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June 2018

Posted by William A. Jacobson on June 08, 2018 11 Comments
In February 2011, the Obama/Holder DOJ abruptly announced it would refuse to continue defending the Defense of Marriage Act after years of arguing in Court that DOMA was constitutional. In defending DOMA for years, the DOJ was upholding an important principle, that DOJ should defend existing laws in court so long as there was any reasonable basis for doing so.

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 08, 2018 38 Comments
The Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted James Wolfe, the Senate Intelligence Committee's former security director, for allegedly lying to the FBI about possible leaks to three reporters. The FBI investigated how New York Times reporter Ali Watkins "learned that Russian spies in 2013 had tried to recruit Carter Page, a former Trump foreign policy adviser" after she published an article about it at BuzzFeed. Turns out, Watkins and Wolfe had a relationship for three years.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on June 08, 2018 14 Comments
German authorities are seeking the extradition of Iraqi asylum seeker Ali Bahar, 20, suspected of raping and murdering a 14-year-old Jewish girl. Bahar, who allegedly committed the crime with another refugee, was arrested by the Kurdish security forces in northern Iraq after he fled the country, Germany's Ministry of Interior disclosed. Susanna, a resident of Mainz, near Frankfurt, went missing two weeks ago and was found buried near a refugee shelter, German police revealed Wednesday.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 08, 2018 49 Comments
The CDC released a heartbreaking and incredibly concerning report Thursday. The national suicide rate has climbed 25% since 1999. But that's just an overall average. North Dakota has witnessed the most tragic climb in suicides at 57.6%. Vermont has seen a 48.6% increase, Utah? 46.5%. Other states whose suicide rates have crept over 40%: South Dakota, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Kansas, and Idaho.

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 07, 2018 21 Comments
Senate Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has started to apply pressure on those in her party to oppose the GOP "minibus" spending package that will likely hit the floor on Friday. The minibus bill has "three appropriation bills: Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs." Rejecting this bill could lead to a shutdown.

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on June 07, 2018 33 Comments
The European Union has called on the U.S. not to punish European firms that trade with Iran, German daily Die Welt reported Thursday. In a letter to the U.S. officials, the EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini "appealed to the U.S. not to undertake any action" against European companies likely hit by U.S. sanctions following President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal last month. The letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was also signed by foreign and finance ministers from Germany, France, and Britain, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle disclosed. According to media reports, President Trump is considering imposing secondary sanctions against foreign companies which continue doing business with Iran.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on June 07, 2018 8 Comments
Kenneth Marcus has been confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the Department of Education. In that capacity, he will lead the Civil Rights Office, which was scandalized during the Obama administration, particularly on the issue of campus due process. The nomination had been opposed on a party-line vote, with Democrats siding with anti-Israel activist groups. See these posts for background:
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