LIST: This Shouldn't Be Happening in 2018

So many things happened in 2017, and I kept getting swept up and then drained with each news cycle. I didn't have the proper outlet to keep up with the frustration. This year, I've tried something new- I'm checking the news almost daily and keeping a running list of events that I think are absolutely unacceptable for 2018. It's been fairly cathartic to be honest. (I thought someone kept a list for 2017, but I couldn't find it; WaPo does track the president's false and misleading claims here.) 

Anyways! Here's a list of violent, hypocritical, fraudulent, and/or gauche events related to our current administration that I think shouldn't be happening in 2018:

1. Having to worry about the extent of Russia interfering with our election process (January 2nd)
2. The president tweeting that Pakistan is giving the US nothing but lies and deceit, infuriating Pakistani officials who have convened to re-evaluate their relationship with us (January 2nd) 
3. Huma Abedin still being harassed by the president for an email scandal that never was, as the Justice department's capabilities are questioned by the executive branch (January 2nd) 
4. Trump says his “nuclear button” is “much bigger” than North Korea’s- there’s definitely no button (January 2nd)
5. Trump threatens to cut Palestinian aid (January 3rd)
6. The president has a very messy public parting with chief strategist Bannon (January 3rd)
7. Trump finally disbands commission on voter fraud, does not acknowledge the commission’s inability to find evidence of fraud and blames states for not cooperating with investigation (January 3rd)
8. Trump moves to open nearly all offshore waters to drilling, dealing a serious blow to Obama’s environmental legacy (January 4th)
9. President Trump threatens to block a new book portraying him as a volatile and ill-equipped chief executive (January 4th)
10. CDC hosts workshop on how public health officials can address fallout of a nuclear attack, feels more urgent after president’s volatile interactions with North Korea (January 5th)
11. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to renew tough federal enforcement of marijuana laws, drawing bipartisan ire (January 5th)
12. Facing his own legal troubles, Trump calls on F.B.I. to renew questions over Clinton Foundation (January 5th)
13. Congress cannot agree on subsidies for low-income people under the Affordable Care Act or even how to extend funding for the broadly popular Children’s Health Insurance Program (January 6th)
14. President Trump again insisted on Saturday that he was not under investigation for Russian influence on the 2016 election (January 6th)
15. Trump tweets that he’s a “very stable genius” (January 6th)
16. US to end special protections for Salvadorans, looming threats of deportation (January 8th)
17. Trump “misstates” the size of tax cuts when speaking to a group of farmers- he says $5.5 trillion when it’s really $1.5 trillion (January 8th)
18. Tax breaks are said to bring more jobs to America when they really offer tax break for manufacturers with foreign operations (January 8th)
19. People question if the president knows the words to the national anthem (January 8th)
20. Prisons in New Jersey just reversed a ban on Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow (January 8th)
21. The Trump administration has literally fulfilled a coal executive's wish list, items include withdrawing from the Paris climate change agreement, rolling back on environmental regulations (January 9th)
22. The president is probably misleading us about how healthy he is (January 10th)
23. After filing a suit against Buzzfeed News, the president pledges to make it easier for people to sue news organizations and publishers for defamation, saying "our current libel laws are a sham and a disgrace and do not represent American values"(January 11th)
24. In a meeting about immigration, the president asks "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?" (January 11th)
25. Almost one year into his term, the president has visited his own private golf courses 91 times and spent $45 million in taxpayer dollars (January 14th)
26. Simone Biles comes forward as another exploited by US Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, bringing the count to over 130 women (January 15th)
27. Potential government shutdown and future of DACA remains uncertain (January 16th)
28. Republicans want to leverage CHIP in looming government shutdown, trying to make Democrats choose between Dreamers and CHIP (January 16th)
29. Bipartisan effort to reverse some elements of Dodd-Frank Act that could potentially allow hundreds of smaller banks to avoid certain elements of federal oversight (January 16th)
30. ICE is planning raids in Northern California to strike back against sanctuary cities (January 17th)
31. The president compiled a "Fake News Awards" (January 18th)
32. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the formation of a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division (January 18th)
33. The president is in the midst of a very public airing of grievances with his chief of staff John Kelly (January 19th)
34. The president addresses pro-abortion March for Life rally, saying "we are with you all the way" (January 19th)
35. Congressman uses taxpayer funds to settle sexual harassment case filed against him (January 20th)
36. Stormy Daniels is in the news again, she first made news after being paid $130,000 in hush money before the 2016 election; it's not an issue that she supposedly hooked up with Trump in 2006 but that if Obama or Hillary Clinton had a similar scandal, they would be over? (January 21st)
37. Trump slaps steep tariffs on foreign solar panels, economists warn the levies could drive up prices for consumers and hurt some American businesses (January 22nd)
