{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"icon":"excited","color":"#EE4950","stance":"excited"},{"icon":"happy","color":"#EDB723","stance":"happy"},{"icon":"apathetic","color":"#3AB093","stance":"apathetic"},{"icon":"sad","color":"#5ACDED","stance":"sad"},{"icon":"angry","color":"#624960","stance":"angry"}],"id":12210,"title":"The DC: ⛽ Trump orders the EPA to lift regulations on ethanol in gasoline, and... 📫 Should we privatize the post office?","html_content":"

by Causes | 10.12.18

Welcome to Friday, denizens...

\"Saudi Arabia Must Say What Happened to Missing Journalist\"

\"Saudi Arabia Must Answer to Khashoggi Allegations\"

\"Khashoggi was murdered, Saudis did it, leading Republican says\"

This random sampling of headlines are in reference to Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who also wrote for the Washington Post. Khashoggi, who's been critical of the Saudi government, disappeared last week after visiting the country's consulate in Turkey.

Turkish officials believe Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate. The Saudis deny this claim, but have not been able to provide any proof he safely left the building.

On Wednesday, top foreign policy lawmakers in the Senate - led by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker and top Democrat Bob Menendez - enforced a law that requires President Trump to launch an investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance and to enforce sanctions against any individual found responsible for the matter.

Complicating matters: earlier this year, the State Department approved military arms sales to Saudi Arabia worth slightly over $1 billion.

Do you support a probe into the journalist's disappearance? Tell your reps here.

On the Radar

\nPresident Trump has ordered the EPA to ease regulations and allow for the sale of gasoline with ethanol year-round—farmers praise the move while the oil industry and environmentalists decry the decision. E15 - fuel made of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline – is currently banned during summer months because of smog concerns. Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, whose state's top industry is agriculture, called the decision a “true win-win solution.” But the National Wildlife Federation said \"the limits exist in the Clean Air Act for a reason.\" Read that reason here.
\nTrump signed the Music Modernization Act into law at a ceremony at the White House on Thursday, joined by Kid Rock, Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, country singer John Rich, and the Doobie Brothers’ Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. The Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act will update several provisions of U.S. copyright law regarding music licensing to reflect how digital music services operate while ensuring that royalties can be collected on pre-1972 recordings and by creative professionals. “You like this legislation or do you hate it?” Trump asked Kid Rock during the signing. “I like it,” replied Kid Rock. Read why Mr. Rock likes it here.

Under the Radar

\nPostal workers across the nation rallied on Monday to protest President Trump’s proposal to privatize the postal service. Under the proposal, the USPS would \"transition to a model of private management and private or shared ownership.\" Walter Barton, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 6000 in Amityville, NY, criticized the plan, saying it would eliminate jobs and reduce the number of delivery days, hurting residents and small businesses that depend on daily delivery. Click here for the full story.
\nSenators cast their final votes in advance of the midterm elections on Thursday by confirming 15 federal judges and several executive branch nominees. The flurry of confirmations allows a number of senators in tight re-election battles to put their work in the Capitol behind them and hit the campaign trail. The chamber’s leaders, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), struck a deal to allow votes on the confirmation of roughly the number of judges that could’ve been confirmed between now and Election Day had the Senate remained in session and Democrats used the procedural roadblocks available to them. Read the full story here.
\nAbortion rights will be on the ballot in three states next month with voters in West Virginia, Alabama, and Oregon set to vote on whether their state constitutions provide the right to an abortion or allow taxpayer funding of abortions. For more on each ballot measure, click here.

Your Gov at a Glance 👀

The White House: President Trump in D.C.

To be announced.

The House of Representatives: Out

The House will return Tuesday, November 13th.

The Senate: Out

The Senate will return Tuesday, November 13th.

What You're Saying

Here's how you're answering Should the ATF be Prohibited From Reclassifying Ammo as Armor Piercing Unless it’s Designed For Use in Handguns?

