While You Were Offline: Rain Near Spain Means Trump Stays on the Plane

In all kinds of ways, the past seven days feel like the second part of a two-episode storyline that started last week, and not just because California is still on fire and we’re still getting midterm election results (for those curious, it’s only gotten worse for Republicans, no matter how desperate they get). Indeed, a lot of what people were talking about last week—Melania Trump's verion of "you're fired" and pro wrestling debacles aside—were events set in motion at various points in the past. But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that this week ended up being far less original than it might otherwise have been. It did, after all, start with the sad death of Marvel co-creator Stan Lee; you can’t blame the universe’s creativity for being a little low after that, can you?

What Happened: At the time of year when it’s expected that the President of the United States would honor America’s fallen soldiers, Donald Trump managed to shun them not once, but twice in a single week.

Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports

What Really Happened: The week started with President Trump in Europe, having decamped to France for the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. It wasn’t that he was running away from his many troubles in the US, it was that he was running toward commemorating all the American soldiers who died in Europe during the Great War.

There was just one problem with that: He ended up skipping a planned visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery on Saturday, with the cancellation officially blamed on “scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather.”

He did, at least, show up for a second cemetery visit a day later (but only after being pals with Vladimir Putin, because of course). At least that didn’t backfire, right?

He returned to the US that day, in time to be observe Veterans Day in Washington, meaning he can uphold that proud tradition of visiting Arlington National Cemetery. Because, surely, after what happened in France, he’d not skip that for any reason. (You know what’s coming next.)

Oh yes, that happened.

Well, if he wasn’t going to Arlington National Cemetery, what was he doing?

Don’t worry; the upset over Trump skipping Arlington didn’t mean that everyone had forgotten about France, because he himself brought it up on Twitter later in the week:

Sure, it seems silly that he might have been legitimately afraid of rain, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Just ask stairs.

The Takeaway: Of course, the real reason for Trump’s absence in France was far less interesting, and—like most true horror—infinitely more mundane:

What Happened: In the face of an attack on the First Amendment by the United States Government, CNN did something unexpected: It took the matter to the courts, suing the White House for shutting out reporter Jim Acosta.

Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports

What Really Happened: Perhaps you remember last week, when the White House decided to pull CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s pass for reasons that were immediately contradicted by anyone with access to un-doctored video. This week, there was a surprise when CNN went surprisingly hard in response:

The lawsuit was, as should only be expected, a huge media story, perhaps, because who cares about free speech more than journalists? The White House was quick to respond:

While the administration didn't love CNN’s lawsuit, other organizations were much more supportive:

And as it turned out, the White House wasn’t content to let Sarah Huckabee Sanders handle the official response alone:

On Wednesday, the matter was argued in court:

Initially, a decision was announced for Thursday, but that was later postponed until the following day. Did things go the Administration’s way? They did not.

The Takeaway: More partisan outlets were quick to jump to the administration's defense. Not only did fringe network One America News Network file a brief supporting the White House, but at least one pundit thought this was the best opportunity to own the libs just a little bit more:

What Happened: Post-midterms, everyone suddenly remembers that the President of the United States is under a special counsel investigation. And when we say “everyone,” we mean the President of the United States.

Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports

What Really Happened: This week has been a fascinating one for those who remember the fact that an ongoing investigation is examining whether the Trump campaign colluded with a foreign power to get him elected back in 2016. For one thing, people started to notice some strange social-media patterns:

(For what it’s worth, the National Enquirer also went temporarily silent on Twitter between November 9 and 13. Conspiracy theorists, start conspiring. It should also be noted that WikiLeaks might have an additional reason for being silent if reports are to be believed.)

Oh, and then there was a rash of reports—prompted by an associate of Roger Stone—that Robert Mueller was preparing to issue new indictments, potentially including Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr..

Against this background, it’s not the greatest surprise that many are fearful for the longterm prospects of the investigation, especially considering that the President essentitally admitted that incoming acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker got the job because he’ll be able to kill the probe.

With all this happening, some tried to create legislation to protect Mueller. Any guesses as to how that went?

Thursday morning, the President did his best impression of someone who almost certainly has nothing to hide and certainly isn’t guilty of anything suspicious that could be uncovered by the Special Counsel investigation on Twitter:

It’s worth noting that the rant came not only after Trump had installed Whitaker as acting AG, but also after the President had met with his lawyers to respond to written questions from Mueller. Not that there's, uh, any connection between the two.

And then there's the question of the actual contents of the rant:

The Takeaway: Still, it’s not like the President’s lawyer is making public statements suggesting that the President can’t answer questions without getting in trouble with the law, right?

What Happened: After months of speculation, Amazon finally announced the location—sorry, locations—of its new headquarters.

Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports

What Really Happened: The long national nightmare that was mystery over where the next Amazon headquarters would be based is finally over! Sorry, New York and Northern Virginia:

Two headquarters for the price of one! (And what a price, but we’ll get there soon enough…)

And while it wasn’t a full-on headquarters, Nashville got a piece of the action as well.

Not everyone was happy, though. Actually, that’s putting it mildly; because no one seemed happy about this news. Some were more unhappy than others, of course:

I’m sure that the cost to the cities is entirely necessary and not ridiculously ostentatious, right?

Then again, what company would turn down a taxpayer-funded helipad? But it’s not just New York, though:

Oh, and there’s something else strange about the Virginia location…

Wait, it gets better:

Is … is this innovation?

The Takeaway: But amidst all of this, let’s take a moment to think about the cities that didn’t win the chance to host Amazon. I bet they’re heartbroken:

What Happened: Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the looming shadow of Brexit has gotten a little bit sharper this week, thus making the political future of the woman in charge of the entire country look far more uncertain.

Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports

What Really Happened: Remember Brexit? That whole “Britain voted to leave the European Union, which was a terrible decision, but the people who regretted it weren’t in charge, and now it’s just months away and no one knows how it's going to actually work” thing? Everyone was waiting for the United Kingdom to make a deal with the European Union that was, somehow, agreeable to both parties—something that was beginning to seem impossible, given that it hadn’t happened in the two years since the original vote.

And then, this week, a deal finally appeared to be made. A deal that U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May certainly stood behind firmly and strongly:

Ah, the old “It’s not good, but it’s the best I could do.” Maybe the full statement is a bit more hopeful.

Or, y'know, maybe not. The opposition parties certainly didn't seem willing to give her the benefit of the doubt:

For her part, May was a touch less than convincing when arguing her case in Parliament:

Indeed, she fared so poorly that one of her own MPs threw her under the bus in an impressively public fashion:

That’s Jacob Rees Mogg, who went from wound up filing a motion of no confidence in his party’s leadership as a result. But maybe Rees Mogg—and yes, we all think he sounds like a Star Wars Imperial officer too—was an outlier, and not everyone in May’s Conservative party is so desperately unhappy...

Okay, so the Brexit Secretary quitting in protest is not a good sign. But the resignations had only just begun.

Well at least this is purely political and doesn't have any real-world implications...

The Takeaway: Of course, the national mood in the United Kingdom continued to express that stiff upper lip that the union of nations is known for.

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