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Daily Archives: January 21, 2017

ACLU FOIA Request Seeks Information About New President’s Conflicts of Interests

Letter dated January 19, 2017 from the ACLU to the FOIA Officer, Office of Government Ethics: “The American Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (together, the “ACLU”) submit this Freedom of lnformation Act (“FOIA”) request (the “Request”) for records pertaining to financial and other ethical conflicts of interest in connection with the presidential transition of President-Elect Donald J. Trump…The many conflict-of-interest issues presented by Donald Trump’s assumption of the presidency threaten to undermine the public’s confidence in government, the global community’s trust in our nation’s chief executive, and even potentially our national security. With this FOIA — surely the first of many to come during the next four years — we hope to facilitate the public’s indispensable role in checking the power of our public officials….”

GAO: Summary of Performance and Financial Information Fiscal Year 2016

GAO: Summary of Performance and Financial Information Fiscal Year 2016 – Budget, Performance, and Financial Snapshot 2016. “In fiscal year 2016, we documented $63.4 billion in financial benefits for the government—a return of about $112 for every dollar invested in us. Key examples of our work that contributed to these benefits included (1) reducing improper… Continue Reading

Uber Agrees to Pay $20 Million to Settle FTC Charges

“Uber Technologies, the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company, has agreed to pay $20 million to resolve Federal Trade Commission charges that it misled prospective drivers with exaggerated earning claims and claims about financing through its Vehicle Solutions Program. The $20 million will be used to provide refunds to affected drivers across the country. “Many consumers sign… Continue Reading

Women’s March Biggest Protest In US History – Estimated 2.9 Million March

PoliticusUSA- Jason Easley: “Millions of Americans have taken to the streets from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between as the Women’s Marches on Washington is estimated to be the biggest one-day protest in US history. UConn professor Jeremy Pressman is keeping a running total of crowd estimates across the United States in… Continue Reading

Climate Change removed from new White House website

HuffPo: “The White House website has removed the page devoted to climate change action and posted newly sworn-in President Donald Trump’s pledge to undo environmental regulations and “revive America’s coal industry.”  The 361-word policy outline on the new page, titled “America First Energy Plan,” makes no reference to global warming or climate change, except to… Continue Reading

Politico – Trump signs sweeping order that could gut Obamacare

Politico, 1/20/17: “A few hours after taking the oath of office, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order that encourages federal agencies to dismantle large parts of Obamacare, possibly including the hugely unpopular mandate requiring most Americans to purchase insurance. While only Congress can repeal the law, the nine-paragraph order effectively tells the federal… Continue Reading