Makes We Wonder Why I Even Bring the Thunder

Bombshell returns in 2019 with a new set of Bombshell questions and a guest, Dana Stroul, to give our best shot at explaining US-Syria policy. Secretary Pompeo has finished a whirlwind tour (while his staff are unpaid) trying to do the same, and at least one of the parties to potential US-North Korea summit seems to be doing its homework (guess which). The team digs deep into the longest government shutdown in history and considers just what kind of emergency it would be if Trump used national emergency powers to build a wall. Plus, lots of pop culture for the new year.

Syria Policy

• Robbie Gramer, "Mike Pompeo Is Flying Solo in the Middle East," Foreign Policy

Keeping up Foreign Relations

North Korea

• Jon Herskovitz and Youkyung Lee, "North Korea's Nuclear Program Quietly Advances, Pressuring Trump," Bloomberg

It's Aghast

Brexit

• "Theresa May Facing Crunch Vote on Her Brexit Deal," BBC

China

• Marilyn Haigh, "US Trade Representative's Office Will Have Only About 30% of Its Staff Due to the Shutdown As China Talks Approach March Deadline," CNBC
• "China's Annual Trade Surplus With U.S. Hits Record Despite Trump's Tariff Offensive," Wall Street Journal

White House Mayhem

Shutdown

• Javier Zarracina and Li Zhou, "The Astonishing Effects of the Shutdown, In 8 Charts," Vox
• "Everything You Need to Know About the Government Shutdown," Washington Post

National Emergency

• Elizabeth Goitein, "What the President Could Do If He Declares a State of Emergency," Atlantic
• Quinta Jurecic, "Everyone Calm Down About That Declaration of National Emergency," Lawfare