Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said at a tech industry conference last week they are seeking algorithms that can "conduct ongoing social media surveillance" of visa holders that are considered high risk, according to ProPublica.
Why it matters: The announcement of the program, later named "Visa Lifecycle Vetting," spurred backlash from civil liberty groups and immigrants. ProPublica notes that, taken in conjunction with Trump's calls for "extreme vetting" and his campaign proposal for a Muslim ban, there is concern it could be discriminatory toward Muslim visa holders. Acting deputy association director for information management at ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Alysa Erichs, said the goal is to have "automated notifications about any visa holders' social media activity that could 'ping us as a potential alert.'"
A new look at Anita Hill's 1991 testimony against now-Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas puts a harsh spotlight on Joe Biden's handling of her allegations of sexual harassment. Biden was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time, and the Washington Post magazine reports that Hill believes Biden hasn't taken responsibility for how unfairly she was treated.
Why it matters: Here's what Hill told the Post: “[W]omen were looking to the Senate Judiciary Committee and his leadership to really open the way to have these kinds of hearings. They should have been using best practices to show leadership on this issue on behalf of women's equality. And they did just the opposite."
Doug Jones, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Alabama, is a long-time attorney best known for his successful prosecution of Ku Klux Klan members for a 1963 church bombing. He's also a first-time candidate. That's part of the reason Democrats think he might be able to pull out an upset victory over scandal-plagued Republican candidate Roy Moore in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1992.
Today is the deadline to apply for the 2019 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program lottery. President Trump has called on Congress to "terminate" the program, after it was reported that alleged Manhattan attacker Sayfullo Saipov entered the U.S. from Uzbekistan on a diversity visa.
The big picture: Trump said he favors replacing the program with "merit-based immigration" and "extreme vetting," and he blamed Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer for shepherding the program through Congress, but the existing system does include a vetting process and received bipartisan support when it was passed. Here are the big questions surround the program, and their answers:
"President Trump's vision of a 'big, beautiful' wall along the Mexican border may never be realized. ... But in a systematic and less visible way, his administration is following a blueprint to reduce the number of foreigners living in the United States," the WashPost's Maria Sacchetti and Nick Miroff point out on A1.
Why it matters: The moves could change the U.S. immigration system "for generations to come."
A source close to Trump described what led to the president's statement yesterday boosting Roy Moore, delivered on the South Lawn as the first family headed to Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving:
"He basically said we can't lose an Alabama seat when we've got such a slim majority already. ... Said he doesn't know what's true and what's not, but some of the stuff is clearly political. You've got Gloria Allred somehow involved. You've got a guy who's been in the spotlight for decades and run for office a bunch of times, and this never comes out until four weeks before an election."
California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has come under scrutiny in recent months from special counsel Robert Mueller and the Senate Intelligence Committee for his close ties to the Kremlin, according to the New York Times. One eye-catching line: "the F.B.I. warned him in 2012 that Russia regarded him as an intelligence source worthy of a Kremlin code name."
Why it matters: Rohrabacher, a Republican, had no role in President Trump's election, but there have been several instances of him "showing up" at moments relevant to the Russia investigation, per the Times. His position as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats is also a point of concern for some.
While departing the White House en route to Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving, President Trump signaled support for Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been plagued by sexual allegations from 9 different women. "We don't need a liberal Democrat in that seat," said Trump. "He totally denies [the accusations], you have to listen to him also ... we don't need somebody soft on crime like [Doug] Jones."
Why it matters: This signals a major shift in the president's position. The White House had previously said that Moore should drop out of the race if the allegations are true. But this afternoon, Trump all but told Alabamians they should vote for Moore.
President Trump and Vladimir Putin had a lengthy phone call on Tuesday. Per a White House readout, they discussed the war in Syria, cooperation on counter-terrorism efforts, Ukraine and North Korea.
"We're talking about peace in Syria, very important... we're talking very strongly about North Korea and Ukraine," Trump said at an impromptu press conference, saying the call lasted nearly an hour and a half.
In keeping with tradition, Donald Trump granted a presidential pardon to a turkey Tuesday, smiling broadly and cracking jokes as he did so. "We have not seen any guests quite like the visitor we have today," said Trump. "Drumstick, I think, is going to be very happy."
Trump joked, "As many as of you know, I have been very active in overturning many actions of my predecessor, but I have been informed by the White House Counsel's Office that Tater and Tot's pardons (made by Obama) cannot under any circumstances be revoked. Tater and Tot, you can rest easy." The Trump family is headed to Mar-a-Lago later this afternoon, where they'll spend Thanksgiving.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) called the sexual harassment allegations published by BuzzFeed News against Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) "extremely troubling" and said he's asked for a review of "all policies and procedures related to workplace harassment and discrimination," according to a statement released this morning.
Why it matters: This is the first House member to be specifically named in a sexual harassment allegation since Rep. Jackie Speier has drawn attention to problems in Congress's harassment claim process. Paul Ryan has already called for all House members and staff to undergo anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training.
A federal judge from California issued a permanent block to President Trump's sanctuary cities executive order, which deny funding to cities that refuse to cooperate with federal efforts to identify and deport undocumented immigrants, per CNN.
Why it matters: The judge's ruling is the latest in a string of backlash from the judicial branch in response to the Trump administration's policies. Other federal judges have also reined in the executive branch by questioning the constitutionality of Trump's travel ban.
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Sochi to discuss potential peace efforts, championed by Russia, Iran, and Turkey, the AP reports.
The backdrop: Putin told Assad that he's going to cut back Russia's military presence in Syria, though in the past, Moscow hasn't followed through on its announced military curtailments.
The Department of Homeland Security has lifted Haitians' Temporary Protection Status from deportation, which was granted after the 2010 earthquake in the Caribbean nation.
The approximately 50,000 Haitians living and working across the country will have 18 months — until July 22, 2019 — to go back to Haiti or legalize their status in the U.S., per the Miami Herald.
