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Daily Archives: February 22, 2017

CRS – The European Union: Questions and Answers

The European Union: Questions and Answers, Kristin Archick, Specialist in European Affairs. February 21, 2017. Via FAS.

“The European Union: Questions and Answers Congressional Research Service Summary The European Union (EU) is a political and economic partnership that represents a unique form of cooperation among sovereign countries. The EU is the latest stage in a process of integration begun after World War II, initially by six Western European countries, to foster interdependence and make another war in Europe unthinkable. The EU currently consists of 28 member states, including most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and has helped to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity throughout the European continent. The EU has been built through a series of binding treaties. Over the years, EU member states have sought to harmonize laws and adopt common policies on an increasing number of economic, social, and political issues. EU member states share a customs union; a single market in which capital, goods, services, and people move freely; a common trade policy; and a common agricultural policy. Nine teen EU member states use a common currency (the euro), and 22 member states participate in the Schengen area of free movement in which internal border controls have been eliminated. In addition, the EU has been developing a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), which includes a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), and pursuing cooperation in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) to forge common internal security measures. Member states work together through several EU institutions to set policy and to promote their collective interests…”

Mirror copy of EPA website prior to Trump preserved for researchers and public

FastCoExist: “Should sections of the Environmental Protection Agency‘s website go the way of the civil rights and climate-change pages of the White House website—in other words, disappear—the agency is prepared. Even if Donald Trump takes the whole EPA site offline, a mirror copy of the website exists online, and it reflects the way the site… Continue Reading

The Immigration Court’s Institutional Hearing Program: How Will It Be Affected

“Special Immigration Court hearings under the court’s Institutional Hearing Program (IHP) appear slated for expansion under President Trump. A new directive, signed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly on Monday, February 20, 2017 provides that “to the maximum extent possible” removal proceedings be initiated against noncitizens currently “incarcerated in federal, state, and local… Continue Reading

Letters to Regulators 17 Organizations Comment on CFPB Request for Information Regarding Consumer Access to Financial Records

Americans for Financial Reform – Letters to Regulators: 17 Organizations Comment on CFPB Request for Information Regarding Consumer Access to Financial Records, February 21, 2017. “…Thank you for this opportunity to respond to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (“CFPB”) request for information regarding consumer-permissioned access to financial account and account-related data in usable electronic form.… Continue Reading

White House Executive Orders on Protecting the Homeland – Additional Resources

February 20, 2017: Implementing the President’s Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvement Policies February 20, 2017: Enforcement of the Immigration Laws to Serve the National Interest February 21, 2017: Fact Sheet: Executive Order: Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements February 21, 2017: Fact Sheet: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States February… Continue Reading

Trump Slumps As American Voters Disapprove 55% – 38%

Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds Voters Trust Media, Courts More Than President – “American voters today give President Donald Trump a negative 38 – 55 percent job approval rating, his worst net score since he took office, down from a negative 42 – 51 percent approval rating in a February 7 Quinnipiac University national poll.… Continue Reading

The Hill – New EPA chief’s emails reveal coordination with oil interests

The Hill – “Emails from new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt’s tenure as Oklahoma attorney general reveal several instances of coordination between his office and oil interests in his state. The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) released the emails on Wednesday, one day after Pruitt’s former office turned them over to a state court… Continue Reading

Bloomberg – Next Financial Crisis Might Be in Your Driveway

With late payments on the rise, a dealership upsell begins to look dangerous: “Lured by low interest rates, low gas prices, and a crop of seductive vehicles that are faster, smarter, and more efficient than ever before, American drivers are increasingly riding in style. Don’t be fooled by the curb appeal, though—those swanky machines are… Continue Reading

New Housing Vacancy Survey Annual Statistics

“The U.S. Census Bureau released annual statistics for the 2016 vacancy rates, homeownership rates and characteristics of units available for occupancy for the United States, regions, states and the 75 largest metropolitan statistical areas. Data for all geographies are from the Current Population Survey and are available both quarterly and annually. Homeownership rates are also… Continue Reading