7/18/18  //  Daily Update

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is seeking immunity for 5 witnesses who are expected to testify against Paul Manafort at his impending trial. Maria Butina, who was indicted Tuesday on charges of acting as an unregistered agent of the Russian government, had developed extensive ties within the conservative movement. The Trump administration’s proposal to impose Medicaid work requirements puts it on course to break the law by reducing tribal health care funding by millions of dollars. The Internal Revenue Service will no longer require some non-profit groups to disclose the names of large donors. The Department of Labor rescinded an Obama-era regulation that would have required companies to disclose their use of consultants to undermine labor organizing efforts.

7/17/18  //  Daily Update

President Trump, in an extraordinary joint press conference, appeared to side with Russian president Vladimir Putin over the U.S. intelligence community on Russian responsibility for interfering in the 2016 presidential election. New York State announced the launch of an investigation into whether Jared Kushner's family real estate company harassed tenants at a Brooklyn waterfront property so that they would leave their rent-stabilized apartments. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from deporting reunited families that had been separated under the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy. The FCC announced serious concerns with the Sinclair Broadcast Group’s plan to acquire rival Tribune Media. Republican House members called on the Justice Department’s Inspector General to to investigate whether Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein threatened congressional aides in a January meeting.

7/16/18  //  Daily Update

The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates sued the Department of Education for failing to ensure that students with disabilities receive appropriate services no matter their racial background. President Trump’s recent executive order modifying the way administrative law judges are hired risks politicizing the federal workforce. Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court may spell the end of strong civil rights enforcement in the United States when it comes to voting rights. The National Rifle Association may have violated federal campaign finance laws by using opaque consulting firms as conduits for illegally coordinating with candidates for office. Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for hacking and stealing emails from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton presidential campaign. Mueller is pushing to wrap up a significant portion of his investigative work by the end of the summer.

7/13/18  //  Daily Update

GOP lawmakers threaten FBI Agent Peter Strzok with contempt for refusing to answer question on Mueller probe. Trump Administration officials say nearly half of separated migrant children under 5 years old have been reunited with their families. President Trump reaffirmed his support for NATO at the close of the summit even as his comments stirred discord. Senate GOP leaders balance pressure to hold hearings soon against requests to review potentially millions of documents related to Judge Kavanaugh. SEC probes why Facebook didn’t warn sooner on privacy lapse.

7/12/18  //  Daily Update

After berating the county’s NATO Allies for their military spending, President Trump signed an agreement criticizing Russia, just a few days before his meeting with the Russian President. President Trump’s pardon of two Oregon men that sparked a 41-day stand-off in a national wildlife refuge in 2016 sends a message to militia groups that defy the law that the President will protect them. President Trump’s trade war has grown from covering 18 products to covering 10,000. In an unusual move, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein calls on federal prosecutors across the country to help review Judge Kavanaugh’s documents. A top DHS official says there is no indication that Russia is trying to interfere with midterm elections at the “level” it did in 2016.

7/11/18  //  Daily Update

Michael Flynn’s brief appearance in federal court on Tuesday showed that while the former national security adviser wants to proceed to sentencing soon, his cooperation with Robert Mueller’s team is a priority. As the NATO summit sits on the horizon, President Trump and European leaders are engaging in a hostile back-and-forth on Twitter. Rudy Giuliani is simultaneously working for foreign clients while representing President Trump, a position that could violate federal ethics laws. Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler is likely run the agency for a significant time as Senate Republicans seek to delay confirmation hearings for a permanent replacement for Scott Pruitt. A new executive order upends the typical method of hiring administrative law judges from a central pool of candidates, and directs executive agencies to directly hire judges.

7/10/18  //  Daily Update

DHS Office of Inspector General reports that the ICE detention facilities are not adequately monitored for compliance with government standards. The Trump administration used trade and military threats in an effort to defeat a WHO resolution encouraging breastfeeding. Government officials should be required to offer an extraordinary reason for classifying people based on their transgender status. Organizations on both sides of the political spectrum are spending money to rally supporters over President Trump’s Supreme Court nomination. Federal agencies have begun implementing executive orders from President Trump about how to confront employee unions. Without citing any evidence, President Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, suggested that text messages amongst members of the special counsel’s team would indicate bias against the President.

