'All Is Well'

The latest installment. [Trump rally] Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images The Big Picture: Bold Action, Divided Consequences “All is well” -- [so President Trump reassured Americans]( as confrontation with Iran last week appeared on the [verge of a flashpoint](. And given the dark turns that crisis might have taken, including toward full scale war in the Middle East, the president and his supporters may not have been wrong, comparatively speaking. As it turned out, the status quo, roughly speaking, [resumed](. That hasn’t stopped skeptics from questioning the strategy behind the president’s order to assassinate Iran’s best known military commander, Qassem Soleimani. For other critics, the president has further [abused power]( granted him in the febrile environment that followed the 2001 terror attacks and gone far beyond what the Constitution intends for any president to do on his own. Administration officials told members of Congress that Trump believes he has the power to, in effect, declare war on Iran himself, without Congress, as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, [told NPR](. It’s not the first time Trump and supporters have made a bold claim about executive power: Trump avers that he can pardon himself, for example, and his first term showed that he is effectively immune from prosecution anyway. Democrats object so strongly to Trump and his actions in office that last month, the House impeached him. Most Republicans stick by the president no matter what and this month, they’re expected to permit him to keep his office in his Senate trial. A vote that would constrain Trump’s action on Iran, [which passed in the House]( is expected to falter in the Senate, even if Lee or a few other Republicans break ranks in protest. The strike against Soleimani and its aftermath, then, fit nicely into a series of these episodes in the Trump era: Bold action, divided response. This installment likely won’t be the last. — Philip Ewing, Washington Desk editor --------------------------------------------------------------- Connie Hanzhang Jin and Jessica Taylor/NPR ICYMI: Top Stories Castro endorses Warren: Days after ending his presidential campaign, [Julián Castro endorsed]( Elizabeth Warren for the 2020 Democratic nomination. In a video announcing his endorsement, Castro said she's "unafraid to fight like hell to make sure America's promise will be there for everyone." Florida’s voting rights amendment: Florida passed an amendment in 2018 restoring voting rights for over a million people with felony convictions. But [the implementation of the amendment has become partisan]( with people in Democratic-controlled counties getting their voting rights back — while people in GOP-controlled counties miss out. Murky future of the ERA: Virginia [could become the 38th state to ratify]( the Equal Rights Amendment this year. But this week, the Justice Department issued an opinion saying "the ERA Resolution has expired and is no longer pending before the States” -- making its future murky. Release of gerrymandering docs: Republicans in North Carolina fought in court to keep computer files found on the hard drives of Thomas Hofeller, a GOP redistricting strategist, from going public. Now, his daughter is [sharing the files online]( — calling them "property of the people." John Roberts and impeachment: In theory, Chief Justice John Roberts will be the man in charge of a Senate impeachment trial. But as NPR’s Nina Totenberg [reports]( in practice, his role could be limited — and largely powerless. Tuesday’s Dem debate: The Jan. 14 Democratic debate will be the smallest yet, [with just six candidates set to appear on stage](. The stage will feature billionaire businessman Tom Steyer, who qualified based on a strong showing in recent polls in South Carolina and Nevada. — Brandon Carter, NPR Politics social media producer --------------------------------------------------------------- [Tehran mourners]( Marjan Yazdi for NPR In The Streets Of Tehran After a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, throngs of people flooded the streets of Tehran to mourn his death. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly and Becky Sullivan are there, witnessing the fallout from the strike and subsequent retaliation against U.S. troops in Iraq. Listen to their latest reports: a [stepback on recent events]( and a visit to a place where male reporters aren't welcome — [a beauty salon](. [See more photos]( Listen to your favorite NPR Member station live on your Alexa or Google Home device. Just tell your smart speaker to, [“Play NPR.”]( What do you think of today's email? 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