PBC News & Comment: Dems’ Budget Capitulation Will Enable Trump’s Wall

Senate Dems agree to de-link budget and DACA, as Trump misdirects on Dreamers and demands $25 billion for The Wall….--many Democrats in the House don’t agree, but Senate bill will set the table
--“Justice” Dept. threatens sanctuary jurisdictions over ICE cooperation
--in brief encounter with gaggle of reporters, Trump dropped second misdirect, “I’m looking forward” to Mueller interview, says he’ll do it under oath
--inspector general has recovered 5 months of missing FBI text messages
--those texts, and dueling secret memos from House Intel Dems and Repubs add new tensions to Russiagate investigations
--GOP Justice letter demands the GOP Intel leaders share their memo with FBI, and not release classified info it’s based on
--under pressure from Trump, new FBI Director Chris Wray replaces Comey holdovers
--Masha Gessen, exiled Russian journalist and critic of Putin and Trump, says “Russians didn’t elect Trump, Americans did”; her 2-minute video is here
--in San Francisco, former DOJ prosecutor awaits sentencing after guilty plea from his attempts to sell sealed lawsuit info to corporate targets of whistleblowers
--in Davos, Trump meets with UK PM Theresa May and Israel’s Netanyahu
--Israel’s top diplomat and former US ambassador Michael Oren is mocked after chasing false accusations that Tamimi family is troupe of paid actors
--new report shows that US and Saudi weapons used by Islamic State in Syria weren’t just captured from other militias
--former UN ambassador Bill Richardson quits Rohynga inquiry panel with blast at Myanmar’s Nobel winner, Aung San Suu Kyi
--in major setback for planned comeback, Brazil’s former president Lula loses appeal of corruption conviction
--AT&T, which strongly supported end to Net Neutrality rules, now says it supports internet regulation
--Michigan State president finally resigns after Larry Nassar scandal
--during the brief government shutdown, Bernie Sanders met with his advisors to plan a 2020 run
--Oprah says she won’t run
--SF Supervisor Hillary Ronen explains why she voted against identity politics in vote for interim mayor
--Democratic group will spend $5 million to elect secretaries of state in effort to reduce voter suppression and other schemes that benefit GOP