Monday, Oct. 2

· Reuters reported that Hewlett Packard Enterprise, in an effort to sell their software in Russia, allowed a Russian defense agency to review the inner workings of cyber defense software used by the Pentagon. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46092-hp-enterprise-let-russia-scrutinize-cyberdefense-system-used-by-pentagon

· The Washington Post reported that documents submitted to federal investigators by Trump’s associates and his company reveal two previously unreported contacts from Russia during the 2016 campaign. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-company-had-more-contact-with-russia-during-campaign-according-to-documents-turned-over-to-investigators/2017/10/02/2091fe5e-a6c0-11e7-850e-2bdd1236be5d_story.html?utm_term=.4edb75bf79c8&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· The Republican-led Congress failed to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program by the Sept. 30 deadline, threatening the health of nine million U.S. children enrolled in the program. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chip-health-insurance-deadline_us_59d0f456e4b09538b508ca23

Tuesday, Oct. 3

· As President Donald Trump visited Puerto Rico, 95 percent of the power grid was still down and more than half the population lacked access to clean drinking water. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46099-puerto-rico-still-in-crisis-as-trump-arrives

· The State Department announced that it will expel 15 Cuban diplomats from the U.S. following months of unexplained injuries to American embassy personnel in Cuba. http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/10829661.365077/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL25hdGlvbmFsLXNlY3VyaXR5L3VzLXdpbGwtZXhwZWwtY3ViYW4tZGlwbG9tYXRzLWFzLWZhbGxvdXQtZGVlcGVucy1vdmVyLW15c3RlcnktaWxsbmVzc2VzLzIwMTcvMTAvMDMvOGU4ZGViYzgtYTgzZS0xMWU3LWIzYWEtYzBlMmUxZDQxZTM4X3N0b3J5Lmh0bWw_d3Bpc3JjPWFsX2FsZXJ0LUNPTUJPLXdvcmxkJTI1MkJuYXRpb24md3Btaz0x/58b0dd73e9a8a20d708b4740Cf50f5260

· Trump told Puerto Rican officials that they should feel “very proud” they haven’t lost thousands of lives like “a real catastrophe like Katrina,” then faulted the island for imperiling the U.S. by throwing “our budget a little out of whack.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-praises-himself-for-administrations-great-job-in-puerto-rico/2017/10/03/fdb5eeb4-a83a-11e7-8ed2-c7114e6ac460_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.9b6a60269b28&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· All visas for Cubans to enter the U.S. were suspended indefinitely. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46107-us-suspends-all-visas-for-cubans-withdraws-most-staff-from-embassy-in-havana

· Trump announced that that his administration’s response to the Puerto Rican disaster has been “unbelievable” and “incredible.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-praises-himself-for-administrations-great-job-in-puerto-rico/2017/10/03/fdb5eeb4-a83a-11e7-8ed2-c7114e6ac460_story.html?utm_term=.d4163b84e576&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· The House passed a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46135-house-passes-20-week-abortion-ban

Wednesday, Oct. 4

· Puerto Ricans protested Trump’s visit to the island. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46119-puerto-ricans-protest-trumps-visit-denounce-militarization-amid-lack-of-aid-distribution

· NBC News reported that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was on the verge of resigning this past summer and that he had referred to Trump as a “f*cking moron.” Tillerson, however, has denied both. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46129-rex-tillerson-kind-of-sort-of-just-admitted-he-called-trump-a-moron

· The U.S. was criticized for voting against a U.N. resolution that sought to eliminate the death penalty that exists in some nations for the LGBTQ community. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46125-us-votes-against-banning-death-penalty-for-lgbtq-people

