February 2020

Barr / DOJ

• William Barr is not planning to resign over Trump tweets, says Justice Department in response to reports by Jon Sharman (Independent)
• Against wishes of Barr, Trump fires off more tweets about the Justice Department by John Wagner, Matt Zapotosky, and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post)
• Judges postpone emergency meeting to discuss Trump, Barr: Report (Al Jazeera)
• Republicans plead with Trump to leave Barr alone by Burgess Everett, Marianne Levine (Politico)
• The Fall of the DOJ by Dahlia Lithwick (Slate)

Other News

• Trump campaign hires alum of controversial data company by Alex Isenstadt (Politco)
• Trump’s next health care move: Giving Silicon Valley your medical data by Darius Tahir, Adam Cancryn (Politico)
• Trump to open world’s biggest cricket stadium during India visit (Al Jazeera)
• Timeline of Trump’s shifting justifications for Soleimani killing by Joseph Stepansky (Al Jazeera)
• US official who certified Ukraine aid resigns at Trump’s request (Al Jazeera)
• Trump dismisses John Rood, the Pentagon’s policy chief by Paul Sonne and Missy Ryan (Washington Post)
• WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange alleges that Trump offered him a pardon if he denied that Russia hacked the DNC by Sonam Sheth (Business Insider)
• Julian Assange Claims Trump Offered a Pardon for Help Covering Up Russia’s 2016 Hacking by Greg Walters (VICE)
• Trump picks pardon requests from wealthy pals and GOP donors by Michael Biesecker (AP)
• Trump accused of “questionable delay tactics” as E. Jean Carroll seeks DNA to prove rape accusation by Matthew Chapman (Salon)
• Trump seeks deal on foreign workers that could anger base by Anita Kumar (Politico)
• Trump signs order diverting water to California farmers against state wishes by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill)
• Trump Names Richard Grenell Acting Director Of National Intelligence by Hayley Miller (Huffington Post)
• Elizabeth Warren’s evisceration of Mike Bloomberg should make Donald Trump nervous by Emily Stewart (Vox)

Opinion

• Trump’s latest pardons show how quickly he’s normalizing corruption by Aaron Rupar (Vox)

Roger Stone / Barr

• Trump threatens to sue his investigators and demands Roger Stone case be ‘thrown out’ by John T Bennett (Independent)
• Trump’s call for Roger Stone to receive a new trial, briefly explained by Aaron Rupar (Vox)
• US attorney general ‘considers resignation’ over Trump tweets (Al Jazeera)
• U.S. Attorney General Barr considers quitting over Trump tweets: source (Reuters)

Pardons/ Clemency

• Trump grants clemency to high-profile individuals, including Rod Blagojevich, Michael Milken and Bernard Kerik by Anne Gearan, Josh Dawsey, Beth Reinhard, and Colby Itkowitz (Washington Post)
• The Rod Blagojevich scandal and Trump’s commutation of his sentence, explained by Andrew Prokop  (Vox)
• Trump goes on clemency spree, and the list is long (Al Jazeera)
• Trump announces a blitz of pardons and commutations by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump Issues Pardons for Another Round of White-Collar Criminals He Knows Socially by Ben Mathis-Lilley (Slate)

