Cabbage News Network Week #54

[kmusser]

Status of Puerto Rico infrastructure - it's been 135 days and the island is still 20% without power.

Monday 1/29

• DJT declines to sanction Russia over election meddling despite Congressional authorization to do so (source, source, details about law including list of who could be sanctioned).
  
• The GOP House Intelligence Committee vote to release memo writtten by chaiman Nunes criticizing the Justice Dept. and FBI and supposedly based on classified information, also votes to block Dems response. (source).
  
  • FBI claims memo is inaccurate (source).
    
  • Representative Schiff claims version of memo sent to White House for clearance is not the same as what the Intelligence Committee voted on to release (source).
    
  • Pelosi calls for Nunes removal (source).
    
  • WP summary of the whole issue.
  
  
• Alex Azar sworn in as new HHS secretary (source.
  
• FBI Director Andrew McCabe is retiring (source).
  
• Considering nothing has been done about Russian meddling in the 2016 election, them meddling in the 2018 election seems very likely (source).
  
• Court rules that children facing deportation do not have the right to a lawyer (source).
  
• DJT to show campaign donor names during livestream of State of the Union (source).
  
• OMB proposes gutting the Office of National Drug Control Policy (source).
  
• FEMA calls it quits in Puerto Rico (source).

Wednesday 1/31

• CDC director resigns over tobacco investments (source).

Thursday 2/1

• Administration strips enforcement powers from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (source).
  
• Another former DJT aide looking to flip (source).
  
• Justice Dept. closes office that helped poor get legal aid (source).
  
• DJT wants to make it easier to fire Federal employees (source).

Friday 2/2

• Sierra Club sues EPA over FOIA requests (source).
  
• CDC to cut epidemic prevention efforts by 80% (source).

Legislative action this week

• Legislation signed into law
  
  • 3 minor bills, one of which extends Federal recognition to Native American tribes in Virginia
  
  
• Legislation awaiting DJT's signature
  
  • 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/hr4708
  
  
• Legislation passed in the House, awaiting Senate - nothing new
  
  • Bill to withhold payments to the World Bank if it does anything the administration doesn't like https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3326
    
  • 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/hr695
    
  • 386 other minor bills
  
  
• Legislation passed in the Senate, awaiting House - nothing new
  
  • 91 minor bills
  
  
  Map of the week
  

  FB users have already seen it, but repeating it here - my Google map of the home towns of Team USA for the 2018 Winter Olympics, which starts next week.