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September 2017 - page 2

Warren, Gillibrand, Brown Echo Canadian Call to Scrap Union Busting “Right to Work” Laws During NAFTA Talks

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Democratic lawmakers are throwing their weight behind a labor-empowering initiative amid moves by the Trump administration to renegotiate trade deals—ostensibly to benefit American workers. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation on Wednesday that would make it tougher for states to bust unions. The trio are seeking to outlaw what Republicans have branded as “right-to-work” laws. The rules allow individual workers to free-ride on collective bargaining agreements–by giving them the option of withholding fees from unions who represent them…

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Trump Uses UN Podium to threaten Nuclear Annihilation

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President Donald Trump raised the possibility of launching high-stakes US military operations in three corners of the world on Tuesday, at his first address to the United Nations General Assembly. The president targeted North Korea, Iran and Venezuela–which he termed as “rogue regimes,” from the UN podium, in a speech reminiscent of George W. Bush’s pre-Iraq War “Axis of Evil” State of the Union. Trump’s harshest rhetoric was reserved for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “The United States has great strength and patience, but if it…

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Turkish Weapons Deal Falls Apart in Aftermath of Erdogan Bodyguard Beatdown

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A shipment of guns and ammunition from the US to Turkish security forces was formally cancelled, after Congressional review. The abrupt end of the weapons deal resulted from the fallout after a May incident in which bodyguards of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan severely beat a group of peaceful protesters in Washington, DC outside the Turkish embassy. Erdogan’s security force was the intended recipient of the $1.2 million arms cache from New Hampshire gunmaker Sig Sauer. According to the Associated Press, the company itself requested cancellation of…

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House Republicans Pass Wide-Reaching Anti-Immigrant Bill, With DACA Negotiations Ongoing

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Amid negotiations between President Trump and Democrats over the status of Dreamers, Republican lawmakers passed legislation that could lead to wholesale crackdowns on immigrant communities. The House on Thursday advanced a bill hinged on the principal of guilt-by-association, marking for deportation of non-US citizens merely suspected of knowing those engaged in a wide list of activities. The “Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act” passed in a 233-175 vote largely along party lines, with 11 Democrats supporting the measure, and Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) opposing it.…

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Investigators’ Knives Out for Equifax After Massive Data Breach

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) became the first economic regulator to formally announce an investigation into Equifax’s handling of a cyber intrusion that left more than 100 million Americans vulnerable to identify theft. An FTC spokesman confirmed the probe one day after dozens of lawmakers urged the agency and other government bodies to look into the behavior of the credit reporting company before and after the breach was discovered. “The FTC typically does not comment on open investigations,” said Peter Kaplan on Thursday. “However in…

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Paul AUMF Repeal Garners Support From More Than One-Third of Senate, But Falls Short

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An effort by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to sunset the broad legislation authorizing post-9/11 military operations failed on Wednesday. Paul’s bid, an amendment to the annual defense policy bill, was killed 61-36, in a motion brought to the Senate floor by Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. Thirty-three Democrats and two Republicans–Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Dean Heller (R-Nevada)–joined with Paul, in a bid to keep his amendment alive. Thirteen Democrats voted for the Corker motion at the urging of Jack Reed (D-R.I.),…

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Sanders Introduces Single Payer Bill—Dems Lurch Left in Support

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The most popular politician in America is introducing legislation on Wednesday to create a single payer health care system—a previously radioactive proposal that is now drawing the support of leading Democratic politicians. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is proposing a Medicare-for-all schematic that, if implemented, would transition the entire country away from private and employer-based insurance to a universal system that mirrors Medicare. Under Sanders’ proposal, Americans would no longer pay insurance premiums. Health care would be provided, in most cases, without charge, and financed by…

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ICE Pressed for Information, Amid Cancelled Dragnet and Ramping up of Trump Nativism

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Immigrant advocates are pressing the Trump administration for information after sweeping deportation raids were postponed ahead of Hurricane Irma. Fifty organizations are filing Freedom of Information Act requests with Immigration and Customs Enforcement field offices around the country. The initiative is designed to press ICE for details on the removal process, with a focus on how the agency skirts oversight. “We’re ready to go forward and litigate, if necessary,” Mijente Field Director Jacinta Gonzalez said Tuesday, in a conference call. Seeking information from ICE is…

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Spy Leaders Seek Permanent Extension of Controversial FISA Surveillance Authority

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The nation’s intelligence chiefs sent a letter to Congress this week calling for a “speedy enactment” of legislation to reauthorize broad foreign spying powers that often impact American citizens, too. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats asked congressional leaders on Monday for a clean extension of the spying provision. Most notably, the top officials requested that the reauthorization be permanent. At the end of the year, Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act sunsets. The law, intended to target individuals…

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Government Watchdog Questions Value of Post-9/11 Travel Security Measures

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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lacks data to demonstrate the effectiveness of several airport security measures adopted following the September 11, 2001 attacks. A report released Monday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that the agency “does not have a complete understanding” of just how effective the billions of dollars spent on new security programs are in detecting and disrupting air travel threats. Although agency officials cited the lack of a major terrorist attack aboard a US airliner as proof of worth of these countermeasures, the GAO…

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Sen. Harris Opposes Resolution Equating Wikileaks to “Hostile” Spy Organization

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Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) sided with Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to vote against a resolution calling on the US government to treat WikiLeaks like a “non-state hostile intelligence service.” Harris, a rumored presidential contender, joined with Wyden, a leading civil libertarian lawmaker, to oppose the legislation in a Senate Intelligence Committee vote on annual policy legislation. Harris said the language was reckless and vague, while Wyden focused much of his ire at the legal distinction the committee is attempting to create. “[T]he ambiguity in the bill…

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