Trump and his right-wing allies have avidly worked to mainstream a new talking point about "chain migration." The idea is that immigrants from nonwhite and Muslim countries ultimately bring large extended family groups with them. The diagram used by the White House to signal the perils of "chain migration" and the way "undesirable" immigrant can supposedly bring many more of them to America. It is similar to the the the original "race science" diagrams used in Nazi Germany to explain the Nuremberg Laws.

2015 was the year of Indiana's anti-LGBT "religious freedom" law; 2016 was North Carolina's ill-fated "bathroom bill"; 2017 was when Mississippi's extreme law HB 1523 took effect. If history repeats itself, 2018 will see another major state-level attack on LGBT.  According to a new report, we can expect state-level anti-LGBT bills to get narrower in focus, while remaining just as pointed in their intent.

Reinforcing its strong connection with social conservatives, the Trump administration said a new federal office to protect medical providers refusing to participate in abortion, assisted suicide or other procedures on moral or religious grounds. Leading Democrats and LGBT groups immediately denounced the move, saying "conscience protections" could become a license to discriminate, particularly against gay and transgender people. 

One year ago, millions of women protested in the streets. Now there are more women running for office than ever before. Experienced female political operatives are striking out on their own, creating new organizations independent from the party apparatus to raise money, marshal volunteers and assist candidates with everything from fundraising to figuring out how to balance child care with campaigns.

A shutdown, however, doesn't mean every federally funded agency, program and service will grind to a halt. Whoever works for agencies and departments that are considered nonessential, including agencies that pay out small business loans and process passport requests, will cease to work. The military is considered essential and would still report for duty. However, the troops -- including those in combat -- will potentially not be paid during a shutdown.