Exploring demographics in Pivot Counties

We crunched the numbers comparing Pivot Counties to the rest of the nation on a variety of demographic figures such as income, graduation rate, and mo [View this email in your browser]( [Ballotpedia]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [The Tap]( The week in review: May 13 - May 19What's on tap next week: May 20 - May 26 What's on tap? Ballotpedia released a new analysis that compares Pivot Counties to the rest of the nation on a variety of demographic figures such as race, ethnicity, income, and education. The 206 Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 and then voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Pivot Counties tend to have a similar percentage of high school graduates compared to the state in which they are located. However, there is a difference in the percentage of persons with a bachelor's degree or higher—Pivot Counties being about 10 percent lower in most states.   [Explore the data]( The Week in Review Saturday, May 13 White House interviews potential replacements for Comey as FBI director - President [Donald Trump]( said that he wants to nominate a new FBI director to replace [James Comey]( as soon as possible. He said, “I think the process is going to go quickly. Almost all of them [the candidates] are very well known. They’ve been vetted over their lifetime, essentially.” Top picks for the job include: former Senator [Joe Lieberman]( (I-Conn.), acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, and former top FBI official Richard McFeely. A full list of potential candidates for the job can be viewed [here](. The search for a new director began after Trump fired James Comey on May 9 because of his handling of the investigation into [Hillary Clinton’s emails](. - See also: [Timeline: Donald Trump firing of FBI Director James Comey]( Verbatim Fact Check [Did Rob Quist advocate for a national gun registry?]( In a recent debate, Greg Gianforte said of Rob Quist: “He's advocated for a national gun registry." Quist called the claim "patently false." Gianforte referred to a Bozeman Daily Chronicle interview with Quist as the source of his claim during the debate. Quist was quoted in that article as stating, in response to an apparent question about assault rifles: “So maybe there should be some legislation to register those types of things. You register your car to drive, why not register guns.” Although the article indicated that Quist was referring to registration of assault rifles, Gianforte claimed Quist advocated for a “national gun registry.” [For a roundup of all of our fact checks of candidates in Montana's Congressional election, click here.]( Monday, May 15 Supreme Court issues rulings in three cases - The [U.S. Supreme Court]( issued rulings in three cases on Monday. The court’s newest member, [Neil Gorsuch]( did not participate in the consideration or disposition of any of these cases. - In [Midland Funding v. Johnson]( the court reversed a judgment from the [U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit](. In an opinion by Justice [Stephen Breyer]( the court held that during Johnson's Chapter 13 bankruptcy case, Midland Funding's filing a proof of debt claim that was knowingly time-barred under Alabama law did not constitute a "false, deceptive, misleading, unfair, or unconscionable debt collection practice under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act." Justice [Sonia Sotomayor]( joined by Justices [Ginsburg]( & [Kagan]( dissented. In her opinion, Justice Sotomayor suggested that Congress should take action, noting “I take comfort only in the knowledge that the Court’s decision today need not be the last word on the matter. If Congress wants to amend the FDCPA to make explicit what in my view is already implicit in the law, it need only say so.” - In a unanimous opinion by Justice [Stephen Breyer]( the court reversed and remanded the [Arizona Supreme Court’s]( judgment in [Howell v. Howell](. Indicating that “the question is complicated, but the answer is not,” Breyer wrote that a state court could not require a disabled veteran to compensate a divorced spouse for the loss in the divorced spouse’s portion of the veteran’s retirement pay caused by a veteran's decision to take disability benefits. Those benefits, under federal law, require a veteran to forfeit an equivalent amount of retirement pay. Here, the Supreme Court held that the veteran was not obligated to reimburse his former spouse for the reduction in pay to which she was entitled as part of a divorce decree. Justice [Clarence Thomas]( authored a brief opinion concurring in part and in the judgment. The opinion was the first case decided from an argument held during the court’s [March sitting](. - The court reversed in part, vacated in part, and remanded the judgment of the [Kentucky Supreme Court]( in [Kindred Nursing Centers v. Clark](. In an opinion by Justice [Elena Kagan]( for a seven-justice majority, the court held that a rule of the Kentucky Supreme Court violated federal law. That