“The triple gap in Census Bureau leadership, along with a funding shortfall that has already forced the cancellation of multiple field tests, leaves observers worried about an impending crisis in the biggest civic project that Washington regularly undertakes—a population count that has profound effects on American business and politics.” More …
Executive Branch
The executive branch personnel (White House) including the president, the cabinet and advisors.
Trump’s Lawyer: We Met With Him in Pairs to Avoid Lies
“In a deposition under oath taken in 1993, one of Donald Trump’s lawyers said they always tried to meet with him in pairs “because Donald says certain things and then has a lack of memory.” More …
The $110 Billion Arms Deal to Saudi Arabia Is Fake News
“Last month, President Trump visited Saudi Arabia and his administration announced that he had concluded a $110 billion arms deal with the kingdom. Only problem is that there is no deal. It’s fake news.” More …
Leaked Regulation: Trump Plans to Roll Back Obamacare Birth Control Mandate
“The Trump administration is apparently preparing to overhaul Obamacare’s birth control mandate, purportedly allowing any employer to seek a moral or religious exemption from the requirement, according to a draft regulation obtained by Vox.” More …
Trump’s Tweets ‘a Gold Mine’ for Mueller Probe
“The president’s running public commentary gives investigators real-time insight into the intent behind his actions – and could create problems for him or his aides.” More …
Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election
“Russian Military Intelligence executed a cyberattack on at least one U.S. voting software supplier and sent spear-phishing emails to more than 100 local election officials just days before last November’s presidential election, according to a highly classified intelligence report obtained by The Intercept.” More …
In the Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the Koch Brothers’ Campaign Becomes Overt
” … Voters and big business were arrayed against leaving the climate agreement. Yet despite the majority’s sentiment, a tiny—and until recently, almost faceless—minority somehow prevailed. How this happened is no longer a secret. The answer, as the New York Times reported, on Sunday, is ‘a story of big political money’. It is, perhaps, the most astounding example of influence-buying in modern American political history.” More …
Trump Pulls Out of Climate Deal, Western Rift Deepens
“German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other G-7 leaders did all they could to convince Trump to remain part of the Paris Agreement. But he didn’t listen. Instead, he evoked deep-seated nationalism and plunged the West into a conflict deeper than any since World War II.” More …
CEOs Praised for Backing the Paris Accord Also Funded Lobbyists Pushing Trump to Withdraw
“The Chief Executives of Dow Chemical and Corning Inc., among other business leaders, were portrayed in the media as environmental champions for opposing President Donald Trump’s move to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement… Yet both companies back one of the few business groups to openly lobby the Trump administration in support of withdrawing from the plan.” More …
Federal Reserve’s Kaplan: Immigration Crackdown Hurting Economy
“President Trump’s immigration crackdown is already crimping economic growth as undocumented workers fearful of deportation stay home and reduce their spending, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said.” More …