The State of the Union speech — and the alternatives
Writing this blog requires keeping track of as much as possible, so tonight my devices will be tuned to the usual State of the Union address and to the counter programming.
After President Trump speaks at the Capitol, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response, and California Sen. Alex Padilla will give the party’s Spanish-language response.
A People’s State of the Union, sponsored by Moveon, MeidasTouch and more than 20 other organizations, will be live-streamed from 8 to 11 p.m. EST. You can sign up here.
You can sign up here to watch the State of the Swamp beginning at 6:45 p.m. ET at The National Press Club, featuring lawmakers and others, including Robert DeNiro and a personal favorite of mine, comedian and commentator Baratunde Thurston.
Robert Reich recently quoted Abraham Lincoln during earlier difficult times in America. It turns out that the quote is from Lincoln’s own second annual message to Congress, in 1862, shortly after the battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day in American military history:
“The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation … We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last, best hope of earth.”
European officials visiting Ukraine to show support as country marks 4 years since Russian invasion
France curtails U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner’s government access after he fails to attend meeting
NYTimes: If China invades Taiwan and cuts off its chip exports to U.S. firms, tech industry and U.S. economy would be crippled
WSJ: Inside Apple’s effort to build an all-American chip
Trump says Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine told him Iran military action would be easy, but Caine has warned of risks
ICE training is ‘deficient’ and ‘broken,’ former agency lawyer tells forum held by congressional Democrats
NYTimes: D.C. shooting put Afghans’ immigration status in jeopardy, brought attention to long-hidden dimension of U.S. war
Education Department handing off more of its responsibilities to other federal agencies