Trump administration proposes massive increase in off-shore drilling

The Trump administration is proposing to open up 90% of the Outer Continental Shelf off the U.S. coast to oil and gas exploration in the largest single expansion of off-shore drilling activity ever proposed. "This is a start American energy dominance," Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told reporters in a conference call Thursday.

Plans would move juveniles out of troubled Wisconsin prison

Juveniles would no longer be housed at a Wisconsin youth prison complex that's been under federal investigation and the subject of multiple lawsuits alleging inmate abuse as part of dramatic reorganization plan announced Thursday by Gov. Scott Walker. The $80 million proposal would change the Lincoln Hills-Copper Lake prisons into medium-security adult prisons and open five smaller regional juvenile prisons across the state.

Trump dissolves election fraud panel after states balk at data requests

President Donald Trump on Wednesday shut down a presidential commission charged with looking into allegations of electoral fraud during the 2016 election, after many states refused to provide it with data, the White House said. "Rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, today I signed an executive order to dissolve the Commission, and have asked the Department of Homeland Security to review these issues and determine next courses of action," Trump said in a statement.

Man Whose Son Was Killed By Illegal Immigrant ‘Furious’ At Jerry…

A man whose son was murdered by an illegal immigrant in San Francisco said he is "furious" about Gov. Jerry Brown for signing a bill to make California a sanctuary state on "Fox and Friends" Wednesday, and feels he is betraying Americans to favor foreign criminals. "I'm furious, and I'm waiting now for the Justice Department to go after these guys," the father, Don Rosenberg said.

The Latest: Woman, 96, dies after being overcome by weather

Zach Beekley, left, Adalyn Walcott, center, Vance Walcott, right, and Gannon Walcott, top right, play on the ice on Stoyer's Dam at Bubeck Park in Schuylkill Haven, Pa., Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. Ice forms on the Schoolfield Dam in Danville, Va., Wednesday morning, Jan. 3, 2018, as temperatures stayed well below freezing.

ICE is increasing presence in California because of ‘sanctuary…

Taking a jab at Gov. Jerry Brown, President Trump's top immigration chief on Wednesday said he was preparing to "significantly increase" his agency's enforcement presence in California because of last year's passage of a landmark "sanctuary state" law. "California better hold on tight," Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said on Fox News.

Iowa governor’s budget transfer was illegal, lawsuit claims

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and a top aide broke the law when they transferred $13 million from a reserve fund to balance the budget, a Democratic lawmaker argues in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The lawsuit was filed against Reynolds and Department of Management director Dave Roederer by Rep. Chris Hall of Sioux City, ranking member on the House Appropriations committee.

Doug Jones joins the Senate: How will he vote?

When Democratic Senate candidate Doug Jones went before his cheering supporters the night of his improbable election in deeply Republican Alabama last month, he smiled widely and then hesitated. "I have been waiting my whole life and now I don't know what the hell to say," he said with a laugh.

Time to conquer – crisis’ of opioids

Recently we noted Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly had urged President Trump to follow through on his promise to declare the ongoing opioid crisis a national emergency and direct federal resources to address the epidemic. Like Donnelly, we believe this insidious issue constitutes immediate attention.

Franken officially resigns from Senate after groping allegations

Sen. Al Franken looks at his wife Franni Bryson, before walking to the Senate chamber to announce his resignation on December 7, 2017 on Capitol Hill. Minnesota Democrat Al Franken officially resigned from the Senate on Tuesday after announcing he would step down last month amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.

Improving state’s image is a worthwhile goal

Alabamians are hopeful the ringing in of a new year brings a measure of sanity to politics in the Heart of Dixie. The waning hours of 2017 offered a touch of closure to another year of embarrassing shenanigans that kept the state under the glare of the national limelight.

Franken replacement looks to hang on to seat for Dems

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith is set to join the U.S. Senate next year, taking the seat left open by the resignation of former Sen. Alan Stuart Franken Democrats turn on Al Franken Schumer called, met with Franken and told him to resign Overnight Finance: Trump says shutdown 'could happen' Many assumed that Smith would only hold the seat temporarily until the 2018 special election, where voters would choose her successor.

Best of 2017: Stop that plane – The frantic race to halt a deportation

Protesters voice their opposition to an immigration ban imposed by President Donald Trump at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Credit: Matt Mills McKnight This week Crosscut is running some of our best stories of the year, as selected both by our editors and by popularity with readers.