The Hill Articles: December 20, 2018

Senate Dem calls on Mattis to testify following resignation Ethics committee expanding investigation into GOP rep over finance questions Hirono: Trump trying to blame Democrats for shutdown would be ‘such bullsh-t’ Court delays discovery in Trump emoluments case GOP lawmaker doubts government workers live paycheck to paycheck Biden on Mattis resignation: Trump admin has ‘abandoned’ core American beliefs McConnell ‘distressed’ over reasons for Mattis resignation Judge rules plaintiffs suing Trump over sham businesses can remain anonymous Founder of viral fundraiser Trump’s border wall previously promoted conspiracy theories: report Michigan’s GOP-led legislature votes to increase its power ahead of Dem takeover Top Kelly aide devised plan to quietly exit White House and stay on payroll: report Graham: Afghanistan withdrawal would be ‘paving the way toward a second 9/11’ Schumer: House-passed border wall bill dead in the Senate US will close base in Syria that Russia complained about Freeway in Los Angeles renamed ‘President Barack H. Obama Highway’ Overnight Defense: Mattis stuns Washington with resignation | Letter highlights differences with Trump | Dems call exit ‘scary’ and ‘bad news’ | Trump defends Syria withdrawal | New reports say Trump weighing Afghan drawdown House passes stopgap bill with $5B in funding for Trump’s wall GoFundMe campaign to buy ‘ladders’ created to counter one for Trump’s border wall Pelosi: I am shaken by resignation of Mattis Overnight Energy: Trump plan could open Alaska’s Arctic region to drilling by next summer | States sue over offshore drilling tests | Lawmakers fail to pass lands bill this year Wolf Blitzer tells Stephen Miller to calm down: ‘We don’t have to yell’ Dems say Mattis’s departure is ‘scary’ and ‘bad news’ Overnight Health Care — Presented by the National Taxpayers Union — Tobacco giant Altria invests nearly $13 billion in e-cig maker Juul | Hatch urges colleagues to oppose Trump drug pricing proposal | Anti-abortion groups keep up pressure on HHS George Conway: ‘Speaks volumes’ that Mattis did not praise Trump in resignation Rubio: Mattis resignation shows US headed toward ‘grave policy errors’ White House: Trump will not travel to Florida if government shuts down Uber’s self-driving cars back on roads less than year after fatal accident GOP lawmaker hits Trump after news of Mattis resignation: ‘That’s what happens when you ignore sound military advice’ Donor launching super PAC to boost Booker ahead of possible 2020 run House passes year-end tax package Thousands sign petition calling on Disney to drop ‘hakuna matata’ trademark Mattis acknowledges differences with Trump in resignation letter House passes rule to move forward with CR Hillicon Valley: Trump DOJ charges Chinese hackers | House Intel to give Roger Stone transcript to Mueller | Senators lift hold on FCC commish | Slack deactivates Iran-linked accounts | Dem lawmaker calls on Facebook to fire Zuckerberg Senate eyes possible Friday government funding vote Trump’s immigration rhetoric has ‘chilling effect’ on families, says children’s advocacy group director READ: Defense Secretary Mattis’s resignation letter GOP lawmaker: Risk of work without pay is what government workers signed up for DOJ probing largest operator of migrant children shelters: report Ex-Senate Intel staffer James Wolfe sentenced to two months in jail Dietary guidelines: Blame Big Food, not government, for unhealthy eating Trump considering major drawdown in US troops in Afghanistan: reports Mattis resigns, says views aren’t in line with Trump’s GOP candidate who drove ‘deportation bus’ indicted on insurance fraud charges Doug Jones calls for investigation into disinformation campaign during his Senate run Pollster says 2020 polls are only about name recognition at this point On The Money: Latest on shutdown risk | Trump digs in on wall funding | House GOP looks to move $5.7B for border wall | GOP senators stunned | Stocks plunge amid Washington chaos Russia, Iran and Turkey will step into vacuum US leaves in Syria Pollster says shutdown threat highlights public’s worries about government Limbaugh: Trump gave word he’ll veto any bill without border wall money GOP seeks to ram through Trump’s $5B wall demand Pelosi bid to force vote on funding bill fails Trump officially legalizes industrial hemp The scale of abuse against women on Twitter is shocking Public opinion analyst says partisanship is strikingly noticeable on Russia probe polls Gladys West, the ‘hidden figure’ of GPS, inducted into Air Force hall of fame Judiciary Democrats want Whitaker to testify in 2019 Drone