Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The Trump administration plans “to end temporary protected status for 200,000 Salvadorans currently living in the United States, according to senior administration officials. The Salvadorans will have until September 2019 to seek permanent residency in the United States or risk deportation.”
* A case to keep an eye on: “Maine Community Health Options (MCHO) became the first insurer in the country to sue the Trump administration over millions in subsidies that the federal government cut off in October.”
* Special Counsel Robert Mueller has “recalled for questioning at least one participant in a controversial meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer at Trump Tower in June 2016, and is looking into President Trump’s misleading claim that the discussion focused on adoption, rather than an offer to provide damaging information about Hillary Clinton.”
* The Securities and Exchange Commission “is investigating the real-estate company run by the family of President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner for its use of a federal investment-for-visa program known as EB-5, according to people familiar with the matter.”
* Are we supposed to believe he’s a “bad hombre”? “Federal immigration officials said Friday they will proceed with the deportation of an Ohio man who is the sole provider and trained medical caregiver of a 6-year-old paraplegic boy.”
* The White House’s Stephen Miller was escorted off a CNN set yesterday by security.
* Trump will get to name Rogers’ successor: “NSA Director Adm. Mike Rogers has decided he will retire this spring, two former U.S. intelligence officials told POLITICO, ending a near four-year tenure bookended by major leaks that rattled the agency.”
* Seems like a trial balloon: “Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has told friends and associates that he’s interested in becoming attorney general, according to three people familiar with the internal discussions.” * Wait, what? “Just two days after President Donald Trump caused a frenzy by tweeting that he has a ‘bigger and more powerful’ nuclear button than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it’s hosting a presentation on preparing for nuclear war.” * It was just a typo, of which I have many, but seeing Trump refer to his presidency as “consensual” was at least memorable. * And Trump’s “Fake News Awards” were supposed to be announced a half-hour ago, but he’s apparently delayed the stunt until next week. (The number of media professionals who appear to want one of the president’s “awards” is kind of amazing.) Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
