Day 15: The massacre.
By Matt Kiser
Feb 3, 2017
This edition is 1,023 words, a 5-minute read.
1/ Federal judge in Seattle halts Trump’s immigration order.
The temporary restraining order is granted on a nationwide basis. ( Seattle Times)
Government reveals over 100,000 visas revoked due to travel ban.
U.S. segregating Muslims as part of travel ban.
Lawsuits being filed contend that the Department of Homeland Security is subjecting refugees, immigrants and travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries to flagrant religious and racial discrimination. They also claim that customs officials refuse to provide information in a timely fashion on the numbers and identities of detainees being held, and are aggressively blocking detainees’ access to legal advice. ( Newsweek)
2/ Kellyanne Conway cites non-existent “massacre” defending ban.
There’s no such thing as the Bowling Green massacre. ( CNN)
3/ Trump will order a sweeping review of the Dodd-Frank Act rules enacted in response to the 2008 financial crisis.
Trump also will halt regulations that require advisers on retirement accounts to work in the best interests of their clients. ( Bloomberg)
4/ Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner worked to sink LGBT executive order.
The couple favored putting out a clear statement from the president, promising to uphold the 2014 Obama executive order and stopping the momentum for the turnaround in its tracks. ( Politico)
5/ The jobless rate ticked up to 4.8 percent.
Employers added 227,000 to payrolls, but pay gains were scant despite increases in minimum-wage laws. Trump said that this latest report showed there was a “great spirit in the country right now.” ( NY Times)
6/ Hill Republicans revolt over Trump’s plans to build border wall.
A growing number of congressional Republicans are objecting to the cost and viability of a proposal that was a rallying cry for the billionaire businessman during his campaign. ( CNN)
7/ Senate advances DeVos’s nomination, setting her up for final vote.
Senators voted 52-48 to advance DeVos’s nomination. No Democrats voted yes. Pence is expected to have to break a 50-50 tie, the first time a vice president will cast the deciding vote on a Cabinet nomination. ( The Hill)
8/ Trump missing top lieutenants across federal government.
The work at some agencies has slowed because of the lack of deputies. Trump has so far failed to nominate deputies and other top officials to run the day-to-day operations at most federal agencies, creating a vacuum across the government that has businesses, lobbyists and lawmakers in limbo as they wait to see how Trump’s agenda will be carried out. ( Politico)
9/ The Trump administration is showing white nationalists it won’t fight them at all.
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to rebrand a government effort to combat violent extremism into one that focuses only on terrorists acting in the name of Islam and take advantage of yet another opportunity to ratify white nationalism and white supremacy. ( Washington Post)
10/ More companies back away from Donald Trump under pressure from customers.
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick quit Trump’s 15-member council of business leaders yesterday. Nordstrom announced last night that it will stop selling Ivanka Trump’s name-branded line of clothing and shoes. ( Washington Post)
11/ Trump’s Mar-a-Lago getaway could cost taxpayers more than $3 million.
Trump regularly hassled Obama for his travel. Now Trump is about to get a taste of his own medicine. ( Politico)
12/
Holy shit. The Germans seem to be not be thrilled with Donald Trump...
Der Spiegel is one of Europe's biggest news magazines. (pic.twitter.com/Es5wZvBjdH)