(Follow Lewis' comment here.)

(Follow IllWill's comment here.)

But wait, there's more!

And, in the End…

Have you tried out our new \"Reactions\" feature?

You can still contact your reps, but you can also see how the Countable community feels about key issues in an easy-to-read graph.

You may have heard, for instance, that one of the biggest issues in the midterms is health insurance.

Is it?

Well, yesterday we posted an article about how Obamacare premiums are going down, and asked \"Does Healthcare Matter for You in the Midterms?\"

Your response:

Add your \"Yes\", \"Maybe\", or \"No\" to the mix here.

Be careful this weekend: despite what entomologists may tell you, bees actually don't live in hives, they live in cider mill garbage cans,

—Josh Herman

Talk to Managing Editor Andrea Seabrook via email, andrea [at] countable.us, or on twitter, @RadioBabe. And don’t forget to keep in touch @Countable.

","image_urls":{"large":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/63dd06/Artboard%208.png","medium":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/63dd06/Artboard%208.png","small":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/63dd06/Artboard%208.png","thumb":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/63dd06/Artboard%208.png","xsmall":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/63dd06/Artboard%208.png"},"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/articles/12210-dc-trump-orders-epa-lift-regulations-ethanol-gasoline-privatize-post-office","article_comments":"https://www.causes.com/api/articles/12210-dc-trump-orders-epa-lift-regulations-ethanol-gasoline-privatize-post-office/comments"},"comment_count":139,"action_count":949,"cta_prompt":null,"cta_type":"reactions","share_count":14,"published_at":"2018-10-12T12:49:05.195Z","is_countable_article":true,"allow_advocacy":true,"profile_id":1,"signed":false,"signatures_count":null,"signatures_goal":100,"signable_progress":0,"video_url":null,"video_dimensions":null,"video_aspect_ratio":null}],"users":[{"name":"Emily","vote_count":21,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10214674989243131/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10214674989243131/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10214674989243131/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10214674989243131/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/W1nR0ppw/following","followers":"/api/users/W1nR0ppw/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":17,"is_following":null,"influence_score":60,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":2,"following_count":2,"position_count":10,"id":"W1nR0ppw","partner_id":null},{"name":"Robert ","vote_count":423,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/49VrwED9/large_49vrwed9-1492274632.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/49VrwED9/small_49vrwed9-1492274632.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/49VrwED9/tiny_49vrwed9-1492274632.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/1630669563636248/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/49VrwED9/following","followers":"/api/users/49VrwED9/followers"},"about_me":"Human being. Retired HR manager. Proud father and grandfather. Corporal Marine Corps, Peace Corps volunteer. Hoosier. IU & Notre Dame. Seagan. INFP Livin’ the dream.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":46,"is_following":null,"influence_score":8180,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":270,"following_count":482,"position_count":297,"id":"49VrwED9","partner_id":null},{"name":"Michael","vote_count":6,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/Ze7rBKjn/following","followers":"/api/users/Ze7rBKjn/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":16,"is_following":null,"influence_score":0,"influence_level":0,"follower_count":1,"following_count":5,"position_count":7,"id":"Ze7rBKjn","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":556316,"body":"We need STRONGER regulations on all fossil fuels! We need to put pressure on both producers and consumers to find and use alternate sources of energy. ","parent_type":"Article","parent_id":12210,"created_at":"2018-10-13T17:58:41.526Z","liked":false,"like_count":2,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/comments/556316","likers":"https://www.causes.com/api/v1/likers?likeable_id=556316&likeable_type=Comment"},"article_id":12210,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/comments/556316.png","note":{"icon":"angry","color":"#624960","stance":"angry"},"note_text":"Angry","note_color":"#624960","user_id":"W1nR0ppw","liker_ids":["49VrwED9","Ze7rBKjn"]}}

Like Causes?

Comment Liked by 2 Users