rule required any legal power-of-attorney covenant to contain explicit language granting the person acting as power-of-attorney the authority to enter into arbitration agreements. Absent such language, arbitration would not be enforced. The U.S. Supreme Court held that this rule singled out arbitration agreements for disfavored treatment in violation of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA); the FAA requires courts to place arbitration agreements on equal footing with all other types of contracts. Justice [Clarence Thomas]( noting that, in his view, the FAA was inapplicable to state court proceedings. Philadelphia files a federal lawsuit alleging discriminatory lending practices - On Monday, the city of [Philadelphia]( filed a federal lawsuit against Wells Fargo bank alleging discriminatory lending practices in violation of the Fair Housing Act. According to the city's filing, the bank had a "longstanding, unbroken policy and practice of intentionally steering minority borrowers in Philadelphia into 'discriminatory' mortgage loans" and that, given a higher incidence of foreclosure attending these loans, surrounding properties lost property values which cost the city needed tax revenues. On May 1, the [U.S. Supreme Court]( that similar allegations raised by the city of [Miami]( could go forward in a federal lawsuit after holding that the city qualified as an aggrieved party under the Fair Housing Act. A spokesperson for the city of Philadelphia told [The Philadelphia Inquirer]( that the city was encouraged by the Supreme Court's ruling and decided to sue based on the court's holding. - To learn more about the Supreme Court's ruling in the Miami cases, [read our coverage](. Clinton launches political group - Former Democratic presidential candidate [Hillary Clinton]( launched [a new nonprofit political group]( [Onward Together]( to advance progressive causes and support other progressive political organizations. The group—which is set up as a [501(c)(4) nonprofit]( with a connected federal [PAC]( already pledged support for five specific organizations: Swing Left, Emerge America, [Color of Change]( Indivisible, and Run for Something. Clinton said these groups were chosen because they encouraged people to organize and to run for office. The Washington Post reports that Trump disclosed classified information to Russian officials - The Washington Post [reported]( that during President [Donald Trump]( meeting last week with Sergei Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak, the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, he disclosed classified information obtained through an information-sharing agreement. "The partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia, and officials said Trump’s decision to do so endangers cooperation from an ally that has access to the inner workings of the Islamic State. After Trump’s meeting, senior White House officials took steps to contain the damage, placing calls to the CIA and the National Security Agency," according to The Washington Post. - [Dina Powell]( the deputy national security adviser for strategy, [called]( the story false. "The president only discussed the common threats that both countries faced," she said. - Trump [tweeted]( the following morning: "As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining ... to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism." - National security adviser [H.R. McMaster]( who was [present]( at the meeting, declined to say whether the conversation included confidential information. "What I will do is tell you that in the context of that discussions, what the president discussed with the foreign minister is wholly appropriate in that conversation," he said. - See also: [Federal policy on Russia, 2017-2020]( Proponents of Clean Power Plan ask federal appeals court to end litigation - Proponents of the [Obama]( administration’s [Clean Power Plan]( Power Plan) led by the Environmental Defense Fund [asked]( the [U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit]( States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit) to end litigation challenging the plan. Ending the litigation would terminate the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2016 stay (halting) of the plan’s implementation and send the plan back to the [Environmental Protection Agency]( Protection Agency) (EPA), which intends to repeal it under the Trump administration. Terminating the litigation would allow supporters of the Clean Power Plan to file a new lawsuit against the EPA’s formal repeal of the plan. Attorneys representing the EPA wrote against ending the litigation, arguing that keeping the Supreme Court’s stay would allow the agency to move forward on a formal repeal of the Clean Power Plan without devoting EPA resources to the current litigation. Attorneys representing the Environmental Defense Fund and other environmental groups supporting the Clean Power Plan argued that keeping the stay would allow the EPA to postpone its review of the plan indefinitely