Cabbage News Network Week #69

[kmusser]

Status of Puerto Rico infrastructure - it's been 233 days and the island is still 5% without power.

Monday 5/14

• New U.S. embassy in Jerusalem opens, while Israel kills dozens and wounds thousands of Palestinian protesters in Gaza (source 1, source 2).
  
• DJT vows to help Chinese telecom which is in trouble for violating U.S. sanctions (source).
  
• Supreme Court legalizes sports betting (source).
  
• Qatari businessmen met with DJT aides the day after buying Russian oil company Rosneft, confirming another bit of the Steele dossier (source, Seth Abramson's take).
  
• Some analysis of the Russian Facebook ads and who they were targeting

Tuesday 5/15

• Lots of folks not happy with DJT putting a Chinese companies interests ahead of national security (source).
  
• Chinese now support a Trump Org development deal in Indonesia to the tune of $500 million(source).
  
• North Korea cancels talks with South Korea, might cancel meeting with DJT (source).

Wednesday 5/16

• Senate investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election concludes, endorsing FBI and CIA findings that Russia did indeed interfere in favor of DJT, contrasting with the House investigation. Makes no comments on DJT's involvement or lack thereof (source).
  
• The Senate also releases a ton of testimony in collected in the course of its investigation (source).
  
• Mueller subpoenas Roger Stone's social media consultants (source).
  
• Senate approves reinstating Net Neutrality, sadly bill is not likely to go any further (source).
  
• New DJT financial disclosure includes Stormy Daniels payment where previous disclosures did not. Does not include other payments to Cohen mentioned by Giuliani (source 1, source 2).
  
• DJT wants to prosecute Oakland mayor for protecting immigrants (source).

Thursday 5/17

• Cohen's financial records leaked by law enforcement that noticed evidence that transactions were being deleted from the Treasury's financial databases (source).
  
• Manafort's son-in-law cuts a plea deal with Mueller (source).
  
• DJT to reinstate "domestic gag rule" for abortion providers which would cut funding for Planned Parenthood (source).
  
• Education Dept. blocking investigations of fraudulent for-profit schools (source).
  
• Avenatti claims at least 2 more women received hush money payments from DJT, if true they have not been disclosed as legally required (source).
  
• EPA to remove chemical plant safety checks (source).

Friday 5/18

• Haspel confirmed as CIA director (Source).
  
• Equifax lawyer named consumer protection chief (source).

Map of the week

• Animated map of Kilauea seismic activity

Legislative action this week

• Legislation signed into law
  
  
  
• Legislation awaiting DJT's signature
  
  • Resolution removing anti-discrimination protections from auto lending https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/sjres57
    
  • 7 minor bills
  
  
• Legislation passed in the House, awaiting Senate
  
  • Bill increases penalties for assaulting a law enforcement official https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr5698
    
  • FAA reauthorization bill https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4
    
  • Additional sanctions against Iran https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4744
    
  • 13 bills dealing with the IRS, main two appear to be https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr5444 and https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr5445 (summary)
    
  • Bill increasing the penalties for stalking https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4203
    
  • Bill to give patients access to experimental drugs https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr5247
    
  • 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
    
  • 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 gutting the ADA https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr620
    
  • Sanctions against Hamas https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr3542
    
  • 477 other pending bills
  
  
• Legislation passed in the Senate, awaiting House
  
  • Bill restoring Net Neutrality https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/sjres52 unfortunately not likely to pass
    
  • Bill rolling back financial protections https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s2155
    
  • 104 other pending bills
  
  
• Other upcoming legislation
  
  • New Authorization for Use of Military Force https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/sjres59
    includes a provision for indefinite detaining of U.S. citizens (source).
    
  • 2018 Farm bill https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2 includes provision for fly-by-night association health plans (source) and work requirements for food stamps (source).
    
  • Defense authorization bill https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr5515 (some items to be debated therein also DJT's military parade and confirming sanctions on Chinese telecom that DJT wants to bail out).

Comments

[vvalkyri]

Since I just posted this link over on FB I'll post it here -- please don't imply the Gaza protests were over the embassy. They moved the annual Day of Rage up a day in order to get the split screen bump, but the border stuff's been going on for 6 weeks and there's a whole lot more to it all.

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/262329/gaza-media-explainer