Read Time: 2 Minutes
Administration News
- The Environmental Protection Agency has again been sued over its rollback of Obama-era waterway protections. The lawsuit alleges that the new rule conflicts with the Clean Water Act and “disregards” science “without any rationale, let alone ‘reasonable,’ explanation.”
- Green Bay, WI Mayor Eric Genrich penned an open letter to President Trump before his scheduled town hall event with Fox News host Sean Hannity: “Our instinct toward hospitality, of course, extends to our president, but I want you to know that it has its limitations. We don’t tolerate intolerance or willful ignorance, and we won’t endorse or ignore divisive and bigoted rhetoric.”
- The Supreme Court handed President Trump a win on Thursday by ruling that asylum seekers have no right to a federal court hearing before being removed from the United States. The 7-2 decision allows the administration to fast-track the removal process, a move that could affect thousands of immigrants.
- Nearly 1.5 million US workers filed new applications for unemployment benefits in the third week of June. More than 6.6 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits through pandemic assistance programs since the start of June — almost triple the total jobs gained in 2019.
- The Trump administration wants to open up 82 percent of an Alaska reserve for oil and gas leasing, even as the swath of land is currently protected and is home to a variety of animals like caribou and migratory birds.
- U.S. troops will remain at the country’s border with Mexico through late next year, though the number of service members there will diminish by about 1,500, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper has approved a request from the Department of Homeland Security to continue military support to the southern border, with up to 4,000 troops authorized through September 2021
- The White House announced that the Trump administration’s top IT official, Suzette Kent, will step down from her position in July.
Kent was responsible for developing guidance on the use of internet-connected technology, along with streamlining digital interaction between the federal government and U.S. citizens and businesses, as well as overseeing some cybersecurity initiatives.
Sources: ABC News, Axios, Bloomberg, CBS News, CNN, Financial Times, Fox News,The Hill, NBC News, NPR, NY Times, Politico, Reuters, Salon, Slate, Vanity Fair, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post
The Past 24 Hours Or So 