without formally repealing it. - The [Clean Power Plan]( Power Plan) was issued by the [Environmental Protection Agency]( (EPA) in 2015. It would mandate reductions in [carbon dioxide]( (CO2) emissions from new and existing fossil fuel-fired electric steam-generating units by 32 percent from 2005 levels by the year 2030. The plan was issued as part of the Obama administration's [climate change]( change) policy agenda. - See also: [Clean Power Plan political timeline]( Speaker of the House Paul Ryan attends campaign event for Karen Handel in Georgia’s 6th - Speaker [Paul Ryan]( travelled to [Sandy Springs, Georgia]( to attend a campaign event supporting Republican [Karen Handel]( who faces Democrat [Jon Ossoff]( in the [special election runoff]( for [Georgia’s 6th Congressional District]( on June 20. According to the [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]( Ryan urged voters to support Handel because, in his words, she was the “tested and true” candidate. Handel supports Ryan’s efforts to repeal and replace the [Affordable Care Act]( including the [American Health Care Act]( which passed the House of Representatives on May 4 by a margin of 217-213. The special election became necessary when [Tom Price]( was confirmed as Secretary of [Health and Human Services](. According to CNN, the special election is [now the most expensive]( U.S. House race in history. - Read our coverage on the [Georgia 6th Congressional District special election]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, May 16 The New York Times reports that President Trump asked FBI director to end Flynn investigation - The New York Times [reported]( that President [Donald Trump]( asked [James Comey]( then the director of the FBI, to halt the investigation into [possible ties]( between former National Security Adviser [Michael Flynn]( and the Russian government, according to a memo Comey wrote after the conversation in February. - The White House denied Comey’s account of the meeting in the following statement: “While the president has repeatedly expressed his view that General Flynn is a decent man who served and protected our country, the president has never asked Mr. Comey or anyone else to end any investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn. The president has the utmost respect for our law enforcement agencies, and all investigations. This is not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr. Comey.” - Some members of Congress [suggested]( on Tuesday night that if The New York Times report were accurate, then Trump may have improperly attempted to influence the investigation into Flynn. - Read more about the events leading up to the Flynn investigation, the contents of the Comey memo, and the political response to The New York Times report in [this week’s edition]( of [You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition](. Former Obama advisor Jarrett joins media company - Valerie Jarrett, a former advisor to President [Barack Obama]( (D) announced that she had joined [ATTN:]( a media company that primarily produces short issues videos, as a senior advisor. [In her announcement]( Jarrett said, “In my new role, I hope to help ATTN: continue to reach policymakers who want to get their message out to wider audiences. I want to support ATTN: as they engage and empower even more people to make a greater social impact.” Jarrett formerly worked as a [senior advisor to Obama]( during both his terms as president, serving as the assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and public liaison. South Carolina’s 5th Republican runoff ends with razor-thin margin, triggering automatic recount - Unofficial vote tallies for the [SC-5 Republican primary runoff]( showed former state Rep. Ralph Norman with a 203 vote lead over state Rep. Tommy Pope, 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. South Carolina state law requires a recount in elections that finish within a margin of less than 1 percent. 32, Norman and Pope were the top two vote-getters in the Republican primary on May 2, which necessitated the May 16 primary runoff. In the May 2 primary, the two candidates were separated by just 135 votes. Norman, if the result of the election holds, will face Democrat Archie Parnell and five independent candidates on the general election ballot on June 20. --------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, May 17 Trump administration allows purchase of ACA plans outside of Healthcare.gov - The [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services]( (CMS) issued guidance to allow insurers and insurance brokers to enroll individuals in [ACA-compliant]( health plans without using the federal platform Healthcare.gov. This means that in addition to enrolling consumers in coverage, insurers and brokers will also be able to determine eligibility for tax credits and reduced cost sharing. Previously, consumers would need to enroll through Healthcare.gov themselves, have a broker walk them through the site, or choose a plan through a broker’s website