Cabbage News Network Week #51

Status of Puerto Rico infrastructure - it's been 114 days and the island is still 30% without power.

Monday 1/8

• Salvadorans loose immigrant protections (source).
  
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejects Rick Perry's plan to subsidize older nuclear and coal power plants (source).
  
• Labor Dept. rolls back labor guidelines to a narrower interpretation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (source).
  
• Pentagon follows through on freezing aid to Pakistan (source).

Tuesday 1/9

• Dept. of Interior joins EPA in screening science grants for political review (source).

Wednesday 1/10

• Transcript of Senate Judiciary interview with Fusion GPS regarding Trump dossier outlining DJT-Russian connections is released (source, a biased, but more detailed summary).
  
• Court order issued to protect DACA "Dreamer" program while lawsuits are pending (source).
  
• Canada files complaint with World Trade Organization over U.S. trade practices (source).
  
• Documentation on the removal of climate change information from Federal websites (source).
  
• Florida exempted from offshore drilling plan, other states are pissed (source).
  
• Zinke planning major reorganization for Dept. of Interior (source).
• HHS ends registry of programs and practices dealing with mental health and substance abuse (source).

Thursday 1/11

• Administration gives 10 states permission to add work requirements to qualify for Medicaid, expect to see lawsuits over this (source).
  
• House re-authorizes NSA spying program without any privacy protections (source).
  
  
• Many of DJT's rejected nominees have been given some other government job that doesn't require Senate confirmation (source).

Friday 1/12

• One year later and 1/2 of the Federal jobs requiring Senate confirmation are still vacant (source).
  
• Immigration talks stall after White House rejects congressional deal and DJT supposedly refers to much of the world as "shithole countries", though he denies it (source).
  
• Russian hackers target U.S. Senate (source).
  
• DJT lawyer paid porn star to not talk about DJT affair (source).

In other news

• Senator Cardin releases a report documenting 20 years of Russian attacks on our electoral systems and a list of recommendations on how to safeguard the integrity of our elections from future attacks (full report).
  
• Andrew Whickey reads "Fire and Fury" so you don't have to (book review).

Legislative action this week

• Legislation signed into law
  
  • 11 minor bills
  
  
• Legislation awaiting DJT's signature
  
  • 2 minor bills
  
  
• Legislation passed in the House, awaiting Senate
  
  • FISA re-authorization https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4478 and https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s139 (only major new bill since New Year's)
    
  • More disaster relief https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4667
    
  • Bill limiting circumstances in which regulators can order banks to close customer accounts https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2706
    
  • Bill increasing penalties for crimes against religious institutions https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1730
    
  • Bill strengthening sanctions on Iran https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1638
    
  • Bill halting aid to the Palestinian Authority https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1164
    
  • Bill requiring states to honor concealed carry permits of other states https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr38
    
  • Bill to deregulate mergers between companies making less than $25 million https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr477
    
  • Bill extending the probationary period for most Federal employees from one to two years https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4182
    
  • Bill providing humanitarian aid to Venezuela https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2658
    
  • Bill reauthorizing EPA's brownfields program https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3017
    
  • Bill renewing the National Flood Insurance Program https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2874
    
  • Bill reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program while cutting funding for it https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3922
    
  • Bill reducing regulatory oversight over credit rating agencies https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3911
    
  • Bill overturning recent court decisions holding employers liable for labor violations in joint employment situations https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3441
    
  • Bill transferring authority over hydroelectric facilities to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, would remove some environment protections re dams https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3043
    
  • Iran sanctions bill https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1698
    
  • Bill drastically reducing what activities on Forest Service, BLM, and Tribal lands require environmental review https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2936
    
  • Bill revoking passports of individuals affiliated with a terrorist organization https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr425
    
  • Bill eliminating the Independent Payment Advisory Board https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr849
    
  • Bill loosening reporting requirements for IPO's https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3903
    
  • Bill banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr36
    
  • Renewal of law promoting democracy in North Korea and helping North Korean refugees https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2061
    
  • Bill giving the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration authority over self driving cars https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3388
    
  • Bill restricting IRS use of civil asset forfeiture https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1843
    
  • Bill to allow publicly traded companies to use SEC crowdfunding rule https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2864
    
  • Authorization bill for CIA and other intelligence activities https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3180
    
  • DoD appropriations bill https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3219
    
  • 368 other minor bills
  
  
• Legislation passed in the Senate, awaiting House
  
  • Bill expanding the requirements of when suspected sexual abuse must be reported https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s534
    
  • DHS authorization bill https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1370
    
  • 91 other minor bills
  
  
  Maps of the week
  

  
  XKCD's election map
  
  

  
  Huge antique map - zoomable version