What a week. With everyone else going on in the world (with devastation in Mexico and Puerto Rico), Trump hijacks the news feed by picking a fight with the NFL. In a few hours, we went from a couple dozen players who were protesting racial discrimination to more than 200 players taking a knee during the anthem, and even more standing with locked arms in solidarity. And then, of course, the lies piled on. No, none of the coaches—not Jerry Jones, not Clark Hunt—told their players that they had to stand and couldn’t protest. No, the NFL rule book doesn’t say players have to stand during the anthem; in fact, the rule book doesn’t even mention the anthem. No, players aren’t getting fined $1 million for kneeling. And no, this isn’t about disrespecting the flag or the country or the military. It’s about fighting for an equal justice system applied evenly regardless of race. Until we can talk about that, we’re just going to keep having these same old conversations.

Here’s what else happened in week 35 in Trump…

Russia:

1. Federal agents warn Paul Manafort that they plan to indict him. It looks like Mueller is backing him into a corner.
   • Likely Manafort will be given the option of testifying in return for a reduced sentence.
   • But with the signal Trump gave his friends by pardoning Joe Arpaio, Manafort might take his chances that Trump will pardon him as well.
   • So now Mueller is working with the NY State Attorney General on parts of the investigation, because Trump can’t pardon Manafort for state crimes.
   • Manafort was under surveillance starting in 2014 and during the time he was hired at the Trump campaign. The original surveillance came from his work for the Ukrainian government.
   • Note that while some people think the above justifies Trump’s claim that Obama was wiretapping him, the FISA warrant a) goes back to before Trump declared his candidacy, and b) isn’t issued lightly by the courts—you need solid evidence. Also, surveillance wasn’t resumed until after he left the campaign. It was discontinued this year at the request of Trump’s lawyers.
   • The current investigation into Manafort reaches back to events that occurred over a decade ago.
   • Manafort communicated with a Ukrainian political operative using his Trump campaign email account. He was trying to get paid for work he did there.
   • Among the emails Manafort turned over to Mueller’s office is an offer to give special private briefings on the 2016 presidential campaign to a Russian billionaire. I’m not sure for what purpose.
2. Michael Flynn’s family says that the legal fees required by former Trump staffers far exceed their ability to pay.
3. Lobbyists and political PACs help pay legal fees for people caught up in the Russia probe.
4. The Republican National Committee helps pay Trump’s legal bills in the Russian probe. So far, it’s paid $231,250, even though Trump himself claims to be worth more than $10 billion.
5. Mueller has been requesting information, documents, and phone records about Trump’s activities around firing James Comey and constructing a false statement for his son about a meeting with Russians last year.
6. A NY Times reporter out for lunch in D.C. overhears two White House lawyers discussing the Russian investigation and Trump’s strategy… loudly… in a public restaurant. The conversation highlights conflicts among members of the White House legal staff.
7. The Senate Intelligence Committee cancels Michael Cohen’s testimony after he breaks their agreement by publishing a statement to the press beforehand. Cohen was a White House lawyer for Trump.
8. Jon Huntsman, Trump’s pick to be ambassador to Russia, says there is “no question Russia interfered in the US election last summer.”
9. Facebook gives Mueller’s offices around 3,000 ads that were linked to Russian accounts during the 2016 election.
10. The federal government officially notifies 21 states that their election systems were targeted by Russians in last year’s election. Only a few states have made that information public so far.
11. In response to Morgan Freeman’s short video about Russia meddling and hacking in the 2016 elections, state-owned Russian media goes after him, calling him a propagandist and saying he has a Messiah complex from playing God in too many films. Ye, this is the world we live in now.

Courts/Justice:

1. While Trump argues that DACA was an example of Obama’s presidential overreach, he also argues in support of his travel ban that the president has wide-ranging powers to act unilaterally.

