1/18/18  //  Daily Update

The Chief of Staff recently told lawmakers that President Trump was not sufficiently informed of the facts when he promised a border wall during the campaign. Senator Chuck Schumer announced that Senate Democrats are seeking a vote to prevent the FCC from repealing net neutrality. Numerous members of the National Parks System Advisory Board have quit in protest of the way in which the Trump Administration has handled the park system.

1/17/18  //  Daily Update

The Department of Justice will ask that the Supreme Court immediately review a district court ruling that required the government to continue the DACA program. In light of the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, commentators reflected on the President’s legacy on issues of race. The Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Education is rejecting discrimination complaints from transgender students. 22 state attorneys general have filed suit to enjoin the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality. A military doctor claims Trump got a perfect score on a test designed to identify cognitive impairment, concluding the president “does not suffer from mental issues that prevent him from functioning in office.”

1/15/18  //  Daily Update

Following a federal court ruling, the Trump Administration will begin accepting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applications again. A leaked copy of the Pentagon’s Nuclear Posture Review shows that the government wants to update the nuclear arsenal with new types of weapons. The Trump Administration approved Kentucky’s plan to impose work requirements for Medicaid recipients, paving the way for other conservative states to follow suit.

1/12/18  //  Daily Update

The latest episode of Versus Trump dives into a recent lawsuit against the Trump administration—by its former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. President Trump disparaged Haiti and Africa in talks about the bipartisan immigration bill. In tweets, President Trump wavered between opposition and support of the FISA Reauthorization. On the 16th anniversary of the prison’s founding, Guantanamo Bay prisoners filed a mass habeas petition. The Trump Administration said that states may impose work requirements for Medicaid.

1/11/18  //  Daily Update

The Trump Administration called the DACA ruling “outrageous.” President Trump refuses to certify that Iranian nuclear disarmament deal is in America’s best interests, but is expected to allow accord to continue. The Justice Department is heightening efforts to increase the use of capital punishment. President Trump, once ‘100%’ willing to talk, now refuses to say whether he would speak to Mueller regarding Russian interference.

1/10/18  //  Daily Update

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that requires the Trump Administration to resume accepting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applications. In a court filing, the Trump Administration said that it intends to destroy the voter data collected by the election fraud commission. Nebraska is launching an attempt to save net neutrality rules, becoming the first Republican-controlled state to do so. Senator Dianne Feinstein unilaterally released a transcript of the Judiciary Committee’s interview with one of the founders of the firm that produced an infamous dossier outlining Russian efforts to aid the Trump campaign.

1/9/18  //  Daily Update

The Supreme Court has indicated it will consider the President’s third immigration order at its conference on January 19th. President Trump’s threat of litigation is another blow to democratic norms. A Congressional Review Act resolution to reverse the FCC’s net neutrality repeal garnered the critical 30th co-sponsor needed to force a vote on the measure. Commentators on the right and left have reacted to questions about the President’s mental fitness. Reports suggest that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is weighing interviewing President Donald Trump, while the President’s team is reportedly seeking to avoid an interview altogether.

1/8/18  //  Daily Update

A federal judge in Brooklyn held that the government cannot decide to criminally prosecute immigrants and then keep them locked up on immigration detainers if they are subsequently granted bail. The Trump Administration may be undermining the 2020 census by adding a question about citizenship and removing questions about gender identity and sexual orientation. After almost a year, the Trump Administration’s Justice Department lacks Senate-confirmed appointees in leadership posts running the national security, criminal, civil rights and other key divisions.

12/22/17  //  Daily Update

This week's Versus Trump episode examines a number of the President's judicial nominees—confirmed, pending, and withdrawn—to examine what might happen to "Versus Trump" cases in years to come. A Trump administration official responsible for refugee resettlement attempted to prevent an undocumented teenage victim of rape from obtaining an abortion. A federal judge dismissed the emoluments lawsuit brought by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), concluding that the plaintiffs lacked standing and the case was not justiciable. Another federal judge blocked a Trump Administration executive order that would allow employers with religious objections to refuse employee’s contraceptive coverage as a part of healthcare plans. Attorney General Sessions rescinded 25 Justice Department guidance documents on how to interpret an array of federal laws. Finally, the Take Care daily update will be on hiatus until January 2. We look forward to seeing you again in 2018!

12/21/17  //  Daily Update

State officials and parents are beginning to worry that the Children’s Health Insurance Program will not be renewed in time to stop millions of children from losing insurance. A group of House Republicans has secretly gathered for weeks in an effort to build a case that the DOJ and FBI mishandled the use of the Steele Dossier, which alleged ties between President Trump and Russia. The Trump administration voluntarily withdrew its appeal to the D.C. Circuit to prevent Jane Roe, a young immigrant woman, from being released to have an abortion. The House gave final approval to the new tax bill.

12/20/17  //  Daily Update

The fight over the CFPB directorship continues with the Department of Justice filing its opposition to Leandra English’s motion for a preliminary injunction declaring that she has the legal right to the position. The House of Representatives has passed the Republican tax plan, but will need to vote again to deal with some procedural quirks. The Trump Administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a temporary restraining order that is preventing officials from stopping an immigrant in federal custody from getting an abortion. Democratic Attorneys General have requested that Congress vote on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program before the recess.

12/19/17  //  Daily Update

President Trump called the current U.S. immigration system a threat to national security and claimed the “wrong people” are being admitted. President Trump said in a speech on national security that Russia and China “seek to challenge American influence, values and wealth,” but did not directly address Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Justice Department filed a brief supporting President Trump and Mulvaney in a suit filed against them for control of the CFPB by its Deputy Director in a district court for Washington, D.C. Matthew Peterson, who President Trump nominated for a U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., withdrew his nomination after struggling with questions during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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.

12/15/17  //  Daily Update

On a 3-2 party line vote, the Federal Communications Commission repealed Obama-era “net neutrality” regulations. After the Senate confirmed two Trump appointees to the National Labor Relations Board, the Board overturned an Obama-era ruling on joint employer status on a 3-2 party line vote. California sued the Department of Education over its failure to process student debt relief claims for students defrauded by for-profit colleges. Faith-based leaders have written an open letter warning President Trump that his anti-Muslim tweets threaten the First Amendment.

12/14/17  //  Daily Update

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen harshly criticized so-called “sanctuary cities” late Tuesday. Due to gerrymandering, Doug Jones lost all but one of Alabama’s congressional districts while winning the statewide race. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US is ready to talk with North Korea without preconditions, in comments that appeared to signal a shift in State Department policy. A conference committee reached a tentative agreement to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the Republican tax plan, but it is unclear whether the plan will attract sufficient support at final votes next week. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein defended Special Counsel Robert Mueller from criticism in a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.