News and updates

Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

Breonna Taylor: Protests erupted across the US after a grand jury declined to indict three Louisville police officers following in the death of Breonna Taylor in her home. One officer, Brett Hankinson, was charged with wanton endangerment for firing shots into another apartment. Live updates.

DeVos Under Investigation: It was reported that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is under investigation by the US Office of the Special Counsel for violating the Hatch Act by using government resources to campaign for the President. Inquiries were prompted after Department officials distributed a clip of the Secretary criticizing Presidential candidate Joe Biden as part of official communications. More here.

RBG: Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the first woman ever to lie in state on Friday at the US Capitol. Read here.

Supreme Court Nominee: Amy Coney Barrett was nominated by the President to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court vacancy. After Senator Romney (R-UT) backed a floor vote on a new SCOTUS nominee, Majority Leader McConnell now has enough votes to proceed, potentially before the election. Only two Members, Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. Collins (R-ME) said they would not support a vote before the election, in recognition that Republicans blocked a vote during the last Presidential election year. Barrett will still have to undergo a confirmation hearing and vote. Updates here.

Census: US District Judge for the Northern District of California Lucy Koh ordered the census to continue counting until the original October 31st deadline. Full story.

Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: It was announced on Friday that Associate US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed away. She had a long and successful legal career, culminating in over 30 years on the Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg was widely respected for her tireless pursuit of equality, especially for women.

Health Officials Warn Public: In a Senate hearing, top public health officials testified that the US won’t return to a pre-COVID normal anytime soon. More here.

Iranian Hackers Charged in Criminal Case: Two Iranian nationals were charged by the FBI with hacking and selling data on the black market to the Iranian Government. The data included nuclear and national security information, personal data, and intellectual property. Full story at Politico.

737 MAX Updates: The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee pulled a bipartisan air safety bill from consideration following disagreement over various amendments. The bill was prompted by investigations into the 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Meanwhile, a House report found that a “spectacular” regulatory failure at the FAA and a culture of profit over safety at Boeing contributed to the crashes. Story here and here.

TikTok Ban: The Department of Commerce has ordered that TikTok be banned from US mobile store apps beginning Sunday, pursuant to an Executive Order halting US business with TikTok’s Chinese parent company. The President indicates a deal could be reached to keep the app on the market. More.

President Chastises FBI Director: President Trump expressed dissatisfaction on Twitter after FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Homeland Security Committee. Director Wray testified that antifa is “more of an ideology or a movement than an organization”, and confirmed that Russia is actively working to undermine Joe Biden in the Presidential race and sow discord. President Trump said later that he “did not like his answers”. Full story here.

Puerto Rico Aid Package: The White House announced an almost $12 billion aid package for Puerto Rico to rebuild critical infrastructure, following severe damage by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Full story.

Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

DOJ Seeks to Defend President: Lawyers for the Department of Justice have stepped in to try and take over President Trump’s defense in a defamation lawsuit related to sexual assault allegations. Full story at New York Times.

Middle East Diplomacy Wins: President Trump announced Bahrain will establish normal relations with Israel, following a similar move by the United Arab Emirates. Both countries are US allies, and were not at war with Israel, however disputes over Palestinian territory have previously marred their relations. The move signals stronger cooperation between US allies in the region. Full story at Washington Post.

FBI Announces Arrest in North Korea Sanctions Violation: The Department of Justice announced Ri Jong Chol, who was previously arrested on suspicion of killing Kim Jong Un’s half brother, has been arrested for violating sanctions against North Korea and purchasing commodities on behalf of the DPRK. More here.

GOP Skinny Bill Fails: A “skinny” COVID-19 Relief Bill introduced in the Senate by GOP leaders failed to advance. Democrats criticized the bill for being too lean to be effective. Full story.

Russian Interference: Microsoft announced in a blog post that Russia-backed entities continue hacking in order to interfere in the 2020 US elections. Read more.

9/11 Anniversary: The US acknowledged the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Both President Trump and Presidential Candidate Joe Biden paid their respects at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. Read the full story.