Republicans withdraw Trump nominee for federal appeals court at last minute over race record

In stunning move, Mitch McConnell withdrew the nomination of Ryan Bounds for a federal appeals court seat minutes before a Senate vote Tim Scott, the South Carolina senator who is the Republican's only African-American member of the senate, said he could not vote for Bounds Writings from his time as a Stanford student showed Bounds, 45, had called multicultural groups at the university 'feel-good ethnic hoedowns' In a stunning move, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has withdrawn one of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees just minutes before he was set for a confirmation vote. Trump had nominated the assistant U.S. attorney in Oregon to be a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

California sues over Trump halt to truck pollution rule

California and 14 other states sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday over its decision to suspend an Obama-era rule aimed at limiting pollution from trucks. The July 6 decision by the Trump EPA was illegal and could put thousands of additional highly polluting trucks on the roads, the states and the District of Columbia said in the lawsuit filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

State lawmakers ask attorney general to probe disgraced San…

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters was disparaged with offensive comments by gang prosecutor Michael Selyem in this Facebook post. A comment by San Bernardino County gang prosecutor Michael Selyem on this Breitbart post supports white male immigrants, but not "terrorist - holes."

McConnell withdraws Trump judicial pick minutes before vote

In this May 15, 2018, file photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., pauses as he speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington. In a surprise move, McConnell has withdrawn one of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees just minutes before he was set for a confirmation vote.

Flint water crisis prompts call for more federal oversight

In this pMarch 21, 2016, file photo, the Flint Water Plant water tower is seen in Flint, Mich. A federal watchdog is calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen its oversight of state drinking water systems in the wake of the lead crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Memoir by ambassador Putin wants to question now a bestseller

In this May 15, 2013 file photo, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul leaves the Foreign Ministry in Moscow, Russia. A memoir by the former U.S. ambassador, whom Russian officials have said they want to interview, is in the top 10 on Amazon.com.

Republicans foil Democrats’ attempt to subpoena State Department translator

Republicans foil Democrats' attempt to subpoena State Department translator who was present for every second of Trump and Putin's meeting White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday that President Trump and President Putin's meeting in Helsinki had not been recorded Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee have blocked a move to subpoena the American translator from the Helsinki summit to testify about the private talks between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The panel's top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, said Thursday he wanted Maria Gross, the translator, who works for the State Department, to appear in closed session, saying Congress must 'find out what was said' during the two-hour meeting.

Thiessen: Trump remarks were an embarrassment, not a disaster Posted at

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting to get a different result, which is one of the many reasons President Trump's news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed so insane. Trump is trying to do something that both of his immediate predecessors tried to do: turn over a new leaf with Russia.

Trump’s pick to run consumer watchdog faces skeptical Senate Source: AP

Kathy Kraninger, President Donald Trump's nominee to take over the nation's watchdog for banks, credit cards and payday lenders, made her public debut in front of the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, where she is facing extremely hostile questioning from Senate Democrats. President Trump nominated Kraninger on June 18 to replace Mick Mulvaney, Trump's budget director, who has been acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since late November.

Natural Resources Secretary John Laird Opposes Rider Banning Delta Tunnels Lawsuits

"I am writing to express opposition to recent attempts by Congress to circumvent California's water management framework by adding riders to the Appropriations billl," said California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird. In a victory for Delta Tunnels opponents urging the Brown administration to oppose Congressman Ken Calvert's rider banning judicial review of the tunnels and other water projects, California Natural Resources Secretary Laird on July 17 sent a letter to members on the Senate and House committees on appropriations opposing the language.

Dark money groups spent millions on Ohio legislative races

Four secretive political groups raised more than $2.6 million for ads targeting Republican primaries for Ohio House of Representative seats in the lead up to last May's election, new campaign finance filings show. The money was spent in roughly a dozen state legislative races that were a proxy fight to be Ohio's next House speaker.

Putin talk drowns out anti-poverty advocates

The Connecticut Coastal Chapter of RESULTS visited Washington D.C. Monday for the groupA's annual conference. During a visit to Capitol Hill, they met with several of their legislators, including Congressmen Himes and Courtney, and Congresswoman DeLauro.

Palast Testifies In Front Of National Commission For Voter…

Award-winning investigative reporter Greg Palast was called to testify in front of the National Commission for Voter Justice at their Southern California Regional Hearing. The non-partisan organization was set up in response to the now-defunct Trump/Kobach Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which used fraudulent claims of illegal double-voting as justification to cull millions of perfectly legal voters from the rolls.