The Atlantic

<em>The Atlantic </em>Politics &amp; Policy Daily: Emergency Contact

As a compromise spending bill passes Congress, the White House says the president will commit to signing it, while taking an “executive action” to get funding for his wall
Source: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

What We’re Following Today

It’s Thursday, February 14. President Donald Trump plans to sign the congressional deal to avert a government shutdown, but the White House says Trump will “take another executive action—including a national emergency” in order to bypass Congress for border-wall funding. (Here’s a refresher on the legal showdown that might result.)

Meanwhile, William Barr was sworn in as the new attorney general after being confirmed by the Senate earlier today. Here’s what else we’re following:

Andrew McCabe for that “the president and his men were trying to work me the way a criminal brigade would operate.” The former acting FBI director describes interactions with Trump himself—including when the president called him on an unsecured phone line to talk about his firing of former FBI Director James Comey—and his conversations with deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about protecting ongoing investigations into Russian interference.

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