Are We Witnessing the Birth of a New Democratic Party?

Two weeks after a crushing defeat in an election in which Democrats thought they were playing to their strengths of sober competence and tolerance in the face of extremism, a change has already occurred. Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is acting as the voice of the party far more frequently than anyone could have imagined just a few years ago.

Tim Ryan Vows to Be One-Term Minority Leader if Democrats Lose in 2018

Ohio Democrat Tim Ryan is running against California Democrat Nancy Pelosi for House Minority Leader. Ohio Democrat Tim Ryan said in an interview Tuesday night that if he's elected House Minority Leader next week and Democrats don't take back the majority in 2018, he won't run again for a second term.

Can Trump Survive the Media Onslaught?

Dan Scavino , who now carries the title of Director of Social Media & Senior Advisor to President-elect Trump. Scavino has a fascinating bio and has worked for Trump nearly half his life, including as the former Executive Vice President and General Manager of Trump National Golf Club, Westchester.

Clinton campaign urged to challenge election results’

In a new twist in the US Elections, a number of top computer scientists are urging Hillary Clinton's campaign for a recount of vote totals in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, according to a source with knowledge of the request, reports CNN. The computer scientists believe they have found evidence that vote totals in the three states could have been manipulated or hacked and presented their findings to top Clinton aides on a call last Thursday, according to CNN.

Biden spokeswoman: VP won’t run DNC

A spokeswoman for Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he isn't interested in leading the Democratic National Committee after he leaves office in January. "The vice president is not interested in being DNC chair, but he intends to remain deeply involved in helping shape the direction of the Democratic Party moving forward," Kate Bedingfield said in a statement.

Report: Democrat Harold Ford Jr. Considered for Trump Post

Ford served five terms in Congress from 1997 to 2007 following the retirement of his father Harold Ford Sr., who had served the same district since 1983. He currently lives in New York and works for Morgan Stanley, but is a frequent guest on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," where he offers political commentary.

Rubio Mum on 2018 Florida Senate Race

Sen. Marco Rubio said he was not going to "jump into an electoral argument right now." Though comfortably back in the Senate for another six years, Sen. Marco Rubio faces a tough political choice in 2018: partner or party? With fellow Florida Sen. Bill Nelson up for re-election, and incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott his likely challenger, Rubio shied away Monday from commenting directly on the race, according to the Tampa Bay Times .

Mandatory sleep apnea testing in works for train engineers

Federal Railroad Administration officials will require railroads to test employees for sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, which may have contributed to the crash of an NJ Transit train in Hoboken on Sept. 29. "There should be and there will be a rule," said Sarah Feinberg, FRA administrator, in an interview after a roundtable meeting with U.S. Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., Monday.

Politicians ask Justice Department about talks on Baltimore police

Maryland congressional lawmakers have asked the U.S. Justice Department about the status of talks on reforming Baltimore's troubled police department, according to a letter released on Tuesday. The letter from Maryland's senators, a senator-elect and three congressmen said they were hearing growing concern from constituents about delays in drafting the settlement.

Yearlong Shakespeare 400 Chicago Festival Welcomes Estimated 1.1 Million

Shakespeare 400 Chicago , the yearlong festival marking the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare 's death, will wrap up a dynamic year of programming with a full calendar of events in December , having inspired an estimated 1.1 million people to take part in 863 events at 231 locations across the city of Chicago. Spearheaded by Chicago Shakespeare Theater under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson -and in partnership with 60 local cultural institutions-the city's festival is one of the largest Shakespeare quadricentennial celebrations in the world.

Dow Breaks Above 19,000, S&P Jumps Over 2,200 as Stocks Hit Record Highs

U.S. equities opened higher on Tuesday, hitting new all-time highs, as investors awaited housing data and kept an eye on President-elect Donald Trump's policy agenda. The Dow Jones industrial average broke above 19,000 for the first time ever shortly after the open, with Boeing contributing the most gains.

Pelosi Challenger: Dems in Denial of Middle Finger from Middle America

A congressman who moved for the House Democratic caucus to postpone their leadership elections until the week after Thanksgiving said heA s "one of the few people who have been advocating that we vote openly instead of a closed ballot, because I think itA s cowardice not to." Rep. Emanuel Cleaver said he thinks in the end "Nancy Pelosi is going to have the votes."

Heartland Institute Releases ‘Action Plan for President Trump’

President-elect Trump has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse the tide of debt, excessive regulation, and crony socialism that has engulfed the nation since the election of President Barack Obama in 2008. The Heartland Institute today released an " Action Plan for President Trump ," a list of 34 free-market policy recommendations on domestic policy.

Trumpa s latest spat with the New York Times | Pelosi wants to expand elected Democratic leadership

The New York Times reports on the Emoluments Clause , which concerns compensation and presents from foreign governments. Trump's companies currently do business with entities controlled by foreign governments and people with ties to them, the Times writes - and experts in legal ethics say those kinds of arrangements could easily run afoul of the clause if they continue after Trump takes office.

First Hindu Democrat Congresswoman meets Trump, discusses terrorism

New York, Nov 22 - The first Hindu elected to Congress, Tulsi Gabbard, crossed her Democratic party line to meet Republican-elect Donald Trump to discuss Syria, terrorism and national security matters and warn of the risk of a nuclear confrontation with Russia amid speculation he may be checking out the war veteran for a position in his administration. On economic and social issues, Gabbard belongs to the leftist wing of the Democratic Party.

How to Scrap the Electoral College

Sixteen years ago, as the 2000 presidential election recount in Florida transfixed the nation, the newly elected Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke directly to the likelihood that Al Gore would win the popular vote and still lose the election: "I believe strongly that in a democracy, we should respect the will of the people," Mrs. Clinton said, "and to me that means it's time to do away with the Electoral College and move to the popular election of our president," the New York Times reported. If Mrs. Clinton had worked as hard over the last 16 years to abolish the EC as she worked to win the Democratic nomination, she would be moving back into the White House in January.

The Latest: Trump promises Cabinet of ‘patriots’

Trump says in a video released late Monday that his agenda "will be based on a simple core principle: putting America first." He is reiterating a number of his promises for the first 100 days of his administration, including vows to negotiate new trade deals, remove regulations on businesses and establish a five-year ban on executive officials becoming lobbyists.

The Latest: Dustin Hoffman wins International Emmy

Hoffman won the International Emmy for best performance by an actor at Monday night's awards ceremony at the Hilton New York for his role as a retired bachelor wooing a tortoise-loving widow in the BBC One TV movie "Roald Dahl's Esio Trot." Two other British productions received awards: "Hoff the Record," starring David Hasselhoff, in the comedy category, and "Capital" for TV movie/mini-series.