Category: What We’re Reading

Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

COVID-19: Modeling shows the US may be at the “peak” of the pandemic, stay at home orders remain in effect, new cases continue to climb daily, and some countries refuse to lockdown. Live updates at CNN.

Sanders Ends Presidential Run: Senator Bernie Sanders ended his campaign to be the Democratic nominee for President. Former Vice President Joe Biden is the remaining Democratic candidate. See the Washington Post.

Barr Supports Removal of IC Inspector General: US Attorney General William Barr came out in public support of President Trump’s decision to fire Michael Atkinson, formerly the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community. Atkinson had decided to take to Congress the whistleblower report detailing a phone conversation between Trump and the Ukrainian President. The whistelblower report resulted in President Trump being impeached. More at CBS.

Former Marine on Trial in Moscow: Paul Whelan, a former marine who has been detained in Russia for over fifteen months, is set to stand trial for espionage despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown of Moscow. Whelan is accused of accepting a flashdrive containing Russian state secrets while on a personal trip in 2018. His family has discussed the possibility of a prisoner swap between the US and Russia. Full story at Washington Post.

Federal Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Texas: A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas’ Executive Order classifying abortion access as “non-essential” during COVID-19 is constitutional. Planned Parenthood, a plaintiff in the case, has stated they plan to take the case to the Supreme Court. More at CNN.

Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

COVID-19: President Trump extended social distancing guidelines through the end of April, current projections indicate as many as 100,000 deaths, and the CDC now recommends Americans wear masks. Live updates at CNN.

Iran Tensions: President Trump has stated that Iranian-backed militia are planning attacks against US interests in Iraq, and warned that there would be a “heavy price” for any attacks. This comes as attacks against US troops and military interests become more brazen. Full story at Washington Post.

Venezuelan President: The US Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The charges accuse Maduro of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. The US does not recognize Maduro as the President of Venezuela. Full story at New York Times.

Arianne Caoili: Armenian chess master Arianne Caoili died this week after being hospitalized due to a car accident. She was a renowned chess player as well as accomplished dancer, model, and entrepreneur. Read more at New York Times.

Daniel Pearl Case: Pakistani authorities have re-arrested four people acquitted of murdering Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002. The Government of Pakistan has said it will challenge the acquittal. More at Reuters.

Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

Coronavirus: Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health warned of an “inevitable” coronavirus outbreak in the US. This comes after several new cases, without a known source, were identified in Iran, Thailand, Italy, Switzerland, and other countries. Following this news, the stock market took a serious hit with the Dow dropping by 900 points. More at Washington Post. 

Trump in India: President Trump went to India on an official state visit this week, making him the 7th US President to visit India while in office. He was met by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad to much fanfare. A slideshow of his visit was published by the Washington Post.

Space Force: The Pentagon and Congressional leaders are apparently working to iron out the details of the new Space Force, which is for the time being under the supervision of the Air Force. The Space Force was authorized as part of the FY2020 Defense Authorization Bill. Key elements, such as staffing, are still TBD. More at Roll Call.

India Citizenship Law: Violent protests in India’s capital New Delhi have killed over a dozen people. Hindu and Muslim Indians are clashing over a new citizenship law which critics assert is anti-Muslim. The law in question, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), would grant amnesty to non-Muslims from neighboring countries. More at BBC.

Mini Moon: Researchers at the University of Arizona discovered an asteroid orbiting earth, which is essentially functioning as a “mini moon”. The asteroid is known as “2020 CD3” and will only be orbiting temporarily. More at CNN.

DHS Pilot Programs: The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly ramping up use of the PACR pilot program to fast-track asylum seekers. Documents turned over as part of a lawsuit indicate front-line CBP Officers have extremely wide discretion in determining who gets put in the program. The PACR program also requires asylum seekers to remain in CBP custody for almost a week. More at Roll Call.

Biggest Explosion since the Big Bang: Telescopes have apparently detected the biggest explosion since the Big Bang. It is said to have occurred about 390 million light years from Earth. More at BBC.

Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team has read this week.

Boeing Tax Break: WA State Legislators have introduced a bill which would cancel an aerospace tax break for Boeing, but would also help the manufacturer avoid European tariffs. It would also protect WA agriculture from EU tariffs. More at Seattle Times.

Pardon Spree: This week President Trump has pardoned several convicted felons including former Illinois Governor Bob Blagojevich and others. More at Washington Post.

Roger Stone Trial: Roger Stone will face a sentencing hearing for impeding the 2016 investigation into Russian election interference. More at Washington Post.

Germany Attacks: 9 victims were killed on Wednesday night in a shooting at two German shisha bars. Chancellor Angela Merkel said there are indications that the attack was racially-motivated. 5 of the victims were Turkish citizens, and the Government of Turkey is pushing the German government to investigate quickly. More at BBC.

Intelligence Community: President Trump has appointed Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell to be Acting Director of National Intelligence, the position which oversees all US intelligence. Notably, Acting Director Grenell is believed to be the first openly-LGBT member of Trump’s cabinet. Critics have argued that he does not have intelligence or significant high-level management experience. However, he has previously served in several government roles including at the US Mission to the UN. He is limited to serve for 210 days in an Acting capacity. More at NPR.

Diamond Princess: Two elderly passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have died after contracting coronavirus. Passengers are slowly being allowed to disembark the cruise ship after being cleared following a two week quarantine in Japan. Several dozen passengers have tested positive, however. Communications from people on the ship describe a chaotic experience onboard. More at USA Today.

Trump Acquitted: Divided along party lines, the Senate voted to acquit President Trump on both impeachment charges. Although notably Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) was the only Republican to vote in favor of conviction, Democrats still didn’t have the backing to remove the President. The acquittal ends months of impeachment proceedings, although the House Democrats have promised to continue investigating the President’s alleged wrongdoings. More at Politico.

Coronavirus Fears: Trade with China and travel throughout Asia has been slowed down by the proliferation of coronavirus. The first death outside China, in the Philippines, was reported. Although it was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organizations, officials caution the public to be wary of misinformation and avoid unnecessary panic. Read at Washington Post.

Iowa Debacle: The Iowa caucuses, the first primaries of the Presidential Elections, ended in disarray for Democrats as technology failed and they were unable to produce a clear winner until late the next day. Candidate Pete Buttigieg was deemed the winner, very narrowly beating Bernie Sanders, although some outlets declined to name a winner due to the irregularities. The next primary will be on the 11th in New Hampshire. More at Politico.

Debt Relief for Disabled Vets: The Department of Education plans to forgive student loans for some 2,500 disabled veterans by July 2020. Some argue that while this is a positive step, more can be done. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) signaled the Department should discharge loans for many more people whose disabilities will likely prevent them from working. More at Inside Higher Ed.

Whistleblower on Coronavirus Dies: Anger erupted on Chinese social media after the death of Dr. Li Wenliang, who contracted coronavirus while treating patients in Wuhan. Dr. Li was one of the first doctors to warn of the emergence of coronavirus, and he was apparently quickly censored by the Chinese government for being outspoken with his concerns. More at NYT.

UK Appoints First Female Ambassador to the US: Dame Karen Pierce, currently serving as the UK Permanent Representative to the UN, has been appointed the UK Ambassador the US. She is a career diplomat and will be the first female to hold the position in Washington. Dame Karen replaces Sir Kim Darroch, who resigned after emails calling the Trump Administration “clumsy and inept” were leaked thereby damaging his ability to carry out his job. Read at BBC.