January 1, Critics Tell Trump to Stay Away from Dayton, El Paso

Good morning Middle Americans. Under normal circumstances, a presidential visit after a national tragedy would not be controversial. But these are not normal circumstances. We are also tracking congress to see if members will return to work on gun control legislation. A Montana man is accused of getting way too aggressive with a boy who refused to remove his hat during the national anthem. I know there is a lot of concern about the economy, but Bloomberg reports that good jobs may help stave off a recession.  And finally, cops in Galveston are apologizing and changing policies after a photo of two officers on horseback, leading a black prisoner by rope — goes viral.

– Fraser Dixon

Trump’s Planned Visit to El Paso Stokes Debate About His Rhetoric

“He’s complicit in this violence and all the terror that we’re seeing,” Rachel Cheek, a 26 year old political activist told Reuters. 

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said on Tuesday it was “ridiculous” to blame Trump for the El Paso shooting, but he did not address criticism that the president used inflammatory rhetoric.

Gun Control Bills Pick Up Momentum With G.O.P. in Congress

Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Republican — are embracing the concept. Mr. Thune told his hometown newspaper, The Argus Leader, that he was “confident Congress will be able to find common ground on the so-called red flag issue.”

Read more about gun control legislation from the New York Times.

Montana man accused of assaulting child for not removing hat during national anthem

Witnesses tell MTN News that Curt Brockway grabbed, picked up and slammed the boy on the ground because he did not remove his hat during the national anthem.

This is not Brockway’s first run in with police. He pleaded guilty to an assault with a weapon charge that occurred in 2011.

The Economy Isn’t Just Adding Jobs, It’s Adding Good Ones

“The continued steady growth in higher-paid knowledge jobs should embolden those who believe this expansion can continue for quite a while longer. And along the way, more Americans in both categories are finding decent-paying jobs,” Bloomberg Reports.

Outrage over photo of mounted police officers leading man by rope

In a statement on Monday, Police Chief Vernon Hale said this was “a trained technique and best practice in some scenarios”, such as with crowd control.

But he said he believed his officers “showed poor judgment in this instance and could have waited for a transport unit at the location of arrest”.

He said his department has “immediately changed the policy” to prevent use of the technique.

Read more about the outrage over the photo from the Houston Chronicle.