US Immigration. 2/2021: Investigation of/ Reaction to SD AG Ravnsborg's fatal car crash. US Census 2020. New US Postmaster General undermines US Postal Service Right Before Natural Election. 1/25: What the Roger Stone Indictment Left Out: How He Helped Russia Attack the 2016 Election. Lynne Sladky/AP Looking for news you can trust?
Subscribe to our free newsletters. Roger Stone, the conniving conspiracy theorist and self-proclaimed dirty trickster whose motto is “admit nothing, deny everything,” was indicted Friday morning by special counsel Robert Mueller for allegedly lying to the House intelligence committee about his efforts to interact with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential campaign. The indictment presents a strong case that Stone, a longtime adviser to President Donald Trump, engineered a post-election coverup, and it maintains that the Republican operative was in contact with the Trump camp regarding WikiLeaks’ actions while the campaign was underway.
1/23: Upcoming Senate votes to end shutdown: A closer look. JAN 2019: Existing US Fed Workforce Spirals Into Exhausted Decline. 1/17: The circular firing squad: Mueller targets turn on each other. 1/16: New Prime Inc. v Oliveira decision. 1/16: 'Unpresidented': Fake edition of Washington Post claims Trump resigned. 1/11: Air Traffic Controllers Union Sues Trump. Photo: Dylan Ashe via Wikimedia Commons The National Air Traffic Controllers Association on Friday sued the Trump administration over the continued partial government shutdown, saying airline controllers are being deprived ”of their hard-earned compensation without the requisite due process.”
Benefits of a Digital Membership: Free access to 5 articles* every 30 days Access to the entire ALM network of websites Unlimited access to the ALM suite of newsletters Build custom alerts on any search topic of your choosing Search by a wide range of topics *May exclude premium contentAlready have an account? 1/11: Cortez quotes Alan Moore, secures nerd vote for eternity. 1/10: NC county commission loses suit to hold prayer before each public meeting, must pay ACLU fees. A federal judge found the way the Rowan County Commission prayed before public meetings unconstitutional.
An appeals court eventually agreed and the Supreme Court last summer declined to hear the case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, federal court records show. Now the county will have to pay the ACLU’s legal bills for the five-year legal fight: $285,000. On Monday, County Commission members voted to pay the bill, the Salisbury Post reports. “We are obviously very unhappy with this and I think a few of us are, probably, physically sick to our stomach that we have to do this, but this is the risk that we took,” County Commission Chair Greg Edds said, according to the newspaper. The lawsuit dates back to 2013 when three Rowan County residents sued the county commission over the public prayer at the beginning of each meeting, according to court filings. 1/5/19: Mueller's Investigation Grand Jury Granted 6-Mo Extension. The grand jury in Robert Mueller’s probe into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and any Russian government links to the Donald Trump campaign, has been extended by six months.
The jury was impaneled on June 6, 2017, with its term set to expire this weekend. Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted the request with the grand jury’s term set to expire Sunday. “The chief judge confirms that grand jury 17-1 has been extended,” an aide to Howell told Politico Friday. 1/4: Trump officials may receive huge raises while govt workers remain unpaid. The Washington Post reports that without legislation to continue a pay-cap it appears senior Trump officials including Vice-President Pence will receive pay raises.
The raises appear to be an intended consequence of the shutdown: When lawmakers failed to pass bills on Dec. 21 to fund multiple federal agencies, they allowed an existing pay freeze to lapse. Congress enacted a law capping pay for top federal executives in 2013 and renewed it each year. The raises will occur because that cap will expire without legislative action by Saturday, allowing raises that have accumulated over those years but never took effect to kick in, starting with paychecks that will be issued next week. Cabinet secretaries, for example, would be entitled to a jump in annual salary from $199,700 to $210,700. 1/3: Nancy Pelosi Just Outlined Her Agenda for the Most Diverse Congress Ever. Thank you, Leader McCarthy.
I look forward to working with you in a bipartisan way for the good of our country, respecting the constituents who sent each of us here. Every two years, we gather in this chamber for a sacred ritual. Under the dome of this temple of our democracy, the Capitol of the United States, we renew our great American experiment. I am particularly proud to be the woman Speaker of the House of this Congress, which marks 100 years of women winning the right to vote, as we serve with more than 100 women in the House of Representatives – the highest number in history. Each of us comes to this chamber strengthened by the trust of our constituents and the love of our families. 1/1: Kim Jong-un hopes to extend high-stakes nuclear summitry w/Trump or else. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has revealed his hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summitry with President Donald Trump into 2019, but also warns the US not to test North Koreans’ patience with sanctions and pressure.
