Today in 5 Lines
-
In a series of tweets, President Trump blasted the Justice Department and FBI, and proclaimed that “DACA is dead because the Democrats didn’t care or act.”
-
China retaliated against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports by increasing tariffs by as much as 25 percent on a variety of U.S.-made products. The move sent stocks tumbling.
-
Thousands of teachers in Kentucky and Oklahoma rallied at their state capitals to demand staff raises and increased funding for education.
-
The Justice Department sued California over a new state law that limits the transfer of federal lands.
-
Democratic Representative Elizabeth Esty of Connecticut announced she will not seek reelection after drawing criticism for her handling of harassment allegations against her former chief of staff.
Today on The Atlantic
-
The End of the Libertarian Moment: The end of the Cold War and the rise of Donald Trump have left libertarians, like Senator Rand Paul, without a political home. (Kevin D. Williamson)
-
The Prince & Me: In an interview with Jeffrey Goldberg, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Iran’s supreme leader “makes Hitler look good,” and recognized the Jewish peoples’ right to “their own land.”
-
Decoding Trump’s Twitter: The president’s latest social-media tirade clarifies his views, and shows the extent to which the White House builds policy on misunderstandings, half-truths, untruths, and contradictions. (David A. Graham)
-
Could Trump Use Military Funds for the Border Wall?: It’s complicated, writes Priscilla Alvarez: The president would have to overcome obstacles in Congress—and maybe even legal challenges—to use Department of Defense resources on construction.
Follow stories throughout the day with our Politics & Policy portal.
Snapshot
What We’re Reading
‘A Betrayal’: A teenager talked to police about his gang, MS-13. But his cooperation put him on a path to deportation—and his likely death. (Hannah Dreier, ProPublica)
America On the Brink: Experts from the Hoover Institution argue that the country’s current debt spiral is close to becoming a crisis. The only way forward is to reform and restrain the growth of entitlement programs. (The Washington Post)
Not So Fast: Nathaniel Rakich challenges the narrative that the path to victory for Democrats is through the suburbs. (FiveThirtyEight)
Scripted: Sinclair Broadcast Group forced dozens of local news anchors across the country to read pre-scripted messages that warned viewers about “false news,” effectively turning its reporters into soldiers in Trump’s war on the media. (Timothy Burke, Deadspin)
But Is It a Big Deal?: Erick Erickson says no: Anti-Trump media outlets already engage in some of the same kinds of behaviors. Everyone can do better. (The Resurgent)
‘The Things You Do With 38 Minutes Left to Live’: Here’s what happened on January 13 when Hawaiians received an alert that a missile would be hitting the islands imminently. (Sean Flynn, GQ)
Visualized
Counting Matters: Here’s how adding a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census could affect states’ federal funding and congressional seats. (Alicia Parlapiano, The New York Times)
-Written by Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey)
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
