Roshaan Wasim  //  2/1/19  //  Daily Update

President Trump says he will let the Justice Department decide whether to release the report to be issued at the close of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. The Senate rebukes President Trump over troop withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan. President Trump offers a pessimistic assessment of congressional negotiations over border security funding. Hundreds show up for immigration court hearings that turn out not to exist. President Trump pushes back against his own “naive” intelligence officials. The Trump Administration proposes big changes in how prescription drugs are priced.

TRUMP: INVESTIGATIONS AND LITIGATION

President Trump says he will let the Justice Department decide whether to release the report to be issued at the close of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation (NYT).

Robert Mueller requests more time to prepare for Roger Stone trial (The Hill).

IMMIGRATION

President Trump offers a pessimistic assessment of congressional negotiations over border security funding (WaPo).

• The National Emergencies Act was never meant for something like President Trump’s wall, writes Gerald S. Dickinson at the Washington Post.

Hundreds show up for immigration court hearings that turn out not to exist (WaPo).

Asylum seekers are being sent back to Mexico from the U.S. under a Trump Administration policy (LA Times).

An undocumented worker who was a maid at President Trump’s golf course will attend the State of the Union (LA Times).

DEMOCRACY

Democrats ask if the Trump Administration misspent funds during the shutdown (WSJ).

JUSTICE AND SAFETY

The Senate rebukes President Trump over troop withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan (NYT).

President Trump pushes back against his own “naive” intelligence officials (NYT).

• President Trump’s moves against the intelligence community are hurting U.S. national security, write John Sipher and Benjamin Haas at Just Security.

President Trump says there’s a “good chance” the U.S. will reach a trade deal with China (NYT).

President Trump congratulates Venezuela’s opposition leader (WSJ).

• The U.S. needs to stay out of Venezuela, writes Patrick Iber at the New York Times.
• U.S. push to oust Venezuela’s president marks the first shot in a plan to reshape Latin America, write Jessica Donati, Vivian Salama, and Ian Talley at the Wall Street Journal.

President Trump says date and location set for summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un (WSJ).

U.S. weighs new Russia sanctions over the detention of Ukrainian soldiers (WSJ). 

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani tells President Trump that the Kabul government is willing to help cut U.S. troop costs (WSJ).

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The disclosure of presidential tax returns will be the subject of a February 7 House hearing (WaPo).

REGULATION

President Trump signs an executive order to help U.S. manufacturers and “Trump People” (NYT).

Net neutrality rollback faces legal challenges testing the Trump Administration’s agenda (WSJ). 

Trump Administration proposes big changes in how prescription drugs are priced (WaPo).

FEDERALISM

Federal governments to seize more control over New York City public housing (NYT).

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