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Friday's Mini-Report, 1.31.20

Today's edition of quick hits.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania join Trump's list: "The Trump administration is expanding its travel ban by restricting travel from six countries, citing security risks, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday."

* Coronavirus: "Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar declared a public health emergency over the new coronavirus Friday."

* It's as if the scheme is ongoing: "While the two officials offered reassurances that relations were strong, Mr. Pompeo did not give Mr. Zelensky one thing he has sought since his election in April: an invitation to meet President Trump at the White House, which would be an important signal to Russia of American support for Ukraine. Mr. Pompeo's message that Mr. Trump was not ready to receive Mr. Zelensky at the White House was a blow to the Ukrainian president's national security efforts."

* Set your calendars: "The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday that it has scheduled oral argument on March 31 for three cases involving access to President Donald Trump's financial documents."

* Afghanistan: "The Taliban and other groups carried out a record number of attacks in Afghanistan during the last several months of 2019, according to an inspector general report released Friday. The increase in violence occurred during a period in which President Trump tweeted that the United States was 'hitting our Enemy harder than at any time in the last ten years!'"

* Jennifer Williams exits Team Pence: "A national security aide to Vice President Mike Pence and key witness in the House's impeachment of President Donald Trump will be leaving her post in the vice president's office early to join Central Command, according to two people with knowledge of her plans."

* Brexit: "Three and a half years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, Brexit will finally happen Friday night.... Former senior civil servants and academics have told NBC News that this second phase will be the toughest part of Brexit yet, with the U.K. forced to make concessions and compromises along the way on trade and security."

* The revolving door keeps spinning: "EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler's chief of staff is leaving the agency to work for the nation's top coal mining trade group. Ryan Jackson is stepping down after three years at the Environmental Protection Agency to become the National Mining Association's senior vice president of government affairs, the trade group said on Thursday night."

* When Trump is railing against wind power, he invariably positions himself as a big fan of birds. And yet: "The Trump administration is working to cement new standards weakening enforcement of the century-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act."

Enjoy the weekend.

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