A Virginia post office is to be named for fallen U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan after President Trump signed a bill into law, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: Trump fought with Khan's parents, Khizr and Ghazala, during the 2016 campaign after Khizr Khan criticized him at the Democratic National Convention.
The UN’s special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants has submitted a formal request for an investigation into the death of Jakelin Caal Maquin, a seven-year-old Guatemalan migrant who died of dehydration and shock while in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection earlier this month, The Guardian reports.
The big picture: The UN watchdog, Felipe González Morales, told The Guardian that the Trump administration must abide by international obligations to protect the rights of migrants who arrive at the border, especially children. Part of what led Morales to call for an independent, "in-depth" inquiry is that key facts of the case — including the state of Maquin's health when she was taken into custody and whether she and her father were offered water — have been disputed by CBP.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin confirmed in a statement that he spent much of Sunday speaking to bank executives about liquidity in the market, which followed a CNN report that he reassured them Trump doesn't plan on firing Fed chair Jerome Powell.
Why it matters: It's unclear Trump would have the legal authority to take such action. Such a move would also undermine international faith in the Fed.
President Trump has signed the First Step Act into law, bringing reform to federal prisons and sentencing laws influenced by the war on drugs.
Why it matters: In an era of extreme partisanship, the bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House. The new law will send thousands of inmates home immediately, and opens up the possibility for thousands more to reduce their sentences.
Bob Corker, this morning: "This is a made up fight so the president can look like he’s fighting, but even if he wins, our borders are going to be insecure."
President Trump, this afternoon: "Senator Bob Corker just stated that, 'I’m so priveledged to serve in the Senate for twelve years, and that’s what I told the people of our state that’s what I’d do, serve for two terms.' But that is Not True - wanted to run but poll numbers TANKED when I wouldn’t endorse him....."
Days after announcing the U.S. would exit Syria, President Trump tweeted:
I just had a long and productive call with President @RT_Erdogan of Turkey. We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area. After many years they are coming home. We also discussed heavily expanded Trade.
Why it matters: Turkey is also the country that was most active in sharing information about the Saudi killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Unlike other world leaders, Erdogan has not publicly commented on the U.S.'s exit, but has said Turkey will continue to bring peace in Syria. Though the U.S. has fought next to the Kurdish militia in Syria, Turkey sees them as a terrorist group.
President Trump lashed out at acting attorney general Matt Whitaker twice in the past few weeks when he found out Whitaker is overseeing the Trump-related charges Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to, CNN's Laura Jarrett and Pamela Brown report.
Why it matters, from an email to Axios by MSNBC analyst Matt Miller: "It is Trump’s worst intervention at DOJ since he took office. Far worse than his interventions with Comey. He is both a subject of this investigation ... and he’s pressuring an official he hand-picked and whose entire future depends on him."
Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan will become the acting secretary on January 1, President Trump tweeted on Sunday.
Why it matters: This is two months earlier than Secretary James Mattis announced last week, a delay meant to ensure a smooth transition. While Trump initially praised Mattis after announcing his exit, the secretary's stark letter seems to have turned Trump, who has since publicly criticized Mattis.
On CNN’s “State of the Union," outgoing Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) criticized President Trump for politicizing the partial government shutdown into “a made-up fight so that the president could look like he’s fighting."
President Trump's incoming acting chief of staff says Mexico won't "exactly" pay for the wall, clarified that Trump "now" knows he can't fire the Fed chair and predicted the partial government shutdown will last into 2019.
The big picture: MickMulvaney is attempting to clarify the Trump administration's messaging from the White House's hectic statements that led up to what is now partial government shutdown.
The day aftera New York Times editorial suggested President Trump is having a breakdown, White House correspondents Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman go deep inside the West Wing as he approaches two years.
Driving the news: "In recent days, Mr. Trump has asked aides whether he can fire Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chairman he appointed, telling advisers that Mr. Powell will 'turn me into Hoover,' a reference to the Great Depression-era president."
Floating possible future defenses, Rudy Giuliani is invoking Republican overreach against Bill Clinton in arguing that President Trump's use of hush money during the campaign is "a non-crime."
What he's saying: The comparison, Giuliani told me, is "an extraordinary intrusion into what we regard as our private lives."
