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Tuesday, November 30, 2021

OnPolitics: The fate of Trump's Jan. 6 documents ... TBD

Tuesday, November 30

President Donald Trump arrives to speak to supporters in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6th, 2021.

OnPolitics: The fate of Trump's Jan. 6 documents ... TBD

Former President Trump has contested the release of hundreds of pages of documents the committee subpoenaed under a claim of executive privilege.

Good afternoon, OnPolitics readers!

A judge blocked the federal government on Monday from mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers in ten states.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp in the Eastern District of Missouri wrote in his ruling that regulations handed down by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid earlier this month were issued improperly.

The agency did not get the necessary approval from Congress to mandate vaccinations for health care workers, Schelp wrote.

Which states were involved? Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt led the lawsuit, alongside Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Hampshire. Schelp's order blocks the federal government from requiring providers in those states to require vaccination for workers.

It's Amy and Mabinty with today's top stories.

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Trump's Jan. 6 records are on the line

Who decides what presidential documents should remain confidential?

That's the fundamental question a three-judge federal appeals panel grappled with Tuesday in former President Donald Trump's case to prevent a House committee from receiving records from his administration.

Trump contested the release of hundreds of pages of documents the committee subpoenaed from the National Archives and Records Administration under a claim of executive privilege to keep the communications confidential. The records include handwritten notes and logs of calls on Jan. 6 to Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.

What documents does Trump not want to release? The records include handwritten notes and logs of calls on Jan. 6 to Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. Judges on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals have temporarily blocked release of the contested documents while the case is pending.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan previously rejected Trump's arguments by ruling that President Joe Biden's waiver of executive privilege outweighed the opinion of his predecessor. Trump is appealing that decision.

Real quick: stories you'll want to read

•	Didn't get a vaccine? You still have some time: Most federal workers who failed to meet the Nov. 22 deadline to get vaccinated against the coronavirus will not risk being suspended or losing their jobs until next year.
•	Biden's 'Climate Cabinet': In an administration taking a whole-of-government approach to tackling climate change, there are stand-out leaders and liaisons influencing Biden's agenda. These are some of the top officials building Biden's climate program.
•	The battle over abortion: The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a major challenge to Mississippi's 15-week ban.

Mark Meadows backs down

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is now cooperating with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, possibly averting a contempt citation for defying the panel's subpoena for documents and testimony.

"Mr. Meadows has been engaging with the Select Committee through his attorney," committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said Tuesday. "He has produced records to the committee and will soon appear for an initial deposition."

The background: The committee subpoenaed Meadows on Sept. 23 for his communications with Trump on Jan. 6 and with organizers of a rally where the president spoke before a mob attacked the Capitol.

The committee also seeks information about Meadows contacting the Justice Department requesting investigations into election fraud in several states and encouraging several state officials to investigate allegations of election fraud. More than 60 election lawsuits were dismissed because of lack of standing or merit.

This #GivingTuesday consider giving to a favorite charity and also giving yourself a break. — Amy and Mabinty

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