Stories We’re Watching

British Lawmakers Block No-deal Brexit

British lawmakers voted earlier today to block a no-deal Brexit. The vote follows yesterday’s rejection of Prime Minister Theresa May’s renegotiated Brexit deal. Lawmakers will next vote on whether or not to delay the March 29 deadline. So far, EU officials have rejected the possibility of such an extension and have urged British MPs to agree to a deal before the deadline.

• WSJ: British Lawmakers Set to Vote on No-Deal Brexit
• The Guardian:  Brexit: MPs to vote on leaving the EU with no deal
• Bloomberg: UK Unveils Tariffs for a No-Deal Brexit Ahead of Key Vote

Manafort Sentenced to an Additional 3.5 Years in Prison

Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for two conspiracy counts that include money-laundering and obstruction of justice. Manafort was sentenced to 3 years 11 months last week in a separate case for tax and bank fraud. Shortly after the sentencing, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced 16 separate criminal charges against Manafort—all related to mortgage fraud.

• WSJ: Paul Manafort’s Second Sentencing Will Come Amid Flurry of Mueller …
• CNN: Manafort sentencing highlights Russia probe looming over Trump
• Washington Post: Manafort’s sentence last week was absurd. That shouldn’t matter

China Offers to Help Venezuela Restore Power

Earlier today, China offered to help Venezuela repair power grids to restore electricity. Since losing power last week, the country’s economic, humanitarian, and political crises have worsened. President Maduro has blamed the US and local opposition on the power outage, and the US has ordered the evacuation of all remaining embassy staff from the country.

• Reuters: China offers help to Venezuela to restore power
• CBS: Venezuela’s Maduro regime suggests Guaido behind blackouts
• BBC: In pictures: Venezuelans search for water amid power cut

Trump Orders All Overseas Immigration Offices Closed

Yesterday, the spokesperson for the US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the US is seeking to close all immigration offices abroad. Trump administration officials claim that the move will save the US government ‘millions of dollars’. Immigration experts say the move is likely to disrupt family reunification visas and foreign adoptions as well as  exacerbate the refugee crisis. The announcement follows the Trump administration’s record-breaking 2020 $4.7 trillion budget proposal.

• NPR: Trump Administration Seeks To Close International Immigration Offices
• WSJ: US Moves to Close Overseas Immigration Offices
• Salon: How the Trump administration continues to reveal its bigotry toward …

Saudi Human Rights Activists Stand Trial in Criminal Court

Saudi Arabia’s criminal court has begun hearing cases against several high-profile human rights activists. The defendants, all women, have been detained incommunicado since last May for protesting the Kingdom’s treatment of women. Saudi officials claim that the activists ‘harmed the country’s interests.’ Saudi Arabia was rebuked for the first time by three dozen countries just last week for human rights violations.

• BBC: Saudi Arabia puts women’s rights activists on trial
• The Guardian: Saudi women’s rights activists go on trial in Riyadh
• NBC: Saudi women’s rights activists stand trial in criminal court

From The DSR Network

Early Access
WASHINGTON FOR BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE: WE GOT MOST OF THE COOL ACTORS: A CONVERSATION WITH ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY JOURNALIST AND NOVELIST ANTHONY BREZNICAN

Washington for Beautiful People is where entertainment and politics meet, so who better to talk about this than Entertainment Weekly Senior Reporter Anthony Breznican. On this episode, Anthony and I talk about celebrity involvement in politics and how A-list stars like Chris Evans puts everything on the line to speak truth to power. We also chat Mr. Rogers (the anti-Trump), how voting local matters and why he thinks Alyssa Milano is amazing (get in line Anthony) . Oh and I may have confessed who’s on my list….yes that list. Listen in for a fun, wide ranging, conversation and insider look at the beautiful people that are speaking up and out against Washington…well Trump. Tune in!

PODCAST: LESS THAN ZERO: A LOOK AT THE PRESIDENT’S BUDGET…AND INTO HIS MIND

For a man who’s word means nothing and who never met a lie he didn’t like, it is hard to imagine how Donald Trump could produce something even more meaningless than the stream-of-consciousness Twitterized nonsense he offers up daily.  But there is one thing that qualifies and that is the President’s budget because with a Democratic House, there is zero chance his budget plan will be used for anything except lining Congressional hamster cages. Still, it gives some insight into what the president and his advisors are thinking.  And when it comes to national security and foreign policy what it tells us is…disturbing.  Kori Schake of IISS, Mieke Eoyang of the Third Way and Evelyn Farkas of the German Marshall Fund discuss.  Join us!

Early Access
PODCAST: THE ONE IN WHICH SEX SPAS IN SOUTH FLORIDA ARE FINALLY MENTIONED

Lurid and sleazy are everyday descriptions in Trumpworld but the world was nonetheless stunned by revelations of a South Florida madam who founded a chain of spas recently busted for human trafficking and how she has become a Mar-a-Lago insider & GOP donor who is now pimping out the presidency…well, just like a Trump.  But the sordid nature of the story is not why it is important.  The national security threats associated with it are.  Kori Schake of IISS, Mieke Eoyang of the Third Way and Evelyn Farkas of the German Marshall Fund discuss this plus developments around the world. Tune in!