Healthcare:

1. The Senate GOP starts out the week without the necessary votes for the latest attempt to repeal the ACA, the Graham-Cassidy bill. The main holdouts are Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, and John McCain, but other Senators, including Ted Cruz, aren’t supporting it either.
2. There is no CBO score on this bill yet.
3. Groups opposed to the bill include doctors, hospitals, nurses, insurance companies, governors, all 50 Medicaid directors, dozens of healthcare non-profit organizations, and more. The American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, America’s Health Insurance Plans, and the BlueCross BlueShield Association wrote a joint letter condemning the bill.
4. And of all people getting sucked into this fight, Jimmy Kimmel is the most unlikely. He berates Senator Cassidy for claiming he would never sign a bill that didn’t pass the “Jimmy Kimmel test,” and yet here he is proposing just that. Certain media outlets (I’m looking at you Fox) and Republican politicians harshly criticize Kimmel, leading to a weak-long battle.
5. By the end of this week, John McCain says he can’t support is bill, likely killing it. But opposition groups are still raising the alarms.
6. On top of the Koch brothers threatening to withhold $400,000,000 in Republican political donations (bribe #1), Congress looks at tweaking the ACA repeal bill so holdout states Alaska and Maine can keep their Medicaid expansion (bribes #2 and #3). No one’s even trying to hide this anymore. I guess this is what transparent government looks like.
7. Almost half of voters approve of a single-payer healthcare system, with 35% disapproving. Less than 25% approve of the latest repeal effort, with 54% approving of the ACA.

International:

1. Trump gives his maiden speech at the UN General Assembly, and it reflects the “scorched earth” tone of his inaugural address. The speech covers protecting American people, promoting American prosperity, and promoting accountability and sovereignty. As a reminder, the goals of the UN are to foster peace and global cooperation.
   • He criticizes the UN for mismanagement and not reaching its full potential while praising Trump Tower as a successful project right across the street.
   • He threatens to destroy North Korea (with no specifics) if they don’t stop the rhetoric and nuclear development.
   • Trump gives Kim Jong-un a cool new nickname–Rocket Man. Kim, in turn, calls Trump a dotard (and more in a scathing retort).
   • He launches a diatribe against Iran, suggesting he might cancel the Iran nuclear agreement and escalating the danger we face there, again offering no pathway forward.
   • He undermines the integrity of our agreements with other countries by threatening so many of them.
   • At a later dinner with UN members, Trump threatens unspecified actions against Venezuela if their government doesn’t change direction.
   • H.R. McMaster begs Trump not to use the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism” but Trump can’t stop himself.
   • Coincidentally the fire alarms went off at the State Department during Trump’s speech.
   • A common reaction from foreign dignitaries is that Trump is trying to unify the world using intimidation, which only serves to further isolate us.
   • In a speech to African leaders, Trump says Africa has “tremendous business potential” and that he has “so many friends going to your countries, trying to get rich.”
2. U.S. state governors meet with world leaders at the UN General Assembly, assuring them that we are still with them and that states are individually carrying out the conditions of the Paris agreement.
3. Generally for these UN gatherings, the administration does a ton of homework and determines an agenda and a list of goals. When we fail to do this, we cede leadership to the countries who do have an agenda ready.
4. Senators start to look at ways to restrict Trump’s war powers, specifically around his powers to launch a first strike as opposed to a response to a strike.
5. California sends specialty teams to help with the recovery efforts in Mexico after its 7.1 earthquake, and also flies flags at half mast. Trump tweets condolences and offers of support.
6. Trump considers closing the Cuban embassy after diplomats there return to the U.S. with bizarre sets of symptoms (hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, concussions, brain injuries, nausea). The likely culprit is a subsonic or ultrasonic weapon, but we haven’t gotten to the bottom of it.
7. Trump signs an executive order with new sanctions on companies that do business with North Korea.
8. Trump prepares to loosen Obama-era limits on drone strikes and commando raids in Afghanistan and Iraq. If you thought the collateral damage from Obama’s strikes was too big, just wait.
9. White House officials say that Trump is leaning toward not recertifying the Iran agreement in October. This would put the ball in the hands of Congress and other countries included in the agreement. All of our closest allies recommend against the move.
10. In retaliation, Iran says it will strengthen its military might and shows off its new missile, which it later tests.
11. After the missile test, Trump tweets: “Iran just test-fired a Ballistic Missile capable of reaching Israel.They are also working with North Korea.Not much of an agreement we have!” I can’t find anything to back up the collaboration between Iran and North Korea.
12. Trump is making Iran more popular, or at least more sympathetic, around the world.
13. Kim Jong-un says he’ll blow up a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific in retaliation for Trump’s rhetoric.
14. Paul Manafort is currently working on an effort to support and administer a Kurdish separation from Iraq, which the U.S. opposes. Tillerson has to explain that in his meeting with the Iraqi PM. Manafort has a history of working against U.S. interests.
15. Turkish President Erdogan says Trump apologized to him for the indictment of 15 of his personnel for their attacks against protesters earlier this year. He also says Trump promised to see what he could to about it. The White House denies this.
16. Another earthquake rattles Mexico—this one a 7.1—flattening buildings and leaving over 100 dead.

