Here’s one more catch-up blog, and this week I’ll finally be up to date. There’s so much going on and so much misinformation, it’s easy to throw up your hands and say we’ll never know the truth. We’ll never be able to understand it all. But we’re at a pivotal time in history, and what’s going on in Washington right now is incredibly important. The fallout from this administration is going to last decades. So it’s critical that the voting public pay attention.

Here’s what happened in politics for the week ending January 19…

Shootings This Week:

1. There were SIX mass shootings in the U.S. this week (defined as killing and/or injuring 4 or more people). Shooters kill 11 people and injure 32 more.

• • A gunman opens fire in a barbershop in Chicago, IL, injuring 5 people (including one 11-year-old and one 12-year-old).
  • A shooter at a home in Grantsville, UT, kills 4 people (a mother and her children) and injures 1 more (the father). The shooter is believed to be a relative.
  • A shooter in South Houston, TX, kills 2 people and injures 2 more.
  • A gunman opens fire at a queue for a nightclub in Kansas City, MO, killing 1 person and injuring 15 more. A security guard shot and killed the gunman. Previous weapons charges against the gunman were dropped due to a loosening of gun laws in Missouri.
  • A shooter in Memphis, TN, kills 1 person and injures 4 more outside a nightclub.
  • A 19-year-old man opens fire in a bar on San Antonio’s River Walk, killing 2 people and injuring 5 more.

2. Ahead of a planned gun-rights rally on Martin Luther King Day in Richmond, VA, Governor Ralph Northam bans weapons on the state capital grounds for the day. He also declares a state of emergency due to threats from armed militias that they’ll storm the capital.

• • Officials are a bit edgy, given the comparisons to the Charlottesville rally. This week’s rally is to protest gun reform legislation going through Virginia’s legislature turns out to be peaceful.
  • Days before the rally, the FBI arrested three white supremacists—members of The Base—who were planning to usurp the rally to start a race war. One of the men is from Canada and is here illegally. The other two men harbored and armed him.
  • Three other members of The Base are arrested for a plot to kill Antifa members.
  • Trump adds fuel to the fire by tweeting, “They will take your guns away.” (None of the laws in progress will take anyone’s gun away unless they’re illegally owned under current laws.)

3. Several of the gun reform protestors come from out of state, fearing that changes to gun rules in VA will spread to other states. Here are the changes:

• • Universal background checks
  • Red flag laws (which allow law enforcement to protect people from themselves if they are deemed a threat)
  • Limiting handgun purchases to just one a month
  • A ban on assault-style rifles (but they won’t confiscate weapons that are currently legally owned)

4. Cities across the state vote to become sanctuary cities that don’t have to follow the state’s gun laws. In reality, localities can only do that for federal laws, not state ones. That’s why sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants are constitutional, but sanctuary cities to fight state gun laws are not.

Russia:

1. Not to be left out of impeachment issues, Russian military intelligence hackers target Ukrainian gas company Burisma, likely to find information on Hunter Biden. If they were successful, they can dump documents at any time to try to upend Joe Biden’s campaign.
2. Two weeks before sentencing, Michael Flynn wants to change his plea from guilty to not guilty. He pleaded guilty more than two years ago. How has he not done any jail time? Anyway, a judge needs to approve the change in plea.
3. The entire Russian government resigns after Putin proposes constitutional amendments designed to extend his time in power. One of the changes takes power away from the president and gives it to the prime minister, giving him the option of being prime minister with more powers once his presidential term ends in four years. You might remember he did the reverse when he became president.
4. Rod Rosenstein says he was the one who decided to release the text message between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok with the press. He says he did it to protect them from unfair criticism. Well, that kinda backfired.

• • Both Strzok and Page filed separate lawsuits against the Justice Department for the leak, saying it violated the Privacy Act.

