TRUMP SHUTDOWN - Drags On

As my followers may expect, I am for the stance of Democrats on this issue.  If for nothing else the consequences of giving in to a blackmailer.  Trump will use this tactic again and again if we give into him on holding America hostage to his (ego boosting) wall.

The wall is a separate issue that can be negotiated later.

"The political and personal fallout from the government shutdown" PBS NewsHour 1/7/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  President Trump plans to address the nation Tuesday on immigration and his plan for a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico, which he will visit this later week.  Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Amna Nawaz to discuss the administration’s belief that the situation at the border constitutes a humanitarian and security crisis and how Americans are suffering due to the shutdown.

"Shutdown delays home loans, and missing paychecks can mean deferred medical care" PBS NewsHour 1/8/2019

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SUMMARY:  It’s day 18 of the government shutdown, and its impact is rippling across the country.  In rural communities, some people trying to buy homes won't be able to without access to government-backed mortgages.  Also, one federal contractor not working shares her story of having to delay vehicle and dental expenses while she and her furloughed husband miss their paychecks.  Judy Woodruff has the story.

"White House meeting concludes with ‘2 completely different stories,’ no progress" PBS NewsHour 1/9/2019

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SUMMARY:  President Trump called a Wednesday meeting with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a “total waste of time.”  While Democrats and Republicans differ on what took place during the meeting, it's clear that no resolution to the shutdown is imminent.  Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest dynamics in the ongoing stalemate.

"Panetta: Shutdown is ‘punishing innocent people’" PBS NewsHour 1/9/2019

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SUMMARY:  The ongoing government shutdown is not the first time a political stalemate has caused federal agencies to close and workers to go without paychecks.  Leon Panetta, who was White House chief of staff during a shutdown under President Clinton, tells Judy Woodruff why reopening the government is the top priority and that there's "no excuse" for failing to do so, plus how Democrats can negotiate.

"Rep. Collins: By packaging shutdown with wall funding, Trump is ‘putting Americans first’" PBS NewsHour 1/9/2019

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SUMMARY:  Some House Republicans have voted to separate wall funding from bills that would reopen the government.  But Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga) tells Judy Woodruff that the “vast majority” of congressional Republicans want to keep the government shutdown tied to funding a border wall, and that he believes Democrats are prioritizing the well-being of people crossing the border illegally over Americans.

"Shutdown stalls immigration courts already facing a ‘tremendous backlog’ of cases" PBS NewsHour 1/9/2019

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SUMMARY:  The government shutdown over funding a southern border wall has largely disabled the system that processes immigration cases.  Most cases in immigration courts, which are already overburdened, have been delayed indefinitely.  Judge Dana Leigh Marks, former President of the National Association of Immigration Judges, describes to Amna Nawaz the shutdown's “devastating impact.”

"With the government shutdown, American scientific progress is disrupted" PBS NewsHour 1/9/2019

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SUMMARY:  Even scientists who don’t work for the government, but receive federal money for research and grants, are among the hundreds of thousands of Americans affected by the government shutdown, now in its 19th day.  That means important work and research may be put on hold, or even canceled.  William Brangham talks to Rush Holt, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for details.

"As shutdown drags on, ‘interesting dynamics’ appear on Capitol Hill" PBS NewsHour 1/10/2019

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SUMMARY:  The fight over the government shutdown remains at a stalemate, 20 days after some federal agencies closed.  President Trump traveled to Texas Thursday to visit the Mexico border, meeting with members of the U.S. Border Patrol.  Meanwhile, protesters across the country urged an end to the shutdown.  Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor tell Judy Woodruff why there are still few signs of optimism.

"Is the government shutdown making American food unsafe?" PBS NewsHour 1/10/2019

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SUMMARY:  Due to the shutdown, the Food and Drug Administration has stopped safety inspections of foods such as fruits, vegetables and seafood, while inspectors overseeing meat and poultry production remain on the job without pay.  What does this reduced monitoring mean for the safety of our nation's food supply?  Sarah Sorscher of the Center for Science in the Public Interest joins Amna Nawaz to discuss.

"Shutdown impact: FBI pay, NTSB accident investigations" PBS NewsHour 1/10/2019

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SUMMARY:  As federal employees affected by the shutdown miss their first paycheck of the year, the FBI Agents Association warned the shutdown could indirectly jeopardize security clearances.  Also, the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates accidents around the country soon after they happen, has had to indefinitely delay a number of those investigations.  Judy Woodruff has the story.

LIE!
"As federal workers miss first paycheck of the year, Trump says he has their support" PBS NewsHour 1/11/2019

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SUMMARY:  The partial government shutdown has now lasted three full weeks and will become the longest shutdown in U.S. history this weekend.  Still, President Trump said he won't yet declare a national emergency to fund his desired border wall.  Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff to discuss public reaction, why the President thinks federal workers back him and the latest activity on Capitol Hill.

"How the shutdown is affecting the safety of air travel" PBS NewsHour 1/11/2019

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SUMMARY:  The government shutdown has affected air travel by forcing airport security and air traffic controllers to work without pay and eliminating some routine safety inspections.  TSA workers earn relatively low pay, so they are more likely than other federal employees to be under financial strain with no income.  Amna Nawaz asks Alan Levin of Bloomberg what impact the situation has on aviation safety.

"Shutdown impact: Training, preparation for fighting wildfires" PBS NewsHour 1/11/2019

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SUMMARY:  An unexpected impact of the government shutdown: canceled training for wildland firefighters.  With wildfires becoming more frequent, firefighters have a shorter off-season to prepare.  Now that compressed window for training and gear acquisition has become even shorter due to the shutdown's frozen funding, says Jim Whittington, a consultant and former Forest Service employee.  Judy Woodruff reports.

"Rhetoric, disputes persist in country’s longest-ever shutdown" PBS NewsHour 1/12/2019

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SUMMARY:  With talks breaking down and no sign of compromise, the partial government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history on Saturday, at 22 days.  President Trump continued to blame Democrats for a “massive humanitarian crisis” at the border and Democrats remained opposed to the idea that a wall is needed.  Washington Post’s David Nakamura joins Hari Sreenivasan for more.