Trump Administration

Law & Crime reports: Formally rescinding acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf’s memo on the grounds that he was illegally appointed, a federal judge on Friday ordered the DHS to unfurl the welcome mat on its website and invite aspiring Dreamers to make first-time requests for consideration under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The Homeland Security website must also …

It starts with just a trickle: White House communications director Alyssa Farah resigned from her post Thursday after three-and-a-half years in the Trump administration. Farah, 31, began her White House tenure as press secretary under Vice President Pence, before joining the Defense Department as press secretary last September, and returned to the White House as communications director in April. She …

The Associated Press reports: The official serving as President Donald Trump’s eyes and ears at the Justice Department has been banned from the building after trying to pressure staffers to give up sensitive information about election fraud and other matters she could relay to the White House. Heidi Stirrup, an ally of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, was quietly installed …

The New York Daily News reports: It might be time for Attorney General William Barr to start packing his bags. President Trump suggested Thursday that he may fire Barr over his affirmation that there’s no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. “Ask me that in a number of weeks from now,” Trump said in the Oval Office after …

Mediaite reports: Chris Johnson, a White House reporter for the Washington Blade — the oldest LGBTQ+ newspaper in the United States — confronted McEnany about Trump’s World AIDS Day speech, noting that the president failed to mention the LGBTQ+ community. “The president honored World AIDS Day yesterday in a way that no president has before, with the red ribbon there,” …

NBC News reports: Over 25 PPP loans worth more than $3.65 million were given to businesses with addresses at Trump and Kushner real estate properties, paying rent to those owners. Fifteen of the properties self-reported that they only kept one job, zero jobs or did not report a number at all. The loans to Trump and Kushner properties included a …

CNN reports: The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House or related political committee in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court records unsealed Tuesday in federal court. The case is the latest legal twist in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration after several of his top advisers have …

The Associated Press reports: In a veiled swing at President-elect Joe Biden’s education plans, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday blasted the push for free college as a “socialist takeover of higher education” that could damage the nation’s economy. Speaking at an online conference hosted by the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office, DeVos did not mention Biden by name. …

The Associated Press reports: Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. His comments come despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the election was stolen, and his refusal to concede his loss to President-Elect Joe Biden. In an interview, Barr …

Raw Story reports: Speaking on Fox News this Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany accused Playboy reporter Brian Karem of sexism, saying that he should be investigated by the White House Correspondents’ Association. “If you’re a female woman in the Republican Party who takes that podium, guess what your worry is — having a Playboy reporter shout questions at …

Axios reports: White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has summoned FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn to the West Wing for a 9:30am meeting Tuesday to explain why he hasn’t moved faster to approve the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, two senior administration officials told Axios. The meeting is shaping up to be tense, with Hahn using what the White House will likely …

Fox News reports: Dr. Scott Atlas, President Trump’s special adviser on the coronavirus pandemic, formally resigned from his post on Monday, Fox News has learned. Atlas, who spoke with the president on Monday, joined the administration in August, and was considered a Special Government Employee (SGE), serving a 130-day detail. Atlas’ role is set to expire this week. Fox News …

Via press release from the White House: The First Family is celebrating their fourth Christmas in the White House. This year’s theme, “America the Beautiful,” is a tribute to the majesty of our great Nation. From coast to coast, our country is blessed with boundless natural wonders. The timeless treasures represented in this year’s holiday showcase remind us of the …

CNBC reports: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai will step down from his post on January 20, the day President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated, he announced Monday. The announcement means that the FCC could reach a Democratic majority sooner than it would otherwise be able to. Pai’s term was slated to expire in June 2021, though Biden will be able …

Mediaite reports: White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany faced mockery for her botched attempt to attack the communications team President-Elect Joe Biden has chosen for his incoming administration. McEnany reacted to this news coverage by blasting the “completely DISCREDITED” Washington Post and fuming that the Trump Administration didn’t get enough credit for female White House press teams. As it were, …

The Hill reports: The number of coronavirus infections in the United States surpassed 13 million on Friday, just six days after the country hit the 12 million threshold. According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. has had at least 13,047,202 infections, with at least 264,624 people dead as a result of the virus. The U.S. maintains the …

The Washington Post reports: The Trump administration published an analysis Friday concluding that its rule easing companies’ liability for killing birds would not cause significant environmental harm, clearing the way for it to finalize a major rollback before the president’s term ends on Jan. 20. The administration, which is racing to lock in a series of regulatory changes before President-elect …

ABC News reports: The Justice Department filed a notice of appeal Wednesday as it seeks to intervene in the defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump by E. Jean Carroll. Last month, a federal judge in New York rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to substitute for President Trump as the defendant in a suit that claimed he defamed Carroll when he …

Politico reports: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for the Pebble Mine in Alaska on Wednesday, effectively killing plans to build the massive copper and gold project that opponents had warned could wipe out the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery. The decision from the Trump administration, which had reversed course several times on the issue, comes just …

The New York Daily News reports: A pair of American women detained by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent after they were overheard speaking in Spanish at a Montana convenience store have reached an undisclosed settlement in their lawsuit against agency, the ACLU announced. Ana Suda and Martha “Mimi” Hernandez were out buying groceries in the city of Havre, …