The Paper Trail: September 20, 2024

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The Paper Trail

Top stories for September 20, 2024

Attorney general promises exhaustive probe of apparent Trump assassination attempt: Attorney General Merrick Garland said the DOJ would “spare no resource” in investigating Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The Secret Service said that more planning and security are needed for Trump to continue his golf outings. Senate Democrats are open to passing a one-time cash infusion for the Secret Service. (C. Ryan Barber and Katy Stech Ferek, Wall Street Journal)

🔎 See Also: Trump assassination attempt task force to hold first hearing (Nicholas Wu, Politico)

🔎 See Also: Secret Service seeks funding boost to address dangerous ‘new reality’ (Maria Sacchetti et al., Washington Post)

Former executives warn Schedule F poses risk to national security: Former federal executives and good government groups on Tuesday warned Congress that the reimplementation of Schedule F and subsequent conversion of thousands of federal workers into at-will employees will hinder government efficiency, erode public trust in the government, and make the country less safe. (Erich Wagner, Government Executive)

Trump rolls out his new cryptocurrency business: Ethics experts say Donald Trump’s involvement in World Liberty Financial would create serious conflicts of interest if he’s elected. (David Yaffe-Bellany, Sharon LaFraniere, and Matthew Goldstein, New York Times)

Justice Department files $100 million claim in fatal Baltimore bridge collapse: The DOJ alleges the owners of the cargo ship that crashed into the Key Bridge earlier this year knowingly let an ill-prepared crew on an unseaworthy vessel sail U.S. waterways. (Campbell Robertson and Peter Eavis, New York Times)

Internal watchdog says State Department mishandled Iran envoy’s clearance: The State Department’s inspector general found the agency failed to follow standard procedures when handling the security clearance suspension of Iran special envoy Rob Malley, leading to “significant confusion” about what work he was allowed to do. For example, Malley may have participated in a conference call and had access to sensitive information after his clearance had been suspended. (Nahal Toosi, Politico)

They exposed a tax cheater. They’ll share a $74 million reward: The recovery is a major win for the IRS whistleblower program, which rewards people who expose high-dollar tax cheats but has come under criticism for its opaque and lumbering process. Collections have tumbled in recent years, from $1.4 billion in 2018 to $337 million last year. (Julie Zauzmer Weil, Washington Post)

Abused in public housing, victims often face a long wait to move: The Violence Against Women Act requires subsidized housing providers to assist in relocating tenants who are experiencing domestic violence. Many victims wait for months. (Sara Ruberg, New York Times)

Dobbs Aftermath

Afraid to seek care amid Georgia’s abortion ban, she stayed at home and died: The tragic story of Candi Miller adds to mounting evidence that exceptions to abortion bans do not, as billed, protect the life of the mother. It underscores the reality that abortion bans haven’t actually led to a decrease in abortions. And for people like Miller, they’ve increased the health risk. (Kavitha Surana, ProPublica)

Russia-Ukraine War

Washington and the West struggle for a way forward with Putin’s Russia: In the U.S. and Europe, there is growing uncertainty about how to counter Putin’s aggression without stoking a direct conflict with Russia. (Robyn Dixon and Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post)

Police Misconduct

DOJ launches civil rights probe of Mississippi sheriff’s office whose deputies tortured 2 Black men in ‘Goon Squad’ case: The federal investigation will examine whether the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department engages in unconstitutional patterns or practices of using excessive force, racially discriminatory policing of Black residents, and conducting unlawful stops, searches and arrests. (Emma Tucker and Ryan Young, CNN)

Defense and Veterans Affairs

U.S. special ops cuts armed overwatch buy, still needs to justify need: U.S. Special Operations Command cut down its desired purchase of the AT-802U Sky Warden, but the GAO says defense officials still haven’t justified why they need that many aircraft. (Todd South, Military Times)

Vets wait decades for help on military toxic exposure issues: A new report found that troops exposed to toxic chemicals during their service wait on average more than three decades for full benefits related to those injuries (Leo Shane III, Military Times)

🔎 See Also: Congress approves $3B lifeline to prevent delay in vet benefits (Leo Shane III, Military Times)

U.S. military to apologize to Alaska Natives for 1800s terror campaign: The apology is a rare concession from the U.S. military. American troops committed atrocities against Native people for decades, and in many cases celebrated their deaths as achievements. (Alex Horton, Washington Post)

Navy announces new strategy to counter China: The U.S. Navy’s new plan aims to prepare for challenges from China by 2027, focusing on recruitment and advanced technology deployment. (Brad Dress, The Hill)

Oops! Army training mislabeled nonprofits as terror groups for years: Thousands of soldiers at Fort Liberty, NC, received training that incorrectly labeled animal rights and anti-abortion nonprofits as terrorist groups. (Nikki Wentling, Army Times)

Business and Finance

Report on forced labor, child labor raises tough questions in green energy transition: A new Department of Labor report found several minerals that are key components of electric vehicles and solar panels are being produced through forced labor and child labor. (Rachel Frazin, The Hill)

A key NASA commercial partner faces severe financial challenges: Axiom Space is facing significant financial burdens as it attempts to deliver on two key programs for NASA: a private space station in low-Earth orbit and spacesuits that could one day be worn by astronauts on the Moon. (Eric Berger, Ars Technica)

Biden administration formally extends review of U.S. Steel deal, pushing decision past election: The administration will let Nippon Steel resubmit its application for a national security review of its proposed $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel. (Jeff Stein and David J. Lynch, Washington Post)

Tyson Foods misleads shoppers about its carbon emissions, climate group says: A new lawsuit claims Tyson Foods is misleading shoppers and investors by saying it would hit net-zero emissions by 2050 and marketing climate-friendly beef without having an actual strategy to do either. (Kate Gibson, CBS News)

