Sunday News: “Welcome to Trump’s whatever shutdown”; “Negotiating with Jell-O”; “Trump Doctor” on SNL

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, January 21.

• Women’s March On Washington: ‘We Are A Part Of America, So We Need To Be Out Here’
• Schumer tried to give Trump funding for border wall in exchange for DACA protections (“Trump still wouldn’t accept the deal.” The art of NOT making deals.)
• A now-familiar partisan ritual takes on new meaning in Trump era (“The shutdown conflict pits the nativist impulses unleashed by Trump’s presidential campaign, and now embraced by his party at large, against the demands of a Democratic base that more ­reflects and embraces an increasingly diverse nation.”)
• Schumer offered Trump something Democrats hate in return for something Republicans broadly like
• ‘Negotiating with Jell-O’: How Trump’s shifting stance sank deal’s chances (“Pinging from one upheaval to the next — while clearly not understanding the policy nuances of the negotiation — President Trump clashed at different times with Democrats and then members of his own party, who all grew increasingly exasperated with him even as they sought to cast blame on the other side.”)
• Neither party’s leaders give an inch on first day of shutdown (They literally use the words “both sides” and “moderates” – whatever that word means – in their subheading. LOL)
• The shutdown brouhaha has covered up far bigger news (“While Congress and Trump bicker, the planet cooks.”)
• After Vowing to Fix Washington, Trump Is Mired in a Familiar Crisis (Trump alone not only can NOT fix it, he alone can make it much, much worse.)
• Donald Trump’s Enduring Promise (“Reopening the wounds of racial grievance will be Donald Trump’s most lasting achievement.”)
• Trump blows up shutdown talks, releases unhinged new ad linking Democrats to murder (“Trump does his best to keep the government closed.”)
• Protesters gather for a second Women’s March in nation’s capital
• They Were Bad. He May Be Worse. (“The best way to evaluate President Trump is to compare him not with the great presidents but with the worst.”)
• The Shutdown Shows the Twisted Rules of a Broken Congress
• When Trump told Fox that presidents were to blame for government shutdowns (“During the 2013 shutdown, trump went from show to show on fox talking about how it’s solely on the president to make a deal that’s good for everybody”)
• Poll finds public optimistic about the economy, critical of Trump, split on issues (“The new survey finds that 58 percent of all Americans give positive ratings to the state of the economy. That is the highest in a Post-ABC survey in 17 years and seven points higher than on the eve of Trump’s inauguration. At the same time, Trump’s approval rating has remained at a historically low level, compared with past presidents. Today, 36 percent approve of the job Trump is doing, while 58 percent disapprove, little changed over the past few months. Strong disapproval of the president, at 49 percent overall, remains twice as high as strong approval, which stands at 24 percent.”)
• Eric Trump: The government shutdown is ‘good for us’ politically
• Nerves fray as shutdown talks at impasse
• Trump’s doctor shares ‘unbiased, 100 percent accurate’ health assessment in ‘SNL’ cold open
• Dreamers dragged through the mud (“Once held up by Donald Trump as model immigrants, they are now being used as partisan ammunition in the shutdown fight.”)
• Welcome to Trump’s whatever shutdown (“Trump has spent a year upending the rules of being president, and so far he’s approaching the congressional spending crisis as another episode that will work itself out.”)
• The Real Reasons Why the Government Shut Down (“The reason Democrats have leverage to demand an immigration deal in exchange for their votes to keep the government open is that Congress has repeatedly blown past spending deadlines.”)
• US government shutdown: anniversary of Trump inauguration marred by chaos (“A year to the day after Trump took office, government goes into shutdown as nationwide protests take aim at his divisive presidency”)
• With government shutdown, Republicans reap what they sow (“It takes a special type of hypocrite to accuse your opponents of hypocrisy for following in your footsteps”)
• Rep. Patrick Meehan Removed From the House Ethics Committee Amid Sexual-Harassment Allegations (“If the congressman does resign amid a sexual-misconduct scandal, as did John Conyers and Trent Franks, there would be major electoral consequences. According to the Times, Meehan’s district is one of the most gerrymandered in the nation, and his seat has been a target for Democrats.”)
• Key Day Could Yield Fast Deal or Long Impasse: Shutdown Update (“Congress is holding an unusual Sunday session that may be lawmakers’ last chance for a quick end to the shutdown.”)
• There Are Some Things You Can’t Shut Down (“Inside the confines of the Capitol, our country is broken. Out on the National Mall, there’s hope.”)
• Sen. Warner: Gov. shutdown becomes ‘real problem’ Monday
• Plurality vote rule for 6th District Republican convention gets pushback (Too bad; I really want Republicans to nominate Cynthia Dunbar, as she’s their worst possible candidate and gives Democrats at least a small shot in this super-red district.)
• The right of the people (“The concept and intention of Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act is pretty straightforward.”)
• Schapiro: Era of good feeling? Not yet (I mean, Republicans are acting like…yeah, Republicans.)
• After ‘ruffled feathers,’ Northam says he is back on track with Republicans
• ‘Their eyes are on D.C.’: Capital area said to have good shot at Amazon HQ2
• A year after march in Washington, women gather in Carytown
• Reduced fear of new gun restrictions, purchase ‘hangover’ from Obama years, factors in 3.5% drop in Va. firearm sales in 2017
• Tree felling for Atlantic Coast Pipeline begins in Buckingham County (I will never forgive Terry McAuliffe – or Dominion Energy and its enablers/tools in the General Assembly and state regulatory boards – for this. )
• The Atlantic Coast Pipeline points the wrong way to energy’s future
• Altria seeks state review of tax policy on new ‘reduced risk’ tobacco products
• Government shutdown closes Colonial National Historical Park; Jamestown staff, visitors make due (“Make due?” WTF? Try “make DO,” guys!)
• January thaw continues; rain likely Monday night into Tuesday