After the GOP failed attempt to reverse the Obama-era methane flaring restriction, Donald Trump attacked the rule using his energy plan, and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt placed a two-year moratorium on the rule’s enforcement. On July 3rd a federal appeals court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency cannot suspend…
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Trump Administration Quietly Implementing Muslim Ban Through Changes in Immigration Policy
As the courts have nullified Trump’s ability to ban immigration from Muslim majority countries outright, the Trump Administration has used other methods, not currently under judicial review, to drastically lower Muslim immigration. The methods have included agency level policy reviews. An example of this is the State Department’s…
Student Protections from For-Profit Universities Postponed
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has postponed the implementation of two Obama era guidances aimed at protecting students from predatory for-profit colleges. The rules that were set to go into effect on July 1, called the “borrower defense to repayment” and “gainful employment” regulations, are stricter versions of protections…
Budget Lessons from Kansas
Earlier this June, the Kansas state legislature voted to pass Senate Bill 30, a bill that would override many of the large tax cuts that were championed by Governor Brownback. Governor Brownback attempted to veto the passage of S.B. 30, but was overridden by the legislature in a surprising move by the State senators in his party. The Brownback…
Foreign Policy Flip-Flop: NATO Policy
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was founded in 1949 as a response to rising global threats. NATO is the paramount international defense alliance, and its members are some of the beacons of stability and democracy across the globe. Because of President…
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Religious Pre-school
On the grounds of free exercise of religion, the Supreme ruled in favor of a Missouri church this week who had been denied state funding to refurbish their playground surface. The case Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, arose after the state of Missouri would not allow state funds to be given to the church’s preschool to resurface…
Cities, Companies, Universities Bypass Trump on Climate
After President Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Accord on June 1st, private and public actors have both vowed to lead the country’s fight against climate change. The coalition “We Are Still In” released a statement on June 5th declaring their intent to “ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing…
DoJ Information Sharing, Past and Upcoming Congressional Interviews, Key Witnesses
This past week, news of the Russia investigations was relatively quiet; the biggest stories were about witnesses who are expected to testify in upcoming congressional hearings, and information gathered, expected, or wanted by the congressional committees…
Mueller in the Spotlight, Congressional Intelligence Hearings, Cybersecurity Concerns
This week, news of the Russia investigations centered largely on special counsel Robert Mueller, on whom the White House and some Republican lawmakers have been attempting to cast doubt. Mueller met last week with the Senate Intelligence Committee and followed up this week with the…
Healthcare Vote Delayed due to Lack of Support
On Tuesday, Republican strategist and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell was forced to delay the vote on the repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act. He had ambitiously planned to push the bill that he wrote behind closed doors through the Senate before the July 4th recess, but could not unite the Republican party…