Trump administration curtails review of mining ban on land near Boundary Waters

The Trump administration will curtail a detailed review of how cordoning off 230,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in Minnesota from mining development will affect a neighboring wilderness area, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. The decision to convert the study launched in the final days of the Obama administration into a less-stringent environmental assessment could have major policy implications.

Mueller questioned 20 White House employees in Russia probe

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, speaks with reporters following a vote, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. The Senate Judiciary Committee is finishing its investigation into the meeting between Russians and President Donald Trump's campaign in June 2016 - and Grassley wants to release transcripts from closed-door interviews with Trump's son and others.

Texas Democrat risks rising-star status in long-shot race

He's running for U.S. Senate but as the Sunday morning sun rose over a park near the Texas-Mexico border, Democratic Congressman Beto O'Rourke had another run in mind. Wearing well-worn shorts and sneakers, the onetime punk rock guitarist was leading a group of supporters on a jog around a duck-dotted pond.

Trump denies Times report that he ordered Mueller fired

President Donald Trump demanded the firing of special counsel Robert Mueller last June but backed down after White House lawyer Don McGahn threatened to resign, according to a New York Times report that Trump quickly dismissed Friday as "fake news." The newspaper reported that Trump demanded Mueller's firing just weeks after the special counsel was first appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

in Re: Kenneth Humphrey

Attorneys for Petitioner: Civil Rights Corps Alec Karakatsanis Jeff Adachi, San Francisco Public Defender Matt Gonzalez Chief Attorney Paul Myslin Deputy Public Defender Attorneys for Respondent: Attorney General of California Xavier Becerra Gerald A. Engler Chief Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey M. Laurence Senior Assistant Attorney General Seth K. Schalit Supervising Deputy Attorney General Katie L. Stowe Deputy Attorney General Nearly forty years ago, during an earlier incarnation, the present Governor of this state declared in his State of the State Address that it was necessary for the Legislature to reform the bail system, which he said constituted an unfair "tax on poor people in California.

Trump immigration plan unites all sides in opposition

Two young "dreamer" immigrants were joined by Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas outside the Capitol building on Friday to urge lawmakers for their support. This file photo taken on Oct. 5, 2017 shows protesters during a demonstration against President Trump during a rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals , near the Trump Tower in New York.

Trump wanted Mueller fired back in June, reportsa

Trump gave the order to fire the man leading the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, but he backed down after the top White House counsel told him the firing would decimate public confidence in the presidency, reports say President Donald Trump says he's "looking forward" to being interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump says he'd be willing to answer questions under oath.

Trump plan offers immigrant group path to citizenship

President Donald Trump is proposing a plan that provides a path to citizenship for 1.8 million of the so-called "Dreamer" immigrants, tighter restrictions on legal immigration and $25 billion in border security, the White House said, putting forward an outline likely to find resistance from some of Trump's conservative allies. Senior White House officials offered a preview of Trump's immigration framework Thursday, casting it as a compromise that could pass the Senate.

Another Republican lawmaker will not seek re-election after sex harassment claim

Republican U.S. Representative Patrick Meehan, who used taxpayer money to settle a former staffer's sexual harassment claim, will not run for re-election, a spokesman for House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday. Meehan, 62, who has represented his southeastern Pennsylvania district since 2011, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump’s proposed immigration plan offers citizenship path to 1.8 million ‘Dreamers’

U.S. President Donald Trump is proposing a plan that provides a path to citizenship for 1.8 million of the so-called "Dreamer" immigrants, tighter restrictions on legal immigration and $25-billion in border security, the White House said, putting forward an outline likely to find resistance from some of Trump's conservative allies. Senior White House officials offered a preview of Trump's immigration framework Thursday, casting it as a compromise that could pass the Senate.

Leaked Memo: Trump Admin to Boost Use of Private Prisons While Slashing Federal Staff

The Trump administration is following through on its promise to use more private contract prisons, with the Justice Department seeking to identify inmates to transfer out of government-owned facilities and to cut federal guard positions. The Bureau of Prisons has the stated goal of "increasing population levels in private contract facilities," according to a memorandum sent by the agency's Assistant Director for Correctional Programs Division Frank Lara on Wednesday and obtained by Government Executive .

GAO Puts Security Clearance Process Back on High Risk List

The Government Accountability Office announced Thursday that it is adding the federal government's security clearance process to its High Risk List of federal programs that require broad transformation or specific reforms. The National Background Investigations Bureau, which is responsible for the process, has struggled to deal with the volume of applications for security clearances, required for many government jobs.

Senator may release Russia interviews of Trump Jr., others

The Senate Judiciary Committee is finishing its investigation into the meeting between Russians and President Donald Trump's campaign in June 2016 - and the committee chairman wants to release transcripts from closed-door interviews with Trump's son and others. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley says he wants to work out an agreement with Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California to release transcripts from interviews with Donald Trump Jr. and others who attended the campaign meeting in Trump Tower.

Judiciary chairman plans to release Donald Trump Jr. transcript

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said Thursday he wants to release the transcript of the committee's closed-door interview with Donald Trump Jr., joining Democrats on the committee who have pressed to make it public. Grassley said he will now move to release all of the panel's interviews involving the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between a Russian lawyer and Trump Jr., the President's son-in-law Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort.