Welcome to Monday, September 9th, endo- and exo-skeletons...

Trump has called off negotiations with the Taliban. For now.

President Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday that he called off a secret meeting with the Taliban after a bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan.

"Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday," Trump wrote. "Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great soldiers, and 11 other people. I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations..."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) welcomed the cancellation, saying the president made a "great decision" as "we’re dealing with a terrorist group who are responsible for destroying statues of other religions, denying young girls a chance to go to school, brutalizing women and inviting Al-Qaeda to reside in Afghanistan as the Taliban’s honored guest."

But Trump also faced backlash for even scheduling the meeting—and for its timing: the meeting comes days before the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) tweeted:

Would you support a U.S.-Taliban peace 

On the Radar

Privatizing Fannie and Freddie

The Trump administration has unveiled a plan that would end government control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The companies nearly collapsed in the 2008 financial crisis and were bailed out by taxpayers at a cost of $187 billion.

Congress created the two mortgage finance companies (Mae in 1938, Max in 1970) to provide a federally-backed guarantee on loans, providing funds “to the thousands of banks, savings and loans, and mortgage companies that make loans to finance housing.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the proposals will “protect taxpayers and help Americans who want to buy a home.”

“An effective and efficient federal housing finance system will also meaningfully contribute to the continued economic growth under this administration," Mnuchin added.

Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, didn't share the secretary's optimism.

“President Trump’s housing plan will make mortgages more expensive and harder to get. I’m urging the president: Make it easier for working people to buy or rent their homes, not harder.”

Do you support privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

School Choice

It’s that time of year you may have dreaded as a kid—back to school season. The last few glorious weeks of summer break are slipping away, parents are buying school supplies, and kids are trying to savor their remaining homework-free days.

But for families who are trying to find the best possible academic option for their students, it’s also a time to evaluate which school would be the best fit for their child and whether it’s possible for them to attend a different school.

In many communities, school choice policies give students the ability to attend a different school than they’re assigned to by their district. While there are nuances to how school choice has been implemented in different places and it has both advocates and detractors, we wanted to clarify the debate for you. Click the link below for a primer, then tell your reps:

How do you feel about school choice?

Under the Radar

Civil Rights Act of 1957

On September 9, 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the first civil rights legislation since Reconstruction after it outlasted the longest filibuster in the history of the U.S. Senate, paving the way for the civil rights bills of the 1960s.

After the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education found racially segregated public schools to be unconstitutional, Eisenhower wanted to signal his administration’s support for integration efforts amid staunch and often violent opposition by segregationists in the South.

The aim of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 was to protect the voting rights of black Americans, who were disenfranchised by discriminatory registration rules like poll taxes and literacy tests enacted by southern Democrats. At the time, only about 20 percent of blacks were registered to vote.

Read about the bill's history here, then join the conversation: How do you feel about the Civil Rights Act of 1957 on its anniversary?

What You're Saying

Here's how you're answering Should States Have More Flexibility in Using Federal Education Funds?