Legal Fallout:

1. George Nader, a political donor and lobbyist, pleads guilty to sex crimes involving children. Nader was mixed up in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, and he’s currently indicted for a campaign finance fraud scheme with several other large donors who hid foreign donations to Democrats and Republicans.
2. Federal prosecutors in Washington are investigating James Comey again, this time over whether he leaked classified information to the press in 2017. Law enforcement officials express concern that their investigations are becoming politicized and worry that their own old cases could be opened up for political reasons.
3. Former GOP Representative Chris Collins receives a 26-month sentence after pleading guilty to insider trading.

Impeachment:

Including all this info just makes this too long, so I moved it out into its own post. You can skip right over to it if that’s your focus.

Courts/Justice:

1. The Trump administration asks the Supreme Court for the 23rd time in three years to let a new policy go into effect while cases against it work their way through the court. That’s nearly three times as many such requests as the previous TWO administrations made over 16 years.

Healthcare:

1. A Delta jet dumps fuel over a populated area in Los Angeles before making an emergency landing at LAX. They say they had to lighten their load for the landing. But they dumped the fuel over a playground full of children. Air Quality management inspects the air quality and issues a notice of violation to Delta due to complaints of health issues, like burning eyes and difficulty breathing.
2. Despite warnings that abortion can cause depression and regret, a new study finds that most women do not regret their decision to have the procedure and tend to feel relief instead of depression, even longterm.
3. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee says he’ll sign a bill that funds faith-based foster care and adoption agencies even if they discriminate against same-sex parents (or anyone else who violates their closely held beliefs).

• • The following states allow similar discrimination: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, North Dakota, Virginia, and Mississippi. Michigan had a similar law, but a lawsuit forced them to reverse it.

4. Consumer safety groups sue the USDA over Trump’s new rules for federal pork inspection practices, which reduce federal oversight and let the industry police itself.
5. The Supreme Court agrees to hear a case over whether employers with religious or moral objections can limit access to free contraception under the ACA.
6. Trump tells Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Housing, that he regrets taking action on that “fucking vaping thing.”

International:

1. Larry Kudlow, economic advisor to Trump, says that the administration plans to change global anti-bribery rules. Currently, American companies can’t pay bribes to secure overseas contracts. The rules are part of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which Trump has complained about and threatened to repeal. Experts say the act helps reduce corruption around the world.
2. A former member of the national security council says that if Britain doesn’t pull out of the JCPOA (Iran deal), a free-trade deal with the U.S. will be at risk.
3. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson supports Trump coming up with a new agreement to replace the JCPOA.
4. Johnson refuses Scotland’s demand for another referendum on Scottish independence. These guys honestly don’t believe in second chances. Voters wanted a second referendum on Brexit and didn’t get that either.
5. The British parliament has so far refused to give EU citizens physical proof of their right to remain in Britain after Brexit happens, leaving them up in the air once Brexit does occur.
6. Police arrest nearly 60 protestors in Paris during continued “yellow vest” demonstrations.
7. In Hong Kong, a rally is cut short when protestors and police clash. The Hong Kong protests have been losing a little momentum, and protestors worry they’re losing global attention.
8. Protests continue in India over their new anti-Muslim citizenship rules.
9. Clashes between police and protestors in Lebanon result in at least 70 people being injured. This week has been the most violent since the protests started there several months ago.
10. The State Department says that Russian trolls played a part in the political unrest in South America, including in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia. That could be part of why there’s so much global unrest right now.
11. U.S. intelligence agencies are trying to get Congress to stop holding the public portion of their annual Worldwide Threats briefing, where they discuss the biggest threats to our security. Trump blew up after last year’s open session, and officials don’t want to be seen as disagreeing with Trump in public. Because God forbid U.S. citizens should get the truth.
12. 350,000 Syrians flee a Russian-led assault in Syria’s Idlib province.

Iran:

1. France, Germany, and Britain trigger the resolution dispute clause of the JCPOA, which means that Iran has 60 days to come back into full compliance with the defined limits on nuclear development. If Iran doesn’t comply, the UN must reimpose sanctions.

