Monday, Sept. 18
· Interior
Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended to President Donald Trump to modify ten national monuments and shrink the
boundaries of at least four in western states, according to The Washington
Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/shrink-at-least-4-national-monuments-and-modify-a-half-dozen-others-zinke-tells-trump/2017/09/17/a0df45cc-9b48-11e7-82e4-f1076f6d6152_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.1aad47583a15&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· Trump
addressed the U.N. General Assembly, saying it had not reached its full
potential because of a bloated bureaucracy and mismanagement. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/09/18/trump-pushes-reform-in-united-nations-debut-calls-for-changing-business-as-usual/?deferJs=true&outputType=default-article&undefined=&utm_term=.2bf1dff914bf&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· Six
immigrants sued the Trump administration over its decision to end the Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/45840-six-dreamers-sue-trump-administration-over-daca-decision
· Trump
nominated Trey Trainor of Texas to serve on the Federal Election Commission, an
agency charged with enforcing campaign finance laws. According to Truthout, Trainor has been called
his state's "biggest defender of dark money" and has used social
media to promote extremist religious views. http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/41992-meet-trump-s-controversial-federal-election-commission-pick
Tuesday, Sept. 19
· Trump warned the U.N. about the
continued threat of North Korea and said, ³We will have no choice but to
destroy North Korea," and called its leader, Kim Jong Un, ³Rocket Man.² http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/10697502.365783/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE3LzA5LzE5L2luLXUtbi1zcGVlY2gtdHJ1bXAtd2FybnMtdGhhdC10aGUtd29ybGQtZmFjZXMtZ3JlYXQtcGVyaWwtZnJvbS1yb2d1ZS1yZWdpbWVzLWluLW5vcnRoLWtvcmVhLWlyYW4vP3V0bV90ZXJtPS4wNjgxNTU5MzUyYzcmd3Bpc3JjPWFsX2FsZXJ0LUNPTUJPLXdvcmxkJTI1MkJuYXRpb24md3Btaz0x/58b0dd73e9a8a20d708b4740Cc6c5bef3
· The New York Times reported that Special
Counsel Robert Mueller told Trumpıs former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, to expect to be indicted for possible violations
of tax laws, money-laundering, and failure to disclose foreign lobbying. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/us/politics/mueller-russia-investigation.html
· Under subpoena, Facebook handed over
records about Russian ad purchases to Special Counsel Mueller. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/45848-facebooks-russian-ad-records-subpoenaed-by-special-counsel
· Reflecting
Trumpıs desire for a massive increase in military spending, the Senate approved
a $700 billion defense spending policy bill including billions of dollars for
nuclear weapons. http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/41984-senate-passes-defense-bill-that-would-bolster-nuclear-weapons-programs
· Talking
Points Memo reported that the Republican Governors Association had launched a
web site as a news outlet but did not acknowledge that it was
hosted by an official party committee. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/republican-gov-association-quietly-launches-news-outlet
· CNN
reported that U.S. investigators wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Paul
Manafort under secret court orders before and after the election. http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/18/politics/paul-manafort-government-wiretapped-fisa-russians/index.html
· The
Teamsters Union resolved to become a ³sanctuary union² and to fight deportation
of its members. http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41976-teamsters-resolve-to-become-sanctuary-union-to-fight-deportation-of-members
·
The Senate
Intelligence Committee canceled a hearing with Trump associate and former
lawyer Michael Cohen because Cohen made public statements before the interview
after the committee requested that he refrain from public comment. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-lawyer-to-meet-with-senate-intelligence-committee-tuesday-in-russia-probe/2017/09/18/6a33fb8a-9c97-11e7-9083-fbfddf6804c2_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.0834ba144e4f&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
·
The
New York Times reported that a draft report by the Department of Health and
Human Services was scrapped by the White House because it found that refugees
brought in $63 billion more in government revenues over the past decade than
they cost. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/09/19/an-internal-report-undercut-one-of-trumps-biggest-goals-so-it-was-scrapped/?undefined=&utm_term=.1b24e0feef3d&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
·
In a
major setback to the latest effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA),
a bipartisan group of governors and influential interest groups expressed their
opposition. https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/renewed-obamacare-repeal-effort-dealt-a-blow-as-governors-come-out-in-opposition/2017/09/19/499478fe-9d51-11e7-9083-fbfddf6804c2_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.70aaf1ae4b8f&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
·
Climate
change information has been purged from the tax-payer
funded U.S. Geological Surveyıs ³Science Explorer² web site. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/45855-no-results-found-thousands-of-climate-science-links-purged-from-usgs-online-database
·
Vox reported
that last week a federal court stopped plans to expand coal mining in the
