Monday, May 15

á       The Guardian UK reported that former intelligence chief James Clapper accused President Donald Trump of placing American democratic institutions Òunder assaultÓ and cautioned that TrumpÕs removal of FBI Director James Comey is Òanother victoryÓ for Russia. http://tinyurl.com/k87abrc

á       The Supreme Court refused to overturn the decision by a lower court that ruled a 2013 North Carolina voting law discriminated against African American voters. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/05/in_cooper_v_harris_the_supreme_court_strikes_a_blow_against_racial_redistricting.html

á       Trump revealed classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador jeopardizing a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State and, according to the Washington Post, Òpotentially endangering a coveted intelligence asset, compromising a crucial alliance and undermining the war effort against the Islamic State.Ó http://tinyurl.com/kvw8hd6

á       The Trump administration announced plans to cut U.S. foreign aid by $8.8 billion to international healthcare groups that advocate for abortion rights. http://tinyurl.com/llsghqu

Tuesday, May 16

á       After denying he divulged classified information, Trump confirmed that he did share classified information with Russian officials saying he has the Òabsolute rightÓ to give Òfacts pertaining to terrorism Ó to Russian officials. http://tinyurl.com/mhavvtj

á       The New York Times reported a Comey memo from last February indicating Trump pressured Comey to shut down an investigation into ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn. The Times also reported that Trump suggested "Comey should consider putting reporters in prison for publishing classified information." http://tinyurl.com/kjz74ut and http://tinyurl.com/mflb8hy

á       Senator Angus King said ÒI think youÕre getting very close to the legal definition of obstruction of justiceÓ if Trump tried to shut down an FBI investigation of Flynn. http://tinyurl.com/msxdge2

á       The Justice Department appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Russia election interference. http://tinyurl.com/lecbarw

á       Two potential candidates turned down Trump administration job offers to replace Comey as FBI director. http://tinyurl.com/m4rcws2

á       The Senate Intelligence Committee asked Comey to testify publicly in their Russia interference investigation. http://tinyurl.com/mearlna

á       The House passed bill HR1616 to authorize the National Computer Forensics Institute to prevent cyber and electronic crimes. http://tinyurl.com/lyc57ls

Wednesday, May 17

á       Regarding the appointment of a special counsel Trump tweeted ÒThis is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!Ó http://tinyurl.com/lha24sd

á       Putin said he would provide the U.S. Congress with a record of the meeting between Trump and Russian envoys where Trump divulged classified information. This offer was dismissed by U.S. legislators as sowing undue chaos. http://tinyurl.com/mrq5jsx

á       U.S. House and Senate intelligence committees said they would continue their investigation of Russian interference despite appointment of a special counsel. http://tinyurl.com/myjztv7

á       The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights accused the US of killing more than 40 civilians in a U.S.-led coalition strike in Syria. http://tinyurl.com/mssug9q

á       Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke was appointed as assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Clarke, opposed by minority groups, likened Black Lives Matter to the KKK and promoted racial profiling. http://tinyurl.com/kgwo3ez

á       Senator Mitch McConnell said that TrumpÕs proposed border adjustment tax stands little chance of being approved. http://tinyurl.com/k9zfoqf

á       A federal court decided that the Environment Protection AgencyÕs (EPA) approval of 59 pesticides linked to bee deaths does not comply with the Endangered Species Act. http://tinyurl.com/n7phf35

Thursday, May 18

á       The Federal Communications Commission voted to begin the process of eliminating net neutrality rules to allow ISPs to block, throttle, or prioritize Internet content in exchange for payment by announcing a proposed rulemaking. http://tinyurl.com/kqdy92o

á       Reuters reported that Trump campaign aides had a least 18 undisclosed contacts with Russia. http://tinyurl.com/mz7nrff

á       Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein met in a closed-session briefing of U.S. senators to answer questions about his appointment of special counsel Mueller. http://tinyurl.com/mra49k3

