C-12-4 Trump mulls national security adviser pick, White House promises autonomy

Trump met with four finalists for the position of national security adviser on Sunday and may meet with them again on Monday. Among those Trump interviewed acting adviser Keith Kellogg, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster and Lieutenant General Robert Caslen. White House officials made clear on Sunday that the new adviser would have autonomy over staffing decisions, an issue that has been reported to have thwarted some other candidates. Trump's original pick to fill Flynn's vacancy, Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned it down claiming family and financial issues. Another potential pick, David Petraeus, a retired general and former CIA chief who resigned in 2012, was cut from the president's list. The national security adviser is an independent aide to the president and does not require Senate confirmation. The role has varied between administrations, but all advisers attend National Security Council meetings along with the heads of the State Department, Department of Defense and key security agencies. 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-security-idUSKBN15Y0RH

C-12-3 'Muslim-free America' posters turn up on multiple college campuses

Anti-Muslim posters have been put around multiple college campuses across the United States, which is apparently the work of American Vanguard, a far-right, pro-white organization. The posters ask viewers to "Image a Muslim-free America" with images of the World Trade Centers and an American flag. One of these flyers was posted on the Rutgers University campus in NJ and was quickly removed by University police. Rutgers later said that security will be added to the cultural center, where the poster was found. Similar posters were found on the campus of University of Texas in Austin. They were posted on utility poles and some school buildings, including the student campus center and on the College of Liberal Arts. J.B. Bird, UT's director of media relations, said in a statements that the university supports free speech, but that posting signs outside of university buildings is not allowed under campus rules. Only students and student organizations can post signage in approved spaces on campus. The statement did not condemn the content of the signs, only the fact that their placement had violated school rules. On monday, the Texas branch of American Vanguard tweeted photos taking credit for posting the flyers on the UT campus. The American Vanguard also posted on their website a post entitled, "The Texan Offensive" saying, "Members of the American Vanguard in Texas organized a mass poster effort and put ip our materials at Texas State University, Rice University, the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Dllas, Collin College, Abilene Christian University, and Louisiana State University with the help of some members in Louisiana." The organizations America Vanguard is a white supremacy organizations on the belief that "white America" is under attack and needs to take back the nation before whites become the minority, according to their website, which is estimated to happen by 2044.

http://college.usatoday.com/2017/02/15/muslim-free-america-posters-turn-up-on-multiple-college-campuses/

C-12-2 Who Knew and Why Did They Do It?

Late Monday night, national security Adviser, Michael Flynn resigned after misleading top White House officials about his connections with Russia's ambassador on U.S. sanctions. Flynn lasted less than a month on the job, starting in January. The White House has said that Trump asked for Flynn to resign because he no longer trusted him. Democratic lawmakers want an investigation on Flynn, but Republicans won't commit. Russian lawmakers claim Flynn is being made a scapegoat, but the real problem may stem from Trump himself. 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/02/14/trumps-problems-over-michael-flynn-just-getting-started/97886918/

C-12-1 Trump Notes 'dangerous' Uptick in Refugees Since Courts Ruled Against Travel Ban

President Trump tweeted on Saturday supporting and defending national security initiatives, saying refugees from 'dangerous' countries are streaming into the U.S under the courts' halt on the travel ban, suggesting that he can undercut the multi-billion dollar cost to build his proclaimed wall. "I am reading that the great WALL will cost more than the government originally thought, but I have not gotten involved in the design or negotiations yet. When I do, Just like with the F-35 FighterJet or the Air Force One Program, price will come WAY DOWN!", said Trump in a tweet. The Department of Homeland Security has said that the wall will take an estimated $21.6 billion and 3 1/2 years to complete. As for the immigration ban halt, Trump tweeted earlier this week, "Our legal system is broken! 77% of refugees allowed into U.S. since travel reprieve hail form seven suspect countries. SO DANGEROUS!" The updated numbers from the State Department show the % closer to 72% for the week of February 3-11 with 402 from Syria, 340 from Iraq, 115 from Iran, 155 from Somalia, 37 from Sudan, and 1,049 total.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/11/trump-notes-dangerous-uptick-in-refugees-since-courts-ruled-against-travel-ban.html

