In a stringoftweets on Thursday evening, President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen emphatically denied an unconfirmed report from McClatchy that claims signals from his cell phone were detected around Prague, Czech Republic, during summer 2016.
"I hear #Prague #CzechRepublic is beautiful in the summertime. I wouldn’t know as I have never been. #Mueller knows everything!"
Why it matters: The infamous Steele dossier, a document that describes alleged coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, claims that Cohen secretly met with Kremlin officials in Prague at that time. Cohen has continuously denied ever having traveled to Prague — famously tweeting a photo of his passport in early 2017 — and continues to do so even after providing extensive cooperation to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) advised House members Thursday that a vote on a short-term spending bill to end the partial government shutdown is not expected to be held this week, pending any Senate action.
Why it matters: It appears likely that the partial government shutdown will continue at least until next week — and perhaps into 2019. The newly elected Democratic-led House is set to take office on Jan. 3.
Michelle Obama unseated Hillary Clinton as the most admired woman in the U.S., claiming the title alongside her husband, former President Barack Obama, who has remained the most admired man for 11 straight years, according to Gallup's annual poll.
The big picture: Clinton held the title of most admired woman for 17 consecutive years, but this year was surpassed by both Obama and Oprah Winfrey. President Trump came in second place for the fourth year in a row, marking only the 13th time — and Trump's second — that a sitting president didn't top the list since its inception in 1946.
Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Wednesday that Democrats plan to investigate the deaths of 8-year-old migrant Felipe Gomez Alonzo and 7-year-old Jakelin Caal in Customs and Border Patrol custody once Democrats take control of the House next month.
Why it matters: Felipe had been held in detention long past CBP's stated limit of 72 hours, and Jakelin was held in a center without running water, AP reports. But Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen blamed the deaths on "a system that prevents parents who bring their children on a dangerous illegal journey from facing consequences for their actions." Another House Democrat from Texas, Rep. Henry Cuellar, told AP the U.S. should examine funding more detention alternatives, like ankle bracelets.
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump made an unannounced visit to American troops serving in Iraq late on Christmas night, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday.
Why it matters: This is Trump's first visit to a war zone as president, 23 months after he took office. It comes just one week after Trump announced he would be withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria and that the Islamic State's territorial caliphate had been defeated, prompting Defense Secretary James Mattis and anti-ISIS envoy Brett McGurk to resign in protest.
The Trump administration is appealing a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Jon Tigar that extends a block on a proclamation President Trump signed in November that would bar migrants who illegally cross the border from seeking asylum, CNN reports.
The big picture: The Supreme Court upheld the federal judge's ruling last week with a 5-4 vote ruling against the administration. The administration will be appealing through the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Tigar originally ruled that the order from Trump "irreconcilably conflicts" with current immigration law and issued a temporary restraining order on it.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection ordered medical checks on every child in its custody Wednesday after an 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died, the second death of a child immigrant under the agency's watch this month, the AP reports.
The big picture: CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said Wednesday that the agency has more than 1,500 emergency medical technicians on hand, and that officers are taking dozens of sick immigrant children to hospitals every day. “This is an extraordinarily rare occurrence,” McAleenan told CBS. "It’s been more than a decade since we’ve had a child pass away anywhere in a CBP process, so this is just devastating for us.” The number of children in the agency's care is unknown, a CPB spokesperson said Tuesday, but the agency is reaching out to other government agencies to help with medical assistance.
The weekend and federal holidays are over, making Wednesday the first full business day after the partial government shutdown.
Why it matters: Progress on a spending deal has yet to be made between President Trump and Congress after the shutdown began at midnight last Friday, the AP reports. Trump was still adamant Tuesday that the shutdown will remain until Democrats agree to fund the U.S.-Mexico border. About 25% of the government, or some 800,000 government workers, are directly affected by the shutdown.
