Daily Update | October 17, 2018
Jacob Miller, Mackenzie Walz // 10/17/18 //
The Trump administration has falsely and dangerously connected immigration to terrorism in promoting policies. President Trump threatened to cut aid to Honduras unless a group of migrants fleeing violence are stopped and returned to the country. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was sent to Saudi Arabia to speak with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid ongoing concerns over the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Rejecting an industry challenge, a D.C. Circuit Court judge allowed an Obama-era student loan protection for graduates of for-profit colleges to go into effect. DHS’s intelligence assessment reported that the volume of attempted cyber-attacks on election systems in 2018 has been growing, but some argue this may reflect improved reporting and sharing between governments, rather than an “uptick in activity.” President Trump criticized Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, for raising interest rates too fast, referring to the bank as his “biggest threat.”
TRUMP: INVESTIGATIONS & LITIGATION
President Trump stated he may pursue further litigation after a federal judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit against him filed by Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels (NYT, WSJ, LATimes).
IMMIGRATION
The Trump administration has falsely and dangerously connected immigration to terrorism in promoting policies, writes Joshua A. Geltzer for the Washington Post.
President Trump threatened to cut aid to Honduras unless a group of migrants fleeing violence are stopped and returned to the country (Politico).
Over 200 children remain in United States custody after being separated from their parents at the border (Hill).
Outside of DACA and the DREAM Act, both of which offer incomplete solutions, the executive branch has discretion to offer other unique solutions, writes Susan B. Dussault for Lewis & Clark Law Review.
- Read the full article here.
CIVIL RIGHTS
Harvard’s admissions policies should be upheld for their crucial role in promoting diversity and are preferable to Berkeley’s admissions policies that eliminate one’s race as a factor for admission, argues Dr. Robert Rhew, a Professor at University of California, Berkeley, and an Asian-American alumnus of Harvard.
JUSTICE & SAFETY
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was sent to Saudi Arabia to speak with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid ongoing concerns over the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi (NYT, WaPo).
- Senator Lindsay Graham publicly stated that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “had this guy murdered” (WaPo).
- A number of suspects in the Khashoggi case have connections to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (NYT).
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
President Trump’s passive treatment of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia following the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi has some questioning whether the President has any personal or business ties with the country, writes Phillip Bump of the Washington Post.
- President Trump denied having any financial interests in Saudi Arabia via Twitter (Politico).
REGULATION
60.5% of federal agencies complied with the DHS’s October 16th deadline to adopt the email authentication process designed to prevent fake emails from being sent from government domains (Politico, Hill).
The Trump Administration may not have the legal authority to require drug companies to list drug prices at the end of their advertisements, writes Paige Cunningham for the Washington Post.
Rejecting an industry challenge, a D.C. Circuit Court judge allowed an Obama-era student loan protection for graduates of for-profit colleges to go into effect (NY Times, The Hill).
President Trump criticized Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, for raising interest rates too fast, referring to the bank as his “biggest threat” (Politico).
RULE OF LAW
The Brennan Center’s proposed legal reforms for improving the executive branch norms “are certainly useful” but, since presidents will likely fight back against such reforms, Congress also needs to establish norms and enforce them, argues Bob Bauer for LawFare.
CHECKS & BALANCES
After the White House nominated three judges to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals without consulting the two California Senators, both Harris and Feinstein argued such action demonstrates the Administration’s desire to remake the court (The Hill).
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE
DHS’s intelligence assessment reported that the volume of attempted cyber-attacks on election systems in 2018 has been growing, but some argue this may reflect improved reporting and sharing between governments, rather than an “uptick in activity” (The Hill).
Tags:
Immigration Rule of Law Conflicts Checks & Balances Regulation Civil Rights Justice & Safety Russian Interference