Monday, March 18
á ProPublica reported that federal authorities raided the office of Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy last summer, seeking records related to his dealings with foreign officials and Trump administration associates, according to a sealed search warrant obtained by the investigative journalists.
á The Daily Beast reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has held NoŽ de la Cruz, a 72-year-old grandfather with AlzheimerÕs disease for nearly nine months in a detention center.
á
The Justice Department is opening an
investigation into the development of the Boeing 737 Max jet — the jet
involved in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane the previous week and a
Lion Air crash in October — and the way Boeing was being regulated by the
Federal Aviation Administration.
Tuesday, March 19
á In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court ruled the federal government can detain immigrants convicted of crimes without a bond hearing, even if they have been previously released and committed the crime years earlier.
á
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras of Washington ruled that
the Interior Department violated federal law by failing to take into account
the climate impact of its oil and gas leasing in the West, and temporarily
blocked drilling on about 300,000 acres in Wyoming.
Wednesday, March 20
á
Rep. Elijah Commings
(D.-Maryland), Chair of the Oversight and Reform Committee, said in an op-ed in
the Washington Post, ÒI have sent 12 letters to the White House on a half-dozen topics
— some routine and some relating to our core national security interests.
In response, the White House has refused to hand over any documents or produce
any witnesses for interviews.
Thursday, March 21
á President Donald Trump said in a tweet, ÒAfter 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!
á WikiLeaks founder Julian AssangeÕs attorney confirmed that Assange has declined to provide documents to the House Judiciary CommitteeÕs broad inquiry into actions by Trump.
á Roger Stone has invoked the Fifth Amendment to decline to cooperate with the House Judiciary Committee.
á
Sen. Joni Ernst said Trump needs to stop
attacking the late Sen. John McCain in a town hall meeting in Adel, Iowa, where
several attendees voiced anger over the attacks, which Trump has ramped up this
week.
á
The Centers for Disease Control published
findings showing that deaths from opioid overdoses
are three times higher for men than for women, are increasing faster among
black and Latino Americans and thereÕs an especially steep rise in the number
of young adults 25 to 34 whose death certificates indicate some version of Fentanyl.
Friday, March 22
á The Treasury and State Departments issued sanctions against 14 individuals and 17 entities linked to the Iran Ministry of Defense's unit responsible for nuclear weapons development
á
ÒIt was announced today by the U.S. Treasury that additional
large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing Sanctions on
North Korea. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional
Sanctions!Ó Trump tweeted.
á
Special Counsel Robert Mueller delivered his report on his
investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election to
the Justice Department. The department revealed that the investigation will
have no more indictments and that the DOJ did not overrule Mueller on any
aspect of the investigation.
á
FEMA revealed a Òmajor incidentÓ involving sensitive, personally
identifiable information of disaster survivors using the agencyÕs Transitional
Sheltering Assistance program.
á The caliphate or ÒstateletÓ controlled by the Islamic State has fallen after the remaining militants surrendered in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz, according to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
á While eating lunch at the Mineral City Mill and Grill, Rep. Steve King (R.-Iowa), who has made a series of statements embracing white nationalism, got a face full of water from another restaurant patron.
Saturday, March 23
á
Six
House committee chars told their Democratic colleagues that they planned to
pursue their investigations into TrumpÕs businesses, the role banks played in
funding the Trump organization and whether Trump abused the powers of his
office no matter what Mueller concluded..
Sunday, March 24
á
Attorney
General William Barr sent congressional leaders a four-page summary of
MuellerÕs Òprincipal conclusionsÓ in the confidential report Mueller submitted
Friday.
á
Rep.
Jerrold Nadler (D.-N.Y.), whose panel has jurisdiction over impeachment,
pledged to pick up where the special counselÕs investigation left off, seizing
on MuellerÕs refusal to exonerate Trump on the question of obstruction of
justice, saying, ÒPresident Trump is wrong. This report does not amount to a
so-called total exoneration.Ó
á
In a
joint statement, Nadler, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and
House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.)
called for Barr to appear before the Judiciary panel Òwithout delayÓ and for
the Justice Department to release the full Mueller report and all of the
underlying documents.
á