On Friday, Texas Federal District Judge Andrew Hanen decided against halting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program because Texas and the other states who sued to have it ended waited too long to file.
Why it matters: The decision is a blow to the Trump administration, which could have used an injunction against other federal courts who have kept the program alive, despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions' attempt to end it last year. DACA recipients are able to continue applying for 2-year renewals, but it is not final solution — Hanen strongly suggested that it was not unlikely for DACA to ultimately be found in violation of the law and discontinued.
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said a "win-win-win" deal is still possible between the United States, Canada and Mexico despite President Trump's unwillingness to bend in negotiations with Canada.
Why it matters: When asked about Trump's comments that he is reluctant to offer Canada any concessions, Freeland said her negotiating counterpart, Ambassador Robert Lightheizer, has brought "good faith and good will" to the table. She hesitated to bring up specific sticking points holding up negotiations, but said that "Canada will only sign a deal which is a good deal for Canada."
Members of Congress and the president's cabinet gathered Friday morning with the McCain family to honor Sen. John McCain's life in a ceremony under the Capitol Dome. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the service.
“This is one of the bravest souls our nation has ever produced.”
— Speaker Paul Ryan on what he will want his children to know about John McCain
It has never been a better time to be a large American company, with stocks at record highs and corporate taxes at 60+ year lows. But with great success comes great scrutiny, and big business is now getting hammered by both sides of the political aisle.
Why it matters: The rhetorical heat is only going to intensify as we head into the midterms.
A new survey by the left-leaning Public Policy Polling found that 67% of Republicans and 33% of independents think the Mueller investigation should be shut down, and 80% of Republicans agree it's a witch hunt.
Why it matters: Trump's ultimate goal has been to discredit Mueller's work — and it appears to be working.
Most Americans are more supportive of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions than they are of President Trump, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
By the numbers: Mueller and Sessions are the most frequent subjects of the president's attacks. But despite Trump's criticism, 63% of those surveyed say they are in favor of Mueller's investigation, and 62% take Sessions' side in the Trump vs. Sessions war of words. Meanwhile, 60% say they disapprove of how Trump is handling the presidency.
With speculation hot among the president's legal team that today could be a day for action by Bob Mueller (last working day before Labor Day), remember all the evidence the special counsel has — or could have — that we haven't seen.
Why it matters, fromBob Bauer, former White House counsel to President Obama, and now an NYU Law professor: "Investigators have the skills and resources to turn up evidence, including witness testimony, that goes beyond what anyone on the outside can imagine in the daily speculation about the Mueller probe."
Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum, who won the Democratic primary for Florida governor, raised more than $1 million the day following his historic Tuesday night victory, per The Hill.
The details: Gillum, 39, is the first African American to win a major party nomination for Florida governor. The cash flow to his campaign comes after Gillum’s Republican opponent, Rep. Ron DeSantis, said a "socialist agenda" in Florida would "monkey this up" referencing progress under GOP leadership in Florida. The remark, which many viewed as a racist dog whistle, prompted widespread backlash.
For weeks, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been barraged with pointed questions relating to his judicial record as Republican prepare him through a series of mock hearings ahead of what is set to be a fierce political showdown at next week's confirmation hearing, reports the Washington Post.
The details: The private sessions were designed by the White House in an effort to get Kavanaugh confirmed. The hearings to fill the seat left by the retirement of Justice Kennedy is expected to be a tense showdown, specifically with Democrats — a reflection of their determination to sink his nomination — even though they have very few options to derail it. The questions range from his view on abortion rights to executive power and his time in the Bush White House, the Post details.
In an interview with Bloomberg, President Trump threatened to pull out of the World Trade Organization "if they don't shape up" and give the United States better treatment.
The big picture: Trump has previously said he was not actively looking to pull out of the WTO, but has lobbied for better treatment of the United States in the past. Axios previously reported that Trump had been privately saying he wanted to withdraw from the WTO and later obtained a draft of a bill declaring the U.S.' abandonment of fundamental WTO rules.
President Trump told Bloomberg on Thursday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions' job is safe until after the midterm elections, but he declined to say whether he'd keep Sessions beyond November.
Former Vice President Joe Biden gave an emotional tribute to Sen. John McCain at his service in North Phoenix Baptist Church on Thursday, referring to him as a "gentle giant" who fought for civility in politics, even when certain sides disagreed.
Key quote: Biden emphasized that, for McCain, politics were not most important — it was the underlying values that mattered. He "could not stand the abuse of power wherever he saw it, in whatever form, in whatever country,” Biden said.
In a letter sent to House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday, President Trump announced that a majority of civilian federal employees will not receive pay increases next year, undoing the original 2.1% pay increase that was set to take effect in 2019.
The details: The president explained the change is an effort "to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases." No change has been announced for pay increases of military troops, which are still on track to receive a 2.6% bump according to the Military Times, marking their biggest pay raise since 2009. Congress can effectively reverse the decision by passing a spending bill that includes a federal pay raise.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham said during a CBS This Morning interview Thursday that the manner in which President Trump handled the death of Sen. John McCain this week was "disturbing" and the way Trump speaks about McCain "pisses" him off "to no end."
The big picture: President Trump has said he doesn’t think McCain is a war hero because he likes "people who weren't captured," he’s left McCain’s name out when lauding a bill named after him, and upon his passing, the White House lowered its flags to half-staff to honor McCain, but only temporarily. The flags are at half-staff again and will remain that way until McCain’s burial this weekend.
The share of the U.S. population made up by immigrants has returned to the levels at the turn of the 20th century — although the makeup of today's immigrant population looks very different.
Why it matters: As we saw a century ago, and are witnessing again now, immigration brings needed labor and economic benefits, but is often met with backlash from those who fear the America they know is slipping away.
