Pruitt’s Replacement Could Be Worse ; Trump Allies Again Push Against Iran ...and More Picks 7/6
Russia and China Are Top National Security Threats, Despite Growing Terrorism (Dan)
Even though ISIS is on the wane, other terror groups have increased in scope and scale. Nevertheless, the Trump administration sees China and Russia as the top national security threats.
Scott Pruitt’s Replacement Could Be Worse (Dan)
The acting EPA chief, Andrew Wheeler, is an insider in the coal industry — and Washington. Many fear he could be just as bad, if not worse, in pursuing the Trump administration’s shedding of environmental regulations.
Seeking Asylum at the US Border? Better Have Your Name in the Book (Reader Steve)
A mysterious notebook carried by asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border determines who is next in line.
$15 Minimum Wage, Required Paid Leave Are Coming To Mass., After Gov. Baker Signs ‘Grand Bargain’ (Jimmy)
The author writes, “The Massachusetts minimum wage will rise to $15 an hour over five years, and a new paid family and medical leave program will be introduced, under a bill Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law on Thursday.”
Trump Orders OPEC to Tame Gas Prices, but Analysts Blame His Iran Sanctions for Rising Fuel Costs (Reader Luke)
The author writes, “President Donald Trump renewed his Twitter attack on OPEC this week, blaming the cartel for rising gasoline costs. But analysts say Trump’s effort to punish Iran by swiftly cutting off the nation’s energy exports is what’s really driving oil and fuel prices higher.”
Giuliani Tells Exiles Trump to Bring Down Iran Regime (Jimmy)
The author writes, “The collapse of Iran’s Islamic regime ‘is around the corner,’ and the US will keep increasing sanctions until it happens, President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani told an exiled Iranian opposition group.”
All EFF’d Up (Reader Luke)
The author writes, “The reason for EFF’s silence on the Facebook surveillance and influence scandal goes deeper — into the business model of the internet itself, which from the outset has framed user privacy as being threatened by ever-imminent government censorship, as opposed to the protection of users and their data from wanton commercial intrusion and exploitation. Put simply, the lords of the internet care very little about user privacy — what they want to preserve, at the end of the day, is their own commercial license against the specter of government regulation of any kind.”