C-11-4 Trump to meet with moderate Democrats with Gorsuch vote in mind

President Trump has invited several red state Democratic senators to lunch at the White House on Thursday in the hopes of swaying their support on his Supreme Court nominee. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Jon Tester of Montana, the senators invited to lunch, are all up for re-election in 2018. Trump will need the help of at least a few Democrats in the legislative branch to get Gorsuch confirmed. Otherwise, Trump would have to rely on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to change the Senate rules in order for Republicans to approve Gorsuch on a party-line vote, something McConnell loathes to do. Heitkamp met with Trump in December, worrying congressional leaders that Keitkamp might leave the Senate to take a job with the Trump administration. Although she did not take the job, she has shown a willingness to work with Trump. Manchin also met with Trump in December, but shortly after, announced he would not be leaving the Senate either. 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/08/politics/trump-moderate-democrats-meeting-neil-gorsuch/index.html

C-11-3 It's Not Just the Park Service: 'Rogue' Federal Twitter Accounts Multiply

Accounts that have the look of real federal agencies, called "rogue accounts", are trending on Twitter. The AtlUSNatParkService Twitter account has gained more than 1 million followers and inspired the creation of many more "unofficial resistance" accounts for specific national parks and other entities, including accounts like Rogue NASA and AltUSForestService. Many of these accounts have claimed that they were initially run by actual members of the real organizations, but many have since altered their descriptions or handed the accounts off to environmentalists and other activists. However, the account leaders are remaining anonymous, continuously tweeting facts about climate change as well as directly apposing Trump. Accounts such as these have been around for years, but the ones recently have been making headlines in the media due to the fact that many of them arose as a result of the Trump administration's apparent gag orders on some federal agencies. Many of these accounts are encouraging their followers to take action on issues by calling their representatives and providing scripts for their lawmakers. For now, most o the "rogue accounts" continue to only share facts and occasionally jokes and snarky comments towards Trump, but all of the participation they are advocating for is normal and seems to inspire participation in our democracy. 

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/01/27/512007632/its-not-just-the-park-service-rogue-federal-twitter-accounts-multiply

C-11-2 Revenge of the Bureaucrats 

On Monday, as one of President Trump's first acts, he signed an executive order freezing most federal hiring. Trump's team is also working on plans to shrink federal agencies focused on domestic policy. Employees angered by this change could leak information to the Capitol and the press as backlash against the policy. They can also use the bureaucracies to slow or "sandbag" the policy proposals. Robert Shea, an official in George Bush's Office of Management and Budget said, "The government is a place where it is easier to keep something from getting done, than it is to actually do something. All of the work that the new administration wants to get accomplished will depend on the speed and productivity of the federal workforce." Aides are also contemplating the process of "reduction in force" that would allow the new administration to skirt the civil service's complicated rules for hiring and firing. The easiest way to do this might be through budget cuts to each agency, which would be mentioned in Trump's first budget proposal in the spring, but this is easier said than done. Thousands of federal workers belong to powerful unions that can mobilize their representatives in Congress. Almost 2/3 of them work for defense and security-related agencies, which are areas of the government that Trump promised not to touch during his campaign. Federal workers are also concerned that Trump may get support for these plans from the Republican-controlled Congress. Earlier this month, House Republicans brought up an 1876 rule that would allow them, with the majority in both the Senate and the House, to use spending legislation to lower the salary of governments employees. Those employees that choose to stay, may fight back against these policies by taking their information to advocacy groups and to the media. Former political appointees said career workers offer invaluable government experience to a new administration and with 2/3 of career employees in leadership positions eligible for retirement in the next few years, the federal government could be facing unprecedented loss. 

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-government-bureaucrats-234019