I think I might understand why the FSB picked up Paul Whelan:

Multiple embassies are working to help Paul Whelan, accused of spying in Russia

Embassies of several countries are trying to assist ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan as he remains in a Moscow prison over allegations of espionage. Whelan was born in Canada and has since gained citizenship in the U.S., Britain and Ireland.

The professional paranoids in every country get upset when they encounter people with more than one passport. Citizenship in 4 countries while involved in the “security” business sets off alarms. He would definitely be pulled aside entering the US if they saw more than one passport [been there- tourist & official duty].

I’m not saying that he has done anything wrong, but the arrest may be more than the typical kidnapping to exchange for Mariya Butina.

The BBC reports that Trump is ready for US shutdown to last ‘for years’:

US President Donald Trump has said he is prepared for a partial shutdown of the US government – now entering its third week – to last years.

After meeting top Democrats, he also said he could declare a national emergency to bypass Congress and build a US-Mexico border wall.

Mr Trump insisted he would not sign any bill without wall funding, which Democrats adamantly oppose.

Around 800,000 federal workers have been without pay since 22 December.

Hello, I have a question from the real world: How will the border be secured or the undocumented be deported when all of the people who work for DHS leave to find jobs where they get paid? If the rank and file miss two paychecks, they are at risk of their utilities being turned off, being evicted or having their houses foreclosed on, losing their cars, not to mention the problem of buying food. Any actual officer of a union who advocated for this shut down should be impeached [preferably before the tar and feathers].

As for bypassing Congress on spending money: US Constitution Article I, Section 9, Paragraph 7

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

The ignorance and arrogance burns. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib’s call is justified by Trump’s action. People should remember that she is a Palestinian-American and has watched what Trump and his son-in-law have allowed to be done to the Palestinian people.