Trump Administration

The Verge reports: The United States Justice Department has approved the $26 billion merger deal between T-Mobile and Sprint. After over a year in regulatory limbo, the merger received the green light from the last federal agency to hold out, with the Federal Communications Commission already signaling that it will approve the deal. The Justice Department finally approved the deal …

The New York Times reports: The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled details of a $16 billion aid package to help farmers hurt by President Trump’s trade war with China, as soybean growers from around the country converged on Washington to tell lawmakers that rural America is ready for a cease-fire. The Agriculture Department said that the payments to farmers, which …

Splinter News reports: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) is set to introduce a bill that will end the federal death penalty on the same day that Attorney General William Barr announced that the Justice Department will schedule at least five executions after a two-decade break. Pressley’s bill is rather short. For those who have yet to be sentenced to death: “Notwithstanding …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: As President Trump continues to praise his administration’s plan to beat the HIV epidemic by 2030, a top Trump administration official says an immigrant’s HIV status is enough to justify family separation at the border. Brian Hastings, chief of Customs & Border Patrol, made the remarks during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing …

NPR reports: The Trump administration is actively investigating imposing a travel ban against Guatemala unless the Central American nation takes significant steps to curb illegal migration northward. In a move reminiscent of the pressure campaign President Trump launched against Mexico over immigration, the travel ban is the most explosive option of three that the administration says it’s considering against the …

CNN reports: President Donald Trump’s pick for the top spokeswoman job at the Treasury Department repeatedly spread conspiracy theories that suggested then-President Barack Obama was secretly a Muslim who was sympathetic to America’s enemies. Monica Crowley, who was appointed by Trump last week as assistant treasury secretary for public affairs, made multiple comments spreading these false claims on her personal …

Forbes reports: Want a stable government job? Don’t join Donald Trump’s cabinet. In just two and a half years, the president has replaced 12 of his 23 cabinet positions—some more than once. The current lineup includes 17 millionaires, 2 centimillionaires and 1 billionaire. They’re worth $3.2 billion in all. Amid all the upheaval, the richest have stayed in place. Betsy …

ABC News reports: Attorney General Bill Barr announced Thursday the federal government will be resuming capital punishment. In the announcement, the U.S. Department of Justice said the decision was made related to “five death-row inmates convicted of murdering, and in some cases torturing and raping, the most vulnerable in our society — children and the elderly.” The DOJ further added …

“The tyranny of a dysfunctional system that permits plaintiffs to forum shop in order to find a single district judge who will purport to dictate immigration policy to the entire Nation – even in the face of a contrary ruling by another Federal court – must come to an end. – White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, after a federal …

NBC News reports: A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s latest move to widely restrict asylum for migrants coming to the southern border, according to court documents. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in California issued the preliminary injunction blocking the new asylum restrictions Wednesday afternoon, just hours after a hearing where he grilled a government attorney …

Axios reports: The Justice Department said Tuesday it had launched an inquiry into the market power of major online platforms and whether they are “are engaging in practices that have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers.” Why it matters: While the announcement mentioned no specific companies, its reference to looking at concerns about “search, social media, and some …

NBC News reports: Hundreds of prominent human rights organizations, presidential candidates, Democratic senators and religious leaders are sounding the alarm over the Trump administration’s new Commission on Unalienable Rights. A trio of letters sent Tuesday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and obtained by NBC News, accuse the State Department of sidelining rights for women and the LGBTQ community in …

Reuters reports: The Trump administration on Tuesday will propose a rule to tighten food stamp restrictions that would cut about 3.1 million people from the program, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials said. Currently, 43 U.S. states allow residents to automatically become eligible for food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, if they receive benefits from …

Politico reports: Justice Department officials have communicated to Robert Mueller that the department expects him to limit his congressional testimony this week to the public findings of his 448-page report, according to one current and one former U.S. official familiar with the preparations. In extensive discussions since the former special counsel was subpoenaed on June 25 to testify, department officials …

Politico reports: Vice President Mike Pence was one short plane ride away from shaking hands with an alleged interstate drug dealer. Pence abruptly canceled his trip to Manchester, N.H., earlier this month but never said why he was pulled from Air Force Two at the last minute. Jeff Hatch, who agreed in federal court Friday to plead guilty and will …

Florida Politics reports: With the U.S. set to play host for next year’s G7 meeting of world leaders, the Donald Trump administration is considering using Trump National Doral to host the event. As President, Trump has utilized his properties in an unprecedented manner. While Trump resigned from the Trump Organization prior to being inaugurated, his family still controls the trust …

NPR reports: The Trump administration is planning changes to the U.S. citizenship test. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says it is revising the test to ensure that “it continues to serve as an accurate measure of a naturalization applicant’s civics knowledge.” The test was introduced in 1986 and last revised in 2008. In a USCIS statement, acting Director Ken …

Politico reports: Constant infighting among top officials. Sudden departures of senior staffers without explanation. A leader who is disengaged and prone to falling asleep in meetings. The Commerce Department has reached its apex of dysfunction under Wilbur Ross, according to four people with knowledge of the inner workings of the department. The 81-year-old Commerce secretary, who has for months endured …

The Hill reports: Fox News host Chris Wallace on Sunday pressed White House senior adviser Stephen Miller about the “send her back” chant targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) at a Trump campaign rally in North Carolina. The exchange came during an interview in which Wallace repeatedly pressed Miller about Trump’s recent comments and his history of controversial statements. Miller responded …

Last night the Washington Post published a detailed breakdown of the GOP’s frantic attempt to mitigate damage from Trump’s “go back to where you came from” tweets, which resulted in a rare condemnation resolution passed by the House. An excerpt: The White House vote-counters initially feared as many as 50 Republicans might defect to support the resolution, and Trump ordered …