Cabbage News Network Week #60

[kmusser]

Status of Puerto Rico infrastructure - it's been 177 days and the island is still 10% without power.

Monday 3/12

• Qatar supposedly has info on Kushner-UAE meetings but won't give it to Mueller fearing reprisals source).
  
• DJT seeking power to send Secret Service agents to polling places, States say no thanks (source).
  
• DJT's military parade is set for Veteran's Day (source).
  
• Tillerson condemns Russia for attempting to kill British spy (source).

Tuesday 3/13

• DJT fires Tillerson as Secretary of State, replaces him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Gina Haspel to be new CIA Director. (source) (While Yay for the CIA finally getting a woman director, I feel I should remind folks that Haspel is pro-torture (source), an article summarizing the damage Tillerson has done to the State Dept. (also note Pompeo and Haspel still need to go through senate confirmation before they are official)).
  
• GOP House Intelligence Committee closes its Russia investigation, declares everything A-OK (source, Wonkette for the snarky version).
  
• More Hatch Act violations from White House officials (source).
  
• ICE spokesperson resigns over being asked to lie to press (source).
  
• DJT fires his personal assistant (source).
  
• Tillerson's top aide at State Dept. fired as well, just for good measure (source).
  
• DJT associate and con man Felix Sater is also a spy working for the U.S. (source).
  
• GOP Senate won't block tariffs (source).

Wednesday 3/14

• DJT names Larry Kudlow as new economic advisor (source).
  
• Summary of cabinet members living large at taxpayer expense, a few more.

Thursday 3/15

• U.S. finally issues sanctions against Russia for election meddling (source).
  
• Mueller subpoenas Trump Organization (source).
  
• U.S. acknowledges Russian attacks on the energy grid from 2016 (source, more on this).
  
• DJT boasts about lying to Justin Trudeau (source), White House press secretary lies about him lying (source).

Friday 3/16

• DJT to fire McMaster as soon as he has a replacement lined up (source).
  
• Another government funding deadline coming up next week, issues are the same (source).

Map of the week

Handmade map of Sarajevo from when it was under siege

Legislative action this week

• Legislation signed into law
  
  
  
• Legislation awaiting DJT's signature
  
  • Bill preventing Federal funds from being used for official portraits of government officials (including president) https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s188
    
  • 26 other minor bills
  
  
• Legislation passed in the House, awaiting Senate
  
  Bill to improve security at schools https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4909 (does not arm teachers, basically appropriates some money for schools to spend on security as they will)
  
  • Bill easing emissions standards for electric utilities https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1119
    
  • A bunch of bills rolling back financial protections https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4607, https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2226, https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4725, https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4296, https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1116
    
  • Reauthorization bill for the FCC https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4986
    
  • Bill barring political appointees from accepting civil service jobs for 2 years https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1132
    
  • Bill penalizing websites whose users help sex trafficking https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1865
    
  • Bill gutting the ADA https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr620
    
  • Sanctions against Hamas https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3542
    
  • 429 pending bills
  
  
• Legislation passed in the Senate, awaiting House
  
  • Bill rolling back financial protections https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s2155 (this bill will likely replace the ones passed by the House listed above).
    
  • 99 pending bills

Comments

[selki]

I know there are more serious issues, but those Hatch violations continue to grind at me.

Fired personal assistant: "Within 24 hours, McEntee was hired by Trump's 2020 reelection campaign as a senior adviser for campaign operations." -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McEntee_(political_aide)#Career

Another shutdown possibility? Hadn't heard, thanks.
"Negotiators are expected to work through the weekend as House of Representatives leaders hope to unveil a bill early next week so it can be debated on the House floor by midweek, with a Senate vote by the March 23 deadline.
Failure to meet the deadline could result in the second partial government shutdown this year. "