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Next Top DOJ Environment Official May Oversee Cases Involving Old Client, BP

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With all eyes on Donald Trump’s fixation on the Justice Department Russia probe, the administration looks set to put a fossil fuel industry loyalist at the head of the agency’s environmental protection division. Jeffrey Clark, a longtime lawyer for energy companies and an environmental prosecutor under the George W. Bush administration, will be considered for the job next week by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The selection to lead the Environment and Natural Resources Division saw his nomination delayed on Thursday by Democrats on the panel. The lawmakers…

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Trump Kicks Off Voter Fraud Commission With Innuendo That States Are Hiding Something

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The President’s Commission on Election Integrity convened its first meeting on Wednesday in its bid to find rampant voter fraud in our election systems. Since winning the presidency last November, Trump has repeatedly claimed—without evidence—that millions of people voted illegally in the contest. He made similarly dubious comments on Wednesday, suggesting that states not cooperating with his commission might have nefarious intentions. As its first official act, the commission sent requests to all 50 states and Washington, DC last month for voter roll information, including…

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Franken Accuses Labor Board Pick of Playing Dumb On Stripping Workers’ Rights to Sue

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One of President Trump’s nominees to serve on the National Labor Relations Board was accused of deceiving the committee that advanced his nomination on Wednesday. Both William Emanuel and Marvin Kaplan were approved along strict party lines by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension committee. Full Senate consideration now stands between the two men and a Republican majority on the board. After the votes, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) complained that Emanuel was evasive during last week’s confirmation hearing, when asked about the impact of…

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New Sanctions, Reluctant Compliance–Trump Pushing Iran Deal to the Brink

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Hours after certifying Iran’s compliance with the multilateral nuclear deal, the Trump administration ratcheted up tensions with Tehran by imposing more restrictions on Iranian non-nuclear activities. The State Department announced Tuesday morning that the US would penalize individuals and organizations associated with the country’s ballistic missile program and its elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Eighteen“entities and individuals” involved with the missile program would face sanctions, the Department said. The Treasury Department also slapped penalties on “seven entities and five individuals” who do…

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With Obamacare Replacement Dead, McConnell Moves to Repeal Only, Which is Already Dead, Too

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Unable to strike a deal within his own caucus on a replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is trying to go back to the basics: legislation that would just repeal the law. McConnell said on the floor Tuesday that in the coming days, the Senate would begin consideration of the very same Obamacare repeal measure that passed the upper chamber in 2015. The legislation includes a two-year delay before the ACA is fully repealed, conceivably giving time to lawmakers to…

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House Set to Vote on Oil Industry Assault on Clean Air Act Ozone Rules

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The House of Representatives will soon vote on a bill that critics have decried as a reckless broadside on the planet, and a gift to Corporate America. Legislation that would amend the Clean Air Act and delay ozone rules issued by the Obama administration will go before the House Rules Committee on Monday evening, setting the stage for floor consideration shortly thereafter. The bill has 24 cosponsors—mostly Republicans—and is backed by corporate lobbyists and the energy industry, including the American Petroleum Institute and the Chamber of…

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Trump Making His Mark on ISIS War: Significantly More Civilian Deaths

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An investigation by a non-profit group monitoring the war against the Islamic State reported that coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria are killing civilians at an alarming rate under President Trump, nearly surpassing casualty numbers accumulated during the entirety of the prior Obama administration. As of mid-July, more than 2,200 civilians have died in coalition military actions since the Trump administration began, according to an investigation by Airwars, published in The Daily Beast. The report noted that at least 2,300 civilians were likely killed during…

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For Third Straight Year, Malaysia’s Human Trafficking Grade Miffs Senators

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Drafters of the State Department’s Trafficking in Person’s (TIP) report are once again under fire from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, accused of being too lenient on some of the most abusive nations. Senators focused on the department’s decision to upgrade Malaysia’s status. This year’s TIP report awarded the country with a tier upgrade, citing increased numbers of investigations into and prosecutions of traffickers. It marks the second time in three years that Malaysia has been upgraded in the TIP report—with Senators lodging their objection…

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Republicans Set to Lose A Vote, If Mississippi Union Dispute Goes Before N.L.R.B.

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One of Donald Trump’s picks to serve on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) could be disqualified from ruling on disputes arising from one the most high profile ongoing organizing efforts. William Emanuel said this week, in ethics filings, that he will recuse himself for two years in matters involving Nissan, among other clients. He reiterated the position, when prompted, at a hearing held Thursday before the Senate Heath, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. United Auto Workers filed a petition with the NLRB earlier…

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Democrats Poised to Support Trump’s FBI Nominee

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Christopher Wray came before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing, where, despite being short on answers, he received high praise from Democrats. President Trump’s pick to head the FBI told Senators that he was completely unaware of recent press reports about Donald Trump Jr.’s suspicious meeting with a Russian lawyer last summer. He also said he didn’t recall approving any torture memos while serving in the Bush Justice Department—contradicting prior testimony from a former DOJ lawyer. Wray was also hardly pressed on…

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Yellen Concedes Point on Dominance of Banks — U.S. Corporations Hoarding “A Lot of Cash”

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Fed Chair Janet Yellen didn’t seem too put off by the idea that Wall Street dominance is weighing down the country. The central banker was pressed about the theory positing that the growth of the financial sector, over the past few decades, has choked off commercial activity in other industries. Yellen noted that American corporations have, in recent years, been hoarding money and failing to inject capital into the tangible economy, much to the dismay of policymakers. “For many years, many American companies have been…

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