UN Arms Treaty

Today's News about the UN Arms Treaty

Trump withdraws from UN arms treaty as NRA crowd cheers in delight
Source: The Guardian
April 26, 2019
Addressing the National Rifle Association (NRA) in Indianapolis, the president said he would revoke America’s status as a signatory of the arms trade treaty regulating conventional weapons including small arms, battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships.

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Banking and Finance

Today's News about Banking and Finance Issues

As House Convenes on Predatory Lending, Consumer Advocates Press for Congressional Action on Payday Debt Traps
Source: Americans for Financial Reform
April 25, 2019
The hearing on payday lending comes at a time when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is nearing the end on a public comment period on its plan. The CFPB is proposing to rescind key consumer protections on payday lending, namely the ability-to-repay provision that mandates that lenders offer affordable loans.

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Foster Introduces Bipartisan Resolution to Promote Financial Literacy for Students
Source:
April 25, 2019
“In our increasingly complex financial marketplace, young people often find themselves lacking the knowledge to make tough financial decisions that can have profound effects on their futures,” Congressman Foster said. “Studies have shown that promoting financial literacy at an early age helps equip young people to make sound financial decisions that will set themselves up for success.”

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Medicaid

Today's News about Medicaid

FINKENAUER LEADS LETTER TO HHS INSPECTOR GENERAL
Source: Abby Finkenauer (D-IO, 1st)
April 24, 2019
Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (IA-01) led members of the Iowa delegation in a letter supporting the US Department of Health and Human Services’ investigation into whether Medicaid managed care organizations have complied with federal requirements when denying patients access to requested services and prescriptions. Finkenauer was joined by Congresswoman Cindy Axne (IA-03) and Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) in the letter to HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson.

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ACE Kids Act Becomes Law
Source: Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA, 3rd)
April 23, 2019
“This health care solution to benefit low-income children has been a long time coming, and I couldn’t be more proud to finally have it signed into law. Now, tens of thousands of low-income kids who suffer complex medical diagnoses like cancer or congenital heart disease will have an easier time accessing the life-saving treatment they need. Families should be able to pursue the best doctors and facilities for their kids, regardless of where they live or how much they make – and with the ACE Kids Act finally becoming law, that’s now a reality for more of them,” Herrera Beutler said.

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Noise Pollution

Today's News about Noise Pollution

Eshoo, Speier, Panetta Release Further Updated FAA Initiative Response to Address Aircraft Noise Concerns of the Constituents of Congressional Districts 14, 18 and 20
Source: Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA, 18th)
April 23, 2019
“The Federal Aviation Administration released their updated response to the collective recommendations of the Select Committee on South Bay Arrivals and the San Francisco International Airport/Community Roundtable,” the Representatives said. “These two bodies developed consensus-based recommendations and sub-recommendations, which the FAA has worked to address.”

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Who Wants to Impeach the President?

Today's News about People Who are Talking about Impeachment

The Ponder does not support impeachment.

DeGette: The president’s actions constitute a prima facie case to merit an impeachment investigation
Source: Diana Degette (D-CO, 1st)
April 23, 2019
The Mueller report details many instances in which President Trump actively attempted to interfere with the investigation into his campaign’s potentially treasonous ties with Russia. The president's actions are clearly beneath the high personal, ethical and legal standards our founders envisioned in the executive branch, and, as such, constitute a prima facie case to trigger an impeachment investigation.

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Social Media

Today's News from the Lawmakers

Facebook expects up to $5B FTC fine
Source: Politico
April 24, 2019
...Facebook faces scrutiny over a cascade of other privacy mishaps over the past year. Researchers this month revealed hundreds of millions of records on the social network's users were left unprotected on Amazon's cloud servers. Facebook disclosed in March that it had insecurely stored hundreds of millions of user passwords. And The Wall Street Journal reported in February that a slew of well-being apps shared sensitive user data with the company.

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Ponder this...

