Caroline Cox  //  9/29/17  //  Daily Update

The California legislature sent to the Governor's desk a law that would require presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns in order to appear on the ballot. The President waived the Jones Act to permit aid to more easily flow into Puerto Rico. And the President released a tax plan that set-off a wave of commentary.

IMMIGRATION

The Trump Administration will evaluate refugees based on their ability to assimilate when making admission determinations (WSJ). 

A recent report suggests that anti-immigration rhetoric and policies have led immigrants in California to seek services in lower numbers (ImmigrationProf Blog). 

Recent figures from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) show that U.S. agents are likely to deport fewer people in 2017 than during the same period last year (WaPo). 

The Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to collect social media data on all immigrants entering the United States (NYT). 

The limit on the number refugees that can resettle in the United States is “a disturbing retreat from the honored U.S. tradition of protecting persons fleeing persecution,” argues J. Kevin Appleby at The Hill. 

DEMOCRACY

The California legislature passed three laws that, if signed by Governor Brown, could present challenges to President Trump’s reelection efforts, including by forcing Presidential candidates to release tax returns (WaPo). 

JUSTICE & SAFETY

The U.S. Sentencing Commission released a report detailing possible alternatives to incarceration in the federal system (Sentencing Law & Policy). 

Local prosecutor elections provide a means to push against the policy changes at the Department of Justice, argues Taylor Pendergrass at the ACLU. 

The U.S. military has named Lt. General Jeffrey S. Buchanan as the coordinating officer for military relief efforts in Puerto Rico (WaPo). 

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The Republican-proposed and President Trump-endorsed tax plan would provide  significant economic benefits to President Trump and his family (WaPo). 

REGULATION

According to many news outlets, President Trump provided misleading statements on who will benefit under the proposed Republican tax plan (NYT, WaPo). 

• President Trump’s speech on tax reform can be viewed here.
• The Tax plan may include a hidden tax hike, argues Chris Edwards at CATO.
• The New York Times examines a possible loophole for the wealthy in the plan.
• The Wall Street Journal considers the plan’s possible impact on Wall Street.

The Senate confirmed Makan Delrahim to be the antitrust Chief at the DOJ after a delay due to Senator Warren’s objections to the nominee (WSJ). 

The Interior Department intends to reconsider a sage grouse habitat management plan that was adopted in 2015 after intense negotiations among interest groups and local authorities (NYT). 

The Environmental Protection Agency has provided little indication of what would replace the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan (NYT). 

President Trump’s proposed increase to the number of apprenticeships nationwide through increases to federal job training could backfire (NYT). 

Health insurers are likely to continue offering plans under the Affordable Care Act despite the continued Republican challenges to the law (WSJ).

President Trump continues to make false claims to explain the demise of Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (WaPo). 

The Trump Administration appears not to have a cohesive strategy for trade negotiations (NYT). 

RULE OF LAW

President Trump’s nominee for a seat on the Seventh Circuit faced questions about how her religious faith might impact her impartiality as a judge (NYT). 

Jared Kushner’s use of personal email has led congressional Democrats to call for an investigation and call the Trump Administration hypocritical (The Hill). 

Justice Gorsuch’s speech at the Trump Hotel in Washington was met with protests (NYT)

The Trump Administration shows an unprecedented opposition to fulfilling the core missions of the executive departments, argues Paul Waldman at The Washington Post.  

CHECKS & BALANCES

The House of Representatives will probe the use of private jets by Secretary Tom Price and other senior Trump Administration officials (WSJ). 

FEDERALISM

President Trump will waive the Jones Act, a maritime law restricting shipping between ports, to allow relief to reach Puerto Rico (LA Times, NYT, WaPo).  

RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have called upon Facebook to examine how Russian agents used the site to target Black Lives Matter before the election (NYT).

• Representative Robin Kelly expressed her concern to Facebook in an open letter. 

Twitter discovered over 200 accounts associated with Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election (LA Times).  

Election officials in California have alleged that the Department of Homeland Security provided “bad information” about Russian hacking efforts (The Hill).

Facebook lobbied the Federal Election Commission in 2011 for a waiver to disclosure laws requiring political advertising to include information about who paid for them (The Hill). 

President Trump claimed Facebook is biased against him after the social network provided the government with data on Russian-backed election advertising (WSJ).