Sente Votes To Begin Farm Bill Conference, Names Conferees

SENTE VOTES TO BEGIN FARM BILL CONFERENCE, NAMES CONFEREES Aug. 2, 2018 Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry news release U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., are pleased the Senate has voted to move forward with the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Committee. The Senators also applauded the announcement of the Senators who will serve on the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Committee.

Trump tariffs sting farmers, businesses from sea to shining sea

Here's a round-up of some of the complaints about Donald Trump's tariffs heard on Capitol Hill in recent weeks This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Doug Palmer on politico.com on August 1, 2018.

Bill allowing more sea lions to be killed clears key hurdle

A bill that would make it easier to kill sea lions that gobble endangered salmon in the Columbia River has cleared a key committee in the U.S. Senate. The measure allows the federal government to issue permits to Washington, Idaho and Oregon, and several Pacific Northwest tribes, allowing up to 100 sea lions to be killed a year.

New Mexico research site gets US grant for climate research

A $6.4 million federal grant for a New Mexico research project will provide $6.4 million for work looking at how climate change affects arid land ecosystems. The five-year National Science Foundation grant to the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research site located in central New Mexico was announced Wednesday by U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich.

3D-printed guns might be inevitable. But are they a practical weapon…

If gun rights activist Cody Wilson gets his way in his legal battle, soon anybody including convicted felons and the mentally ill with a few raw materials and access to an industrial 3D printer could build a plastic firearm, gun control advocates say. Tech experts and stakeholders in the gun control debate are divided on whether the emergence of 3D-printed plastic guns presents an immediate safety threat to U.S communities.

E.J. Dionne Jr.: Why Trump isn’t fighting the bots

Here is the issue raised by Facebook's revelations this week about disinformation that we need to face squarely: The political interests of the president of the United States coincide with the purposes of foreign forces using social media to divide us along the lines of race and culture. President Trump's refusal to make combating Russian interference a high priority, despite warnings from inside his own administration about the dangers, is obviously a scandal.

Russians are already targeting Democrats again, and Congress…

The Russian government's efforts to spread disinformation, interfere, and hack US political campaigns did not end with the 2016. While meddling and other nefarious activity have continued into the 2018 election cycle, including an attempted hacking of a Senate campaign, the Republicans tasked with countering the Russians are not doing nearly enough, lawmakers say.

Obama backs Gavin Newsom, other California Democrats – but…

Then-President Barack Obama laughs while being greeted by then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom after arriving at San Francisco International Airport in May 2010. Then-President Barack Obama laughs while being greeted by then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom after arriving at San Francisco International Airport in May 2010.

Congress sends defense bill with military pay raise to Trump Source: AP

The Senate on Wednesday gave final congressional approval to a $716 billion defense policy bill that would raise military pay by 2.6 percent, the largest pay hike in nine years. The compromise bill weakens a bid to clamp down on the Chinese telecom giant ZTE and allows the president to waive sanctions against countries that have bought Russian weapons but now want to buy U.S. military equipment.

Donnelly, Heller Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Seniors from Financial Abuse and Scams

U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly and Dean Heller introduced the bipartisan National Senior Investor Initiative Act of 2018 today in the Senate. The proposal, which is aimed at protecting seniors from financial crimes and scammers, would create a dedicated task force within the Securities and Exchange Commission to strengthen protections for seniors who make investments.

Vancouver Port Celebrates Completion of Freight Rail Project

A tugboat maneuvers through waiting freighters on the Columbia River near the Port of Vancouver in Vancouver, Wash. Port of Vancouver administrators, along with political and industry leaders, stood atop a small stage in a largely vacant marine terminal the morning of July 31 to celebrate the completion of the $251 million West Vancouver Freight Access project.

Trump says Sessions should end Mueller investigation ‘right now’

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, should end special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference, arguing that the ongoing probe is hurting the United States. Although the President has repeatedly criticized the investigation and Sessions' decision to recuse himself from overseeing it, Trump's tweet that his attorney general "should stop" the probe is notable and raises fresh questions about whether the President is attempting to obstruct justice.

President Trump criticized for not leading effort to secure elections

As alarms blare about Russian interference in U.S. elections, the Trump administration is facing criticism that it has no clear national strategy to protect the country during the upcoming midterms and beyond. Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized the administration's response as fragmented, without enough coordination across federal agencies.

Mayor Emanuel Announces Third Round of Neighborhood Opportunity Fund…

Innovative Program Leverages Downtown Growth to Make Direct Investments into Neighborhood Businesses Across City's South, West and Southwest Sides Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced the third round of investments from the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund directly into 33 small businesses in Chicago's South, West and Southwest Sides. The businesses receiving a total of approximately $5 million in investment include a Grand Boulevard grocery store, a North Lawndale restaurant and a Little Village fruit market.

Trump called out for not leading effort to secure elections

As alarms blare about Russian interference in U.S. elections, the Trump administration is facing criticism that it has no clear national strategy to protect the country during the upcoming midterms and beyond. Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized the administration's response as fragmented, without enough coordination across federal agencies.

Facebook Deletes 32 Fake Accounts in Bid to Stay Away From Controversy

Facebook says it has identified and deleted pages and accounts on its website attempting to mislead its users and sow discord among voters ahead of the US congressional elections in November amid accusations of Russian meddling in the US voting process. Facebook, the world's largest social media company with more than 2 billion monthly active users, said on Tuesday it had removed 32 fake accounts on Facebook and Instagram to combat alleged foreign meddling in US elections.