38. We've had 11 school shootings in three weeks (January 23rd)
39. Trump asked an FBI official how he voted (January 23rd)
40. Pro-Trump fundraising group has some murky campaign finances (January 24th)
41. Trump ordered Mueller fired, but backed off when White House counsel threatened to quit (January 25th)
42. Trump's Davos speech on American economy is grossly decontextualized, exaggerated (January 26th)
43. Celebrity chef and Trumps have public argument that's as messy as everything else happening in our country (January 28th)
44. Hillary Clinton shielded a top advisor accused of sexual harrasment back in 2008 :/ (January 26th)
45. The Senate tries to criminalize abortions after 20 weeks, but measure falls short 51-46 (January 29th)
46. Trump is wildly misinformed on climate change during interview with Piers Morgan (January 29th)
47. "State of the Union" was misspelled on official invitations (January 29th)
48. Baltimore police kept toy guns on them to plant just in case they shot an unarmed person (January 30th)
49. Representative Paul Gosar tries to "arrest and deport" a dreamer who was invited as a Democratic senator's guest for SOTU (January 30th)
50. The federal deficit is soaring and Republicans who cared a lot about the issue when Obama was president don't seem to be doing much now (January 30th)
51. EPA blocks Obama-era clean water rule (January 31st)
52. US may open up Guantanamo Bay again? (January 31st)
53. Trump's $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan has little detail, explanation of funding (January 31st)
54. What is even happening with this memo mess? (February 1st)
55. Trump boasts incorrectly that his SOTU address drew the largest viewership (February 1st)
56. Republicans stuff education bill with conservative agenda items like religious colleges being able to bar openly same-sex relationships without repercussions and religious student groups blocking people who don't share their faith from being members (February 1st) 
57. Trump mocks Narenda Modi's Indian accent (February 2nd)
58. Paul Ryan deletes a tone-deaf tweet about how the GOP tax plan will help working class individuals (February 3rd)
59. Trump's unparalleled war on law enforcement (as almost all of the GOP remains silent about police brutality) (February 3rd)
60. Trump hammers away at Justice Department's credibility and Sessions remains silent, breaking from longstanding tradition of Attorney General defending integrity of example (February 4th)
61. The Pentagon has lost $800 million dollars? (February 5th)
62. Trump accuses Democrats who didn't clap for him during SOTU of "treason"? (February 5th)
63. Trump defines political success by economic markets, takes credit when stocks look good and stays silent when they take the largest single-day dip in history; experts are concerned deregulation policies will "overheat" the economy and investors are scrambling to anticipate the fallout (February 5th)
64. Trump suggests that shutdown might be a good idea (February 6th)
65. US has scattered policy on Libya as Russia and ISIS become more involved (February 7th)
66. Puerto Rico has one suicide hotline (February 8th)
67. Trump wants a military parade, the sort of grand event that commemorates the end of war, but there's no real reason now so it feels a lil reminiscent of an authoritarian regime, draws bipartisan fire (February 8th) 
68. John Kelly and other members of Trump's inner circle ignored accusations of domestic violence to protect aide Rob Porter (February 8th)
69. Second government shutdown is a total mess (February 8th)
70. Pence refuses to stand during Korean anthem in protest after making a scene about NFL protests last year (February 9th)
71. Trump tweets support for men who are falsely accused of harassment: "peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation" (February 10th)
72. Trump's new infrastructure plan ignores climate change (February 10th)
73. White House staff has 34% turnover rate, highest in recent history (February 12th)
74. White House security clearance is a mess, also why is Jared Kushner still trying to be cleared? (February 12th)
75. Georgia state legislature is trying to pass a bill that would punish student protestors, infringing on free speech rights (February 14th
76. School shooting in Florida leaves 17 dead (February 14th)
77. Jeff Sessions opposes bipartisan drug sentencing reform bill (February 14th)
78. Scott Pruitt defends his use of first class air travel on taxpayer dime because of "incidents" (February 14th)
79. Trump's main science advisor has no science background (February 14th)
80. Senate blocks 3 measures to resolve fate of Dreamers who future remains uncertain (February 15th)
81. Collusion between truck manufacturers, university research, Tennessee politician, and Pruitt's EPA creates loophole for diesel trucks that don't have to comply with air emission rules (February 15th)
82. White nationalist group quietly (and incorrectly) takes credit for recent terrorist attack Florida shooting, response would be very different if brown or black people were responsible (February 15th)
83. Trump inaugural committee pays $26 million to a friend of Melania and much less to charity than promised (February 15th)
84. Trump falsely claims "I never said Russia did not meddle in elections" (February 18th)
85. Clarence Thomas lied about sexual assault to get onto the Supreme Court and we're okay with it? (February 18th)
86. Georgia senate passes bill making it much harder for same-sex couples to foster children (February 20th)
87. Donald Trump junior tries to sell Trump property on an official visit to India (February 20th)
88. Right-wing commentators and politician aide push conspiracy theory to discredit Parkland teenagers (February 20th)

