinion

• Trump’s SOTU sleight-of-hand disappears the growing wealth Pyramid by Bob Hennelly (Salon)
• No Winner in a New Arms Race by The Editorial Board (NY Times)
• Millions of Americans could be stunned as their tax refunds shrink by Heather Long (Washington Post)

Whitaker Hearing

• Matt Whitaker Headed To Trump Hotel After Hearing And People Are Talking by Mary Papenfuss (Huffington Post)
• Matthew Whitaker Plays to an Audience of One by Natasha Bertrand (The Atlantic)
• Trump rips ‘vicious’ Dems after fiery hearing with acting AG by Tal Axelrod (The Hill)

Other News

• Jamal Khashoggi murder: Trump refuses Congress demand for report (BBC)
• Trump physical: President ‘in very good health’ (BBC)
• Trump’s second presidential physical exam, explained by Julia Belluz, Eliza Barclay (Vox)
• House Climate Panel Democrats Got Nearly $200,000 in Fossil Fuel Industry Donations by Paul Blumenthal, Alexander C. Kaufman (Mother Jones)
• President Trump Says Second Kim Jong Un Meeting Will Be Held in Hanoi by AP (TIME)
• Trump Foresees North Korea Becoming an Economic “Rocket” Thanks to Brutal Dictator by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• Trump says Democrats ‘cannot legitimately win’ 2020 presidential election by Tom Embury-Dennis (Independent)
• Trump’s HIV strategy faces potential minefield by Dan Diamond, Adam Cancryn, and Brianna Ehley (Politico)

Opinion

• Do New York prosecutors pose the greatest threat to Donald Trump? by Tom McCarthy (Guardian)