Dept of Justice: “No evidence to support Trump’s claim that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower”

“In a filing made public Friday, lawyers for the Department of Justice (DOJ) wrote that the department has no records supporting President Trump’s claim that former President Barack Obama ordered wiretaps of Trump Tower. Both [the Federal Bureau of Investigation] and [National Security Division] confirm that they have no records related to wiretaps as described by the March 4, 2017 tweets,” the DOJ said in the filing, referring to Mr. Trump’s tweets.”  More …

Texas Chemical Plant Sued For Millions, First Responders Charge Gross Negligence

“Seven first responders filed a lawsuit Thursday against a chemical company whose Houston-area facility exploded after Hurricane Harvey. The lawsuit against Arkema and three of the company’s executives is seeking over $1 million in monetary relief, and alleges that the company did not adequately warn law enforcement and public health agencies about hazardous materials at the chemical plant. Those allegations come after Arkema and its lobbying group, the American Chemistry Council, lobbied to kill a federal rule designed to require companies to better coordinate and inform first responders about the toxic compounds at chemical plants. The rule would have taken effect in March.”  More …

Under Trump, Regulation Slows to a Crawl

“Before he took office, Donald Trump promised to roll back the reach of the federal government, saying that he would end the “regulation industry” on the first day of his presidency. The effect has been immediate and dramatic: According to data compiled by POLITICO, significant federal regulation since Trump’s inauguration has slowed to an almost total halt.”  More …