During his televised New Year’s speech, Kim said he’s ready to meet with Trump at any time to produce an outcome “welcomed by the international community.” However, he said the North will be forced to take a different path if the United States “continues to break its promises and misjudges our patience by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushes ahead with sanctions and pressure.” Kim also said the United States should continue to halt its joint military exercises with ally South Korea and not deploy strategic military assets to the South.
Some analysts say North Korea has been trying to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul while putting the larger burden of action on the United States. 2/27/19: Cohen testifies before Congress. 2/21: Stone gets full gag order after posting image of judge with gun crosshairs. The federal judge overseeing Roger Stone’s case has barred him from publicly talking about the case, after he posted an image on Instagram earlier this week that appeared to show gun crosshairs by her head.
That means the former Trump campaign adviser cannot post on social media, talk to news publications, or release statements if it has anything to do with his ongoing prosecution in the Mueller probe. Previously, Stone had been under a partial gag order that only somewhat limited his speech. "Defendant may not speak publicly about the investigation or the case or anyone participating in the investigation or case, period. You apparently need clear boundaries, so here they are,” Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Thursday, according to reporters at the D.C. courthouse. "This is not baseball. Stone apologized profusely for the Instagram post, which he has since deleted. "I have acute financial stress,” Stone, 66, reportedly said.
"Thank you, but the apology rings quite hollow," Jackson responded. 2/20: Multimillion$ ties link EPA official w/ secretive industry group. The nation’s biggest coal-burning power companies paid a top lobbying firm millions of dollars to fight a wide range of Obama-era environmental rules, documents obtained by POLITICO reveal — shortly before one of the firm’s partners became President Donald Trump’s top air pollution regulator.
Now that ex-partner, Bill Wehrum, is aggressively working to undo many of those same regulations at the EPA, where he is an assistant administrator in charge of issues including climate change, smog and power plants’ mercury pollution. Story Continued Below Wehrum’s past role as a utility lobbyist is well-known, but the documents reveal never-before-disclosed details of how extensively his old firm, formerly called Hunton & Williams, worked to coordinate the power industry’s strategy against the Obama administration’s regulations.
POLITICO obtained 26 pages of briefing materials distributed to members of an umbrella group of utilities Wehrum represented while at the firm. 2/15/19 Trump declares no wall = national emergency. 2/13: The deal with the Green New Deal. 2/12: El Paso Co Commissioners pass resolution rebuking Trump for continuously making inaccurate claims about US southern border. Officials in El Paso, Texas passed a bipartisan resolution on Monday condemning President Donald Trump’s false statements regarding the safety of the city.
The resolution was posted to Twitter Monday afternoon. El Paso County passes a resolution saying it is “disillusioned by President Trump’s lies regarding the border and our community,” citing past false statements and the likelihood of new ones at rally tonight. pic.twitter.com/cjtXEkyTOS— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) February 11, 2019 “Donald Trump has continuously made inaccurate claims about the United States’ southern border, including El Paso,” the resolution said, citing data from Customs and Border Protection that showed that “no crisis exists” on the border.
The resolution also said that Trump never conferred with city officials to get accurate information, and pointed out that the president actually shared his incorrect assertions with local leaders. This is false. El Paso was NEVER one of the MOST dangerous cities in the US. 2/12: Trump supporter attacks BBC cameraman at El Paso rally.
Media playback is unsupported on your device A supporter of US President Donald Trump has attacked a BBC cameraman at a campaign rally in El Paso, Texas. Sporting a Make America Great Again cap, the man shoved and swore at the BBC's Ron Skeans and other news crews before being pulled away. 2/10: Fed judges were right: OH gerrymandering lawsuit should go forward: editorial. No one considers the Ohio House of Representatives a good-government seminar. But the Republican-run House made operational moves this week, orchestrated by Republican Speaker Larry Householder, of Perry County’s Glenford, in the direction of bipartisanship – a stark contrast to presidential and congressional chaos in Washington.
Meanwhile, also as part of this week’s session, Ohio House Democrats formally chose the new caucus leader they designated in January, Rep. Emilia Sykes, of Akron. She replaces Rep. Fred Strahorn, of Dayton. The House’s moves suggest that Householder, a crafty politico, may think Washington-style confrontations are becoming a losing proposition. In January, in a 52-46 vote, Householder, speaker from 2001 through 2004, made a stunning comeback by defeating fellow Republican Rep. Republicans now have a 61-38 House majority. 2/7: Reps Waters & Green Request Documents from Consumer Bureau on Recent Settlements. WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, and Congressman Al Green (D-TX), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, wrote to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger to request documents relating to recent settlements that do not require companies that have violated the law to provide redress to consumers who have been harmed.
