Failed deal to undo LGBT law marks rocky start for governor

North Carolina's Democratic Governor-elect fights an uphill battle against GOP majority after efforts to repeal the state's 'bathroom bill' fall through The deeply divided state voted Republican in the presidential and senate races, but elected a Democratic governor, making Cooper's job very difficult House Bill 2, commonly known as the 'bathroom bill' has been blamed for job losses, canceled events, and staining North Carolina's reputation He hasn't even been sworn in yet, but several of his powers have already been stripped away by the state's Republican-dominated legislature North Carolina's next Democratic governor faces a tough uphill battle in a state that voted Republican in the presidential and senate races.

Review: ‘Long Shot: A Soldier, A Senator, A Serious Sin, An Epic Louisiana Election’

"Long Shot: A Soldier, A Senator, A Serious Sin, An Epic Louisiana Election" by Tyler Bridges and Jeremy Alford, Lisburn Press, $26.95 With the Democratic Party at is lowest ebb in Louisiana and the nation for almost a century, the contrarian tale of long-shot Democratic winner John Bel Edwards is irresistible for the party faithful, but it's a good read for anyone seeking an insightful look into how the game is played in the most idiosyncratic state of the union. Two of the state's best political writers - Jeremy Alford, editor of LaPolitics.com , and Tyler Bridges, who covers politics for The Advocate and others - engagingly profile the small-town lawyer who came from nowhere to seize the Governor's Mansion from the Republicans in 2015.

Politicos offer up Christmas wishes, New Year’s Resolutions

After an election year as nasty, polarizing and all-consuming as any in recent memory, Minnesota politicos on all sides are still feeling a little raw. So, before the partisan combat starts anew in 2017, we offered a chance for reflection, light and levity in the form of Christmas wishes and New Year's resolutions.

Letter: Rewarding the rich is not tax reform

Letter: Rewarding the rich is not tax reform Next year when the 115th Congress opens, Republicans are proposing to radically restructure the tax code. Check out this story on northjersey.com: http://northjersy.news/2hjatGB Next year when the 115th Congress opens, Republicans are proposing to radically restructure the tax code.

GOP on taxes: Cut rates, brackets but what about the deficit

Congressional Republicans are planning a massive overhaul of the nation's tax system next year, a heavy political lift that could ultimately affect families at every income level and businesses of every size. Their goal is to simplify a complicated tax code that rewards wealthy people with smart accountants, and corporations that can easily shift profits - and jobs - overseas.

Medical Marijuana Industry Is Ready For A Fight With Trump Administration

Proponents of medical marijuana and research into the drug's viability for opioid addiction treatment are concerned over what President-elect Donald Trump means for the future of the industry. Medical marijuana is legal in 28 states and Washington, D.C., where it is also legal for recreational use, and momentum for further legalization appears to be accelerating.

Nearly $870M budget hole awaits Oklahoma lawmakers in 2017

The problems will be familiar in the 2017 Oklahoma legislative session: crowded public schools with teachers desperate for a pay raise, overcrowded prisons, a Highway Patrol facing furloughs and dozens of other cash-strapped agencies that have cut services to the bone. But lawmakers who return to the Capitol in February will also be faced with a budget hole of nearly $870 million - about 12 percent of state spending - resulting from slumping energy prices, years of tax cuts and costly tax subsidies for businesses and industries.

Pence hands out pay raises, awards before leaving office

On his way out of office, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence approved pay raises for state employees while giving one of the state's highest awards to more than a dozen of his political allies and staff. Pence, now the vice president-elect, said Indiana "would not be a state that works" without dedicated government workers, to whom he is giving raises that range between 2 and 4 percent.

US defence bill: More security cooperation with India, conditional aid for Pakistan

Washington, Dec 24 : US President Barack Obama has signed a $618 billion defence policy bill which when in place, will enhance security cooperation with India. [NK US] The National Defence Authorization Act , which was passed by both the House and the Senate with veto-proof majorities earlier this month, was signed by Obama on Friday in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he is currently vacationing.

In deep-red Kansas, even Republicans have had enough of Republicans

Donald Trump has won the presidency after narrowly carrying a few states to put him above 270 electoral votes.But according... Senate Republicans refused to give President Obama's pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Scalia even the courtesy of a... One bright bit from the 2016 elections is that there really does appear to be a limit to how badly you can screw up a state's economy before voters have had enough. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has been testing the theory mightily during his tenure, slashing taxes for corporations and the rich, cutting state services, and creating gargantuan state deficits while promising magic ponies that continually fail to arrive.

MCAS-Yuma rescue unit could stay

Local military boosters and public safety agencies are optimistic about Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma and its lifesaving skills remaining in southwest Arizona, with its survival included in a defense appropriations bill awaiting the president's signature. The SAR unit at the base is now the last of its kind in the country, and was due to be disbanded along with another in North Carolina in 2015.

Senate Dems pledge close look at stock trades by HHS nominee

Senate Democrats say they will closely examine stock trades by President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Republican congressman Tom Price of Georgia traded more than $300,000 in shares of health care-related companies in recent years while backing legislation that could potentially affect them.

Republicans vow to reverse Obama’s ‘absolutely shameful’ Israel policies

Republican leadership reacted with fury to the Obama administration's decision to abstain from a UN Security Council vote condemning Israel's settlement enterprise on Friday, vowing to reverse his policy gains and punish the UN for repeatedly targeting the Jewish state. President-elect Donald Trump said on Twitter that things would change after he takes office next month, and House Speaker Paul Ryan called the vote an "absolutely shameful" blow to peace.

The ‘grudge match’ between Obama and Israel ‘has finally reached its peak’

The UN Security Council passed a resolution Friday urging Israel to halt building settlements on occupied Palestinian land, in an unexpected vote from which the US abstained. The US's ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, abstained from voting on the resolution, which has been perceived as a slight against Israel.

US Senator Graham says Obama policy on Israel ‘flat-out reckless’

Senator Lindsey Graham said on Friday that US foreign policy under President Barack Obama "has gone from naive and foolish to flat-out reckless" after the United States abstained from voting on a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity. The senior Republican senator, in a note on Twitter after the vote, said: "With friends like these, #Israel doesn't need any enemies."

Cotton: Say, Why Did Obama Reject Republicans’ Proposal to Fight Russian Disinformation?

In light of the Left's fresh obsession with combating the alleged crisis of "fake news," as well as getting to the bottom of Moscow's malign influence and meddling, the Senator from Arkansas raises a rather interesting point , doesn't he? Via Politico : The White House opposed a Republican-led push earlier this year to create an executive-branch task force to battle Russia's covert information operations, according to a document obtained by POLITICO.