before being redirected to Healthcare.gov for tax credit determinations. - The [guidance memo]( stated that this action was intended to reduce what it deemed the regulatory burden on insurers and brokers who facilitate ACA health plan enrollment, and to stabilize the ACA risk pool by expanding enrollment. - Larry Levitt, Senior Vice President for Special Initiatives at the [Kaiser Family Foundation]( [said]( that the move could make the personal financial information of consumers more vulnerable as they provide it to various third parties. Sheriff David Clarke announces appointment at DHS - [Milwaukee County]( Sheriff [David Clarke]( announced in a radio interview that he had been offered and accepted a position in the [Department of Homeland Security](. According to Clarke, he has been hired as the department’s assistant secretary of partnership and engagement. In his interview, Clarke [said]( “One of the things that Secretary Kelly indicated to me was that oftentimes at the local level (law enforcement)feel it's one way, it's the government telling them you will do this you will do it this way.” DHS did not confirm the hiring on Wednesday, [saying]( that “senior positions are announced by the Department when made official by the Secretary.” Filing deadline passes for special election for Alabama senate seat - Registration closed to become a candidate for the [special election to fill the open U.S. Senate]( seat representing Alabama. [11 Republicans and 8 Democrats]( have filed to enter the race. The seat opened when [Sen. Jeff Sessions]( was confirmed as U.S. Attorney General. When Sessions ran for re-election in 2014, no Democratic candidates filed to run. The primary elections for the seat will be held on August 15, with runoffs on September 26 if no candidate reaches 50% in each party’s primary. The general election will be held on December 12. Former Gov. [Robert Bentley]( had announced his intent to allow his appointee for the seat, former Alabama Attorney General [Luther Strange]( to serve until the 2018 midterm elections, but following Bentley’s resignation, [Gov. Kay Ivey]( rescheduled the election to take place in 2017. Strange has filed to run and has been supported by the [Senate Leadership Fund](. Other notable candidates include: current U.S. House member Rep. [Mo Brooks]( (R), former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court [Roy Moore]( (R), former head of the Christian Coalition of Alabama Dr. [Randy Brinson]( (R), State Senator [Trip Pittman]( (R), executive director of Alabama environmental advocacy group Gasp, [Michael Hansen]( and former U.S. Attorney [Doug Jones]( (D). DOJ appoints special counsel to lead investigation into Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential election - Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein [named]( former FBI Director [Robert Mueller]( as the [special counsel]( in charge of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Rosenstein said in a statement, "Based upon the unique circumstances, the public interest requires me to place this investigation under the authority of a person who exercises a degree of independence from the normal chain of command. A special counsel is necessary in order for the American people to have full confidence in the outcome. Our nation is grounded on the rule of law, and the Public must be assured that government officials administer the law fairly." - The following day, Trump responded to the appointment of a special prosecutor to the Russia investigation in the following tweets: "This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history! With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special counsel appointed!" Trump administration imposes sanctions on Iran, but preserves nuclear deal for now - The Trump administration introduced new sanctions against Iran in connection with the country’s ballistic missile program and for continued human rights abuses. The administration has chosen to keep the [nuclear deal with Iran]( intact by waiving economic sanctions as outlined in the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]( (JCPOA), the formal name for the nuclear deal struck in 2015. Under the JCPOA, sanctions must be updated periodically. The administration is [continuing to review its Iran policy]( as Secretary of State [Rex Tillerson]( stated on April 18, 2017. A senior White House official [said]( that the administration is reviewing whether it will continue to adhere to the nuclear deal and noted that the waiver “should not be seen as giving Iran a clean bill of health.” - The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)  [sanctioned]( seven individuals and entities, including two senior Iranian defense officials and a China-based network for supporting Iran's ballistic missile program. Treasury Secretary [Steven Mnuchin]( said, "This Administration is committed to countering Iran's destabilizing behavior, such as Iran's development of ballistic missiles and support to the Assad regime.  