Other News

• John Bolton Teases Ukraine Scandal Details In Upcoming Book, Sparks Online Backlash by Lee Moran (Huffington Post)
• Former Ethics Chief Mocks Ivanka Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded ‘Corporate Trip’ To Dubai by Mary Papenfuss (Huffington Post)
• Kenan Thompson, Hasan Minhaj Named For White House Correspondents’ Dinner by Lee Moran (Huffington Post)
• Trump blasts proposed restrictions on China trade, wants China to buy U.S. jet engines (Reuters)
• Mark Zuckerberg and Trump have struck deal to help president get re-elected, says George Soros by Samuel Lovett (Independent)
• Trump administration targets Russian oil company for helping Venezuela skirt sanctions by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump didn’t plan to win presidency and admitted he only ran to make more money than Bill Clinton, Andrew Neil reveals by Alex Woodward (Independent)
• Trump suggests he may sue over Mueller investigation by Brett Samuels (The Hill)
• Post-impeachment, Trump declares himself the ‘chief law enforcement officer’ of America by Toluse Olorunnipa and Beth Reinhard (Washington Post)
• ACLU races to stop ice from deleting years of records, including data on detainee deaths and sexual assault reports by Chantal da Silva (Newsweek)
• Trump’s Plan to Plant a Trillion Saplings Misses the Forest for the Trees by Jackie Flynn Mogensen (Mother Jones)
• Trump blasts Garcetti on immigration as he returns to LA by Jeremy B. White (Politico)
• Lawyers in Suit Seeking Trump’s DNA Accuse Him of Trying ‘to Stop the Truth From Ever Coming Out’ by Jennifer Peltz / AP (TIME)
• Trump campaign takes out full-page newspaper ad ahead of Nevada debate by Tal Axelrod (The Hill)
• Trump pledges federal support for Los Angeles in hosting 2028 Olympics by Brett Samuels (The Hill)

Analysis

• Trump’s expansive view of executive power gets a post-impeachment surge by Nancy Cook (Politico)
• The Trump Administration Finally Broke the Anti-Trafficking Movement by Melissa Gira Grant (The New Republic)
• The Coronavirus Outbreak Could Bring Out the Worst in Trump by Peter Nicholas (The Atlantic)

Opinion

• The Saudi crown prince has learned he can persecute Americans with no pushback from Trump or Pompeo by The Editorial Board (Washington Post)

News

• Trump Attends Wedding Of White House Aides Stephen Miller And Katie Waldman by AP (Huffington Post)
• Trump campaign manager deletes Air Force One photo after it is pointed out it is from 2004 by Aris Folley (The Hill)
• Trump speaks with Turkey’s Erdogan amid growing tensions in Syria by John Bowden (The Hill)
• Barr Aimed To Block Turkish Bank Indictment After Erdogan Asked Trump For Help: Report by Mary Papenfuss (Huffington Post)
• U.S. Judges Call Emergency Meeting Over Fears About William Barr And Trump: Report by Mary Papenfuss (Huffington Post)
• Trump’s new travel ban relies on intelligence agencies he repeatedly attacked by John T Bennett (Independent)

Analysis

• Trump’s exaggerations on Roger Stone sentence by Hope Yen and Calvin Woodward (AP)
• America Is Alone in Its Cold War With China by Uri Friedman (The Atlantic)

News

• Trump drives massive turnout in primaries despite token opposition by Alex Isenstadt (Politico)
• Trump to test racing skills, mingle with supporters at Daytona 500 by Jeff Mason (Reuters)
• Federal court unanimously strikes down Trump administration plan to kick some people off of Medicaid by Alex Henderson (Salon)
• Impeachment witness Alexander Vindman won’t be probed despite President Trump’s urging, Army says by Alex Hennderson (Salon)
• White House Memo Admits There Was No “Imminent Threat” Before Soleimani Assassination by Elliot Hannon (Slate)
• Trump serves as Grand Marshal of Daytona 500 and takes lap around race track in ‘The Beast’ by Chris Riotta (Independent)
• More than 1,100 ex-Justice Department officials call for Barr’s resignation by Devlin Barrett (Washington Post)
• 1,100 Former DOJ Employees Call On Barr To Resign After Intervening In Stone Case by Bobby Allyn (NPR)
• Trump camp finds no appeasement at Munich by Matthew Karnitschnig (Politico)

Opinion

• ‘Something has to be done’: Trump’s quest to rewrite history of the Russia probe by Philip Rucker (Washington Post)
• In his assault on justice, Trump has out-Nixoned Nixon by Robert Reich (Guardian)

