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VMI cadets, student-journalists attend President Donald Trump’s Inauguration
Read full article: VMI cadets, student-journalists attend President Donald Trump’s InaugurationA group of cadets and student-journalists from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) recently returned from Washington, D.C., where they covered President Donald Trump’s Inauguration.
Virginia Senator Mark Warner speaks on likely TikTok ban ahead of Jan. 19 deadline
Read full article: Virginia Senator Mark Warner speaks on likely TikTok ban ahead of Jan. 19 deadlineWith a ban on TikTok in the United States looming, Virginia Senator Mark Warner offered a statement on the possibility of users losing access to the social media service.
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Cherry blossoms in D.C. set to peak in early April
Read full article: Cherry blossoms in D.C. set to peak in early AprilD.C.’s famous cherry blossom trees are expected to reach peak bloom between April 2 and April 5 this year. At that point, the Tidal Basin will be painted in white and pink by the nearly 4,000 trees that reside within the park. We're projecting cherry blossom peak bloom to fall between April 2 - April 5. Since 2004, peak bloom dates have ranged from as early as March 20th to as late as April 10th. The Yoshino Cherry Trees were gifted to the U.S. by Japan in the early 1910s, and they have become a major tourist attraction ever since.

DOJ memo: Trump must have representative at all depositions
Read full article: DOJ memo: Trump must have representative at all depositionsIn the memo, OLC lawyers write that the president, who has not been asked or subpoenaed to testify, must be allowed to have a representative present in depositions to be able to protect privileged information from disclosure. The House Intelligence Committee, which is leading the ongoing investigation, has so far only allowed witnesses to appear for depositions with personal counsel. OLC attorneys cite a DC Circuit court opinion comparing an impeachment inquiry with a grand jury investigation in a criminal probe, setting up the need to meet a high threshold to overcome the protections of the privilege. The administration's new legal memo is untested in court. The memo was released Monday and written on Nov. 1, the day after the House approved the rules of an impeachment inquiry in a full floor vote.

DOJ turns to counterterrorism techniques to fight mass shootings
Read full article: DOJ turns to counterterrorism techniques to fight mass shootingsA federal judge has denied a Justice Department request, because of the shutdown, to pause all deadlines in a DC federal court case challenging the administration's asylum restrictions. In meetings he convened with senior Justice Department officials, Barr discussed possible legislative fixes to gun laws and criminal statutes, and at one point, turned to another department priority for inspiration. "He said, 'how have we dealt with this in the counterterrorism space?'" a senior Justice Department official recalled. "There is no validated scientific basis for suggesting that behavioral threat assessments are going to be helpful in identifying the next mass shooter," she said.

Coalition of IGs slam DOJ opinion on whistleblower complaint
Read full article: Coalition of IGs slam DOJ opinion on whistleblower complaintThe letter amounts to a sharp rebuke of the OLC opinion and sign of solidarity from the officials who act as independent watchdogs of government agencies. Attorneys in the office who examined the complaint disputed the conclusion of the ICIG that the memo posed an "urgent concern" to matters in the Director of National Intelligence's purview. A finding of "urgent concern" would have obligated the DNI to report the content of the complaint to the congressional intelligence committees. "The OLC opinion issued in response to the whistleblower's claim and the ICIG's credibility finding had a disastrous effect on watchdog independence -- and civil society's excited that the IG community's responding so forcefully. "The missing letter is one from the IC Inspectors General Forum, which is by statute the voice of Intelligence Community accountability.

DOJ sues California over air pollution agreement with Quebec
Read full article: DOJ sues California over air pollution agreement with QuebecA federal judge has denied a Justice Department request, because of the shutdown, to pause all deadlines in a DC federal court case challenging the administration's asylum restrictions. (CNN) - The Justice Department sued California on Wednesday, claiming that the state bypassed federal authority when it entered into an environmental agreement with the Canadian province of Quebec to combat air pollution. "The state of California has veered outside of its proper constitutional lane to enter into an international emissions agreement. "California's unlawful cap-and-trade agreement with Quebec undermines the President's ability to negotiate competitive agreements with other nations as the President sees fit." This latest attack shows that the White House has its head in the sand when it comes to climate change and serves no purpose other than continued political retribution," Newsom said.

Defense Intelligence Agency worker charged with leaking classified info
Read full article: Defense Intelligence Agency worker charged with leaking classified infoA federal judge has denied a Justice Department request, because of the shutdown, to pause all deadlines in a DC federal court case challenging the administration's asylum restrictions. (CNN) - A Defense Intelligence Agency employee with top-secret security clearance was arrested Wednesday and charged with leaking classified information to two reporters. Frese is charged with two counts of willful transmission of national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it. He was expected to appear in federal court in Virginia on Thursday. Prosecutors did not reveal the country or countries that the intelligence Frese is accused of leaking was related to, but the FBI said its revelation could harm the US and benefit adversarial nations.

'Birds of Prey' trailer puts Harley Quinn center screen
Read full article: 'Birds of Prey' trailer puts Harley Quinn center screen(CNN) - Harley Quinn is having a girls night -- done her way. In the new trailer for "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)," DC's demented and dynamic dame is fresh off a breakup with her beau, the Joker, and looking for "a fresh start." Mary Elizabeth Winstead (as Huntress), Jurnee Smollett-Bell (as Black Canary), Rosie Perez (Renee Montoya) and Ella Jay Basco (Cassandra Cain) round out her crew in the new movie from Warner Bros. Pictures. (CNN and Warner Bros. share parent company WarnerMedia.) The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company.

First trailer for 'Birds of Prey' released
Read full article: First trailer for 'Birds of Prey' releasedIn the new trailer for "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)," DC's demented and dynamic dame is fresh off a breakup with her beau, the Joker, and looking for "a fresh start." WARNING: Video contains curse words.

Supreme Court may be focus of gun control arguments
Read full article: Supreme Court may be focus of gun control argumentsThe New York City gun law regulates where licensed hand gun owners can take a locked and unloaded handgun. The Trump administration urged the Supreme Court to overturn the law. In a twist, since the Supreme Court granted the case, the law was changed and lawyers for New York are now asking the justices to dismiss the challenge, canceling the December oral arguments. The "new state law is itself the product of an acknowledged City-orchestrated effort to frustrate this Court's review," Clement wrote. "The court said in 2008 individuals have a right to keep a handgun in the home for self-defense," Charles said.

DOJ, FBI review draft on surveillance and Trump campaign report
Read full article: DOJ, FBI review draft on surveillance and Trump campaign reportWASHINGTON (CNN) - The Justice Department and FBI are reviewing a draft of the long-awaited report on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court applications regarding the Trump campaign, the department's inspector general said Friday. The inspector general has been investigating since early 2018 the handling of four applications that let American intelligence eavesdrop on Carter Page in 2016 and 2017 after he left the Trump campaign. Horowitz noted that the report contained classified material, and that once he receives the draft back from DOJ and FBI, his office would prepare the report for release, "ensuring that appropriate reviews occur for accuracy and comment purposes." Horowitz's review is one of several probes into the origins of the Russia investigation. He told CNN this week that he expected to call Horowitz to testify after his report was released, and he also might bring in former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos to testify.