Tech

Senate Dems ask OMB for more regulations, support to mitigate algorithm bias: Sens. Edward Markey and Chuck Schumer told OMB Director Shalanda Young that federal agencies utilizing AI technologies need to establish more safeguards to prevent algorithmic discrimination. (Alexandra Kelley, Nextgov/FCW)

FTC report assails social networks’ privacy, safety practices: The FTC has rebuked social media and streaming companies, including YouTube, Amazon, and Facebook, for not adequately protecting users’ privacy and safeguarding children and teens. (Cristiano Lima-Strong and Naomi Nix, Washington Post)

Driver assists become de facto autopilots as drivers multitask, study finds: Studies found that when drivers use partially automated driving systems, they engage in distracting behavior and pay less attention to the road. (Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica)

AT&T to pay $13 million to settle FCC probe over cloud data breach: The probe focused on how AT&T’s privacy, cybersecurity, and vendor management practices may have played a role in the January 2023 hack, which exposed the data of nearly 9 million customers. (Megan Cerullo, CBS News)

A bottle of water per email: the hidden environmental costs of using AI chatbots: Chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT use an immense amount of power to respond to user questions, and simply keeping the bot’s servers cool enough to function in data centers takes a toll on the environment. (Pranshu Verma and Shelly Tan, Washington Post)

Analysis: Due to AI fakes, the “deep doubt” era is here: Given the easy access to tools that generate convincing fake content and the flood of realistic AI-generated images washing over social media, we’re entering a new age of mistrust of the media. (Benj Edwards, Ars Technica)

Infrastructure

Electric vehicles raise concerns about whether safety infrastructure can handle their weight in a crash: Guardrails and other roadside safety barriers, typically tested against vehicles weighing around 5,000 pounds, are being challenged by EVs that often exceed that weight. (Kris Van Cleave and Analisa Novak, CBS News)

Biden administration announces $3B for battery projects: The funds come from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will support more than 8,000 construction and 4,000 operating jobs in 14 states. (Rachel Frazin, The Hill)

Health Care

Senate HELP Committee votes for civil, criminal charges after Steward CEO dodges subpoena: The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted unanimously to bring civil enforcement and a criminal contempt charge against Steward Health CEO Ralph de la Torre, M.D., in response to the executive’s refusal to appear before Congress (Dave Muoio, FIERCE Healthcare)

Scientists just figured out how many chemicals enter our bodies from food packaging: Researchers discovered that of the roughly 14,000 known chemicals in food packaging, 3,601 — about 25% — have been found in the human body. The study didn't examine the chemicals’ link to health impacts. (Shannon Osaka, Washington Post)

Extreme heat means more wildfires. It’s taking a toll on firefighters: As wildland firefighters face longer fire seasons, they may also face additional health risks. (Sashwa Burrous et al., New York Times)

Express Scripts sues FTC over report blasting pharmacy middlemen: Express Scripts, one of the country’s largest pharmacy benefit managers, alleges the FCC’s July report saying PBMs contribute to high drug prices is “filled with false and misleading claims.” (Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill)

Analysis: Unpacking the FDA’s non-recall recalls: Unlike when other federal agencies issue recalls, the FDA routinely allows doctors and hospitals to continue using medical devices that could injure or kill people. (David Hilzenrath and McKenzie Beard, ,em>Washington Post)

COVID-19

Study supports COVID-19 origin theory linked to Wuhan animal market: A new peer-reviewed paper presents evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic started in a seafood market in Wuhan, China, where many of the first cases of the disease were identified. (Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill)

ICYMI

Immigration and Border Security:

→ How the Trump campaign ran with rumors about Haitian immigrants — after being told they weren’t true

→ Vance says Haitian migrants with protected status are ‘illegal aliens’ to be deported

Other News:

→ Judge Aileen Cannon failed to disclose a right-wing junket

→ We helped John Roberts construct his image as a centrist. We were so wrong

→ Alaska man charged with threatening to kill six Supreme Court justices

→ CIA officer who drugged, sexually abused multiple women gets 30-year sentence

→ CISA issues guide to help federal agencies set cybersecurity priorities

→ The man quietly rewriting American privacy law

→ In an unprecedented move, Ohio is funding the construction of private religious schools

Because It’s Friday

Indigenous Colombian coca company challenges Coca-Cola’s trademark: The soda wars bubbled up again when Coca Nasa, which produces beverages with coca, asked Colombia’s trademark agency to revoke Coca-Cola’s trademark on the word “coca,” claiming it violates the rights of Indigenous peoples. (María Luisa Paúl and Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post)

Upcoming Events

📌 “When the President Does It, that Means It's Not Illegal”: The Supreme Court’s Unprecedented Immunity Decision. Senate Judiciary Committee. Tuesday, September 24, 10:00 a.m., 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

📌 Safeguarding the Homeland: Examining Conflicts of Interest in Federal Contracting to Protect America’s Future. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Tuesday, September 24, 10:00 a.m., 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

📌 Oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission. House Committee on Financial Services. Tuesday, September 24, 10:00 a.m., 2128 Rayburn House Office Building.

📌 Examining the Department of Defense’s Financial Management Practices. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability; Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce. Tuesday, September 24, 2:00 p.m., 2154 Rayburn House Office Building.

Hot Docs

🔥📃 GAO - VA Disability Exams: Improvements Needed to Strengthen Oversight of Contractors’ Corrective Actions. GAO-24-107730 (PDF)

🔥📃 GAO - Corps of Engineers: The Status of Construction Project Environmental Mitigation Has Not Been Reported and Tracked as Required. GAO-24-106929 (PDF)

🔥📃 VA OIG: Additional Controls Are Needed to Improve the Reliability of Grant and Per Diem Program Data. 23-02610-226 (PDF)