Legislation/Congress:

There was no legislative business this week!

Travel Ban/Immigration/Discrimination:

1. The Trump administration, trying to justify reducing the number of refugees allowed into the U.S., rejects a study by the Department of Health and Human Services that found refugees actually bring in more money than they cost taxpayers. Over a decade, they brought in a net surplus of $63 billion.
2. The State Department tightens the rules on travel visas, expanding the period for which a traveler cannot do something they failed to disclose. The period used to be one month, and now it’s three (this would include life-changing things like getting a job or going to school).
3. Clinics in Texas notice a decline in undocumented immigrant visits for routine care, an indicator that they’re afraid to show up for appointments for fear of being deported. This puts their health, their family’s health and the community’s health at risk.
4. The ACLU sues the Department of Health and Human Services and children’s services in Michigan for allowing foster and adoption agencies to reject potential parents based on religious objections (which, of course, includes same-sex couples). There’s a shortage of foster families in Michigan, even though gay couples have loving homes to offer. Other states also have similar laws: Alabama, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Mississippi. And it’s not just same-sex couples; it could be anything that offends their faith.
5. California sues the federal government for bypassing environmental laws for building the wall.
6. Trump picks a fight with the NFL:
   • At a primary rally for Luther Strange, Trump complains about penalties for excessive violence in football, saying that’s why their rating are down. This is one day after a report came out about the brain injury CTE in football players and specifically in Aaron Hernandez.
   • At the same rally, Trump says, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” A) Why is the president of the United States stumping in a republican PRIMARY? B) This is the president of the United States ripping on (mostly black) people for expressing their constitutional rights.
   • And then he uninvites Stephen Curry from the White House after Curry says he doesn’t want to go anyway. The Warriors haven’t decided if they’ll go as a team, and if they do, it’s not clear if Curry would be allowed. Actually, it’s not clear whether Trump withdrew the invitation for just Curry or for the whole team. It seems the whole team. Either way, no one’s going to the White House.
   • Team owners and even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell jump in to defend the league and the players, criticizing Trump for his divisive comments.
   • Players from all sports chime in. Kobe Bryant has some stern words, tweeting that a president “whose name alone creates division and anger” and “whose words inspire dissension and hatred can’t possibly ‘Make America Great Again.’”
   • Trump’s continued remarks on the matter force every single member of the NFL to pick a side. Most players and coaches choose to either kneel or stand with locked arms in solidarity with those kneeling. Some stay in the locker room or off the field during the anthem.
   • The teams take a far more unifying approach than Trump. For the most part they all agree that each player decides their response, and that everyone supports everyone else’s decision, whatever it is.
   • Trump apparently misunderstands the message from those who stand with arms locked. He seems to think they are supporting his words and says that’s OK but kneeling is not. Actually, when they lock arms, they are supporting their teammates, not Trump.
7. Trump announces a replacement to the travel ban. Under the new ban, most citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea will be indefinitely banned from entering the U.S. Iraqi citizens and certain Venezuelan groups will either be restricted or will face higher scrutiny. So far, it’s not clear if green card or travel visa holders will be able to travel to the U.S. and whether refugees will be allowed.
8. Trump’s original travel ban expires Sunday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on it on Oct. 10, and the new ban is supposed to take effect Oct. 18. I don’t know yet how the new ban announcement will affect scheduled hearings.
9. Free Speech week at Berkeley falls apart because the organizers, The Berkeley Patriot and Milo Yiannopoulos, didn’t confirm the guest list or book the necessary venues. It’s almost like they don’t really want to speak there.
10. But wait. Yiannopoulos says he’ll speak there anyway.

