Dan Janison

4 weeks ago | newsday.com | Dan Janison

Nearly a month into his first term, in February 2017, President Donald Trump displayed a casual lack of concern for long-established White House security protocols. At his “winter White House” in Mar-a-Lago, dinner guests and waiters got to watch and listen as the new president consulted Japanese officials who happened to be on hand about a worrisome rocket launch by North Korea. Seasoned Washington security experts called it a dangerous little exhibition.

1 month ago | newsday.com | Dan Janison

Sen. Chuck Schumer’s role as the Democrats’ minority caucus leader makes him, institutionally, his party’s most powerful elected official. Last week, Schumer and several colleagues acceded to a temporary Republican budget bill aimed at keeping the federal government from shutting down through Sept. 30. "Republicans’ nihilism has brought us to the brink of disaster," he said last Thursday, before the vote. "Unless Congress acts, the federal government will shut down tomorrow at midnight.

1 month ago | newsday.com | Dan Janison

Cynical thinking forms part of the framework for “efficiencies” sought by the Trump administration. To help sell the sweeping cutbacks by Elon Musk’s team as constructive, the new White House establishment leans more than a bit on ignoring and even demeaning and dismissing career government professionals.

1 month ago | newsday.com | Dan Janison

Seasoned ex-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s unusual bid to morph into rookie New York City Mayor Andrew M. Cuomo has brought him outsize attention on national media. So far, the 67-year-old Cuomo’s "comeback" announcement is getting enough initial respect to give him front-runner status for the Democratic nomination. A consultant’s recent poll shows him backed by 38% of respondents versus 10% for incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and 12% for Assemb. Zohran Mamdani. Reasons go beyond name recognition.

1 month ago | newsday.com | Dan Janison

The road to today’s news is mapped by yesterday’s events. President Donald Trump’s previous major exertion of pressure on Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began on July 25, 2019 in a phone conversation soon heard ‘round the world. The two heads of state exchanged pleasantries. They spoke of mutual friendship. Zelenskyy broached the subject of obtaining more missiles to stave off Russia’s military pressure on Ukraine’s border.