January 1, Robert Mueller On The Stand Today

It’s a huge day on Capitol Hill, maybe.  Democrats are desperately hoping today’s testimony by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller will refocus the nation’s attention on the Trump 2016 campaign’s shady interactions with Russian operatives. But, it’s important to remember that shady isn’t the same thing as illegal. Speaking of illegal, is everything t Google, Facebook, and Apple on the up and up? The Department of Justice intends to find out with a new Anti-trust probe of big tech.  Comedian Jon Stewart is smiling big after the Senate passes the 9/11 Victims Fund act. Keep your eyes and ears open for news on the imminent resignation of Puerto Rican Governor Ricky Rosselló. On immigration, a US-born citizen, held for weeks by ICE has been released after a nightmare ordeal. What went wrong? This travesty may shed some light on why Americans now say immigration is the “most important” problem facing the nation.  We have a complete list of the other “most important” problems in today’s brief below.

God Bless America –

Fraser Dixon

Robert Muller Takes Center Stage, Democrats Hope America Tunes In

“For many Americans, just learning what’s in the report will be a revelation,” House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif.,” told the Associated Press. “…What the impact of that will be on the Congress or what the impact of that on the country, I don’t know,” Schiff added.

Read more about Robert Muller’s testimony, his request to have his long-time aide with him to help answer questions and President Trump’s reaction from the AP here.

DOJ Opens Anti-Trust Probe of Big Tech Firms

The Wall Street Journal reports on the Justice Department’s decision to open a broad antitrust review into whether dominant technology firms such as Facebook Inc., Google, Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc., are unlawfully stifling competition.

“Without the discipline of meaningful market-based competition, digital platforms may act in ways that are not responsive to consumer demands,” Justice Department antitrust chief Makan Delrahim said in a statement.

Senate Approves Bill to Extend 9/11 Victims Fund

Comedian Jon Stewart, who served as a powerful advocate for 9/11 first responders, said after the vote, “This has been the honor of my life, to work with the men and women behind me.”

“They lifted this 9/11 community on their shoulders and they carried them home, and I will always be so proud to have been associated with it. We can never repay all that the 9/11 community has done for our country, but we can stop penalizing them.”

A a photo of Stewart smiling as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walks him on his way to vote for the bill went viral Tuesday.

You can read more about the bill’s passage from Newsweek here.

Reports: Puerto Rican Governor’s Resignation Imminent

“The people are talking and I have to listen,” Rosselló said in a statement on Tuesday, according to Reuters.  He has apologized for the chats on several occasions and asked Puerto Ricans to give him another chance.

The island’s leading newspaper, prominent Democratic officials and Republican President Donald Trump have all called on Rosselló to step down.

A US-born citizen who was in immigration detention for three weeks has been released

A high school student who was born in Dallas and is a US citizen was released from ICE custody on Tuesday after spending three weeks behind bars, his lawyer told CNN.

Poll: Americans Say Immigration Is the “Most Important” Problem

Immigration now sits at the top of Gallup’s “most important problem” list for just the fourth time. The issue edged out the government, which has been a fixture at or near the top of the list throughout the latter part of the Obama administration and the Trump administration.