1. Trump signed a proclamation yesterday to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, but the order likely won't allow them to have physical contact with immigrants. This isn't the first time the White House has sent troops to support U.S. Border Patrol agents – Presidents Obama and George W. Bush took similar actions. The exact number of troops and the length of their deployment is still unknown, but more details are expected to emerge in the coming days. (NBC News)

  2. The White House is reportedly considering a proposal that could strip protections from hundreds of threatened species. The proposal is called "Removal of Blanket Section 4(d) Rule." Removing the blanket rule, which is used by the Fish and Wildlife Service to protect animals and plants that are at risk of becoming endangered, could give oil and agriculture companies more freedom to use land that was previously off-limits due to the presence of certain protected species. (The Hill)

  3. A Las Vegas GOP political adviser has been accused of sexual enslavement and battery by his ex-fiancee. Benjamin Sparks' ex-fiancee turned over copies of emails, texts, and a signed contract to police, which lay out her duties as Sparks' "slave in training." Officers say charges are pending and there is "probable cause to arrest Sparks for domestic battery." (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

  4. John Bolton has been meeting with White House attorneys about possible conflicts of interest, just days before he is set to become Trump's new national security advisor. The exact details of the talks are unclear at the moment, but experts believe the sticking points may be related to Bolton's possible future role with PACs and Super PACs. A spokesperson for Bolton, meanwhile, said there haven't been any issues. (CNBC)

  5. Reclusive hedge fund investor and multimillionaire Robert Mercer gave $2 million to a far-right neoconservative group called Secure America Now. The group worked closely with Facebook and Google to spread Islamophobic videos and ads on social media that were targeted specifically at voters in swing states who would be most susceptible to the messaging. Secure America Now has no employees, no volunteers, and is run out of a Washington, D.C. law firm. Most of the money to support the group came from just three individual donors, including Robert Mercer. (OpenSecrets)