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December 2017

Posted by Miriam Elman on December 12, 2017 32 Comments
For some years we’ve been reporting about how Jews are being ostracized, intimidated and even physically assaulted based on their identification with Israel. As we’ve documented, on some college and university campuses, the harassing conduct of anti-Israel and pro-BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) groups is so severe and persistent that it’s starting to interfere with the ability of Jewish and Zionist students to benefit from the educational and extra-curricular activities and opportunities offered at their schools.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on December 12, 2017 33 Comments
Over the weekend, the New York Times published a glimpse virtual behind the scenes glimpse into Trump's presidency. Nestled in the story was the revelation that Trump consumes approximately 12 Diet Cokes daily, Cokes delivered to him by White House staff summoned by a button.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 11, 2017 25 Comments
Malmö, Sweden, is in the news again, and a lot of people are paying attention, because of chants of "Shoot the Jews" at protests against American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Along with the firebombing of a synagogue in Göteborg, and chants of “Jews, remember Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning” in Malmö, Berlin and London, there is shock at the rise of Islamist-driven anti-Semitism in European cities.

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 11, 2017 35 Comments
Last week, I blogged how the DOJ demoted Bruce G. Ohr during an investigation into his contacts at Fusion GPS, the firm that produced the infamous on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. The story has become more mysterious as Fox News revealed that Ohr's wife worked at the firm during the election.

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 11, 2017 25 Comments
The New Yorker has cut Ryan Lizza over alleged sexual misconduct:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 11, 2017 9 Comments
The reaction to Donald Trump's announcement that the U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and plans to move the Embassy has not generated nearly the heat and fury as predicted. There have been protests and rock throwing, but the numbers of people involved have been surprisingly small in Jerusalem and the West Bank. The most serious incidence was the stabbing of a bus terminal security guard by a Palestinian.

Posted by Jared Samilow on December 11, 2017 70 Comments
A federal judge in Washington D.C. ruled Monday afternoon that, beginning January 1, the U.S. military will be required to allow enlistment of openly transgender recruits. The order issued by Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton-appointee on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is embedded at the bottom of this post. She had already ruled on October 30 that the military could not delay implementing this new policy, which had been finalized under the Obama Administration but not fully put into effect.  The government requested that she stay her ruling pending appellate review. She declined to do so Monday.

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 11, 2017 12 Comments
The GOP in Congress are no doubt desperate for a victory after the failed Obamacare repeal attempts, but that desperation could come back and bite them. They want to pass the tax bill before Christmas, but all the rushing and late nights have caused errors. From The Washington Post:
Questionable special-interest provisions have been stuffed in along the way, out of public view and in some cases literally in the dead of night. Drafting errors by exhausted staff are cropping up and need fixes, which must be tackled by congressional negotiators working to reconcile competing versions of the legislation passed separately by the House and the Senate.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on December 11, 2017 22 Comments
We've been covering the on-going DACA saga here at LI; President Trump tossed Obama's unconstitutional Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) back to Congress, initially giving them six months to get a bill to his desk that would enshrine some version of DACA into law. The president later announced that he would grant Congress an extension if they weren't able to get their act together within the original time frame.  Trump, in other words, will gladly sign a DACA bill should one make its way to his desk.

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 11, 2017 17 Comments
Last week, Bloomberg published an article how one man had enough of fake debt collectors badgering him and his family to collect a phantom debt, money he did not owe. Andrew Therrien used his own money and time to track down these people and only found assistance from the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You know what agency was missing? The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB), the brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Instead of concentrating on fraud, the agency decided to target businesses already well-regulated that help the poor.
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