It is alarming that individuals involved with Iran's missile program are assisting the brutal Assad regime, and we are taking action to curtail this behavior." Manning, who provided classified government materials to Wikileaks, released from prison - Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who was convicted of providing information to Wikileaks, was released from prison. Before he left office, President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s sentence. Manning served seven years of a 35-year sentence for “leaking hundreds of thousands of documents, one of the biggest classified leaks in U.S. history,” according to [The Wall Street Journal](. Read more about executive clemency and presidential pardons [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, May 18 ICE immigration-related arrests up nearly 38 percent over 2016 arrests  - [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]( [released statistics]( on the number of immigration-related arrests that have taken place following President Trump’s [January 25 executive order](. Between Jan. 22 and April 29, 2017, ICE arrested 41,318 individuals on civil immigration charges, a 37.6 percent increase over the same time period in 2016. The January 25 executive order expanded ICE’s enforcement priorities to include individuals eligible for removal who have committed any criminal offense or abused public benefits programs. Under the Obama administration, ICE had been directed to prioritize the removal of individuals who had committed serious crimes. The May 18 report stated that 75 percent, or 30,473, of the individuals arrested had been convicted of crimes. Beyond noting that 2,700 of these convictions were for violent crimes, the report did not provide specific details on the nature of the criminal convictions. Two Koch nonprofits launch tax plan campaign - [Americans for Prosperity]( and [Freedom Partners]( nonprofit organizations founded by [Charles]( and [David Koch]( a campaign]( to advocate a tax plan with similarities to the plan proposed by the Trump administration. The tax blueprint [would call for]( taxes to be revenue neutral and would not advocate a border adjustment tax, a value added tax on imported goods. Judicial nominee voted out of committee - The [Senate Judiciary Committee]( voted along party lines to report [Amul Thapar]( [President Trump's]( to the [U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit]( to the full U.S. Senate for confirmation. The vote was 11 Republicans in favor of reporting the nomination and eight Democrats against reporting the nomination. Senator [Mazie Hirono]( (D-Hawaii) did not vote on reporting the nominee. If confirmed by the Senate, Thapar will be the second confirmed [Article III judicial nominee]( this year; the other was U.S. Supreme Court Justice [Neil Gorsuch](. Under [rules changed]( by the [U.S. Senate]( in 2013, only a simple majority of senators will be required to end debate and proceed to a vote on Thapar's nomination, preventing the opportunity for senators to [filibuster]( the nomination. - For more on Trump’s potential for judicial nominees in his first term, read [our report.]( Roger Ailes dead at age 77 - Roger Ailes, who served as chairman and CEO of [Fox News]( from 1996 to 2016, [died at the age of 77](. Ailes was a former media advisor to Presidents [Richard Nixon]( [Ronald Reagan]( and [George H.W. Bush]( before helping to launch Fox News. Trump administration begins NAFTA renegotiation - President [Donald Trump]( formally notified Congress of his intent to renegotiate the [North American Free Trade Agreement]( (NAFTA). The notification begins a 90-day period of consultation, with formal negotiations with Canada and Mexico set to begin on August 16. According to U.S. Trade Representative [Robert E. Lighthizer]( the notification did not outline any specific details about what the administration intends to change in the agreement. In a statement released later in the day, the Mexican government [said it welcomes the opportunity]( and that NAFTA “has been of immense benefit to all parties. We look forward to a constructive process to increase our economic cooperation.” Canada’s foreign affairs minister stated that the renegotiation “offers us an opportunity to determine how we can best align NAFTA to new realities”, and that “NAFTA's track record is one of economic growth and middle-class job creation, both here in Canada and throughout North America.” DNC sends reinforcements to Georgia's 6th Congressional District - The [Democratic National Committee]( [announced]( that it was sending 10 field organizers to get out the vote for Democratic candidate [Jon Ossoff]( in the race to fill [Tom Price]( seat in [Georgia’s 6th Congressional District](. The approximately 78,000 black, Latino, and Asian American registered voters who did not participate in the [April 18 special election]( will be the focus of phone banks, canvassing, and driving pools on election day. Polling in the past two weeks has Ossoff and Republican candidate [Karen Handel]( separated by less than three