· Three U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers were killed and wounded in Niger after their joint patrol with Nigerien forces was ambushed. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/10/04/u-s-troops-take-hostile-fire-in-niger/?undefined=&utm_term=.318ddd40f07f&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· The Senate Intelligence Committee concluded that Russia did try to interfere in the 2016 election. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/10/04/congress-to-trump-basically-russia-is-not-fake-news-2/?utm_term=.522da4f35e07&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· After it was exposed that Republican Representative Tim Murphy, with a 100 percent antiabortion voting record, told his mistress to get an abortion, he announced he would not seek reelection at the end of his current term. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/10/04/antiabortion-congressman-tim-murphy-wont-seek-reelection-after-reports-he-asked-woman-to-get-abortion/?utm_term=.b890c2e9343e&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· The mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, blasted Trump’s meeting with local leaders on the island as a public relations stunt saying, “There was no exchange with anybody, with none of the mayors,” and citing the bizarre incident when Trump tossed rolls of paper towels to storm survivors. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/san-juan-mayor-trump-abominable_us_59d48333e4b0218923e632d9

· The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted to protect consumers and firefighters from health hazards of organohalogen class of flame retardants. http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/42144-consumer-product-safety-commission-cracks-down-on-flame-retardants-linked-to-health-problems

Thursday, Oct. 5

· Politico reported that the Justice Department released a series of since-overruled legal memos finding that it’s illegal for presidents to appoint relatives as White House staff, presidential commissions, and unpaid posts. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46136-doj-releases-overruled-memos-finding-it-illegal-for-presidents-to-appoint-relatives

· The Center for Biological Diversity reported that the House Committee on Natural Resources advanced five bills that strip protections from 1,098 Endangered Species. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/46133-house-republicans-advance-five-bills-to-cripple-endangered-species-act

· Trump suggested that the Senate Intelligence Committee investigate media companies over fake news the day after the it concluded Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 election. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/10/05/trump-suggests-senate-intelligence-committee-investigate-media-companies/?utm_term=.c2b0a50b42b4&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· The Fish and Wildlife Service declined separate petitions to list a variety of species as endangered or threatened, including the high-profile Pacific walrus. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/10/05/interior-department-rejects-25-endangered-species-petitions-including-several-linked-to-climate-change/?utm_term=.d35384ad0edb&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· Politico reported that the White House will demand immigration be cut by half over the next decade in exchange for Congress’ fix to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46147-white-house-plans-to-demand-immigration-cut-by-half-in-exchange-for-daca-fix

· The Justice Department, in a memo from Attorney General Sessions, announced it will no longer argue that workplace protections on the basis of sex protect transgender people from discrimination. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/46146-jeff-sessions-reverses-doj-policy-protecting-transgender-employees-from-discrimination

· The New York Times reported that Treasury Secretary Mnuchin spent more than $800,000 in military air flights since taking over the post. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/politics/mnuchin-military-flights.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

Friday, Oct. 6

· An Interior Department scientist, who was reassigned to a job supervising accountants for disclosing how climate change affects Alaska Native communities, resigned. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/10/04/whistleblower-resigns-keeping-my-voice-more-important-than-keeping-my-job/?utm_term=.25fcce58d7d1&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said parts of the Dodd-Frank Act should be repealed including disclosure of the pay ratio between CEOs and employees and disclosure of conflict minerals. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-administration-proposes-scrapping-pay-gap-reporting-requirement-for-companies-2017-10-06

· CNN reported that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigators met this past summer with the former British spy whose dossier sparked investigations into alleged Russian efforts to aid the Trump campaign. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46154-muellers-team-met-with-russia-dossier-author

· The New York Times reported that most Americans support stronger gun laws; but Republicans in opposition fear alienating their primary voters and the National Rifle Association. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/46153-thoughts-and-prayers-and-nra-funding

· Statistics about Puerto Rico, that only half the population had access to drinking water and only five percent had electricity, were removed from the main Federal Emergency Management web page. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46152-fema-removes-statistics-about-drinking-water-access-and-electricity-in-puerto-rico-from-website

· Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a measure making California America’s first “sanctuary state.” http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46151-california-is-now-the-first-sanctuary-state-for-undocumented-immigrants

· The Trump administration lifted most sanctions on Sudan ending two decades of embargo. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-lifts-sanctions-on-sudan-ending-two-decades-of-embargo/2017/10/06/aac1bd22-86d5-434e-9a21-1e0d57a72cb0_story.html?utm_term=.e1de62681da6&wpisrc=al_alert-world&wpmk=1