News

• Trump defends China’s alleged cover-up of coronavirus victims: ‘You don’t want the world to go crazy’ by Tom Embury-Dennis (Independent)
• Iran: President Trump Is Wrong to Think Tehran Regime Will Collapse by David Rising / AP (TIME)
• Trump looks to rev up his base at Daytona 500 by Kevin Freking (AP)
• Trump Administration Deploys Elite Border Agents to Sanctuary Cities by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• Report: Barr Protected Turkish Bank From Prosecution to Appease Erdogan by Dan Spinelli (Mother Jones)
• Trump Sparks Outrage by Quoting Emerson to Refer to Himself as “the King” by Daniel Politi (Slate)
• Trump holds lavish fundraiser at Palm Beach billionaire’s home by Meridith Mcgraw (Politico)

Analysis

• William Barr: how the attorney general became Trump’s enabler-in-chief by Tom McCarthy (The Guardian)
• Another case Trump meddled in. Another unorthodox intervention from Barr. by Aaron Blake (Washington Post)

Opinion

• Can we stop tiptoeing around the fact that Trump is behaving like a dictator? by Lucian K. Truscott IV (Salon)
• This is how democracy dies — in full view of a public that couldn’t care less by Max Boot (Washington. Post)
• Trump seems to confirm campaign of ‘grievance, persecution and resentment by Martin Pengally (The Guardian)

Barr

• Barr Says Trump’s Meddling Tweets Are Undermining His Ability to Quietly Do the President’s Bidding by Elliot Hannon (Slate)
• Trump maintains he can intervene in cases after Barr urges him to curb tweeting by Brett Samuels (The Hill)
• Trump bucks Barr’s request to stop tweeting about Justice Dept., declaring a ‘legal right’ to seek intervention in criminal cases by Matt Zapotosky and John Wagner (Washington Post)
• More Senate Democrats Call For William Barr To Resign Over Roger Stone Case by Sarah Ruiz-Grossman (Huffington Post)
• This Is Still Happening: William Barr by Jeremy Stahl (Slate)
• Report: Barr Brings In Outside Prosecutor to Review Michael Flynn’s Criminal Case by Molly Olmstead (Slate)

Other News

• Trump Wants $1.5 Billion Over 10 Years to Revive U.S. Uranium Mining by Brady McCombs, Ellen Knickmeyer / AP (TIME)
• Trump to woo Indian executives during New Delhi visit by Aditya Kalra, Alexandra Ulmer (Reuters)
• Trump contradicts his own denial and admits he sent Giuliani to Ukraine to dig dirt on political opponents by Andy Gregory (Independent)
• ‘Border Security Is National Security.’ Mark Esper Defends Shifting Defense Funds for Trump’s Border Wall by Robert Burns / AP (TIME)
• Trump Admits He Sent Rudy Giuliani To Ukraine After Denying It by Marina Fang (Huffington Post)
• Appeals court rejects Trump-approved Medicaid work requirements by Rachana Pradhan, Susannah Luthi (Politico)
• Justice Dept. won’t charge Andrew McCabe, the former FBI official who authorized the investigation of President Trump by Matt Zapotosky, Devlin Barrett, and Karoun Demirjian (Washington Post)
• She pushed Trump to exit the Paris climate agreement and roll back environmental rules. And she’s returning to EPA as chief of staff. by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post)
• ‘Are they mean?’ Donald Trump obsessed with badgers, new book claims by Stephanie Convery (The Guardian)
• Trump weighing 10 percent middle-class tax cut plan by Brian Faler (Politico)
• Army won’t investigate Vindman over impeachment testimony, top leader says by Jacqueline Feldscher (Politico)
• Trump’s 29th Trip To Mar-a-Lago Brings Golf Tab To 334 Years Of Presidential Salary by S.V. Date (Huffington Post)
• Trump’s threatening tweet about criminal cases shows president expanding powers after impeachment acquittal by John T Bennett (Independent)
• Trump is sending armed tactical forces to arrest immigrants in sanctuary cities by Nicole Narea (Vox)
• Trump administration to send border patrol officers to sanctuary cities by Tal Axelrod (The Hill)
• Trump administration weighing tax incentive for US households to invest in stock market by Tal Axelrod (The Hill)
• McConnell says Senate would fill a Supreme Court vacancy in 2020 even though it is an election year by Matthew Rozsa (Salon)

