Progressive Briefing for Thursday, August 2, 2018

Warren urges delay in confirmation vote for CFPB Director, new President of Mexico vows to ban fracking, Portland cracks down on fossil fuels, and more.

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Warren urges delay in confirmation vote for CFPB Director until release of Zero-Tolerance documents

After President Donald Trump’s pick for Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director, Kathy Kraninger, refused to disclose all the documents relating to her involvement in the separation of thousands of children from their families at the U.S. southern border, Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent a letter on Wednesday addressed to the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Mike Crapo, urging him to postpone a Committee vote on Kraninger’s nomination.

Newly elected President of Mexico, Lopez Obrador, vows to ban fracking

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who won the election to become Mexico’s President on July 1, stated in a press conference that he will ban the horizontal drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) upon assuming the office on December 1.

The announcement would be a devastating blow to the oil and gas industry, which had its eyes set on drilling in Mexico’s northern frontier in an area known as the Burgos Basin. The Burgos is a southern extension of the Eagle Ford Shale, a prolific field situated in Texas.

Portland’s efforts to crack down on fossil fuels just won big

Oregon’s Supreme Court has handed a major victory to Portland, upholding the city’s right to greatly restrict fossil fuel infrastructure. The measure has been a source of controversy and considerable back-and-forth over the past few years as business groups have sought to challenge the ordinance.

On Tuesday, the court declined to review a Oregon Court of Appeals decision issued in January that affirmed Portland’s constitutional right to prohibit new fossil fuel infrastructure, including storage and distribution terminals for oil and gas.

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