á      Common Dreams reported the Trump administration plans to cut the Department of EnergyÕs budget for renewable energy and efficiency programs by 70 percent. http://tinyurl.com/ls9om2l

á       Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, when questioned by Senator Elizabeth Warren before the Senate Banking Committee, said Trump is not Òlooking intoÓ a Glass-Stegall break-up of investment banks. http://tinyurl.com/lbbr67c

á       EPA chief Pruitt continued to delay a new federal rule setting tougher safety standards at facilities that handle and store hazardous substances. http://tinyurl.com/lmazdwb

á       Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr said Flynn is not cooperating with the committeeÕs request for documents. http://tinyurl.com/lzjfvwn

á       ProPublica reported that lawyer Keith Noreika, TrumpÕs appointee to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and critic of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street overhaul, is positioned to roll back consumer-friendly regulations imposed by states. http://tinyurl.com/mamkoaj

Friday, May 19

á       The New York Times reported that Trump bragged last week to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, ÒI just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job.Ó http://tinyurl.com/kw2qeq7

á       The Justice Safety Valve Act was introduced in the House to reduce jail sentences — an attempt to rein in Attorney General SessionÕs directive earlier in the month to seek the toughest possible sentences. http://tinyurl.com/l5w2faa

á       Because of Trump administration mismanagement of basic healthcare issues, health insurers announced plans to raise Obamacare premiums or to exit marketplaces. A crisis already looms in Iowa where, in 2018, there will be no insurers on the exchange. http://tinyurl.com/k5aeyyc and http://tinyurl.com/lohbedr

á       Comey agreed to testify in a public session before the Senate Intelligence committee sometime after Memorial Day. http://tinyurl.com/kh7a5kg

á       The Detroit News reported that immigration agents are using a controversial surveillance tool, a cell-site simulator, to find undocumented immigrants. http://tinyurl.com/lorruka

á       The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on eight current or former members of Venezuela's Supreme Court. http://tinyurl.com/mdjdrmb

á       The Education Department said that it will select one company to collect student debt payments to replace nine contractors that currently handle $1.2 trillion portfolio of education loans. http://tinyurl.com/my9fsjy

Saturday, May 20

á       Trump embarked on his first overseas trip as president to visit Saudi Arabia.

á       Trump signed a joint Òstrategic visionÓ with Saudi Arabia that includes $110 billion in American arms sales, the largest arms sale in history, and other new investments. A legal analysis prompted by congressional inquiries warned that the sale is illegal. http://tinyurl.com/mxn6dp6 and http://tinyurl.com/n44dk8n

á      VICE reported the U.S. military is waging a quiet but ever-expanding war in Africa. http://tinyurl.com/k2fdzrw

á      The Pentagon is accused of billing the armed forces for fuel at rates much higher than what commercial airlines pay for jet fuel on the open market. http://tinyurl.com/lzvxdmm

á       The House Intelligence Committee asked former Trump campaign adviser Michael Caputo to testify about Russia election interference. http://tinyurl.com/lj3zmdv

á       Sheriff David Clarke, appointed by Trump as Assistant Secretary to the Department of Homeland Security, had his masterÕs thesis removed from the Naval Postgraduate School website after reports that he plagiarized sections of his thesis on homeland security. http://tinyurl.com/krexotd

Sunday, May 21

á       North Korea launched a ballistic missile that reached a distance of 300 miles. http://tinyurl.com/moz9kt5

á       CNN reported that Russian officials bragged during the election that because of their strong relationship with Michael Flynn, they could use him to influence Trump and his team. http://tinyurl.com/n864wf7

á       In a bureaucratic maneuver at the U.N. Security Council, a plan to add an Islamic State Saudi Arabian group to a U.N. list of terrorist groups was killed prior to TrumpÕs visit to Saudi Arabia. http://tinyurl.com/l2alfo2

á       A Seattle nonprofit that provides legal services to immigrants won a restraining order against the Justice Department, allowing the nonprofit to resume services after being shut down for a month by a cease and desist letter. http://tinyurl.com/kobbnpd