Uncategorized

Civil Rights Coalition Demands Trump Administration Protect Civil Rights

Deeply troubled by the drastic cuts within Trump’s proposed budget, the coalition called upon the administration to, “reverse course, before more individuals and communities are harmed,” with a five point list of actions ensuring the protection of civil rights: enforce the law, preserve existing policies, nominate and appoint qualified individuals, prioritize data collection, and condemn bigotry and violence.

Global

U.S. Cities and States Take Leadership In Wake of Climate Agreement Withdrawl

President Trump announced on Thursday that the United States will withdraw support from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, an international promise reached among 195 world leaders to reduce the impact of climate change and limit greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions to help reign in global warming. The only countries not to sign onto the original agreement were Nicaragua, Russia and Syria.

Reproductive Rights

Draft Leaks of Trump Administration Massive Loophole for Birth Control Mandate

Under Trump’s advisement, federal officials have drafted a rule creating a massive loophole for employers to bypass the Affordable Care Act’s mandate requiring health insurance plans provided to employees to include contraception coverage. The draft, published by Vox, still requires said coverage, but greatly widens the scope exemption by allowing for anyone to issue claims of religious or moral objection in order to bypass the mandate.

Labor Rights

Trump Budget Proposal Aims to Reduce Civil Rights Enforcement Throughout Federal Agencies

According to the White House’s proposed budget for the 2018 fiscal year, the Trump administration is set to disband the Labor Department division that has been tasked with policing discrimination among federal contractors for nearly forty years. Such budget cuts are not limited to the Labor Department, but are also seen in the budgets of a wide array of agencies as part of efforts to limit federal government programs that promote and protect civil rights.

Abortion Health Reproductive Rights

FACE Act Anniversary Prompts Concerns of Enforcement Under Trump Administration

On the anniversary of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, advocates for abortion access fear that an increase in anti-abortion violence will be met with limited enforcement by the Trump administration, which has shown unprecedented support for restricting abortion access. Signed into law by President Bill Clinton on May 26, 1994, […]

Politics

Congress Expected to Vote on Bi-Partisan Budget Agreement

Congress is expected to vote this week on a budget agreement that will keep the government funded through September, and that contains very few of the big ticket items the President had requested. The bill would be considered the first piece of bi-partisan legislation to move forward in the Congress since Trump took office.

Uncategorized

Sanctuary Cities Saved by Federal Judge

On Tuesday a District Court judge in San Francisco temporarily blocked President Trump’s January executive order threatening to pull federal funding from sanctuary cities who do not comply with the administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Uncategorized

Trump Administration Cuts Off All UNFPA Funding

Earlier this month—right after the Republican-controlled Congress approved a repeal of an Obama-era regulation that reinforced protections for healthcare access under the Title X family planning program—the Trump Administration officially cut off all US funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the main UN agency working to advance family planning worldwide.

Uncategorized

White House Will No Longer Release Visitors’ Logs

This means that the revolving door of lobbyists, activists, and political donors coming to meet with the President and his senior staff will be kept secret, granting anonymity to those who supposedly have the most face time and influence with the administration.