Today's News about Things to Ponder

Should Natural Born Citizenship Be a Requirement for All Federal Elected Offices?
Source: American Thinker
April 24, 2019
...It is fitting, albeit ironic, that Omar, a naturalized American citizen, by raising an accusation of dual loyalty and self-dealing against other Americans, has opened the door to a conversation about whether natural born citizenship should in fact be a requirement for the very office she holds.

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Surveillance

Today's News about Surveillance Issues

CDT Leads Coalition of Over 100 Organizations Opposing DHS Surveillance of Activists, Journalists, and Lawyers
Source: Center for Democracy and Technology
May 1, 2019
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) led a coalition of over 100 organizations in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) urging it to cease any targeting of activists, journalists, and lawyers based on their First Amendment-protected speech and associational activities. The coalition demanded that DHS address alarming reports of surveillance activity by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that jeopardizes First Amendment rights and access to legal counsel, and may violate the Privacy Act of 1974.

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New Documents Reveal DHS Asserting Broad, Unconstitutional Authority to Search Travelers’ Phones and Laptops
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
May 1, 2019
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the ACLU asked a federal court to rule without trial that the Department of Homeland Security violates the First and Fourth Amendments by searching travelers’ smartphones and laptops at airports and other U.S. ports of entry without a warrant.

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When License-Plate Surveillance Goes Horribly Wrong
Source: The New York Times
April 24, 2019
The pitfalls of automated policing, where one piece of bad information can lead to a guns-drawn confrontation.

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Children and Minors

Today's News about Children and Minors

Congressman Cárdenas Introduces the End Debtor’s Prison for Kids Act
Source: Troy Cardenas (D-CA, 29th)
April 24, 2019
Right now, across this country, young people are being held in detention centers not for crimes they committed at home or in school, but because they can’t afford the legal fees of our justice system.

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Prescription Medication

Today's News about Prescription Drugs

Spanberger Announces Support for Bipartisan Bill to Increase Competition in the Pharmaceutical Marketplace, Lower Prescription Drug Costs
Source: Abigail Spanberger (D-VA, 7th)
April 24, 2019
Spanberger is now a cosponsor of the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act of 2019, which would prohibit pharmaceutical companies from participating in certain anti-competitive practices that block cheaper generic drugs from entering that market. The bipartisan bill would increase competitive options for prescription drugs by cracking down on pharmaceutical companies’ ability to delay access to generic versions of expensive brand-name drugs.

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Drug Take-back Day
Source: Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN, 9th)
April 24, 2019
The Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is this Saturday, April 27. From 10AM - 2PM, you can properly dispose of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs to support ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic that is facing our communities.

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Cummings Releases Report on the Soaring Prices of Diabetes Drugs in his District
Source: Elijah Cummings (D-MD, 7th)
April 24, 2019
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, released a Committee Staff Report on the prices of diabetes drugs for seniors and the uninsured in Maryland’s 7th Congressional District. More than 30 million people in the United States, including more than one in four seniors, have diabetes. Patients with diabetes rely on prescription drugs, including insulin, to help manage their conditions.

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Following Prescription Drug Roundtable, Rep. Davids Supports Bills to Lower Prescription Drug Costs
Source: Sharice Davids (D-KS, 3rd)
April 24, 2019
“During our roundtable discussion, I heard from so many families in the Third District who are struggling to pay for the prescription drugs that they or their loved ones depend on to survive. These bills would help drive down prescription drugs prices and increase transparency and oversight, giving our families some much-needed relief,” said Davids.

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Cummings Releases Report on the Soaring Prices of Diabetes Drugs in his District
Source: Elijah Cummings (D-MD, 7th)
April 24, 2019
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, released a Committee Staff Report on the prices of diabetes drugs for seniors and the uninsured in Maryland’s 7th Congressional District. More than 30 million people in the United States, including more than one in four seniors, have diabetes. Patients with diabetes rely on prescription drugs, including insulin, to help manage their conditions.

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