THE TOP THREE
1. President Trump vetoes Senate resolution that rejected his national emergency declaration

What's going on
President Trump declared a national emergency on February 15 concerning the United States' southern border with Mexico. This week, the U.S. Senate voted on a resolution to reject the declaration. President Trump vetoed this resolution Friday evening, the first veto of his presidency.
What Ambassadors are saying
"I've spent a career in a region that is known for its emergency laws. When the going gets rough somewhere in the Middle East, the head of state will often proclaim a state of emergency. It bothers me significantly that we now have a president who is sounding like a Middle East autocrat. Trump criticized Obama for his blizzard of executive orders, and it was a blizzard, but Trump's doing the same thing, because that is the only way he can govern, just as it was the only way Obama could govern." (Ambassador Ryan Crocker quote from Desert News )
2. UK Parliament votes to delay Brexit

What's going on
 This week, Members of Parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit proposal for the second time. Yesterday, Parliament voted to extend the deadline to have a Brexit deal to the European Union by March 29th. PM May is now requesting the extension from the EU, and says it should be no more than three months.
What Ambassadors are saying
"The EU will consider an extension, but the question will be for what end? They won't just grant an open-ended extension of certainly more than three months and say, 'do you want an extension to have another peoples' vote? Or are you going to come up with a new proposal?' If the answer is no to both of those things, the EU may say why would we give you an extension for you to come back with ideas that have already been rejected over the past few months. (Ambassador Anthony Gardner, former U.S. Ambassador to the EU, on CNBC )
3. Boeing 787 Max 8 planes grounded

What's going on
The United States and many other countries have grounded the Boeing 787 Max 8 plane model after the plane's second fatal crash in five months.
What Ambassadors are saying
"The two accidents are a reminder that air safety is a pressing concern at many levels, including regional. This is particularly true in Asia, the world's largest and fastest-growing air travel market...All parties must work to ensure that, as Asia's skies get busier, safety is not compromised. This means including a culture of safety that embraces new technology, but also understands its limits and potential." (Ambassador Curtis Chin writes for Nikkei Asian Review )
FRESH OFF THE PRESS


Former U.S. Ambassador to Mauritius John Price urges the United States to develop a new foreign policy of engagement with Africa before China annexes the continent as a part of its strategic plan to dominate the global economy. Read on American Ambassadors Live!
IN THE MEDIA
Ambassador Anthony Gardner: Brexit is bad news for the US, UK and Europe

On the PBS show Amanpour & Co ., Ambassador Gardner discusses the benefits of a strong European Union and why a British exit would be harmful to the US, UK and EU.
NATO isn't just a military alliance, it is a political alliance based on democratic values. We talk about needing to spend 2% for defense, but we need to be 100% for democracy.

Secretary Madeleine Albright in Prague 20 years after the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary joined NATO:
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