Western U.S., and told the BLM that it must consider greenhouse gas emissions
before approving coal leases. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/9/19/16332952/court-ruling-coal-climate-change
·
Attorney General Jeff Sessions attacked
Californiaıs new ³sanctuary state² bill, calling it ³unconscionable² and a
threat to public safety. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-sessions-sanctuary-20170919-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter
· San
Francisco and Oakland sued five oil companies for the cost of protecting the
Bay Area from rising sea levels and other effects of global warming. http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-climate-1505933864-htmlstory.html#nws=mcnewsletter
Wednesday, Sept. 20
· The latest attempt to gut the ACA would
cause 34 states to lose Medicaid subsidies. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/graham-cassidy-bill-would-cut-funding-to-34-states-new-report-shows/2017/09/20/48741d92-9d58-11e7-9083-fbfddf6804c2_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.6e007ebaba15&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· The Washington Post reported that the
Republican National Committee spent over $425,000 — money earmarked for
election recounts — to pay for Trumpıs legal fees related to the Russia
investigations. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/09/19/rnc-taps-legal-account-to-help-pay-for-president-trumps-lawyers-in-russia-probes/?utm_term=.df7065597f3a&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· California
Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced a lawsuit on behalf of the state to
challenge Trumpıs border wall. http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-california-to-sue-trump-administration-1505858312-htmlstory.html
· Truthout reported that last week Senator Rand Paul said
that U.S. participation in Saudi Arabiaıs Yemen war was never authorized by
Congress and is unconstitutional. http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41989-rand-paul-unconstitutional-saudi-war-in-yemen-is-not-in-our-interest-and-congress-should-vote
· The Securities Exchange Commission
revealed that hackers penetrated its electronic system for storing
public-company filings and may have used the information to traded
illegally. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sec-says-its-edgar-filing-system-was-hacked-in-2016-2017-09-20?siteid=bnbh
· The Washington Post reported that,
during the campaign, Paul Manafort, Trumpıs former campaign chairman, offered
to provide briefings on the campaign to a Russian billionaire aligned with the
Kremlin. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/manafort-offered-to-give-russian-billionaire-private-briefings-on-2016-campaign/2017/09/20/399bba1a-9d48-11e7-8ea1-ed975285475e_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.661848448e9a&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· In another setback, the health insurance
industry has come out in opposition to the Graham-Cassidy ACA repeal. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/us/politics/insurers-oppose-obamacare-repeal.html
Thursday, Sept. 21
· The House Natural Resources Committee
planned hearings on HR200, a bill that weakens sustainable management of ocean
fish resources and threatens national marine sanctuaries and monuments.
· Russia
warned that it would strike U.S. forces and allies in Syria if its troops came
under fire from US coalition forces. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-warns-of-retaliation-if-facing-fire-from-us-led-coalitionin-syria/2017/09/21/00e3b81c-9eba-11e7-8ed4-a750b67c552b_story.html?utm_term=.944b8ce267ef&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un vented his anger by calling
Trumpıs U.N. speech ³unprecedented rude nonsense,² and said he will make Trump
³pay dearly for his speech. I will surely and definitely tame the mentally
deranged US dotard with fire.² http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/10722869.365739/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE3LzA5LzIxL3RydW1wLXNheXMtdGhlLXUtcy13aWxsLWltcG9zZS1uZXctc2FuY3Rpb25zLW9uLW5vcnRoLWtvcmVhLz93cGlzcmM9YWxfYWxlcnQtQ09NQk8td29ybGQlMjUyQm5hdGlvbiZ3cG1rPTE/58b0dd73e9a8a20d708b4740Ca94f7296
· The
Daily Beast reported that suspected Russia propagandists on Facebook tried to
organize more than a dozen pro-Trump rallies in Florida during last yearıs
election. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/45892-russians-appear-to-use-facebook-to-push-trump-rallies-in-17-us-cities
· Truthout reported that last week, the Census
Bureau released a report that shows the median income for black people is
$25,000 less than that of white people. http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/census-bureau-report-reveals-alarming-racial-income-disparities
Friday, Sept. 22
· Trump lashed back at North Korea
president Kim Jong Un by imposing new financial sanctions and by calling him a
madman whose regime will be ³tested like never before.² https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/09/21/trump-says-the-u-s-will-impose-new-sanctions-on-north-korea/?utm_term=.ae0a191deb85&wpisrc=al_alert-COMBO-world%252Bnation&wpmk=1
· In
another setback from those who want to repeal the ACA, Senator John McCain said
he would vote Noı on the Graham-Cassidy ACA repeal bill. http://lists.readersupportednews.org/ss/link.php?M=68384&N=25772&C=587bb1249d465d9d8c86566eaf4d0277&L=34712
· The
Trump administration ordered staff at all executive branch agencies to take
anti-leaking training classes. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/45910-trump-administration-is-forcing-employees-to-take-anti-leaking-classes
· The
