Cabbage News Network Week #48

[kmusser]

Status of Puerto Rico infrastructure - it's been 93 days and the island is still 30% without power.

Monday 12/18

• Three judicial nominees withdraw nominations (source).
  
• EPA employees e-mails being monitored for political content (source).
  
• DJT team accuse Mueller team of obtaining transition e-mails illegally, Mueller's team laughs (source).
  
• DJT team wants to know if Mueller is almost done, Mueller's team laughs (source).
  
• White House takes down petition web site that they were ignoring anyway (source).

Tuesday 12/19

• GOP tax bill passes Congress (source, what is in it, another summary).
  
• Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Jill Stein (source).
  
• U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution on Jerusalem after being outvoted 14-1 (source).
  
• HHS lifts moratorium on research on making germs more dangerous (source).

Wednesday 12/20

• DJT threatens countries voting against U.S. in U.N. (i.e. all of them) (source, full vote ends up being 128-9).
  
• Maryland's GOP governor planning bill to protect state from GOP tax bill (source).

Thursday 12/21

• White House still considering plan for breaking up immigrant families (source).
  
• Emoluments lawsuit against DJT dismissed (source).
  
• U.S. imposes sanctions on individuals accused of civil rights abuses (source).
  
• State Dept. considering following up DJT's U.N. threat (source).
  
• Judge blocks the religious exemption to the Obamacare birth control mandate (source).
  
• Pentagon strikes climate change from strategy document (source).
  
• Administration cancels offshore drilling safety study (source).

Friday 12/22

• Congress passes funding measure to avoid shutdown, contains nothing for "dreamers" and very little for child healthcare program (source).
  
• ICE approves plan for breaking up immigrant families - merry f&*%ing Christmas (source).
  
• State dept. tells refugee agencies to downsize (source).
  
• Scientists are abandoning EPA (source).
  
• Justice Dept. revokes guidance documents on a wide variety of subjects (source).

End of the year summary of DJT accomplishments - missing some biggies, namely changes to the judiciary including Gorsuch's appointment, and increased immigration enforcement, increasing deportations.

Legislative action this week

• Legislation signed into law
  
  • Continuing resolution https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres124
    
  • 3 minor bills
  
  
• Legislation awaiting DJT's signature
  
  • The GOP tax bill https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1
    
  • 19 minor bills
  
  
• Legislation passed in the House, awaiting Senate - at this point these are unlikely to see action this Session
  
  • 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
    
  • 357 other minor bills
  
  
• Legislation passed in the Senate, awaiting House - at this point these are unlikely to see action this Session
  
  
  • 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
  

  Thomas fire may break record for largest forest fire
  
  Google map of all California fires.