· The Trump administration issued rules to immediately narrow the Affordable Care Act’s no-cost contraceptive coverage. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-administration-could-narrow-affordable-care-acts-contraception-mandate/2017/10/05/16139400-a9f0-11e7-92d1-58c702d2d975_story.html?undefined=&utm_term=.f83b17b5ab9d&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· In a gathering with military leaders, Trump asked reporters, “You guys know what this represents?” “Tell us,” replied one of the reporters. Trump replied, “Maybe it’s the calm before the storm,” sparking fears of impending war. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/10/06/trump-gathers-with-military-leaders-says-maybe-its-the-calm-before-the-storm/?utm_term=.ffd6fcdbc607&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. employment fell in September, the first time in seven years. The decline is possibly due to effects of the hurricanes in Texas and Florida. http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/42184-employment-falls-for-the-first-time-in-seven-years

· Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) threatened increased raids in California, now a sanctuary state, saying ICE will have no choice but to conduct at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at worksites. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46181-ice-threatens-to-terrorize-california-immigrants-in-retaliation-for-sanctuary-law

· A draft memo was leaked to various news outlets outlining the Trump administration’s plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan. http://sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/10/proposal-repeal-clean-power-plan-would-threaten-thousands-lives

Saturday, Oct. 7

· Rolling Stone reported that Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance dropped a potential felony fraud case against Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. before they made a campaign contribution made to Vance. http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/46173-da-who-dropped-fraud-case-against-trump-kids-did-opposite-with-immigrant-family

· Trump, in a renewed effort to counteract Republican failure on health care, tweeted, “I called Chuck Schumer yesterday to see if the Dems want to do a great HealthCare Bill.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/10/07/trump-says-he-called-schumer-to-broker-deal-with-democrats-for-a-great-healthcare-bill/?undefined=&utm_term=.028ee0a4cc48&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

· Trump continued to threaten N. Korea, saying that diplomatic negotiations and agreements over the years have not worked and that “only one thing will work.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/10/07/trump-on-north-korea-sorry-but-only-one-thing-will-work/?undefined=&utm_term=.59a33f3dbd28&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

Sunday, Oct. 8

· The U.S. halted non-immigrant visas from Turkey because of deteriorating relations with the Erdogan government. http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/10880687.81745/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkL3VzLWhhbHRzLXNvbWUtdmlzYS1zZXJ2aWNlcy1pbi10dXJrZXktY2l0aW5nLXNlY3VyaXR5LWNvbmNlcm5zLzIwMTcvMTAvMDgvMDJiZGMwMWEtYWM1Mi0xMWU3LTliOTMtYjk3MDQzZTU3YTIyX3N0b3J5Lmh0bWw_dXRtX3Rlcm09LmZiODdlNWI2YjE4ZiZ3cGlzcmM9YWxfYWxlcnQtd29ybGQmd3Btaz0x/58b0dd73e9a8a20d708b4740C3644ac9b

· Republican Senator Bob Corker, after Trump attacked him with tweets, called the White House “an adult day care center,” explaining that Trump’s behavior threatens “World War III”. http://lists.readersupportednews.org/ss/link.php?M=68384&N=25978&C=587bb1249d465d9d8c86566eaf4d0277&L=34971

· Vice President Pence, at the request of Trump, flew to an Indianapolis-49er football game to stage a dramatic walkout over taking-a-knee-anthem-protests by players. http://lists.readersupportednews.org/ss/link.php?M=68384&N=25984&C=587bb1249d465d9d8c86566eaf4d0277&L=34977

· A state court blocked the state of Texas from handing over citizen voting data to Trump’s Commission on Election Integrity due to privacy concerns. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46204-whos-really-in-charge-of-the-voting-fraud-commission

· San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Mayor Carmen Cruz said she sees no hope on the horizon for Puerto Rico despite Trump’s celebration of the recovery effort. http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46201-after-hospital-loses-power-san-juan-mayor-says-trump-administration-is-ignoring-pleas-for-help

· Iran warned that US regional military bases would be at risk if further sanctions were imposed. http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-warns-us-against-imposing-further-sanctions-112399996