Trump Noms Bailout Lawyer for SEC
Border Agents and Personal Devices ; US General: Upgrade Nuclear Arsenal to Counter Russia ...and More Picks
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Trump’s Quiet War on Data Begins (Celia)
Journalist Terrence O’Brien writes, “…the administration seems focused on two avenues of attack: One, make data harder to find, and two, slash funding until collecting data becomes difficult for government agencies.”
US General: Upgrade Nuclear Arsenal to Counter Russia (Dan)
Not-so-subtle tension has been growing between Russia and the US since the 2014 Ukraine conflict. With Trump, many expect a sort-of 21st century detente. The opinion does not appear unanimous.
Trump Nominates Goldman Sachs Bailout Lawyer to Run SEC (Jimmy)
“Sullivan & Cromwell has deleted nearly all of Clayton’s biography from its website, but when he was initially floated as a potential SEC nominee, the firm proudly touted his work helping big banks on the bailout and in a series of fraud cases tied to the financial crisis,” writes Zach Carter.
Trump Filling Top Pentagon and DHS Positions with Defense Contractors (Jimmy)
Apparently “draining the swamp” doesn’t involve reforming the revolving door of the military-industrial-complex.
Border Agents Investigate Personal Devices (Reader Steve)
Unlike like domestic law enforcement agents, border agents do not have to abide the search and seizure protections of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. Nor do they have to wait for a warrant to state a reason to search travelers. That includes devices that usually contain sensitive personal and professional information. At the moment, passwords do not have to be handed over to border agents. However, that may change.