BUT of course, as I found these headlines above, I also found some that made me smile and gave me hope. (There are WAY more things in this world that make me happy, here are just a few that I remember to archive here)

• The Georgia Bulldogs' performance in the 2018 Rose Bowl!!! (January 1st)
• Hollywood women establish Time's Up, an initiative to stop sexual harassment that offers solidarity and concrete support to women across a range of backgrounds (January 1st)
• Sony Michel (Georgia football) shares his family’s immigrant story (January 2nd)
• Sarah Silverman is surprisingly kind to a Twitter troll, and it’s a beautiful story (January 5th)
• Oprah’s stunning Golden Globes speech (January 7th)
• Federal judges rule that North Carolina's congressional map gives Republicans an unconstitutional advantage and that districts must be redrawn! (January 10th) 
• We're having real conversation about pain and birth control (January 14th)
• BlackRock pressures corporations it has invested in to contribute to social causes (January 15th)
• Hospitals develop an innovative solution to rising drug prices (January 18th)
• This review of the 2018 Women's March (January 21st)
• "Satanic Temple Successfully Argues that Missouri's abortion laws violate their religious freedom" (January 23rd)
• Tammy Duckworth to be first sitting US Senator to give birth *(January 23rd)
• India unveils plan to give half a billion people healthcare (February 1st)
• Girl Scouts in Savannah, GA are trying to rename Talmadge Memorial Bridge (named after notorious racist politician Eugene Talmadge) to Juliette Gordon Low Bridge (February 4th)
• The Eagles beat the Patriots woo hoo! (February 4th)
• The Obamas reveal presidential portraits (February 12th)
• Chloe Kim's dad calls her his "American Dream" (February 12th)
• Bill & Melinda Gates tackle tough questions (February 13th)
• FDA approves first blood test to test for concussions (February 14th)
• Parkland teens are turning horror and tragedy into hope for change (February 18th)
• Justin Trudeau and his family visit India and there are great tweets about the trip (February 20th)