It’s been an eventful week in Trumpworld. So eventful, in fact, you may have already forgotten some key developments.
Here are some important stories you may have lost sight of (hold the Russian salad dressing).
1. Congress deletes Internet privacy protections
President Trump famously eschews computers and said, “I don’t do the email thing.” But the latest in online privacy is now in his hands.
The House voted Tuesday to repeal Internet privacy protections approved by the FCC in the waning days of the Obama administration. The rules, which would have required that Internet service providers get your permission before collecting and sharing data like your web-browsing history, had not yet gone into effect.
The Senate voted to roll back the rules last week. Republicans argued the mandate burdens broadband providers while Internet companies like Google and Facebook would get off scot-free.
But the backlash online has been fierce. Privacy advocates, consumer groups and the tech community are all assailing the decision.
2. Trump v. China – Important timing edition
Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago in one week. He set it up on Thursday by targeting trade with China.
“The meeting next week with China will be a very difficult one in that we can no longer have massive trade deficits and job losses,” he said on Twitter. “American companies must be prepared to look at other alternatives.”
He didn’t elaborate, but he plans to close out the week by signing two executive orders aimed at combating foreign trade practices the White House calls abusive.
3. Gearing up for NAFTA talks
The White House indicated it intends to begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.
It’s no surprise — Trump once called NAFTA the “worst trade deal in history.” But the pushback has already been intense.
Three of NAFTA’s architects said it would be disastrous to tear up the deal. One called protectionism “an atomic bomb for trade.”
A draft memo from the White House to Congress obtained by CNNMoney indicates the Trump team wants to bring back tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods.
4. Are libel laws back in play?
Trump is once again complaining about the country’s libel laws.
In a Thursday morning tweet, Trump shared a column that criticized how the New York Times has covered him.
“The failing @nytimes has disgraced the media world,” Trump said. “Gotten me wrong for two solid years. Change libel laws?”
A year ago, Trump said that as president he would “open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money.”
That’s easier said than done. There is no federal libel law, aside from protections afforded by the First Amendment.
5. State retirement plans may be D.O.A.
Dozens of states are trying to make it easier for workers to save for retirement — but Congress may stop them in their tracks.
A number of state-sponsored IRA plans are currently in the works. They aim to help small business employees without access to retirement savings plans like a 401(k) at work.
But the House voted along party lines last month to void an Obama-era rule that paved the way for these plans. On Thursday, the Senate narrowly passed a bill that takes another step toward finalizing the repeal.
Republicans say Obama’s Department of Labor created a loophole that allows the plans to circumvent a consumer protection law, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims state-sponsored plans would create a patchwork of laws across the country that will make things hard for small business owners.
Congress needs to pass two resolutions to roll back the DOL rule. The House has passed both, and the Senate has passed one. If the chamber approves the other, the pair will be sent to Trump.
6. Treasury secretary plugs his ‘Lego’ movie
A Democratic lawmaker said Monday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin may have violated government ethics rules last week when he promoted “The Lego Batman Movie” during an interview.
Asked to recommend a film, Mnuchin said, “I am not promoting any product. But you should send all your kids to ‘Lego Batman.'”
Mnuchin is one of the movie’s executive producers, and federal ethics rules bar executive branch employees from endorsing products. He’s since sent a letter of apology to the Office of Government Ethics.