Daily Update | August 31, 2018
Jacob Miller // 8/31/18 //
President Trump and his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, discussed buying all of the National Enquirer’s information on President Trump, though the plan never came to fruition. The Department of Justice put its support behind students suing Harvard University claiming its admissions policies discriminate against Asian-Americans. President Trump wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders that he plans to cancel pay increases for federal workers that are scheduled for 2019.
PODCAST
On this week's episode of Versus Trump, Jason and Charlie talk about a case that fits our podcast on two levels: it's a lawsuit against the Trump Administration about grand jury secrecy, and any decision could impact the Mueller investigation, which is the biggest Versus Trump case of them all. Listen now!
TRUMP: LITIGATION AND INVESTIGATIONS
President Trump and his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, discussed buying all of the National Enquirer’s information on President Trump, though the plan never came to fruition (NYT).
President Trump tweeted that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner “had NOTHING to do with” the departure of White House counsel Don McGahn (WaPo).
President Trump stated that Attorney General Jeff Sessions will stay at least through the November mid-term elections (WSJ).
IMMIGRATION
History shows that white supremacist ideas becoming part of immigration policies but the entire world in serious danger ,argues Pankaj Mishra for the New York Times.
CIVIL RIGHTS
The Department of Justice put its support behind students suing Harvard University claiming its admissions policies discriminate against Asian-Americans (NYT, WaPo, WSJ, Politico).
- The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief defending Harvard’s affirmative action policies. Read their brief here.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court would likely jeopardize the prevailing precedent Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and thus abortion rights, even if he considers Roe v. Wade “settled law,” argues Professor Serena Mayeri in New York Times.
The Supreme Court declined to take a case where Catholic Social Services attempted to block the city of Philadelphia’s decision not to place foster children with the agency in light of its policy for same-sex couples (WaPo, SCOTUSBlog).
DEMOCRACY
The United States postal service apologized for releasing the national security file of Abigail Spanberger, a democrat and former C.I.A. operative running for Congress in Virginia (NYT, Politico).
Weaknesses in state election systems will remain in the 2018 midterms, but passing the bi-partisan Secure Elections Act could protect American democracy going forward, writes Ben Parker for The Hill.
JUSTICE & SAFETY
California Representative Steve Knight became the first Republican to publicly criticize President Trump’s plan for a space force (WaPo).
REGULATION
President Trump wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders that he plans to cancel pay increases for federal workers that are scheduled for 2019 (NYT, WaPo).
FEDERALISM
California lawmakers proposed legislation to bring back Obama-era net neutrality protections within the state, potentially leading to the strongest net neutrality laws in the country (LATimes).
REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
Take Care Publisher Joshua Matz joined Alan Dershowitz and Jeffrey Rosen on the National Constitution Center podcast to discuss what offenses are impeachable and whether or not it is necessary an offense be a crime for it to be impeachable.
President Trump will continue to have influence after leaving office regardless of the manner he leaves the Presidency, and America should prepare to hold onto its principles following his presidency, writes Joshua A. Geltzer, executive director of Georgetown University Law Center's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, for CNN.
President Trump will not be impeached over payments to an adult-film star, even in the event Democrats retake both the House and the Senate, argues Marc Thiessen for the Washington Post.