Analysis

• How Justice Scalia paved the way for Trump’s assault on the rule of law by Ian Millhiser (Vox)
• Why the Presidency Can’t Just Go Back to ‘Normal’ After Trump by Joshua Zeitz (Politico)
• Trump Conscripts the DOJ Into His Reelection Campaign by Matt Ford (The New Republic)

Opinion

• A President So Unhinged that even Bill Barr Says He’s out of Control by Susan B. Glasser (The New Yorker)

John Kelly

• John Kelly Finally Lets Loose on Trump by Peter Nicholas (The Atlantic)
• John Kelly Finally Speaks Out Against Trump by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)
• John Kelly defends Vindman: ‘He did exactly what we teach them to do’ by Quint Forgey (Politico)
• Trump accuses John Kelly of ‘missing the action’ after scathing criticism by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Former Chief of Staff John Kelly Says Trump’s Ukraine Quid Pro Quo Call Amounted to an “Illegal Order” by Elliot Hannon (Slate)

Iran

• US Senate poised to rebuke Trump on Iran by William Roberts (Al Jazeera)
• Senate passes resolution to limit Trump against Iran in bipartisan vote by Karoun Demirjian (Washington Post)
• US Senate votes to limit Trump’s war powers against Iran (Al Jazeera)
• Here’s why Trump will veto Iran war powers bill even after Senate Republicans defy him by John T Bennett (Independent)
• US Senate votes to curb Trump’s war powers on Iran (BBC)

Other News

• Trump, Republican committee raised more than $60 million during January impeachment trial: campaign (Reuters)
• Trump escalates his attacks on Bloomberg, comparing him to Jeb Bush by Quint Forgey (Politco)
• The fiasco at Bill Barr’s Justice Department, explained by Andrew Prokop (Vox)
• Trump takes on Judge Amy Berman Jackson ahead of Roger Stone’s sentencing by Ann E. Marimow (Washington Post)
• Trump’s words, bullied kids, scarred schools by Hannah Natanson, John Woodrow Cox, and Perry Stein (Washington Post)
• Former Trump aide Hope Hicks is returning to the White House by Eliza Relman (Business Insider)
• Hope Hicks: Top Trump aide returning to White House (BBC)
• Attorney General Says Trump’s Tweets About DOJ Make His Job ‘Impossible’ by Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Trump installs loyalists in top jobs after impeachment purge by Meridith Mcgraw, Nancy Cook. Daniel Lippman (Politico)
• Trump floats halt to officials listening in on calls with foreign leaders by Brett Samuels (The Hill)
• Trump accused of another quid pro quo, this time with New York by Kyle Cheney (Politico)
• Trump Administration Diverts $3.8 Billion In Pentagon Funding To Border Wall by Brakkton Booker (NPR)
• Trump Administration Taking $3.8 Billion More From Military For Mexico Border Wall by Patricia Zengerle / Reuters (Huffington Post)

Opinion

• ‘He doesn’t give a f—‘: Trump is making a fool out of every Republican senator who said he learned his lesson from impeachment by Sonam Sheth (Business Insider)
• Trump Is Perverting the DOJ to Save Roger Stone by Luke Darby (GQ)
• How the Trump administration uses the “hidden weapons” of immigration law by Isaac Chotiner (New Yorker)

