Bill seeks park status for New Mexico’s stunning white dunes

A vast expanse of shifting white sand dunes in southern New Mexico would be elevated from a national monument to a national park under legislation proposed Friday by one of the state's senators. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat, made the announcement while visiting the state as part of a multiday tour that also included looking at the potential for more outdoor recreation elsewhere as New Mexico and other western states promote their wide open spaces in hopes of attracting more tourists and more money.

Senator Manchin speaks to WVU-P grads

U.S. Sen Joe Manchin told the West Virginia University at Parkersburg Class of 2018 they hit the jackpot living in the United States, but to maintain what lies before them will take work Manchin, D-W.Va., told the graduates they, like many others before them, probably had times when they thought they would not reach their goals of graduating. "How many times did you think you were not going to make it, how many times did you think you could not afford it," "Thinking about those in the back of the room, how many of them made the extra effort, how many of them made a sacrifice and how many times did you take it for granted."

Pelosi says Democrats have cash and environment to win House

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that House Democrats have the fundraising, the issues and the political atmosphere on their side to win back the majority in November. These factors, and an activated party base that's helped Democrats win in special elections across the country this year are the "small droplets of water" that create a wave, Pelosi said headlining a county Democratic Party banquet in Des Moines.

High Stakes for GOP in Vicious Primaries Being Decided on Tuesday

Control of the House and Senate won't be determined until November, but this week will point to where both parties go from here. In West Virginia, one Republican primary candidate has waged an all-out racist assault against the Senate leader of his own party.

Trump-Pence rally grows for Indiana attack on Sen. Joe Donnelly

President Trump and Vice President Pence are moving their post-primary Indiana visit to a venue with more seats, all the bigger to begin their campaign attacks on Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly. The rally is being moved from South Bend to Elkhart to "accommodate more Hoosiers," according to a news release from the Trump-Pence re-election campaign.

A surprise from our post-modern president

Much has been said and written about President Donald Trump's liberal use of exaggeration and metaphor, and the questionable relationship between what he says and what most people consider the truth. From a philosophical point of view it might be said that he is our first post-modern president, using the term to denote the Nietzschean school of thought that holds that all truth is relative and metaphorical.

Hawaii volcano destroys 9 homes, spews lava 200 feet upward

This photo provided by Hawaii Electric Light shows Mohala Street in Leiliani Estates near the town of Pahoa on Hawaii's Big Island that is blocked by a lava flow from the eruption of Kilauea volcano. The Kilauea volcano sent more lava into Hawaii communities Friday, May 4, 2018, a day after forcing more than 1,500 people to flee from their mountainside homes, and authorities detected high levels of sulfur gas that could threaten the elderly and people with breathing problems.

As Trump prepares plan to lower drug prices, big pharma girds for a fight

Big Pharma is pouring money into a lobbying campaign to thwart any serious efforts to rein in prescription drug prices before a presidential speech this month where Trump plans to lay out his drug pricing proposals. "There is apprehension across the industry," said Bruce Artim, who retired recently after 11 years as the director of federal affairs at Eli Lilly and Co.

Sarah Sanders says Democrats who don’t support Haspel are ‘hypocrites’

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders added some additional controversy to the confirmation hearings for CIA director nominee Gina Haspel on Saturday with a tweet calling out Democrats who may not support Haspel, but do support "women's empowerment." Sanders said any Democrats who "claims to support women's empowerment and our national security but opposes her nomination is a total hypocrite."

Trump floats ‘closing country for a while’

Washington, May 6 - US President Donald Trump has floated a new idea about border security, saying that people might have to think about closing up the country, the media reported. They don't want the wall but we're going to get the wall, even if we have to think about closing up the country for a while, CNN quoted Trump as saying during a tax reform roundtable in Ohio on Saturday.

Race pits Democrat labeled ‘moderate,’ 3 called progressives

In the four-way primary for central Arkansas' congressional seat, the Democrats' positions on health care -- three support a single-payer solution and the other favors a Medicare buy-in proposal -- reflect the tenor of the race's debate. Clarke Tucker, an attorney and two-term state lawmaker, has been painted by pundits and his three opponents as the more moderate choice.

Immigration laws foolish, Trump insists

President Donald Trump renewed a threat to close down the federal government when current funding runs out in September if immigration changes and money for a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico aren't forthcoming. "We may have to close up our country to get this straight," Trump said Saturday during an event in Cleveland focused on the benefits of the 2017 Republican tax overhaul.

Divisive former coal baron at center of party-backed super PAC primary fight

Former coal mogul Don Blankenship is at the center of a party-backed, super PAC , Senate primary fight in West Virginia as groups with obscure names and undisclosed donors spend millions. The proxy fight -- an effort to sway the Republican primary by influencing whether Blankenship makes it onto the ballot in November - has made the Senate bid one of the most expensive races so far this year.