January 1, Republicans Reject Trump’s Syria Strategy

This Day in History | 2003

Arnold Schwarzenegger wins California governor’s race.

Hello Middle Americans!

President Donald Trump is defending his decision to pull back U.S. troops from northern Syria, and he and Sen. Rand Paul are the only Republicans doing so.

Meanwhile, House Democrats leading the impeachment inquiry of Trump’s dealings with Ukraine may have fresh information to work with as a second whistle blower steps forward. But could previous undisclosed contact with the first whistleblower undercut their impeachment campaign. President Trump says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Intel Chairman Adam Shchiff have been working with the whistle blowers to undercut his presidency. And by doing so, both are guilty of treason.
  

Also today, the Supreme Court is back in session. But Justice Clarence Thomas was absent while dealing with an undisclosed illness.  

Finally, we are learning that former FBI director James Comey is getting the Hollywood treatment, namely a miniseries set to star Dumb and Dumber actor Jeff Daniels.

Read all about it.

-Fraser Dixon

Rand Paul is Pretty Much the Only Senator Backing Trump’s Syria Decision

(The Week) – Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is going against the grain.

A number of Paul’s GOP colleagues have come out against the White House’s decision to pull back troops from Northern Syria, while greenlighting a Turkish invasion of the region. Even President Trump’s allies like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are calling for a bipartisan rebuke of the plan, especially since they believe it puts Kurdish allies, who are viewed as enemies by Ankara, at risk.

Find out more about the limited support for Trump’s decision to pull troops from Northern Syria

Trump Suggests Pelosi Committed Treason, Should Be ‘Immediately Impeached’

(The Hill) –  President Trump late Sunday suggested that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was guilty of treason and should be “immediately” impeached.

“Nancy Pelosi knew of all of the many Shifty Adam Schiff lies and massive frauds perpetrated upon Congress and the American people, in the form of a fraudulent speech knowingly delivered as a ruthless con, and the illegal meetings with a highly partisan ‘Whistleblower’ & lawyer,” he tweeted. 

Read more from the Hill here

 Jeff Dainiels to Star as James Comey in CBS Mini-Series

(The Hollywood Reporter) – The former FBI director fired by President Trump in 2017 will be the subject of a new miniseries from CBS TV Studios based on his book A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, The Hollywood Reporter writes.

Jeff Daniels is set to star as Comey.

Published in April 2018, A Higher Loyalty was an instant bestseller, moving more than 600,000 copies in its first week. The book covers Comey’s 2013-17 tenure as FBI director, his role in the 2016 election — both in the investigation of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state and in Russian interference with the election — and his relationship with President Trump, who fired Comey in May 2017.

Read more form the Hollywood Reporter here

U.S. Supreme Court Kicks Off New Term, with Justice Thomas Absent

(Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court kicked off its new nine-month term with a flurry of activity on Monday, hearing arguments in three cases and rejecting numerous appeals that piled up over the summer.

With conservative Justice Clarence Thomas absent due to an unspecified illness, the court began hearing its first argument in a case focusing on whether states can discard the so-called insanity defense in criminal prosecutions. The case involved a man sentenced to death in Kansas for fatally shooting four family members while suffering from severe depression.

Read more about the Supreme Court session from Reuters here