percentage points. - The [House Majority PAC]( also announced that it would spend $500,000 on advertising and $200,000 on field efforts for Ossoff. - As of April 2017, the [Republican National Committee]( had [15 staffers]( in the district. --------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, May 19 Trump embarks on first foreign trip as president - President [Donald Trump]( departed Washington en route to Saudi Arabia, the first stop on an international trip that marks the first trip abroad for Trump as president. The trip will last for eight days and will take Trump to five different countries. Trump was expected to land in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 20. South Carolina completes recount of Republican runoff in SC-5 - Officials from eleven South Carolina counties [conducted a recount]( of the Republican primary runoff for [the special election]( to represent [South Carolina’s 5th]( the seat formerly held by [OMB Director Mick Mulvaney (R - S.C.)](. Upon completion of the recount, results were officially certified by the State Election Commission. Unofficial vote tallies from May 17 showed the race well within the 1% margin necessary to trigger a runoff, with former Rep. [Ralph Norman]( leading Rep. [Tommy Pope]( by 203 votes, 50.3% - 49.7%. The recount did not significantly change these results. The final vote count showed Norman defeating pope by a [margin of 221 votes]( with a total of about 35,000 votes cast, meaning that Norman will officially represent the Republican party on the June 20 ballot. Democrat [Archie Parnell]( and five independent candidates will also appear on the ballot. Former Congressman Anthony Weiner pleads guilty to federal felony charge - Former Congressman [Anthony Weiner]( (D-N.Y.) pled guilty to a federal felony charge of transferring obscene material to a minor. According to the [plea agreement]( Weiner must register as a sex offender and could face a sentence between 21 and 27 months in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2017. Congress is in session SCOTUS is in session The U.S. Senate will be in session Monday-Friday. The U.S. House will be in session Tuesday-Friday. The U.S. Supreme Court has concluded arguments for this term. The court will hold a non-argument session on Monday, May 23, in which orders are expected and in which opinions in pending cases may be announced. To date, the court has issued opinions in 33 of the 71 argued cases this term. What's On Tap Next Week [Donald Trump's Foreign Trip] Saturday, May 20 Trump to meet Saudi Arabian leaders - President [Donald Trump]( was expected to land in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a meeting with King Salman, the Saudi crown prince, and the deputy crown prince. Time magazine [reported]( Trump would be bringing [a $100 billion dollar arms agreement]( and that the leaders were likely to discuss regional issues such as [Iran]( [Syria]( and the war in Yemen. Earlier in the week, National Security Advisor [H.R. McMaster]( told the press that the president would also take part in a signing ceremony on several agreements that aimed to “further solidify U.S.-Saudi [security]( and economic cooperation.” --------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday, May 21 Sen. Bernie Sanders concludes a two day trip campaigning with Democrat Rob Quist in Montana - [Sen. Bernie Sanders]( (I - VT) is scheduled to campaign with Democrat [Rob Quist]( on May 20 and May 21 to support Quist’s efforts against Republican [Greg Gianforte]( in the [May 25 special election]( to fill [Montana’s lone U.S. House seat](. The events will take place in Missoula, Butte and Billings on Saturday, May 20 and in Bozeman on Sunday May 21. Polling has shown Gianforte to [have a lead of 8 to 15](. A Republican has held the seat since 1997. Libertarian [Mark Wicks]( will also be on the ballot on May 25. Trump to hold talks with Gulf Cooperation Council, lunch with leaders of more than 50 countries - [President Trump]( is expected to hold bilateral talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional political organization comprised of six countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. After the meeting, Trump will have lunch with the leaders of more than 50 majority-Muslim countries. National Security Advisor[H.R. McMaster]( stated that, after lunch, Trump will give a speech “on the need to confront radical ideology and his hopes, the president’s hopes, for a peaceful vision of Islam to dominate across the world. The speech is intended to unite the broader Muslim world against common enemies of all civilization and to demonstrate America’s commitment to our Muslim partners.” - For more, see [the Trump administration on the Islamic State and terrorism]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, May 22 DeVos to detail federal education policy - Education Secretary [Betsy DeVos]( is [scheduled]( to speak at a summit for the [American Federation for Children]( organization she chaired prior to joining the Trump administration. DeVos’ speech is [expected]( to outline federal education policies under the Trump administration, including an education tax credit scholarship proposal. Trump’s international trip takes him to Israel - On Monday, [Donald Trump]( is expected to arrive in Israel, the second stop on his eight-day, five country foreign trip. There, Trump will meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem. He will then lay a wreath at the World Holocaust Remembrance Center and give remarks before heading for a private meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. - For more, see [the Trump administration on Israel and Palestine]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, May 23 Trump to meet with Palestinian leadership, visit religious sites in Jerusalem - As part of an eight-day, five country foreign trip, President [Donald Trump]( will meet with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, in Bethlehem. Later that day, Trump is expected to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. NBC News [reported]( that Trump will be the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall. In what was described as a private visit, no Israeli leaders will join Trump at the Western Wall. Later that day, Trump will also visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. - For more, see [the Trump administration on Israel and Palestine]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, May 24 Trump departs Middle East for European leg of foreign trip - President [Donald Trump]( is expected to arrive in Vatican City on Wednesday for a meeting with Pope Francis. ABC News reported that, during a question and answer session on May 13, Pope Francis said, “I will tell him what I think, he will tell me what he thinks, but I never wanted to judge someone before I listen to the person first.” The meeting comes as reports indicated Trump was considering Callista Gingrich, the wife of former Speaker of the House [Newt Gingrich]( as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, which is the formal name for the diplomatic post to the Vatican. After the meeting with Pope Francis, Trump was expected to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella before departing Italy. --------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, May 25 Montana holds special election for at-large congressional seat - [Rob Quist]( (D), [Greg Gianforte]( (R), and [Mark Wicks]( (L) will compete in the race to fill the seat left vacant by [Ryan Zinke]( (R), who was confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior in March. [Montana's At-Large District]( has been held by a Republican since 1997. More than $12 million has [poured]( into this race with outside organizations spending $450,000 to oppose Gianforte and $4 million to oppose Quist. Trump to meet with EU and NATO leaders in Belgium - [President Trump]( is expected to land in Belgium on Thursday. He will hold meetings with King Philippe and Prime Minister Charles Michel before a scheduled meeting with European Union leaders and European Council presidents at the E.U. headquarters in Brussels. Trump will also meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Brussels before unveiling a memorial and holding meetings at NATO headquarters later that day. - For more, see [the Trump administration on NATO]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, May 26 Trump travels to Sicily for G7 meeting - [President Trump]( will head the U.S. delegation on the final leg of his first foreign trip at the two-day Group of Seven (G7) meeting in Taormina, Sicily. The president will meet with leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The G7 is a group of industrialized democracies that meet to discuss economic and political issues. In March 2014, the G7 suspended Russia from what was the Group of Eight (G8) after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine. After the meeting concludes on Saturday, Trump is expected to address American and allied military personnel and their families before returning to Washington, D.C. - For more, see [the Trump administration on Russia]( Where was the president last week? President [Donald Trump]( met with leaders from Jordan, Turkey, and Colombia in Washington this week. Trump also gave the commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, on Wednesday. On Friday, Trump departed for Saudi Arabia, the first stop on his first international trip as president. Federal Judiciary - 139 total federal judicial vacancies - 10 pending nominations - 22 future vacancies Ballotpedia depends on the support of our readers. The Lucy Burns Institute, publisher of Ballotpedia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Donations to the Lucy Burns Institute or Ballotpedia do not support any candidates or campaigns. [Donate Securely Online]( Decide which emails you receive from Ballotpedia. [Unsubscribe or adjust your preference]( Ballotpedia The Encyclopedia of American Politics 8383 Greenway Blvd., Suite 600 Middleton, WI 53562 [Facebook]( [Twitter](