Trump Moves To Silence Critics
Trump moves to silence critics. CNN: "President Donald Trump's latest gambit to choke off the flow of information for past spy chiefs who have criticized him is a disturbing move that again exposes an imperious streak out of place in American democracy. The President's threat to rip security clearances from some of the nation's most decorated former intelligence officials may turn out to be a classic Trumpian distraction play that whips up a media storm and drowns out stories that are damaging to the White House. But the idea that it is being seriously contemplated will send a chilling effect throughout Washington. The wielding of presidential power to punish prominent critics would take this White House perilously closer to potential abuses of executive authority -- perhaps moving it onto territory not tested by any commander in chief since Richard Nixon."
Zinke Hid Benefits Of Public Monuments
Trump administration officials dismissed benefits of national monuments. WaPo: "In a quest to shrink national monuments last year, senior Interior Department officials dismissed evidence that these public sites boosted tourism and spurred archaeological discoveries, according to documents the department released this month and retracted a day later. The thousands of pages of email correspondence chart how Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his aides instead tailored their survey of protected sites to emphasize the value of logging, ranching and energy development that would be unlocked if they were not designated national monuments. Comments the department’s Freedom of Information Act officers made in the documents show that they sought to keep some of the references out of the public eye because they were 'revealing [the] strategy' behind the review."
Migrant Parents Deported Without Children
More than 450 migrant parents may have been deported without their children. The Hill: "The Trump administration may have deported more than 450 migrant parents without their children after separating them at the U.S. southern border, according to a new court filing. Administration officials on Monday said 463 parents of separated children aged 5 years and older have potentially been deported without their children. Their files are under review, the government’s status update said, and that number could change. The immigrant families were separated as a result of the Trump administration's 'zero tolerance' immigration policy, which called for prosecuting all adults who illegally cross the border. Government attorneys and administration officials have maintained that parents who were deported without their children willingly gave up custody. But immigration advocates have expressed concern that parents who were deported without their children signed papers waiving their rights without knowing what they were signing."
WH Wants To Curb CA's Power To Cut Smog
Trump to seek repeal of CA's smog-fighting power. Bloomberg: "The Trump administration will seek to revoke California’s authority to regulate automobile greenhouse gas emissions -- including its mandate for electric-car sales -- in a proposed revision of Obama-era standards, according to three people familiar with the plan. The proposal, expected to be released this week, amounts to a frontal assault on one of former President Barack Obama’s signature regulatory programs to curb emissions that contribute to climate change. It also sets up a high-stakes battle over California’s unique ability to combat air pollution and, if finalized, is sure to set off a protracted courtroom battle. The proposed revamp would also put the brakes on federal rules to boost fuel efficiency into the next decade."
Why Dems Don't Need To Fear 'Socialist Revolution'
Why Dems don't need to fear the Socialist revolution in their midst. American Prospect: "Many of this new generation of aggressive Democratic activists call themselves socialists, as socialists go they're pretty moderate. They're not talking about seizing the means of production; what they have in mind sounds a lot like European social democracy, in which capitalism remains in place but the government acts more assertively to police its abuses and shield the citizenry from the worst of its dysfunctions. In the less than two years since the 2016 election, the Democratic Party has already moved left, on issues including health care, immigration, marijuana legalization, and possible government jobs programs. There is precisely zero evidence that this movement has made Democrats less popular. All that's left is for the whole party to have the courage of its convictions, like Republicans do. That would be a real revolution."