• • Since Trump withdrew the U.S. from the JCPOA, European countries let Iran push the limits of the deal, hoping to save it.
  • The major objective of the three countries is to save the JCPOA because it was successful in preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
  • Russia calls this an “ill-considered decision” that could lead to escalation.
  • Trump had threatened tariffs up to 25% on European automobiles if they didn’t trigger the dispute.
  • Some European officials call this extortion. I say it goes to show that Trump will not stop abusing the power of his office.
  • Iranian President Rouhani had threatened danger for European troops in the Middle East if they did trigger the dispute.

2. Remember what a big deal it was that General Soleimani posed an imminent threat and that’s why the U.S. killed him? Now Trump says it doesn’t really matter whether there was an imminent threat or not.
3. Trump said Soleimani was going to blow up the Iraq embassy. Then Trump said that he was going to blow up other U.S. embassies as well. Now Trump says four embassies were targeted but doesn’t say which ones.
4. Mike Pompeo also changes his tune on the reasons for the strike, saying that the attack was part of a larger strategy to combat global threats. He previously said an attack from Soleimani was imminent.
5. Pompeo declines an invitation to attend a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing about Soleimani.
6. Both Trump and the Pentagon said last week that Iran’s strikes in retaliation for Soleimani’s killings resulted in no injuries. But 11 troops were injured, displaying symptoms of concussion and possible brain injuries. Trump later says that some service members had headaches. At least eight of the troops were medevaced to other countries better equipped to treat brain injuries.
7. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blames both Iran and the U.S. for the downing of a passenger jet carrying 57 Canadians.
8. Protests continue against the Iranian government for shooting down a passenger jet and then seeming to lie about it. Their chants went from “Death to America!” last week to “Death to the dictator!” this week.

• • People report that riot police are using tear gas and live ammunition.
  • Iran says they arrested dozens of people over the downing of the passenger plane, but some have been released.
  • Iran says that the root cause of the tragedy is the U.S. attack on Soleimani.
  • Last week, they said one person was responsible; but this week, President Rouhani says there were likely more people involved in the decision.
  • Russia says that Iran was spooked by rumors of the U.S. sending stealth fighters to Iran, and that’s why they shot down the plane.

9. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine says he has the necessary 51 votes to pass a resolution requiring Trump to get Congressional approval before making any more military moves against Iran. The House already passed such a measure.
10. Iran’s foreign minister cancels his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
11. Pompeo says that Iraqi leaders have told him they support keeping U.S. troops in the country, despite their public declarations of the opposite.
12. Trump gave the authorization to kill Soleimani seven months ago, but also had to approve this specific operation.
13. Drone and missile strikes by Iran-backed Houthis rebels in Yemen kill at least 80 Yemeni soldiers while they were in prayer at a mosque.

Travel Ban/Immigration/Discrimination:

1. A federal judge blocks Trump’s executive order allowing states and localities to refuse to settle any refugees. This means Texas and that county in northern Minnesota will have to let any refugee settlements go forward.
2. Virginia finally passes the Equal Rights Amendment, 44 years after Congress passed it. 97 years after it was first proposed. This makes Virginia the 38th state to pass it, the milestone needed to start the ratification process. There are still hurdles:

• • The deadline has passed to ratify the amendment, but it’s debatable whether that deadline is binding.
  • Other states have rescinded their ratifications, but there’s no provision for that in the constitution.
  • My great-grandma marched for women’s rights nearly 100 years ago. I wonder what she’d think if she knew we’re still marching for this shit?

3. Even though the annual march is getting smaller, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators show up to march in the fourth annual Women’s March in more than 200 cities around the world.
4. GOP legislators in Georgia, Kentucky, and Texas propose laws to ban minors from receiving gender transition care and to criminalize treatments that help with gender dysphoria.

• • People who support these bills argue that minors are too young to know and that this treatment is life-altering.
  • People who oppose these bills say that the children know and that starting early makes the transition easier.
  • Transgender health experts recommend just using puberty blockers and waiting until they’re older to explore hormones and surgery.

