Christina Ford // 10/9/17 //
On Friday, Attorney General Sessions issued sweeping new guidance on religious freedom, triggering a backlash from civil rights groups who say the guidance is a license for discrimination. The Trump Administration issued two interim final rules which will allow many more employers to exclude contraception from the insurance plans they offer to their employees. A draft proposal from the EPA indicates the agency plans to attempt to repeal the Clean Power Plan in its entirety. White House officials are cooperating with the Special Counsel in the hope that Mr. Mueller will declare that President Trump is not a target of the Russia inquiry.
IMMIGRATION
To let “Dreamers” stay in the US, the Trump Administration will require a crackdown on children fleeing from Central America (NYT).
Courts should consider whether it makes sense to apply strict scrutiny to laws and policies like the Travel Ban that are motivated by animus, writes Michael C. Dorf at Take Care.
There is no public safety justification for the revised travel ban, argues Alex Nowrasteh at Cato at Liberty.
The Director of ICE indicated agents will conduct new workplace and neighborhood raids in response to California’s new sanctuary law (The Hill).
CIVIL RIGHTS
On Friday, Attorney General Sessions issued sweeping new guidance on religious freedom, triggering a backlash from civil rights groups who say the guidance is a license for discrimination (WaPo).
The Trump Administration issued two interim final rules which will allow many more employers to exclude contraception from the insurance plans they offer to their employees (NYT).
DEMOCRACY
There is no value to democracy from political gerrymandering for partisan advantage, writes G. Michael Parsons at Take Care.
Collective action and worker solidarity can provide an effective response to the President’s attempt to interfere in private employer’s personnel decisions, writes Charlotte Garden at Take Care.
JUSTICE & SAFETY
The Trump Administration is divided over how to handle the detention of an American citizen who is suspected to have supported ISIS (NYT).
The United States is lifting sanctions on Sudan after two decades of embargo (WaPo).
Decertifying the Iran Deal could create major political and diplomatic blowback, writes Elena Chachko at Lawfare.
The newly relaxed rules of engagement in Afghanistan are indicative of the Trump administration’s determination to enhance the effect of U.S. combat power in Afghanistan, writes Geoffrey S. Corn at Just Security.
REGULATION
A draft proposal from the EPA indicates the agency plans to attempt to repeal the Clean Power Plan in its entirety (The Hill).
President Trump plans to issue an executive order easing federal rules governing health insurance and allowing consumers to buy insurance across state lines. (NYT; WSJ)
CMS intends to increase enforcement on qualified health plans’ coverage of abortions outside the Hyde Amendment (Health Affairs Blog).
A new Treasury Department report recommends making significant changes to the Dodd-Frank Act (NYT).
The Army Corp of Engineers is pushing back the deadline of a court-ordered environmental review of the Dakota Access pipeline project (The Hill).
CHECKS & BALANCES
The EPA’s Office of Inspector General is expanding a probe into EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s taxpayer funded travel (The Hill).
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE
White House officials are cooperating with the Special Counsel in the hope that Mr. Mueller will declare that President Trump is not a target of the Russia inquiry (NYT).