Trump-free Friday politics roundup: Jan. 19

A government shutdown may or may not happen, Bannon gets a subpoena, the Koreas play nice, and more on this week’s politics roundup

Government shutdown looms again

For all of the (sometimes deserved) scorn, it must be tough to be a senator or representative. Think of all the effort that goes into putting together a bill — the organizing, the negotiating, the sheer amount of writing by one’s staff. And, then, a certain someone steps in from the White House and, with a single tweet or remark, torpedoes everyone’s hard work. Even if you don’t think that the content of the bill was worthy, you can at least emphasize with the deep frustration.

Of course, the blame shouldn’t solely go to the presidential administration. In the current drama, the House recently approved a short-term bill to avoid a government shutdown. However, the bill now moves to the Senate. There, Democratic politicians say they will attempt to stop its progress.

The bill will keep the government operating through Feb. 16. It would also extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for another six years, as well as roll back numerous taxes that are part of the ACA.

Today, Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) met with the president:

Why oppose the bill?

Democrats are generally upset, however, because the bill does not include any provision for immigration programs. In particular, they want an extension for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, whose recipients are commonly called “dreamers.”

Other skeptics of the bill have expressed their frustration with short-term bills. They argue that a long-term spending bill needs to be written in order to resolve the issue once and for all (for now, anyway).

Blocking the bill would be a tricky move for Democratic senators, however. A resulting government shutdown could furlough many federal employees and make “no” voters unpopular. With the 2018 midterm elections anything but certain, it’s a tricky situation.

Bannon subpoenaed

Given that the world of politics currently seems most like a medieval-style wheel of fortune, with its capricious turns of fate, it’s hard to tell what’s going to happen to Steve Bannon. He was once a relatively successful media personality, then a high-ranking White House adviser. However, he resigned from his position in August of last year.

Commentators speculated that he had alienated potential allies and was even on the outs with the president. Things got even worse when his uncomplimentary remarks were published in Fire and Fury, a book written by Michael Wolff and published Jan. 9. Bannon lost the support of key conservative donors and the president.

Now, Bannon has been subpoenaed by Mueller’s Russia investigation. He received the grand jury subpoena Monday, followed by a second subpoena on Tuesday from the House Intelligence Committee.

A subpoena, however, is not evidence of guilt. In fact, it’s rare for grand jury subpoenas to name the targets of investigations. This makes Bannon’s role — in the 2016 presidential campaign, the subsequent administration and the Russia investigation — all the more obscure.

The border wall still probably won’t happen

Try to contain your shock, please.

According to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, the president may have been ever so uninformed about the feasibility of a border wall. Yes, the same border wall that would cost so much that considering it makes you want to sit down and cradle your head in your hands. Sure, some people were way into the notion, but it often came across as an unfulfillable campaign promise, rather than an actual plan.

However, presidential allies and employees were often forced to pay lip service to the notion. Never mind anything like “facts” or “proposed budgets” — the wall was definitely going to happen at some future point in time.

Now, Kelly has reportedly told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that, during the campaign, “there were statements made about the wall that were not informed statements.”

The president has since claimed that, no, the wall is a totally good idea that “has never changed or evolved.” Mexico will also still pay for it, somehow.

North and South Korea play nice — for now

Like all things in this world, the Olympics-inspired turn of playing nice between the Koreas isn’t quite as simple as you might wish to think. This is geopolitics, after all. While there is much talk of reunification and sportsmanship on the surface, there are assuredly strong undercurrents just below.

And it’s not just a matter that concerns these two countries. North and South Korea’s agreement to march under one flag at next month’s Winter Olympics makes the United States’ strategy for North Korea all the more complex. Previously, the standing policy was to put pressure on North Korea through military drills and harsh sanctions.

With the possibility of a political thaw between the Koreas, however, this strategy doesn’t work. Remember that South Korean President Moon Jae-in has advocated for more open talks with his country’s neighbor. Increased pressure from the U.S. could sour the relationship between the Americans and its allies in the region — like South Korea.

On the other hand, nothing at all may happen after the games. South and North Korea have marched under the same Olympic flag before. That has done seemingly little to ease the tensions of just a month ago. And while talks of reconciliation are soothing (and a boon for propagandists), it’s hard to see how North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will want to scale back his country’s growing nuclear program.

And, finally, your palate cleanser

Everyone is jumping on the art selfie bandwagon with Google’s Arts and Culture app. In particular, we’re all gaga for the function that matches your selfie to a number of portraits in its database. If you can stomach the unclear privacy implications of Google scanning your face, it’s fun.

But why not check out the rest of Google Arts and Culture? It is truly a massive database that features not only artworks but objects from cultural and history-focused collections.

Next: Trump-free Friday politics roundup: Jan. 12

You can even virtually visit other museum spaces, via its Museum Explorer function. Cultural sites like Ford’s Theater, Stonehenge, and Robben Island near Cape Town, South Africa.

It even has virtual exhibits on subjects you may have never considered, like the previously humble sari and blouse.

It’s a fascinating way to spend an hour or more.