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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