Tears, Rallies as Trump Vows to Roll Back DACA
Tears, anger and a promise to fight back as Trump ends DACA. NBC: "There were tears, anger and anxiety as dozens of immigrants, supporters and allies gathered in front of the White House on Tuesday, chanting, singing and brandishing signs to protest President Donald Trump's short-circuiting of a program that lets young immigrants stay and work in the U.S... Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, joined the protesters and was in front of the White House as the news became official.'Donald Trump has secured his legacy as a champion for cruelty. First, he took away protections for immigrant parents. Now he’s going after their children. Rescinding DACA is the latest tactic in the Republican playbook to promote hate and discrimination,' Perez stated."
Faith Groups Denounce DACA Repeal
Faith groups overwhelmingly condemn Trump’s decision to phase out DACA. ThinkProgress: "When Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that President Donald Trump’s administration would phase-out a program that offers work permits to undocumented immigrants who were bought to the United States as children, he called the move "compassionate"... But an overwhelming number of faith groups do not agree. The news triggered an avalanche of criticism from various religious groups from across the theological spectrum, many of which were early supporters of the DACA program. In a move that mimicked their opposition to both iterations of Trump’s Muslim ban and his proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act, numerous religious organizations condemned the president’s decision in spiritual terms on Tuesday."
DACA Fight Echoes Health Care Stalemate
Trump’s immigration plan is Obamacare repeal all over. New York Magazine: "There is an eerie familiarity to President Trump’s position on deporting immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children. It contains the same mix of cruelty and desperate incompetence as his position on repealing Obamacare. There is the alternating of threats and bluster with sweet promises; the repeated delays in hopes a solution will somehow materialize; the lack of interest in programmatic detail... On immigration, as on health care and other issues, anti-Obamaism has been the glue holding together the Republican coalition. Barack Obama cobbled together ungainly policy compromises as a way of working around the implacability of the Republican Party. Obama’s departure from the scene has dissolved the glue that held the Republican stance together, leaving Trump and his party flailing about for an alternative that is neither heretical to their own ideology nor overtly cruel."
Bipartisan Support for SCOTUS Gerrymandering Case
Bipartisan swath of lawmakers files Supreme Court briefs against gerrymandering. Politico: "Arnold Schwarzenegger’s push for nonpartisan redistricting gained significant Republican support on Tuesday, with Ohio Gov. John Kasich signing on to his amicus brief at the Supreme Court and Arizona Sen. John McCain filing a separate friend-of-the-court brief. Then 36 current and former members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, filed yet another amicus brief that includes the chairman of the Freedom Caucus and the former chairman of the Progressive Caucus. The court is scheduled to hear a case in October, Gill v. Whitford, that could abolish partisan gerrymandering. Schwarzenegger, the former California governor, has made gathering support for it a priority. He spent last week calling members of Congress and governors directly, urging them to sign on. Kasich tweeted on Tuesday evening: 'Gerrymandering erodes democracy. 'We the people…' still needs to mean something. Unfortunately, gerrymandering restricts voters’ ability to keep our leaders in check.'"
EPA Operative Vets, Eliminates Grants That Mention Climate Change
Non-scientist operative cancels $2 million in EPA research funds. WaPo: "The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the unusual step of putting a political operative in charge of vetting the hundreds of millions of dollars in grants the EPA distributes annually, assigning final funding decisions to a former Trump campaign aide with little environmental policy experience. In this role, John Konkus reviews every award the agency gives out, along with every grant solicitation before it is issued. According to both career and political employees, Konkus has told staff that he is on the lookout for 'the double C-word' — climate change — and repeatedly has instructed grant officers to eliminate references to the subject in solicitations. Konkus, who officially works in the EPA’s public affairs office, has canceled close to $2 million competitively awarded to universities and nonprofit organizations. Although his review has primarily affected Obama administration priorities, it is the heavily Republican state of Alaska that has undergone the most scrutiny so far."
Ex-Sheriff Clarke, Barred From WH Post, Joins Trump SuperPAC
Ex-Milwaukee Sheriff Clarke becomes Trump PAC spokesman, barred from WH post. Daily Beast: "Clarke had been in consideration for a White House post over the past seven weeks. But on Tuesday, the controversial former Milwaukee County lawman signed on with an outside group instead. He will serve as a spokesman and 'senior adviser' for the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action. Four sources working in and close to the Trump White House said his failure to land a gig in the West Wing or at the Department of Homeland Security, where Clarke unsuccessfully sought a job earlier this year, was in large part the result of opposition from White House chief of staff John Kelly. Kelly led DHS until late July Though Clarke had been discussed for a possible White House communications or outreach role, Kelly’s position as chief of staff made the arrangement a 'non-starter,' as one senior White House official put it. Earlier this year, while serving as DHS Secretary, Kelly had informed Clarke that an appointment to that department would not happen in part due to scandal surrounding the treatment of inmates in Clarke’s jail, and the ensuing negative media attention."