Climate/EPA:

1. It is confirmed (after a bunch of back and forth) that we still plan to withdraw from the Paris accord.
2. Groups of Republicans in the Senate, political action groups, and industry come forward to say global warming is real, that it’s manmade, and that we need to take action on it.
3. Nicaragua says they’ll sign on to the Paris agreement, leaving Syria as the sole country not in the agreement and the U.S. as the sole country trying to withdraw.
4. San Francisco and Oakland sue several large oil companies claiming not only that the oil companies’ activities contributed to greenhouse gases in our atmosphere but that the companies also knew the dangers while publicly saying otherwise.
5. Governor Brown says we’re on track to meet climate goals despite Trump’s and Scott Pruitt’s efforts to slow down climate change regulations.
6. The report that Ryan Zinke provided to Trump with recommendations for changes to our national monuments doesn’t include any input from the Bureau of Land Management, but does include several falsehoods. Or lies. Whatever you want to call them.
7. Scott Pruitt’s full 2017 schedule is released. It turns out he met with a copper mining company on May 1 and then later that same day reversed an Obama-era regulation to protect an Alaskan wetland from certain mining activities. The regulation was put in place after a three-year study that showed mining would result in an irreversible loss of fish habitat there. Why is this important? These waters produce nearly half of our sockeye salmon, and the area provides 14,000 jobs without the mining.
8. The EPA changes its truck efficiency website so it no longer says that the science on global warming is clear and that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
9. Puerto Rico gets hammered by cat 4 Hurricane Maria, taking power out of the entire country, flooding several areas, and putting infrastructure (like dams) in danger. This was the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the territory.

Budget/Economy:

1. Senate Republicans agree to go forward with a budget that would increase the deficit in order to pave the way for tax reform—which would include a $1.5 trillion tax cut over the coming decade. They say the tax cut will stimulate economic growth enough to pay for the deficit. For exhibit A, I give you Kansas. See how the trickle down theory is working there.
2. The fed starts unwinding the 2009 stimulus package created under Obama, saying that the economy has grown strong enough now to roll it back. Expect interest rates to continue to rise.
3. Trump says that job growth is better than it’s been in a long time, but the truth is that last year was better. This year has so far seen an average of 176,000 new jobs per month, while last year saw an average of 194,000 new jobs per month for the same period.

Elections:

1. Germany sees online meddling in their elections, though this time it’s from the alt-right in the U.S. instead of from Russia.
2. Germany re-elects Angela Merkel, but the far right makes gains in the parliament (becoming the third largest party at just under 13%).

Miscellaneous:

1. Donald Trump Jr. gives up his secret service protection, seeking more privacy.
2. The FCC finally pushes back on Sinclair Broadcast Group’s acquisition of Tribune and requests more proof of compliance with ownership caps.
3. Current and former Sinclair employees, union reps, and media experts accuse Sinclair of eroding the public’s trust in local news.
4. Trump fills USDA positions with campaign staffers instead of agricultural experts. Several appointees don’t have the experience or knowledge commensurate with the salary levels of their positions.
5. Tom Price, head of HHS, is under investigation by the OIG for his use of private jets, which is fairly extravagant. He says he’ll stop using them because “the optics aren’t good.”
6. Betsy DeVos overturns Obama-era guidelines protecting women on college campuses from sexual assault and guiding how to handle reports of sexual assault. Some states have already passed bills making the Obama guidelines the law.
7. White House staffers are reaching out to headhunters in large numbers, planning their exit strategy amongst in-fighting and low morale.
8. We learn that Jared Kushner set up and used a private email to conduct White House business.
9. Trump moves the oversight of international gun sales from the State Department to the Commerce Department, making it easier to sell non-military guns to foreigners. One administration official says “You could really turn the spigot on if you do it the right way.”

Polls:

1. Trump’s approval rating took an uptick after hurricane Harvey and Maria, hitting 40%. But now it’s moving back down into the 30s after the NFL kerfuffle.
2. More than 70% of Americans approve of Trump’s recent deal with Democrats over DACA.
3. Less than 25% support his handling of race relations and the violence in Charlottesville.

Stupid Things Politicians Say:

1. Pat Roberts, on the Graham-Cassidy bill:
   “…this is the best bill possible under the circumstances. If we do nothing, I think it has a tremendous impact on the 2018 elections. And whether or not Republicans still maintain control and we have the gavel.”
2. Chuck Grassley, on the Graham-Cassidy bill:
   “You know, I could maybe give you 10 reasons why this bill shouldn’t be considered. But Republicans campaigned on this so often that you have a responsibility to carry out what you said in the campaign. That’s pretty much as much of a reason as the substance of the bill.”