This Week In Review: Reports Of Trump Mulling Over Firing Mueller

According to what is described as in “explosive” report by the New York Times, President Donald Trump ordered the firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller in June of 2017. Apparently only going back on his decision when White House Counsel, Don McGahn, threatened to resign.

Though president Trump dismisses the news as ‘fake news’ on Friday, the White House has neither definitively confirmed nor denied these reports, the NYT report provided insights into the attempted firing. Trump seemingly cited a past situation in which Mueller canceled his membership at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va. over a “dispute” about the fees.

The two additional reasons cited were that Mueller worked for a law firm that “previously represented the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner” and that Mueller had interviewed to be the FBI director before being appointed the special counsel. Which, according to NYT, proved to Trump that he is the subject of a witch-hunt of sorts rather than a fair investigation.

These reports further reveal, what most pundits have called, the impulsive state of mind of the president of the United States.

Taliban attack kills 95 people in Kabul

A devastating suicide bombing in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, has left 95 people dead and 158 injured. This is the deadliest attack that has recently been carried out by the Taliban.

The bomb exploded 12:15 local time in a crowded, shopping area of the city known as colloquially as “chicken street”.

The attacker apparently got through the first security checkpoint after telling police that he was taking a patient to a nearby hospital. He then detonated the bomb at the second security checkpoint, this according to, Nasrat Rahimi, the deputy spokesperson for the Interior Ministry of Afghanistan.

In less than a day since the attack, it is currently unclear how the attacker got through security.

This attack has sent shockwaves around the world, even prompting a response from U.S. President Donald Trump who called for “decisive action” against the Taliban.

The U.S. agrees to stop arming Kurds in Syria

The U.S promised the Turkish government that it will not give any more weapons to the Syrian Kurdish fighters.

News of this agreement broke via Twitter when the Anadolu News Agency (Turkey) confirmed a Friday evening phone call between Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and U.S National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

During the phone call, McMaster confirmed that Washington would stop giving weapons to the fighters of the Kurdish People’s Protection Unit and the Democratic Union Party. Two groups that are active participants in the ongoing war in Syria.

However, this move is not enough for Turkey. On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu asked Washington to withdraw from northern Syria.

RNC finance chair resigns after sexual harassment allegations

Steve Wynn, finance chairman of the Republican National Committee has resigned due to a recent myriad of sexual misconduct allegations.

The story first gained national attention when The Wall Street Journal published a detailed account of sexual misconduct.

Though Wynn denies the allegations, he announced his resignation mid-afternoon Saturday in a statement reading “Effective today I am resigning as Finance Chairman of the RNC,–The unbelievable success we have achieved must continue. The work we are doing to make America a better place is too important to be impaired by this distraction. I thank the President for the opportunity to serve and wish him continued success.”

Steve Wynn was hand-picked by the president.

The DREAMers are left dreaming

To end the three-day shutdown, Congress approved a short-term spending bill, without a decision on the DREAM Act. An issue that both sides of the aisle have vowed to resolve since the Trump Administration rescinded the DACA on September 5th of last year.

A decision would have to be reached by March 5th, or else hundreds of thousands of DREAMers will go from being protected to being at immediate risk for deportation.

A DREAM Act would go beyond DACA to provide not only protection but legal status as well as a pathway to citizenship for those who qualify.

Larry Nassar sentenced to 175 years in Prison

Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor who has admitted to abusing almost 200 hundred girls and women who came to him for treatment, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison.

Nassar had already been sentenced to 60 years for separate child pornography charges.

The judge, in this case, Judge Aquilina, did not withhold her opinions, treat this case lightly nor did she hold her tongue. She allowed dozens of accusers to give statements despite Nassar’s written plea to not heat victims’ account.

After the survivors were heard and he was sentenced, Nassar uttered what might be his last few words as a free man “There are no words that can describe the depth and breadth of how sorry I am for what has occurred– I will carry your words with me for all of my days.”