Jeffrey Stein, Jacob Miller  //  12/18/17  //  Daily Update

A federal court on Friday blocked Trump administration rules that made it easier for employers to deny insurance coverage of contraceptives for women. President Trump took aim at the FBI on Friday, calling its behavior “disgraceful” just before he appeared at its training facility to praise the nation’s police officers. Senator-Elect Doug Jones refused to call for President Trump to step down over sexual harassment allegations. A lawyer for President Trump claimed Robert Mueller obtained transition emails improperly, while a spokesman for Mueller disputed the claims. 

IMMIGRATION

A federal report has concluded that immigrants detained at four large centers used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are subject to inhumane treatment, given insufficient hygiene supplies and medical care, and provided potentially unsafe food (NPR, ACLU).

President Trump made inaccurate and misleading statements about the diversity visa lottery program, providing no proof for his claims that countries give “us their worst people” through the program (NYT).

CIVIL RIGHTS

The Education Department is proposing to delay by two years an Obama-era rule that would push states to ensure that students of color are not over-represented in special education and put in programs because of racial bias (WaPo).

A federal court on Friday blocked Trump administration rules that made it easier for employers to deny insurance coverage of contraceptives for women. (NYT).

DEMOCRACY

The Department of Homeland Security, the Election Assistance Commission and voting equipment industry and nonprofit groups met to launch an election security Sector Coordinating Council (The Hill).

Alabama may have run afoul of federal election law when many voters from majority-black counties were told that they had been moved to an “inactive voter list” during last week’s special election (Slate).  

JUSTICE & SAFETY

President Trump took aim at the FBI on Friday, calling its behavior “disgraceful” just before he appeared at its training facility to praise the nation’s police officers (WaPo).

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday called on Russia and China to sever their economic pipeline to North Korea, and said Pyongyang must “earn its way back” to negotiations by ceasing missile tests for a sustained period (WaPo).

The Pentagon is likely to carry out cyber attacks against the Islamic State with greater frequency, according to current and former U.S. defense officials (WaPo).

REGULATION

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin did not rule out the possibility of a federal government shutdown, but indicated one was unlikely (Politico).

Environmental Protection Agency employees who publicly criticized the Trump administration had their e-mails scrutinized by a Republican campaign research group (NYT). 

REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

Senator-Elect Doug Jones refused to call for President Trump to step down over sexual harassment allegations (Politico).

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE  

A lawyer for President Trump claimed Robert Mueller obtained transition emails improperly, while a spokesman for Mueller disputed the claims (NYT, WSJ).

President Trump claimed his “people were very upset” over Mueller’s obtaining of his transition e-mails, but told reporters he had no plans to fire Mueller (WaPo).

Congressional Democrats fear GOP lawmakers are supporting a goal of President Trump firing Robert Mueller (Politico).

President Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Russian intervention or to hold a Cabinet-level meeting on the subject has endangered America, writes the Washington Post Editorial Board.

Rep. Trey Gowdy said courts, rather than Congress, should resolve President Trump’s lawyers complaint about Mueller’s team (Politico).