House of Cards: After a confrontation yesterday with Speaker Nancy Pelosi about delivering the State of the Union message in the House chambers, President Trump said he will wait until the government shutdown is over. He huffed that, “The State of the Union has been canceled by Nancy Pelosi because she doesn’t want to hear the truth.”

  Trump tweeted, “I am not looking for an alternative venue for the SOTU Address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber.” 

  Pelosi had suggested that Trump not speak to a joint session of Congress while the government is closed and security is weakened. Trump wrote a letter to Pelosi saying he was going to do it anyway. He wrote, “It would be so very sad for our Country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location!” 

  Pelosi controls the House chambers and bluntly told Trump he would not be welcome during the shutdown. She wrote to him, “Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened.”

  It’s not looking good. The Democrats now say they are considering giving Trump the entire $5.7 billion he wants for border security, but none of it to be used for building a wall. Nothing Trump has said indicates he will settle for less, or knuckle under to sympathy for unpaid federal workers.

Truth Be Told: ThePresident’s  former lawyer Michael Cohen suspended plans for his scheduled testimony before Congress next month citing Trump’s attacks on his family. The President has repeatedly suggested that Cohen’s father-in-law and even his wife might be connected to criminal activity. 

  On hearing of Cohen’s withdrawal yesterday, Trump said, “I would say he’s been threatened by the truth. He’s only been threatened by the truth. And he doesn’t want to do that, probably for me or other of his clients.”

  This is a theme with Trump. The biggest liar in American political history claims everyone else is afraid of the truth. 

  Cohen can still be subpoenaed and forced to testify. But in the short term his withdrawal deprives the Democrats of a public show to make Trump look bad. House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings said, “We will not let the President’s tactics prevent Congress from fulfilling our constitutionally mandated oversight responsibilities.” He said, “This will not stop us from getting to the truth. We expect Mr. Cohen to appear before both Committees, and we remain engaged with his counsel about his upcoming appearances.”

Banana Republic:President Nicolás Maduro broke relations with the US yesterday after President Trump recognized an opposition leader as the legitimate head of government. Maduro ordered all US diplomats out of the country. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration does not recognize the Maduro government or its authority to break diplomatic relations. 

  Opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself  Venezuela’s interim president and the US offered its support.  Guaidó, 35, is the recently elected head of Venezuela’s National Assembly. He took the oath of office and promised to serve only as an interim leader until general elections.

  Once an oil-rich country, Venezuela has taken a nose dive under Maduro with a faltering economy, hyper-inflation, and shortages of food and medical supplies.

The Gathering Crowd:Never heard of him. Pete Buttigieg, the two-term Democratic mayor of South Bend, Ind., announced a long-shot bid for the White House. Very long. The 37-year- would be the first openly gay nominee of a major US political party. He’s #9 in the Democratic parade of candidates.

Police Blotter:A male nurse at a Phoenix nursing home has been charged with sexual assault in the case of a women in a vegetative state who gave birth. DNA from the baby matched that of the nurse. — A gunman killed five people yesterday inside a bank in Sebring, Fla. The gunman himself called police and told the dispatcher, “I have shot five people.” He surrendered.

Wrist Slapping: Pollution fines levied by the EPA have dropped 85 percent under the Trump administration, according to a report in The Washington Post. The paper says fines for polluting the environment once averaged $500 million a year,  adjusted for inflation, and was only $72 million in 2018.  

Real Estate:A hedge fund manager has paid what is believed to be the highest price ever for a home in the United States. Ken Griffin laid out $238 million for a four-story condo on Central Park South in New York in a building known as the “billionaires’ bunker.”

  Griffin also owns a $58.75 million condo in Chicago; a $60 million penthouse in Miami; $250 million worth of land to build a Palm Beach compound, and a $122 million London mansion.

  When you pay that much money for a home do you sleep better, or not at all?

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