The first lawsuits challenging the FCC's repeal of net neutrality rules were filed Thursday, kicking off the next battle over how internet service providers handle the web traffic coursing through their networks.
Why now? The FCC's repeal was finally published in the Federal Register Thursday, which opened the floodgates to lawsuits and started the clock on a congressional effort to undo the FCC's decision.
After a long day of meetings and tweets, a rough sketch of a gun agenda has emerged from President Trump. And in Congress the tragically-predictable storyline that plays out after a mass shooting may about to be shaken up.
What we're watching: Senate staff and observers say next week's caucus lunches, where leadership takes the temperature of members, are going to be key. And if there is action on a gun bill, it's going to be a political shift largely thanks to the high school kids who have spoken up about gun violence.
At a meeting with state and local officials over school safety, President Trump claimed the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is getting no help from California in the fight against gangs like MS-13, and that he would consider pulling federal agents from the state to prove a point.
Yes, but: There is no evidence that the administration actually has plans to penalize California by withdrawing ICE officials, as the LA Times notes, but his remarks reflect growing frustration from the Justice Department about a lack of cooperation from sanctuary cities.
Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Francis Cissna sent an email to the agency's staff Thursday, obtained by Axios, announcing that they were changing the mission statement, the The Intercept first reported. The new mission statement excludes the phrase "a nation of immigrants."
Why it matters: Cracking down on illegal immigration while cutting back legal immigration have been high priorities in this administration — the mission statement change seems to reflect the President's agenda.
At a school safety meeting with state and local officials Thursday, President Trump doubled down on the notion that teachers should have concealed carry permits, and called for more security guards in schools. The president laid out the idea that teachers may receive "a little bit of a bonus" if they are trained and get a concealed carry permit. "I want my schools protected just like I want my banks protected," he said.
"Gun-free zones [are] like going in for the ice cream" for school shooters.
Going further: The president also warned of the influence of violence in video games and online saying, "we have to do something about maybe what they're seeing."
President Trump outlined his preferred gun control measures in a morning tweet, suggesting that he wants Congress to move forward on comprehensive background checks, an increase in the age for rifle ownership, and a bump stock ban.
The late Billy Graham was a crusader with staggering reach. In an excerpt adapted by TIME from the N.Y. Times bestseller, "The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House," Graham said of the U.S. presidents he knew:
I loved ’em all. I admired them all. I knew they had burdens beyond anything I could know or understand.
President Trump has a rare political superpower — he can get Republicans to do what seems like the impossible. He used this superpower to soften their opposition to Vladimir Putin, to instantly stir their distrust of the FBI, and embrace trillion-dollar deficits. No politician can move Rs to unthinkable places and provide more cover in the toughest of states or districts.
The big picture: Every few months, friends, family and advisers like Ivanka Trump, Rupert Murdoch and Gary Cohn fantasize Trump will tap his superpower as a force for good — to pass a big infrastructure bill, fight global warming, strike an epic immigration deal. Now, they dream of new gun controls to protect schools, kids and the innocent. He could, but he almost certainly won’t.
Pennsylvania Republicans are again asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block a congressional map issued by the state supreme court that would likely put several Republican-held seats in play for Democrats. In an emergency application filed late Wednesday, lawmakers claimed the Pennsylvania court overstepped its authority.
Why it matters: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that Pennsylvania's high court could move forward in redrawing the map. While the legal challenge was expected, it comes a day after the President Trump urged Republicans to appeal the new map. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled last month that the previous Republican-drawn map “clearly, plainly and palpably" illegally hurts Democrats.
The sheriff in Broward County, Florida, where 17 high schoolers were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, has said deputies will be allowed to carry rifles on school grounds, the Associated Press reports.
The backdrop: At a listening session at the White House on Wednesday, President Trump advocated for armed personnel to be in schools as a way to prevent school shootings.
Students and parents who have been affected by gun violence from Columbine, Sandy Hook and the latest school shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, among others, came face-to-face with President Trump on Wednesday giving emotional remarks and offering solutions to gun control in the U.S. at a listening session at the White House.
The FCC's repeal of net neutrality rules is set to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, finally making the roll-back of those rules official after the December party-line vote.
Why it matters: Publication in the Federal Register formally opens up the repeal to a court challenge by net neutrality supporters. It also starts the clock on Democrats' efforts to reverse the FCC's decision through the Congressional Review Act. Congress has a window of 60 legislative days to get the votes needed.
Yes, but: Even if enough lawmakers sign on to a CRA measure, it's doubtful that President Trump would sign it.
A new consensus of analysts assures us that we should not worry as automation dislodges up to hundreds of millions of white and blue collar workers across the planet over the coming years, since virtually all will find new jobs. But Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur and an early candidate for president in 2020, says those new jobs are already late — a dystopian age of automation is already here.
Quick take: Yang is a long shot, but his anti-robot message — coming not from a Luddite but from the tech world itself — resonates, especially when he seems to be tattling on his pals. He tells Axios that while experts and politicians debate the potential impact of robotization, his Silicon Valley friends are already angling to figure out how to make it happen faster so they can cash in.
Melania Trump's parents are legal permanent residents of the U.S. and "likely relied" on the process President Trump has referred to as "chain migration," and proposed ending, the Washington Post reports citing "people familiar with their status" and immigration experts.
Why it matters: Trump has suggested limiting immigration sponsorship to spouses and minor children. Per the Post, the first lady's Slovenia-born parents most likely relied on the broader policies currently in place to obtain their green cards.
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin blasted “subversive events” at his agency after conservative political appointees openly rebelled against him following the release of an inspector general’s report that found he had improperly brought his wife on a trip last year using a falsified email from his former chief of staff, per Politico. Shulkin paid back any outstanding sums, allowing him to maintain the White House’s political backing for now.
Why it matters: As reported by Politico, the White House has given Shulkin their support to "quash an internal rebellion." Top Trump administration officials — from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to former HHS Secretary Tom Price — have faced media scrutiny over their use of travel expenses, but this is the first time that other Trump appointees have used such a controversy to voice their displeasure.
President Trump has told associates that he doesn’t think high school kids should be able to buy guns, and is open to the idea of imposing a minimum purchase age of 21 for guns like those used in the Florida high school massacre, a source close to the president said.
But, but, but: The source cautioned that the conversations with the president have been relatively loose and open-ended so far. Nothing has been decided, or is close to decided, on the age question.
Senate Democrats are generally from states with higher immigrant populations than Senate Republicans, partially explaining why the effort to pass an immigration bill tanked last week. The exception, however, are the handful of Democrats from red states — who are almost all up for re-election this year.
Robert Mueller's indictment against 13 Russians involved with the St. Petersburg–based Internet Research Agency (IRA) reveals that the organization was much more than a social media "troll farm." Rather, it was the hub of a multi-layered, methodical and well-funded intelligence operation against the United States.
Why it matters: The Kremlin, heavily staffed by former KGB and FSB intelligence officers, has adapted its old "chaos strategy" for the digital age. And cyber-fueled political warfare is cheaper, more efficient and far more difficult to contain.
Democrat Linda Belcher won a special election to represent Kentucky's 49th district in the state House Tuesday. She was elected 68–32 in a district that President Trump won 72–23 in 2016, per the Washington Post.
The backdrop: Belcher was first elected in 2008 and then unseated by Republican pastor Dan Johnson. In December 2017, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting uncovered an incident in which Johnson allegedly molested a 17-year-old girl. Johnson's seat became open after he committed suicide amid the scandal. Belcher's opponent in the special election was Johnson's widow, Rebecca.
The trend: Every local race is different, but we've now seen a number of big swings around the country toward the Democrats.
