Tipsheet: DOJ turmoil clouds Trump's big speech

View in your browser     DOJ turmoil clouds Trump's big speech By Niall Stanage   Republicans are hoping that a raft of new controversies concerning President Trump, the FBI and the Russia probe do not distract from Tuesday’s State of the Union address — an occasion that they had hoped would allow the president to highlight the nation’s economic strength.  It emerged on Monday that Andrew McCabe, the deputy director of the FBI who has previously incurred Trump’s displeasure, would step down from his position.  Monday also saw a vote by the House Intelligence Committee authorizing the public release of a memo written by the staff of Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). The memo is believed to make allegations of malfeasance against the Department of Justice and the FBI in the investigation of a Trump campaign official. Read the full story here     Listen: The State of the Union address in history, and infrastructure at a crossroads By Alexis Simendinger   Presidency scholar Martha Joynt Kumar describes the importance of State of the Union speeches, and infrastructure specialist Kevin DeGood with the Center for American Progress says President Trump’s infrastructure ideas are at a crossroads. Listen to The Hill's podcast here     Five things to watch for in Trump’s State of the Union By Melanie Zanona and Cristina Marcos President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, a week after a three-day government shutdown was sparked by a bitter partisan fight over immigration. Read the full story here     House Intel votes to make Nunes memo public By Katie Bo Williams The House Intelligence Committee on Monday evening voted to make public a GOP-crafted memo alleging what some Republicans say are “shocking” surveillance abuses at the Department of Justice. Read the full story here       Comey praises McCabe: He 'stood tall' while 'small people' tried to tear down the FBI By Jacqueline Thomsen Former FBI Director James Comey gave his support to departing Deputy Director Andrew McCabe on Monday, saying McCabe “stood tall over the last 8 months, when small people were trying to tear down an institution we all depend on.” Read the full story here     Trump declines to implement new Russia sanctions By Olivia Beavers The Trump administration told Congress on Monday that bipartisan legislation passed last year authorizing new sanctions on Russia is already "serving as a deterrent," and there's no need to actually implement the penalties at this time. Read the full story here     Collins becomes centrist power player By Alexander Bolton Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is suddenly finding herself in the driver’s seat when it comes to getting legislation through the Senate. Read the full story here     Rep. Joe Kennedy looks to raise profile with Trump response By Amie Parnes Even though he’s a member of America’s most famous political family, Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) has kept a relatively low profile since entering Congress in 2013. Read the full story here     Tough flu season could kill tens of thousands By Reid Wilson Millions of Americans are suffering from the influenza virus in what public health experts say is an unusually active and dangerous flu season, the result of several distinct strains of a disease that are likely to kill tens of thousands in the United States. Read the full story here     EPA chief braces for grilling from Senate Dems By Miranda Green Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is certain to face harsh questioning Tuesday as he testifies for the first time to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Read the full story here     We are in a state of political disunion By Dan Mahaffee OPINION | The annual State of the Union is the annual gathering of the firmament of our political system, of leaders all directly or indirectly chosen by the American people. Read the full story here     Expect Trump's State of the Union to celebrate America — and provide a roadmap to the future By Armstrong Williams OPINION | The forthcoming State of the Union address will be an important milestone in the Trump presidency.  Read the full story here     The Washington Post: As Trump prepares to unveil State of the Union, Congress struggles to do its job By Erica Werner and Damian Paletta Lawmakers’ expectations of a spending deal are quickly diminishing under pressure from Republicans and Democrats in both chambers. Congress’s inability to handle its most basic constitutional task dims prospects for many of the president’s ambitions. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Some supporters fear Trump will lose edge in speech By Michael D. Shear and Julie Hirschfeld Davis Signals from the White House have hard-line supporters worried that he will forgo ideological purity in the speech and instead sing the praises of bipartisanship. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Immigrants to be in spotlight at State of Union By Louise Radnofsky, Siobhan Hughes and Kristina Peterson Address offers opportunity to build momentum toward a resolution—or set it back. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Trump to herald economic progress in State of the Union By Julie Pace   President Donald Trump will herald a robust economy and push for bipartisan congressional action on immigration in Tuesday’s State of the Union address, as he seeks to rally a deeply divided nation and boost his own sagging standing with Americans. Read the full story here     Reuters: CIA director expects Russia will try to target US mid-term elections By Reuters staff   CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Russia will target U.S. mid-term elections later this year as part of the Kremlin’s attempt to influence domestic politics across the West, and warned the world had to do more to push back against Chinese meddling. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet     You might like         Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.