5. A GOP state representative in Missouri introduces a bill to establish parental review boards to decide on whether to allow drag queen story hour at libraries in the state. Librarians who don’t comply would face criminal charges.
6. Despite the low unemployment rate for Black Americans, 90% disapprove of Trump’s overall job performance and over 80% think he’s a racist and has made racism a bigger problem.

Climate:

1. Ocean temperatures hit a new high in 2019 and had the largest temperature increase in a single year over the past decade. Higher ocean temperatures mean more severe storms, harm to sea life, and disruptions to the water cycle that lead to flooding, drought, and wildfires.
2. Scientists at the EPA say that political appointees cut them out of the decision-making process when the EPA decided to reverse parts of the Clean Waters Act.
3. Even some of Trump’s appointed advisors disagree with the changes, say they go against scientific knowledge.
4. Despite the Trump administration’s opposition to managing climate change, investment in renewable energies increased by 28% in 2019.

Budget/Economy:

1. The U.S. and China sign their phase one trade deal. But we won’t cut any tariffs until after the election. What’s that about, I wonder?

• • As part of the agreement, the U.S. delists China as a currency manipulator.
  • New data continues to show that American consumers bore the brunt of the costs of the tariffs, not China.

2. The New York Fed announces it’ll decrease the amount of money it’s injecting into the repo market.
3. The Dow Jones closes above 29,000 for the first time, buoyed by the signing of the USMCA and phase one of the China trade deal, as well as by better than expected earnings and good reports in the retail sector.
4. The House votes to overturn a Trump rule that makes student loan forgiveness harder to obtain.

Elections:

1. Trump holds an election rally in Milwaukee, WI, on the same night as the Democratic presidential debate. He repeats his slew of lies—Obama gave Iran $1.8 billion (it was less, it wasn’t all held by the U.S., and it was their money), wages are growing for the first time in a long time (it started in 2014), the ISIS caliphate is 100% defeated (closer to 85%), late-term abortion means ripping babies out of the mother’s womb (that’s infanticide), Democrats started “catch and release” policies for undocumented immigrants (it started in 2001). And that’s just to name a few.
2. A Wisconsin judge orders state election commissioners to move ahead with purging more than 200,000 people from the voter rolls.

• • Republicans say these are voters who have moved or are deceased, while Democrats accuse them of trying to purge registered voters.
  • I say there’s a little truth to both. There’s no harm in keeping old voter records on the rolls, and these purges do largely hit people who have moved. But there are also mistakes, and people get removed who shouldn’t be. And then it’s up to volunteers to call those voters to make sure they know. And there’s no way to reach everyone.

3. But then a state appeals court puts the order on hold again, at least until the case goes through the courts.
4. The Florida Supreme Court upholds a ruling that convicted felons must pay off their fines and fees associated with their sentence before they can have their voting rights restored. Opponents say this amounts to an unconstitutional poll tax.

• • PSA: If you want to help Floridians get back their right to vote, you can donate here.

5. South Carolina election officials agree to change a rule that requires people to provide their full SSN to register to vote. Most states require just the last four digits.

Miscellaneous:

1. The National Archives receives harsh criticism after blurring images critical of Trump or referencing women’s anatomy. Whitewashing, as it were.
2. A new study finds that mayors face higher levels of physical and psychological abuse than people in the general workforce. This applies to both men and women, but women are much more likely to experience abuse, including abuse of a sexualized nature. Social media is the most common expression of that abuse.
3. Air Force General John Raymond is sworn in as chief of Space Operations, the top position in our new United States Space Force.
4. American history textbooks are customized by state, even though they come from the same publishers. Differences include gun rights discussions, racial histories, and immigration. Publishers feel caught in the middle of politics. I guess I’m not clear why they don’t present the truth at best, and at worst present pros and cons so students can learn how to talk about our differences.
5. A 17-year-old intern with NASA discovers a planet nearly seven times larger than the earth, and on just his third day there.