kmusser

Status of Puerto Rico infrastructure - it's been 268 days and the island is still 5% without power.

Sunday 6/17

More accounts of the children detention facilities at the border (source).
In the 6 weeks since the policy started 1,995 children have been detained (source).
Administration is planning "tent cities" to house overflow child detainees (source).
DJT continues to blame Dems for his own policy of separating children from their families (source).
So who is to blame? DJT adviser Stephen Miller (source).

Monday 6/18

DJT creates the Space Force. (source).
DHS Secretary claims there is no policy of separating children from families at the border (source, memo implementing this non-existent policy from the DoJ dated April 6th, timeline of administration statements).
Commerce Secretary Ross failed to divest his Chinese and Russian business interests as he said he had before taking the job (source).
Supreme Court declines to take on gerrymandering (source).

Tuesday 6/19

No GOP senators will support the Dem legislation to end family separations at the border, but they are considering their own legislation that would overrule DJT's policy, we'll see if it goes anywhere(source).
Sessions tries to explain how they are totally not like the Nazi's and fails (source, and not only is his answer weak, but it's also false, the Nazi's did in fact encourage Jewish emigration).
State governor's are pulling their National Guard units from the Mexico border in protest of DJT's policy of detaining children (source).
Texas non-profit makes a half a billion dollars running children detention facilities (source).
Administration gives approval for health plans that do not meet ACA requirements (source).
Two GOP senators oppose DJT's anti-immigrant nominee for the head of the Dept. of State's refugee program (source).

Wednesday 6/20

DJT immigration policy is not just separating families at the border, but some that have been here for years (source).
DJT executive order to end separation of families, asylum seekers can still be detained indefinitely, but they'll be kept as a family group. Indefinite detention will very likely be challenged in court. Also no word on reuniting those already seperated (source).
Comparison of what's happening at border, 2016 vs now vs now with executive order (source).
More analysis on DJT's surrender (source).
DJT opens ocean areas and Great Lakes to offshore drilling (source).
Summary of opioid related bills in Congress (source).
Kansas ignoring Federal Court ruling on voter ID law (source).
Pruitt spent $1,500 on "tactical" pants, not to be confused with Space Pants (source).
ICE closes Portland, OR office due to protests (source).

Thursday 6/21

DJT tells Federal agents to start reuniting families (source).
Border Patrol says it's going to stop criminal proceedings against immigrants, Justice Dept. issues statement contradicting that (source, and looks like it is temporary).
Supreme Court okays online sales taxes (source).
States not getting any additional Federal funds for election security (source).
DJT proposes merging a bunch of Federal agencies, the chances of that passing Congress are slim (source).
DoD to send Justice Dept. lawyers to help with immigration case backlog (source).
Congress shelves immigration bills (source).
8 year old expected to represent himself in immigration court (source).
Education Dept. drops 1,200 civil rights investigations (source).
DJT plans to open National Forest in Minnesota to mining (source).
Mine to open on land removed from Utah's National Monument last year (source).

Friday 6/22

Map of the week

Map of ICE detention facilities
Protests planned for June 30th
Protest at the Jessup, MD facility
There is also a Frederick, MD facility. I haven't seen anything about protests there, but if you know of any let me know and I'll link them.

Legislative action this week

Legislation signed into law
- 1 minor bill
Legislation awaiting DJT's signature
- 10 minor bills
Legislation passed in the House, awaiting Senate - switching to only listing new stuff, as most of those pending bills are obviously not going anywhere
- 20 more bills relating to opioids, not to be confused with the 20 passed last week
- Revised Farm Bill, still includes work requirements for aid https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2 (news
- 573 total pending bills
Legislation passed in the Senate, awaiting House - switching to only listing new stuff, as most of those pending bills are obviously not going anywhere
- Dept. of Defense spending bill https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr5515 summary)
- 117 total pending bills
Other upcoming legislation
- Multiple versions of various immigration bills, none of which look likely to go anywhere.

Cabbage News Network Week #74