Roger Stone / Barr

• Roger Stone: Prosecutors quit Trump ally case over sentence dispute (BBC)
• Trump Praises Attorney General Barr For ‘Taking Charge’ Of Roger Stone Case (NPR)
• Trump Congratulates Barr After Intervention in Stone Sentencing by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)
• Trump congratulates Barr for ‘taking charge’ of Stone case by Quint Forgey (Politico)
• Opinion: As Trump openly corrupts DOJ, a former insider sounds the alarm by Greg Sargent (Washington Post)
• Trump attacks federal judge, prosecutors in Twitter tirade defending Roger Stone by Allyson Chiu (Washington Post)
• Extreme alarm as prosecutors resign after Trump intervention in Stone case by Tom McCarthy and Paul Owen (The Guardian)
• Democrats demand investigation as Trump praises William Barr for intervening in Roger Stone’s case by Igor Derysh (Salon)
• Senate Democrats Demand Barr Resign Or Face Impeachment Over Roger Stone Case by Hayley Miller (Huffington Post)
• Trump just congratulated Bill Barr for doing something he said was “totally illegal” not long ago by Aaron Rupar (Vox)
• Attorney General William Barr to testify before House Judiciary Committee by Kyle Cheney (Politico)

Other News

• Trump Cuts Scheduled Federal Pay Raise Citing “Serious Economic Conditions” in the Country by Elliot Hannon (Slate)
• Trump adviser denies Vindman ouster was retaliation: ‘We are not a banana republic’ by Justin Wise (The Hill)
• Trump ‘turns back the clock’ by luring drilling companies to pristine lands by Emily Holden (The Guardian)
• White supremacist propaganda in US more than doubled in 2019, report finds by AP (The uardian)
• Trump “privately encouraged” Giuliani to continue probing Bidens following Senate acquittal: report by Igor Derysh (Salon)
• Trump Is Blowing Up Native Burial Grounds to Build His Wall by Camille Squires (Mother Jones)
• How a Bible prophecy shapes Trump’s foreign policy by Danush Parvaneh, Liz Scheltens (Vox)
• Trump brushes off Duterte’s decision to end military pact (Al Jazeera)
• Ex-Mueller aide defends prosecution of Michael Flynn by Josh Gerstein (Politico)
• Trump weighs tapping nuke envoy to negotiate with Russia by Nahal Toosi (Politico)
• House committee votes to rescind Trump travel ban by Rebecca Rainey (Politico)
• US House panel advances bill to repeal Trump’s travel ban (Al Jazeera)
• Kushner Seeks To Revive Trump’s Overhaul For Immigration System by Franco Ordoñez (NPR)

Roger Stone

• Prosecutors withdraw from Roger Stone’s case after senior DOJ officials publicly overruled them to seek a lesser sentence for Stone by Sonam Sheth (Business Insider)
• Prosecutors Quit Roger Stone Case After DOJ Seeks Less Prison Time For Trump Ally by Ryan Lucas, Philip Ewing (NPR)
• Prosecutors Quit Roger Stone Case After DOJ Top Brass Meddles In Sentencing by Nick Robins-Early (Huffington Post)

Other News

• Trump Advisers Hope Secret Service for New Hampshire Rally Interfered With Democratic Voters by Elliot Hannon (Slate)
• Trump Administration Ramps Up Fight Against ‘Sanctuary Cities’ by Sarah N. Lynch, Makini Brice / Reuters (Huffington Post)
• Border officials destroy Native American burial grounds to build Trump’s wall: report by Igor Derysh (Salon)
• Trump tweets Curb Your Enthusiasm MAGA clip mocking his own supporters by Andy Gregory (Independent)
• Prosecutors quit amid escalating Justice Dept. fight over Roger Stone’s prison term by Matt Zapotosky, Devlin Barrett, Ann E. Marimow, and Spencer S. Hsu (Washington Post)
• Fed Chair Powell warns Congress that $1 trillion budget deficits are unsustainable by Heather Long (Washington Post)
• Trump’s New Hampshire rally showed how he’s already sowing discord about the 2020 election by Aaron Rupar (Vox)
• Trump Suggests Military Should Discipline Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman by Lydia O’Connor (Huffington Post)
• Trump wins New Hampshire GOP primary by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico)
• Trump escalates campaign of retribution as Republican senators shrug by Philip Rucker and Paul Kane (Washington Post)
• Trump says ‘I won’t be changing my mind’ on his view that brain injuries suffered by US troops in Iran’s attack are not very serious by Ryan Pickrell (Business Insider)