“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“Consumer Bureau”) has recently announced several settlements against entities for engaging in unlawful practices without requiring the payment of redress to consumers harmed by the illegal conduct,” the lawmakers wrote. “This stands in stark contrast to the Consumer Bureau’s practice under the leadership of former Director Cordray. In the letter, the lawmakers requested documents regarding recent Consumer Bureau settlements with Sterling Jewelers Inc., Enova International, Inc, and NDG Financial Corp. et al. 2/7/19: AOC dissects US's 'fundamentally broken' campaign finance laws.
2/6: VA Atty General Herring, 2nd in line as Gov, also wore blackface. Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. Feb. 6, 2019, 4:52 PM GMT / Updated Feb. 6, 2019, 8:41 PM GMT. 2/6/19: Chairman Schiff's Statement on House Intelligence Committee Investigation. Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement following the Committee’s organizational meeting: 2/3: Tough Federal Judge Tells Roger Stone It’s Time to Shut Up. 2/1: Some call for VA Gov. Northam's resignation after discovery of yearbook pic of men in blackface, Klan robe. 3/27/19: Atty Rashad James files complaint against Harford Co. Sheriff’s Office. 3/21/19+: Mueller concludes investigation. 3/21: EXCUTV ORDER: Colleges *must* keep doing what they do. 3/14/19: The Strongmen Strike Back.
3/5: Lawmakers push for Medicaid managed care reform. SPRINGFIELD – Democratic state leaders said Tuesday that Illinois’ “managed care” Medicaid system is threatening the viability of hospitals and access to health care in many parts of the state, and they are pushing legislation they say would reform the system. “We have a broken managed care program in Illinois, and it’s threatening the very future of our health care providers and the patients they serve all around this state,” Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford said during a news conference unveiling the legislation. Under the managed care system, which Illinois launched in 2011, insurance companies are paid a flat, per-patient monthly fee to manage the care of most Medicaid recipients.
These managed care organizations, or MCOs, are required to reimburse health care providers and make sure patients receive follow-up care with specialists, therapists or rehabilitation facilities following a medical procedure. Lightford and Rep. 3/1: ICE must release 9 babies in TX detention facility, advocates say. Immigrant advocates are demanding the immediate release of at least nine infants under the age of 1, and their moms, from ICE custody in a South Texas detention facility lacking adequate medical care for this "vulnerable population.
" MAR 19: Conservatives React Differently to Disgusting Pictures. I. “My Jaw Dropped” 7/23/19: Misguided Trump Administration Rule Would Take Basic Food Assistance From Working Families, Seniors, and People With Disabilities. 7/23/19: Trump Administration Moving to End Food Stamps for 3 Million People. 7/12/19: Jim Crow’s fingerprints are on Florida’s new voting law. 7/3: Crown Act- California 1st state to ban hair discrimination. SportsPulse: In 2018, is it fair for athletes to have to choose competition over lifestyle? Trysta Krick gets reaction from Alabama and Oklahoma players on the viral video of the New Jersey wrestler who had to cut his dreadlocks to compete in a match. 6/25/19: Illinois legalizes recreational marijuana. Recreational marijuana is now roughly six months away from being legal across Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law Tuesday.
That means residents 21 and over will be able to buy marijuana at dispensaries as soon as Jan. 1. 6/23/19: Ravelry- premier fiber arts site- bans Trump. I’m so excited, I can hardly work the keyboard properly. I’m a weaver, a sometimes spinner, and a knitter and I spend a lot of time on a site for people like me called Ravelry. 6/20/19: AOC’s Critics Are Pretending Not to Know How Language Works. However, Ocasio-Cortez’s defenders are being a bit coy here, turning a blind eye (or ear) to her using the resonance of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen in her choice of words. The reason the term concentration camp is so rhetorically effective is not, let’s face it, due to its reference to places like the Soviet Gulag. Just as many people of late use white supremacy as a stand-in for racism because it summons images of lynching and burning crosses, one says “concentration camp” in order to summon grisly black-and-white images of horror from 1940s Europe.
The right cries foul—as did the left when Sarah Palin was cawing “Don’t retreat, reload” back in 2011, even in the wake of the shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords. 6/3: Nancy Pelosi Is Smart, Part 895. 5/29: Maine Is 17th State to Ban Use of Conversion Therapy on Minors. 5/29: Justin Amash Won Debates After His Call for Impeachment. Trump / Pence Domestic Gag Rule. 5/14/19: Alabama lawmakers ban abortion. 5/7: Trump asking courts to hold that the Constitution doesn’t apply to liberals. US Politics: Live ____ The Guardian.