sightings shut down Gatwick airport, leaving thousands stranded When military justice is injustice  In Tijuana, asylum seekers sleep in the mud, without needed food, restrooms or medical care Trump digs in on demand for wall funding, raising shutdown risk GOP rep says Dems want to hand Trump a government shutdown Poll: Americans support Mueller expanding probe beyond Russia allegations Kansas GOP senator Pat Roberts considering retirement in 2020 Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley: Americans should support Trump ‘or go move to another country’ Trump tweets video of 2005 ‘Green Acres’ Emmy Awards performance to hype farm bill signing Withdrawal from Syria … faster, please Planned Parenthood employees accuse organization of mistreating pregnant workers House budget chairman says government shutdown remains up in the air Dem senator: Barr gave memo to White House ‘almost as an attempt to solicit’ AG position GOP lawmaker: Trump’s video on Syria troop withdrawal ‘really kind of tacky’ Why Women’s March co-founders were drawn to Farrakhan’s lies Trump shutdown moves leave GOP senators in disbelief Grijalva calls for ‘unvarnished’ investigation into death of Guatemalan girl at border Trump hits Graham over his criticism of Syria troop withdrawal House passes criminal justice overhaul, sending it to Trump Congress is still breaking the law to hurt indigenous people, hundreds of years later Lamar Alexander: He gives politicians a good name Alaska mayor, mother die after being struck by tour bus on trip to DC Ohio city settles with black man arrested after making fun of cops DHS secretary: Mary and Joseph would have been eligible for asylum The trade issue nobody is talking about Pennsylvania police investigating threatening letters sent to minorities signed ‘Donald and his Crew’ Sun Belt likely to take House seats from Rust Belt after next census Russia communicated with US Treasury officials through Gmail backchannel during 2016 campaign: report Gutiérrez delivers blistering criticism of DHS chief over immigration Stocks plunge amid shutdown chaos in Washington Graham plans resolution urging Trump to change mind on Syria Trump’s Middle East policy looks a lot like Obama’s — that’s not a good thing Pelosi says she was ‘busy doing other things’ during Ryan farewell speech Trump tells GOP he won’t sign stopgap, threatening shutdown Alabama police department blames ‘young people’ who ’embraced Satan’ for homicides GOP rep says government needs to help telecom industry invest in 5G Outgoing GOP chairman urges colleagues to oppose Trump drug pricing proposal Slack shutting down user accounts with links to Iran Rosenstein defends AG nominee Barr, says Mueller probe will be ‘handled appropriately’ Tech exec says merging 5G, artificial intelligence will allow cities to develop Citi names new head for DC lobbying team It’s time to rethink our national drug policy Latest Trump plans would open Alaskan Arctic to drilling by next summer East Coast states sue to challenge Trump’s offshore oil move Trump’s Hollywood star vandalized again — this time with swastikas What America’s Thinking: December 20, 2018 California asks federal judge to block Trump contraception rule Senators lift hold on FCC commissioner Tech expert says merging 5G and artificial intelligence will make humans better problem solvers Duckworth warns against country turning into ‘war zone’ of gun violence The Hill’s 12:30 Report — GOP scrambles to avoid shutdown | Right-wing revolts | Trump to meet lawmakers at White House Family of Otto Warmbier seeks $1 billion from North Korea in wrongful death suit Watch live: Trump discusses shutdown at signing ceremony for farm bill Save the world with green infrastructure No border wall money may mean more border troops Schumer: ‘Temper tantrum’ won’t give GOP border wall Grijalva says term ‘progressive’ is ‘in the eyes of the beholder’ Ocasio-Cortez on France ‘yellow vests’ protests: ‘Just solution will come from bottom up’ Pelosi vows Dem help after GOP ‘meltdown’ on spending bills DNC announces a dozen primary debates ahead of 2020 Trump’s Africa strategy warrants skepticism Conservative writer Max Boot says there is no crisis at the border Ryan staffers heading to K Street Michelle Obama makes a splash with $4,000 designer boots House Intel votes to release Roger Stone transcript to Mueller Supreme Court should do what Congress won’t: Rein in the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Trump to meet with House GOP as frustration builds San Francisco mayor seeks early release of brother from prison Parkland shooting selected as top Associated Press news story of 2018 Judge rules Harvey Weinstein sexual assault case can move forward Tobacco giant Altria invests nearly $13 billion in Juul Whitaker will not recuse himself in Mueller probe despite ethics advice: reports DHS to make migrants wait in Mexico while asylum claims processed Huckabee mocks CNN for having made reporter who fabricated stories its 2014 journalist of the year: ‘Karma!’ Why the FIRST STEP Act shouldn’t be the last There’s not much the Fed can do to soothe crabby markets DOJ charges Chinese nationals in cyber espionage campaign ‘Human error’ let Amazon Alexa user listen to another’s recordings: report Sacha Baron Cohen throws cold water on second season of ‘Who Is America?’ Ex-Trump social media director: I said ‘oh no’ when Trump figured out how to tweet Trump vents frustration over wall funding, fueling uncertainty over shutdown De Blasio to support legalizing recreational marijuana in New York ‘Fox & Friends’ co-host calls out Trump on Syria: ‘Nobody thinks ISIS is defeated’ Annual ‘Dingell Jingle’ mocks Trump for lack of wall funding Schumer tells Trump to drop attorney general pick over Mueller criticism Amid tech industry backlash, both sides need to give a little Video shows Pelosi singing at Crowley goodbye party GOP scrambles to prevent shutdown after right-wing insurrection Large majority says US more divided since Trump took office: poll Koch groups knock Trump, congressional leaders over inaction on Dreamers Top Utah paper knocks Chaffetz as he mulls run for governor: ‘His political career should be over’ Middle East expert says he worries Turkey influenced Trump’s Syria decision Boundless: Artificial intelligence and 5G Hoyer: Trump decision on Syria ‘irresponsible and dangerous’ Journalist admits fabricating story about town with ‘Mexicans Keep Out’ sign VA leadership must step up and look at more meaningful reforms Mika Brzezinski on Trump pulling troops out of Syria: ‘The world order might be at stake’ US, allies to condemn China for espionage Middle East expert says Trump’s troop withdrawal from Syria is ‘mayhem-inducing’ Michelle Obama says presidential bar lowered for Trump Dems say Trump is defying court order by pushing abstinence programs Brennan blasts Trump’s ‘wrong-headed’ and ‘dangerous’ Syria decision Nunchucks are once again legal in New York after state law banning them overturned in court Children Defense Fund Director MaryLee Allen says the number of children without insurance is on the rise ‘Crisis of national security’ demands increased defense spending Panel: Judge strikes down much of Trump’s asylum policy Former conservative writer Max Boot discusses why he left the GOP Grijalva discusses what it means to be progressive What are the implications of a U.S. withdrawal from Syria? GOP politicians blast Trump for saying he’ll withdraw troops from Syria Don Lemon shows 1999 clip of Trump saying ‘nobody knows more about campaign finance’ than him Judge approves deal to close Trump Foundation American children are getting a raw deal under GOP leadership Joint Chiefs chairman was in the dark about Trump Syria pullout: report US population growing at slowest rate since 1937 Facebook shuts down fake news sites in Bangladesh ahead of elections Yemeni mom blocked by Trump travel ban now in US to see dying son Should law enforcement conduct morality tests on Americans? Trump: Talk about wall a distraction from ‘great job’ Border Patrol, ICE and military is doing Graham: Saying ISIS is defeated in Syria is ‘fake news’ Farm bill’s expansion of trade opportunities between the US and Cuba historic and mutually beneficial Key US ally in Syria: ISIS ‘has not been defeated’ Rising: December 20, 2018 Careful, some holiday donations can land you in jail France staying in Syria to fight ISIS, surprised by Trump decision Trump stops following Ann Coulter on Twitter after ‘joke presidency’ comments North Korea: US must eliminate ‘nuclear threat’ Putin supports Trump’s move to withdraw troops from Syria: ‘I agree with him’ Putin warns: Don’t underestimate nuclear war threat How Russian relations could spell the end of the US space program Trump administration eyes tighter food stamp restrictions Why the First Step Act shouldn’t be the last Trump defends withdrawal from Syria: ‘Do we want to be there forever?’ The Hill’s Morning Report – Congress readies spending punt into 2019 Deals and disorder preview 2019 Pro-business Dem group hits record membership Fight brews over felons’ voting rights in Florida GOP trading fancy offices, nice views for life in minority New chairman looks to improve RSC’s messaging in minority Senate poised to kick land bill fight to January