TRUMP SHUTDOWN - America Hostage Crisis

"As shutdown drags on, Trump tries to reassure farmers feeling burned" PBS NewsHour 1/14/2019

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SUMMARY:  On Monday [Day 24], President Trump said he is hesitant to declare a national emergency to fund a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and that Congress should resolve the "simple" disagreement that's keeping the government partly closed.  He also said he had rejected a proposal by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to reopen the government temporarily.  Yamiche Alcindor reports on the shutdown's latest impacts.

"Shutdown comes at a ‘tough time’ to be an American farmer" PBS NewsHour 1/14/2019

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SUMMARY:  President Trump promoted his trade policies Monday at the American Farm Bureau Federation.  But the government shutdown has hurt farmers seeking loans needed for upcoming crop seasons, and certain provisions in the newly signed Farm Bill cannot be administered until USDA offices reopen.  Farm Aid’s Joe Schroeder joins John Yang to discuss how the shutdown has come at a "tough time to be a farmer."

"Native American tribes are ‘starting to feel the impact’ of shutdown funding delay" PBS NewsHour 1/14/2019

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SUMMARY:  The government shutdown has affected Native American tribes who rely on federal funds allocated by treaty rights.  For the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians in Wisconsin, funding goes towards services like public safety and elder healthcare.  Now the tribe is awaiting more than a million dollars owed by government.  Marisa Wojcik of Wisconsin Public Television reports.

"Shutdown takes a bite out of business in South Florida" PBS NewsHour 1/15/2019

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SUMMARY:  [Day 25] The gates are open at the Everglades National Park, but with no one to collect entry fees, business is drying up.  The partial government shutdown couldn't come at a worse time for the region, which depends on tourists and is suffering its second bad season in a row.  From TSA officers to hurricane scientists, John Yang reports on how residents are hurting.

"How the State of the Union became ‘leverage’ in shutdown debate" PBS NewsHour 1/16/2019

IMHO: Trump childish behavior.

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SUMMARY:  [Day 26] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requested President Trump’s State of the Union be postponed for safety reasons related to the shutdown, although the Department of Homeland Security countered it is able to handle the event.  Meanwhile, President Trump met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to negotiate, as another payroll deadline approaches.  Judy Woodruff talks to Yamiche Alcindor and Lisa Desjardins.

"These 2 cities illustrate the shutdown’s profound national impact" PBS NewsHour 1/16/2019

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SUMMARY:  While lawmakers in Washington, D.C., battle over whether to reopen the government, the ripple effects of the shutdown are extending far beyond the Beltway.  Two mayors, Republican David Holt from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Democrat Michael Passero of New London, Connecticut, tell Judy Woodruff how the stalemate is affecting their cities' federal workers and even their populations as a whole.

"New to Capitol Hill, Reps. Riggleman and Spanberger face shutdown’s added pressure" PBS NewsHour 1/16/2019

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SUMMARY:  Two new House members, Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va), and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va) belong to the largest congressional freshman class in decades.  Even before their offices were fully set up, these Capitol Hill newcomers had to cast votes on how to handle a government shutdown that's stretched on for weeks.  Lisa Desjardins accompanies Riggleman and Spanberger on their first days in Congress.

"With much of the EPA closed, industrial safety and pollution inspections come to a halt" PBS NewsHour 1/16/2019

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SUMMARY:  Andrew Wheeler, the EPA's acting head, appeared before a Senate committee for confirmation hearings in his bid to keep the position on a permanent basis.  But the government shutdown has brought many of the EPA's daily operations to a halt, so most safety and pollution inspections are skipped.  Judy Woodruff looks at reporting by Coral Davenport of The New York Times and the AP's Ellen Knickmeyer.

"Trump’s move to cancel congressional trip during shutdown raises debate" PBS NewsHour 1/17/2019

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SUMMARY:  On day 27 of the partial government shutdown, President Trump rescinded approval for a military plane, effectively canceling a trip to Afghanistan planned by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a congressional delegation.  The move comes after Pelosi asked to postpone the President’s State of the Union Address over safety concerns.  Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff for an update on the shutdown.

"Why many stores can’t accept food stamps during the shutdown" PBS NewsHour 1/17/2019

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SUMMARY:  While so far there have been no major lapses in benefits for the nearly 39 million people who depend on food stamps amid the partial government shutdown, 2,500 retailers around the country are unable to take any form of SNAP EBT payments.

"Shutdown’s lost pay, dwindling business send more people to D.C. food banks" PBS NewsHour 1/18/2019

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SUMMARY:  [Day 28] The government shutdown has stifled business in the nation's capital.  Many contractors are barely getting by without their paychecks, and unlike permanent federal workers, they will never recover the income they lose.  Food banks are experiencing spiking demand, even though some visitors feel guilty about asking for help.  And local shops and cafés sit empty.  Lisa Desjardins reports.

"Trump’s proposal to end shutdown still includes $5.7 billion wall" PBS NewsHour 1/19/2019

"Temporary" protections for a "permanent" expensive wall (or whatever you want to call it)?
NO DEAL!

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SUMMARY:  President Trump offered on day 29 of a partial government shutdown what he described as a proposal to end the impasse, but it was one that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had already rejected before his announcement.  NewsHour White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor talks to Hari Sreenivasan about the latest.

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

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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.

POLITICS - Shutdown, Democrats vs Republicans

"Why Democrats want a very short-term funding solution to hold GOP ‘feet to the fire’" PBS NewsHour 1/19/2018

In short, Democrats cannot trust Republicans to keep their word.  And Trump lies.

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SUMMARY:  Lawmakers are making an 11th-hour push to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.  Judy Woodruff gets two takes from Senate Democrats about the way forward.  Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley says the shutdown showdown shows how unprepared Republicans are for dialogue on basic issues of governance, while Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto says it’s time to stand up for everyone.

"How the looming shutdown would affect federal workers" PBS NewsHour 1/19/2018

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SUMMARY:  The hours are ticking down to a possible government shutdown.  Early in the day there were rumors of a possible five-day deal.  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was summoned to the White House, but returned to the Capitol without a deal.  Is there any glimmer of hope?  Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor, join Judy Woodruff to recap a day of dealing and blaming and explain what’s next.