Start your Monday smart: Presidents Day, Trump & Venezuela, NBA all-stars, Taliban
February 18, 2019
(CNN)Here’s what you need to know toStart Your Week Smart.
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TODAY
• It’s National Random Acts of Kindness Day. And it’s never too late to spread the love.
• NBA All-Stars take to the court. The Lakers’ LeBron James and the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo headline the midseason matchup. Watch at 7 p.m. ET on TNT and TBS.
MONDAY
• Trump gives an address on Venezuela. The danger of socialism is the crux of what President Donald Trump is due to say in Miami, though the theme may be more about US politics than anything else. He’s also expected to redouble US support for Venezuela’s self-declared president, Juan Guaido, who says humanitarian aid will arrive by week’s end in his crippled country.
• US and Taliban negotiators resume talks. The terms of a peace deal framework in the long-running Afghanistan War are on the table in Pakistan. Under the proposal, insurgents would vow to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a hub for terrorism in return for a US military withdrawal.
• They might as well call it I Want to Be President(s) Day. While many have a day off work, a half-dozen Democrats competing to unseat Trump in 2020 will crisscross early primary states from New Hampshire to California. Follow their every step at CNN Politics, and watch Sen. Amy Klobuchar in a CNN town hall at 10 p.m. ET.
TUESDAY
• The year’s largest supermoon rises. Early morning will be prime viewing time for what’s known as a snow moon or hunger moon. The moon will be as close as it ever gets to Earth — about 221,000 miles — and will look its biggest and brightest.
• ‘Hero in Her Hometown.’ It’sNational Vet Girls ROCK Day, a moment to honor the hundreds of thousands of women who serve in the US armed forces. The whole 5 Things family appreciates their sacrifice, courage and leadership. (Click to listen.)
WEDNESDAY
• The Austrian Chancellor visits the White House. Trump and Sebastian Kurz will look at “revitalizing the bilateral relationship” when they meet. Kurz, Europe’s youngest state leader, has made limiting migration a top priority. He also seems keen to strengthen Austria’s ties with Russia, where President Vladimir Putin on this day makes his annual address to lawmakers.
THURSDAY
• Top clergy in Rome tackle the abuse scandal. Summoned by Pope Francis at a moment of crisis, Catholic bishops from across the globe gather for a four-day meeting to address systemic child sex abuse. Already, though, confidence in the US church has fallen sharply, with some saying it’s too risky to raise children in the faith.
FRIDAY
• Virginia governor goes on an ‘apology tour.’ Gov. Ralph Northam will headline an event dubbed “Faith, Identity and Social Justice.” It’s part of the Democrat’s effort to rebuild credibility after the revelation that his page in a decades-old yearbook shows a photo of someone in blackface and someone in Ku Klux Klan garb. Northam has apologized but denies either figure is him.
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