Cabbage News Network Week #11

[kmusser]

Monday 4/3

• Blackwater founder setup back channel for communications between DJT and Putin (source).
  
• Justice Dept. to review, potentially drop civil rights agreements and investigations of local police departments (source) - including Baltimore.
  
• Mexico looking to shift trade connections away from the U.S. (source).

Tuesday 4/4

• Reactions to Syrian government's chemical weapons attack, DJT resigned to Assad remaining in power (source).

Wednesday 4/5

• Bannon loses NSC seat (source).

Thursday 4/6

• Nunes recuses himself from the House investigation on Russia (source).
  
• On Gorsuch nomination to the supreme court, DEMs filibuster and GOP goes for "nuclear option" to avoid said filibuster, final confirmation likely tomorrow (source).
  
• The U.S. attacks Syria (source).
  
• Russia condemns attack, withdraws from agree cooperating with U.S. in Syria as response (source).

Friday 4/7

• DJT meeting with Chinese president (source).
  
• Russians call for meeting of U.N. Security Council (source).
  
• Most of the world except for Syria, Russia, and Iran speak in support of attack on Syria (source).
• I'm assuming Gorsuch gets confirmed.

Legislative action this week

• Legislation signed into law
  
  • Repeal of Internet privacy protections https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/sjres34
    
  • Repeal of rule requiring employers to keep records of workplace injuries https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres83
    
  • Repeal of rule limiting the hunting of wolves in Alaska https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres69
    
  • Repeal of rule limiting what occupations can require regular drug testing https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres42
  
  
• Legislation awaiting DJT's signature
  
  • repeal of rule exempting state and local governments from ERISA protections for their retirement funds https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres67
    
  • repeal of rule preventing states from restricting where Title X family planning funds go - this rule is preventing states from defunding Planned Parenthood at the state level, if signed they will be free to do so https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres43
    
  • law expanding NOAA weather forecasting programs https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr353
    
  • permission for Montenegro to join NATO http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-nato-montenegro-idUSKBN16Y2QF
  
  
• Legislation passed in the House, awaiting Senate - most of these probably getting shelved for awhile
  
  • Scrub Act - creates a commission whose job it is to look for regulations to repeal https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr998
    
  • Regulatory Integrity Act - prohibits agencies from advocating for new rules https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1004
    
  • OIRA Act - expands regulatory review process https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1009
    
  • Law requiring a lactation room in public buildings https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1174
    
  • DOD Appropriations - keeps DOD running https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1301
    
  • Several laws changing litigation rules, of most interest is probably https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr985 making class action lawsuits more difficult - more about this and some of the other proposed laws about litigation - of that list, 985, 720, and 725 have passed the House
    
  • MLK, Jr. NHP Act - upgrades and expands the MLK Jr. National Historic Site to a National Historic Park https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr267
    
  • approval to increase the capacity of the Fontenelle Reservoir https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr648 - this would pull more water from the Colorado River for irrigation in Wyoming
    
  • Law removing anti-trust protections from the health insurance industry https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr372
    
  • Law establishing an earthquake warning system for the Pacific Northwest https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr654
    
  • Law raising the price cap on FEMA disaster recovery projects from $130k to $500k https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1214
    
  • HONEST Act - restricts what science EPA can use in formulating regulations https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1430 - admittedly not a neutral source, but some further explanation.
    
  • law raising threshold of securities that companies can give/sell their own employees without triggering SEC disclosures and peg that threshold to inflation for the future https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1343
    
  • EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act - disallows scientists who have received Federal funding from serving on board, allows corporate-funded scientists with conflicts of interests as long as those conflicts are disclosed https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1431
    
  
  
• House adjourns for spring break.
  

Map of the week:

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