Navajo Nation said it was ³prepared to challenge immediately whatever official
action is taken² to shrink Bears Ears National Monument by Interior Secretary
Zinke. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/45907-navajo-nation-readies-legal-action-if-trump-shrinks-bears-ears-national-monument
· The Los Angeles Times reported that
senior aides to Trump repeatedly warned him not to deliver a personal attack on
North Koreaıs leader at the UN saying that it would shut off any chance for
negotiations to defuse a nuclear crisis. https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/-aides-warned-trump-not-to-attack-north-/f-169f8fe6c8%2Flatimes.com
· Education Secretary Betsy DeVos
rescinded Obama-era guidelines for handling campus sexual assaults. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/45919-betsy-devos-rescinds-obama-era-guidelines-for-handling-sexual-assault-on-campus
· In a speech in Alabama, Trump urged
National Football League owners to fire players who kneel during the national
anthem. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/09/23/president-trump-says-stephen-currys-white-house-invitation-has-been-withdrawn/?undefined=&utm_term=.7d26b192dcfa&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· The
Department of Homeland Security notified election officials in 21 states that
they had been targeted by Russian government hackers during the 2016 election
campaign. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/dhs-tells-states-about-russian-hacking-during-2016-election/2017/09/22/fd263a2c-9fe2-11e7-8ea1-ed975285475e_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.5383761aa289&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· Scientific American reported that the
Trump administration has put on hold a study of the connections between
mountaintop coal mining and the health of nearby communities. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/trumps-breathtaking-hypocrisy-on-coal-mining/
· Amid tensions over North Koreaıs nuclear
and missile tests and despite US opposition, 51 countries signed the world's
first legally binding treaty banning nuclear weapons. http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=22&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftruth-out.org%2Fnews%2Fitem%2F42039-amid-tensions-with-north-korea-51-countries-sign-ban-on-nuclear-weapons-despite-us-opposition
Saturday, Sept. 23
· Trump
tweeted, ³Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a
championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is
withdrawn!² https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/09/23/president-trump-says-stephen-currys-white-house-invitation-has-been-withdrawn/?undefined=&utm_term=.7d26b192dcfa&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· In
support of U.N. sanctions, China announced that it would limit exports to N.
Korea of refined petroleum products and ban exports of condensates and
liquefied natural gas. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-watches-in-frustration-as-north-korea-crisis-enters-dangerous-spiral/2017/09/24/33ec15c2-a119-11e7-8c37-e1d99ad6aa22_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.55514b3f14e3&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· N.
Koreaıs foreign minister warned that a strike against the U.S. mainland is
³inevitable² because Trump belittled leader Kim Jong Un with the nickname
³little rocket man.² https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/north-koreas-top-diplomat-says-strike-against-us-mainland-is-inevitable/2017/09/23/c3bcb108-dd8f-4761-b55f-92044348f179_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.563c861cb799&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· Trump tweeted, ³Just heard
Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little
Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!² https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911789314169823232
· Iran
announced that it conducted a successful test of a new ballistic missile design
despite pressure from the Trump administration to stop. http://thehill.com/policy/international/352033-iran-claims-successful-ballistic-missile-test
Sunday, Sept. 24
· A
spokeswoman for Department of Health and Human Services said
that HHS Secretary Tom Priceıs extravagant travel spending on private charter
planes will be the subject of an investigation. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/45941-tom-price-sure-knows-a-lot-about-waste-fraud-and-abuse
· Trump called for a boycott of the NFL
when he tweeted, ³If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop
disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast.² https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/09/24/trumps-culture-war-with-the-nfl-is-getting-very-real/?undefined=&utm_term=.8a859f8f5aaa&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
· Hours
before it was set to expire, the White House announced expansion of its travel
ban to eight countries: Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria,
Venezuela and Yemen. http://lists.readersupportednews.org/ss/link.php?M=68384&N=25807&C=587bb1249d465d9d8c86566eaf4d0277&L=34751
· Senator
Susan Collins of Maine expressed reservations in voting for the ACA replacement
bill making it doubtful that it will pass. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/45950-susan-collins-voicing-doubt-on-health-bill-leaves-it-close-to-collapse
· The
Trump administration announced plans to shut down Obamacare enrollment for 12
hours during all but one Sunday during open enrollment. http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/42049-obamacare-website-to-be-shut-down-for-portion-of-most-weekends-during-open-enrollment