7/9/18  //  Daily Update

President Trump is expected to announce a nominee for the Supreme Court today. The Trump Administration has provided the ACLU with the names of children under age 5 who were separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border. Foreign-born recruits who joined the United States military through a program created to recruit immigrant troops are being terminated for failing background checks, and are not given the reason for the failure or a right of appeal. President Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has stated that Michael Cohen should cooperate with the Mueller Investigation. CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English has resigned and indicated that she will drop her lawsuit against President Trump and Acting Director Mick Mulvaney. The Trump administration curtailing hiring at prisons has led to a shortage of correctional officers, and teachers, nurses, secretaries, and other support staff are increasingly being asked to guard inmates.

7/6/18  //  Daily Update

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has resigned over numerous corruption investigations. Nearly 3,000 migrant children remain separated from their parents; 100 are under the age of 5. President Trump has narrowed down the list of potential replacements for Justice Anthony Kennedy to three front-runners. Retired U.S. military officers and former national security officers have joined states attorneys general, medical associations, and civil rights organizations in submitting amicus briefs to the Ninth Circuit urging the court to uphold the injunction on implementation of the transgender military ban. The U.S. and China are preparing for a trade battle.

7/4/18  //  Daily Update

The Senate Intelligence Committee released an unclassified report backing up conclusions from U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of helping President Trump win. Michael Cohen looks ready to become a government cooperator. The top Supreme Court candidates’ views on Roe v. Wade are under scrutiny. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded DOJ guidance stating that asylum seekers and refugees have a right to work in the U.S. The administration is encouraging school superintendents and college presidents to adopt race-blind admissions policies, reversing Obama-era guidance. The official White House Twitter account attacked several Democratic lawmakers who have criticized ICE. The investigation into Scott Pruitt is getting closer and closer as his own staffers begin to accuse him of wrongdoing.

7/3/18  //  Daily Update

Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen says his “first loyalty” is to his family. Anti-Muslim attacks and animus are undermining years of work to build cooperation and civil rights protections for American Muslims. Senator Collins should not trust Justice Gorsuch to rule against overturning Roe v. Wade. The investigation into Facebook-fueled election interference by Cambridge Analytica is broadening. EPA head Scott Pruitt’s conduct may have violated federal rules of official conduct. President Trump is being wooed — effectively — by super PAC America First.

7/2/18  //  Daily Update

Thousands marching in nationwide protests call for end to family separation policies and Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy. The number of people who fall under the travel ban is more than 135 million. President Trump admits his Supreme Court pick may overturn or undermine Roe v. Wade. George Papadopoulos’s sentencing is scheduled for September. North Korea is unlikely to denuclearize and hopes to trick the United States into thinking otherwise. Despite close elections, Republicans have an ever-increasing grip on all branches of government. Rupert Murdoch is selling a big chunk of his media empire.

6/29/18  //  Daily Update

Local governments sever contracts with ICE in wake of protests against President Trump’s immigration policies. The State Department condemns the separation of families at the border and claims that the policy makes children more vulnerable to human trafficking in a report issued before the administration began the practice. Justice Kennedy’s departure is expected to affect abortion rights, affirmative action, and LGBT issues. Senator Jeff Flake plans to stall the confirmation of President Trump’s judicial nominees until the Senate takes action on tariffs. A newly unsealed search warrant reveals that a Russian oligarch loaned former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort $10 million. President Trump continues to spread conspiracy theories about Russian interference.

6/28/18  //  Daily Update

Justice Anthony Kennedy announces his retirement. The travel ban has led to a 93% decrease in immigration from targeted countries since it went into effect in December. A federal judge has ruled that detained children must be reunited with their parents, but the Trump administration claims that compliance will be difficult. Despite pleas from the President, House Republicans reject immigration reform bill. On the last day of its term, the Supreme Court ruled that public sector employees who do not join a union cannot be charged fees to help pay for collective bargaining in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31. White House National Security Advisor John Bolton says that the Russian meddling in the U.S. Election is likely to come up at a planned summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin.

6/27/18  //  Daily Update

The Supreme Court upheld the most recent version of the Travel Ban in a 5-4 decision. The Executive Order signed by President Trump last week does not actually compel the government to end family separations. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C. have sued the Trump administration for separating children and parents who enter the United States illegally across the Southern border. A federal judge ordered the government to give undocumented immigrants detained at a federal prison in Oregon access to attorneys. Eight tech industry giants met with intelligence officials last month to discuss preparations for the midterm elections and ways to prevent Russian interference in the elections. Former National Security Agency contractor, Reality Winner, pled guilty to mishandling government secrets and will serve about five years in prison for leaking a report on Russian hacking efforts on U.S. election systems.