Headed to annual confab of global elite .01%, Trump announces tariffs on solar panels and washing machines, launching trade war…..--solar panel tariff will cost 23,000 American jobs, set back renewables, and benefit American firms owned by Germans and Chinese
--tariffs support fair trade over free trade, but Trump is using them in an arbitrary manner
--Democrats buckled on shutdown, got 6-year CHIP deal but left Dreamers as hostages despite their posturing, relying on weak pledges from McConnell
--report says new FBI director Chris Wray threatened to quit after pressure from Sessions and Trump to clean house
--AG Sessions was interviewed by special counsel Mueller last week about the firing of FBI Direcotr Comey and his lies about Russian contacts before inauguration
--NY Times reports on SF billionaire Tom Steyer’s impeachment campaign and how it makes Democratic leaders very nervous
--channeling Trump, Michigan man is arrested for threatening to kill CNN anchors over “fake news”
--NY Times prepublishes magazine report on Israel’s failed attempts to assassinate Yasser Arafat, the PLO leaders
--long overdue, leaders of USA Gymnastics resign after victim statements at sentencing of former team doctor, Larry Nassar
--Guardian reveals key drone operations support from obscure base in Kansas
--Hawaii’s governor was delayed in cancelling false alarm missile alert because he couldn’t remember his Twitter password
--Bloomberg exposes another Apple assembly sweatshop, run by Catcher Technology in Suqian, China
--Pope Francis apologized for insulting victims of predatory priests in Chile
--in Orange County, California, about 1,000 homeless people will be rousted from tent encampments and directed to 250 shelter beds
--Delta imposes new rules on companion dogs, after 150% increase in past 2 years
--trumpet whiz Hugh Masekela dies in South Africa at age 78; check out my favorite Masekela tune, Stimela, here
Source