Daily Update | April 6, 2018
Kate Berry, Jacob Miller // 4/6/18 //
The Office of Refugee Resettlement has turned its attention towards abortion. San Francisco filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Jeff Sessions after his December repeal of 25 memoranda providing civil rights protections to minorities and the disabled. Mark Zuckerberg’s post-Cambridge Analytica conversation with Ezra Klein suggested an independent tribunal as a governance structure for Facebook. President Trump publicly denied knowing his lawyer paid $130,000 to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, known in her films as Stormy Daniels. Acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Mick Mulvaney paid two senior staffers more than $230,000, substantially more than they had previously made, while criticizing the CFPB for wasteful spending.
IMMIGRATION
President Trump scrapped plans to speak on tax reform before an audience in West Virginia, instead focusing on immigration and his recent plan to dispatch National Guard troops to the border (NYT).
- Following Wednesday’s announcement of the deployment of National Guard troops to the Mexican border, the Trump Administration informed Mexico that those troops will not be armed (LA Times).
- On Thursday, The Pentagon could not provide extensive details on the plan to deploy the National Guard (The Hill).
- President Trump claimed in a tweet that Mexico broke up the group of migrants allegedly crossing the country towards the United States (Politico).
- The Trump Administration announced new statistics evidencing an increase in border arrests in March (LA Times, WaPo, The Hill).
- President Trump claimed that women crossing the border are “raped at levels nobody’s ever seen before” (WaPo, The Hill).
- President Trump’s recent attention on illegal immigration may shape debate and strategy for upcoming elections (LA Times).
CIVIL RIGHTS
The Office of Refugee Resettlement has turned its attention towards abortion, writes Jeremy Peters at The New York Times.
San Francisco filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Jeff Sessions after his December repeal of 25 memoranda providing civil rights protections to minorities and the disabled (The Hill).
The Supreme Court’s decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop and Janus could embolden public school teachers to strike based on an interpretation of First Amendment protections, writes Andrew Strom at OnLabor.
Most guns used in school shootings come from the shooter’s family (WSJ).
DEMOCRACY
In a speech on Thursday, President Trump repeated debunked claims that millions of individuals voted illegally in California (LA Times).
JUSTICE & SAFETY
Differing definitions of military success may lead to tension between President Trump and his military leadership (WaPo).
The debate over encryption can be more accessible and pragmatic, writes Joshua Geltzer at Just Security.
Mark Zuckerberg’s post-Cambridge Analytica conversation with Ezra Klein suggested an independent tribunal as a governance structure for Facebook (Lawfare).
- Zuckerberg also announced that Facebook will apply the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation standards globally (Politico).
President Trump’s national security team, including John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, may lead to the demise of the Iran nuclear deal (Lawfare).
- The uncertain future of the deal also introduces a lack of certainty for U.S. companies (WSJ).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard oral arguments in Doe v. Mattis, regarding the U.S. military’s detention in Iraq of a U.S.-Saudi dual citizen (Lawfare).
The State Department approved a $1.3 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia (The Hill).
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
President Trump publicly denied knowing his lawyer paid $130,000 to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, known in her films as Stormy Daniels (NYTimes, WaPo, LATimes, WSJ).
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt’s defenses of his rental agreement with the wife of an energy lobbyist are falling apart, argues Aaron Blake for the Washington Post.
REGULATION
Five or more Environmental Protection Agency officials were reassigned, demoted, or requested new jobs after raising concerns about Scott Pruitt’s leadership this year (NYTimes).
Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Mick Mulvaney paid two senior staffers more than $230,000, substantially more than they had previously made, while criticizing the CFPB for wasteful spending (NYTimes).
RULE OF LAW
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said in an interview that there has been a “relentless attack on democratic institutions and norms” under the Trump administration (NYTimes).
FEDERALISM
The Trump Administration and the State of California remain involved in numerous legal fights over federalism (NYTimes).
President Trump said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf obstructed justice when she warned families of a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers(The Hill).
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s lack of independence from the Department of Justice has shown to be a strength rather than a weakness, writes Charlie Savage for the New York Times.
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) wrote a letter requesting a copy of the document that led to the FBI’s investigation of potential collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign (Politico).
Tags:
Immigration Rule of Law Conflicts Federalism Regulation Democracy Civil Rights Justice & Safety Russian Interference