Analysis

• Acquittal, week one: Targeting witnesses and upheaval in the Justice Department by Philip Bump (Washington Post)
• Trump created 1.5 million fewer jobs than Obama did during his final three years in office: data by Igor Derysh (Salon)

Opinion

• Is Patriarchy Too Big to Fail? by Laurie Penny (The Baffler)

Budget Plan

• Trump’s $4.8 Trillion Budget Plan Includes Cuts To Farm Subsidies, Food Stamps And Medicaid by Andrew Taylor / AP (Huffington Post)
• Trump’s budget built on proposals to please his conservative base in election year, Democrats claim by John T Bennett (Independent)
• Trump To Again Propose Slashing Foreign Aid In Budget by Ayesha Rascoe, Roberta Rampton (NPR)
• Trump submits $4.8tn budget proposal despite no chance of it passing by Edward Helmore (The Guardian)
• The 2 most controversial national security items in Trump’s new budget by Alex Ward (Vox)
• Trump’s new budget proposal slashes Medicaid, Medicare, pesky CDC funding by Bess Levin (Vanity Fair)
• Democrats preview election-year attacks on Trump budget by David Lerman (Roll Call)
• Trump vowed to not cut Social Security and Medicare — hours before proposing just that by Aaron Rupar (Vox)
• Trump’s Budget Is a $292 Billion Attack on Poor Americans by Nathalie Baptiste (Mother Jones)
• National Institutes of Health would see 7% cut in 2021 under White House plan by Jocelyn Kaiser (Science Magazine)

Other News

• Trump’s border wall is destroying sacred Native American sites, congressman says by Paulina Firozi (Independent)
• Trump’s ‘dream scenario’ unfolds: Dem disarray ahead of 2020 by Gabby Orr (Politico)
• Trump predicts impeachment will complicate reelection for Schumer, Nadler by Quint Forgey (Politico)
• READ: Schumer’s letter accusing Trump of ‘pattern of retaliation’ against whistleblowers (The Hill)
• Amazon seeks to depose Trump, Esper in JEDI bid protest by Aaron Gregg and Jay Greene (Washington Post)
• More than 100 US troops suffered traumatic brain injury in Iran strike, military to report (The Guardian)
• New York sues Trump administration over exclusion from traveler programs (Reuters)
• Saudi Arabia Rebuffs Trump Administration’s Requests to Stop Teaching Hate Speech in Schools by Kimberly Dozier (TIME)
• Amazon Wants Trump To Testify About Military Contract Awarded To Microsoft by Alina Selyukh (NPR)
• Kellyanne Conway says more officials may be ousted after Trump’s Senate acquittal by Quint Forgey (Politico)
• Trump’s ‘retaliation’ against impeachment witnesses spurs call to investigate amid fierce criticism by Ramsey Touchberry (Newsweek)
• Trump administration goes to war with states over immigration by Josh Gerstein (Politico)

Analysis

• King Donald: After acquittal, Trump moves to seize power — and alter reality by Chauncey DeVega (Salon)
• Real pay data show Trump’s “blue collar boom” is more of a bust for U.S. workers by David Salkever (Salon)
• Trump’s Friday Night Massacre Places Him Firmly in Autocrat Territory by Ryan Goodman and Joshua A. Geltzer (Slate)
• The Supreme Court Is As Complicit As the Senate by Leah Litman (Slate)