High court nominee to face daylong questioning in Senate

Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch faces hours of questioning from senators as frustrated Democrats are determined to press him on everything from abortion and guns to his independence from President Donald Trump. Republicans are unanimously supporting Gorsuch , and certain to give him what cover they can as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for Day 2 of his confirmation hearings on Tuesday.

ACLU files complaint against Jeff Sessions over Russia testimony

The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday filed an ethics complaint with the Alabama State Bar against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions for testimony he made about Russian officials during his confirmation hearing. "Mr. Sessions made false statements during sworn testimony on January 10, 2017, and in a subsequent written response to questions on January 17, 2017," the complaint reads.

‘Perjury is a very difficult charge to prove’: Sessions…

Attorney general Jeff Sessions was accused of misleading the Senate when he said he didn't meet with any Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has come under fire for what critics say was misleading the Senate about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the US while he was a prominent surrogate for President Donald Trump's campaign.

Questions and answers about perjury, Sessions’ statements

Attorney General Jeff Sessions twice spoke with the Russian envoy to the U.S. during the 2016 presidential campaign, a fact that seemingly contradicts sworn statements he made to Congress during his confirmation hearings. The revelation prompted calls for Sessions to resign or recuse himself from a probe into Trump campaign contacts with Russia.

State Department reverses visa revocations as Trump administration…

The Department of Homeland Security complied with a judge's orders Saturday and stopped enforcing President Donald Trump's controversial entry ban, and the fast-moving legal dispute over the president's powers could land at the nation's highest court. On Saturday evening, Trump administration lawyers filed a notice to appeal the Seattle federal judge's decision from Friday night that imposed a temporary, nationwide halt to Trump's order barring refugees and those from seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the country.

Morrisey leads AGs supporting Gorsuch

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office says he's leading Republican attorneys general from 20 states in support of President Donald Trump's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch. Morrisey's office said in a news release that the group sent a letter of support Wednesday to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Patrick Leahy, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.

Trump blames ‘political games’ for delaying Pompeo’s confirmation as CIA director

On a visit to CIA headquarters Saturday, President Donald Trump took a shot at Democrats, saying they were playing politics with the confirmation of Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo, his choice to head the agency. An objection from three Democratic senators delayed the U.S. Senate's vote to confirm Pompeo as the CIA's new director Friday.

Nets Hype Dems Testifying Against Sessions Over Racism Allegations

On Tuesday, the network morning shows were thrilled by the prospect of Democratic lawmakers testifying against Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions during the confirmation hearing for the Donald Trump cabinet pick. However, none of the broadcasts bothered to recall that those same Democrats once eagerly worked with the Alabama senator on civil rights issues.

Senators Test Limits on Donald Trump at Jeff Sessions Confirmation Hearing

Senators used the first day of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions' hearings to test the boundaries of Donald Trump's executive power and highlight areas where Sessions would need to limit him as Attorney General. While several questions at looked back at Sessions' civil rights record, the backdrop to questions about Sessions' future relationship with Trump was set early Tuesday, when Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley asked Sessions whether he would be comfortable saying "no" to the President-elect, given their close relationship on the campaign.

Questions and answers as Sessions defends his remarks

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has agreed to recuse himself from any investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The move comes after revelations that Sessions twice spoke with the Russian ambassador during the campaign, a fact that seemingly contradicts sworn statements he made to Congress during his confirmation hearings.

Vermont delegation comes out swinging against Trump

Perched on a podium on the U.S. Senate floor, Vermont's Bernie Sanders suggested this week that Republican president-elect Donald Trump was a liar. Gesturing at a cardboard cutout of a Trump tweet in which the billionaire businessman promised not to cut federal health care programs, Sanders took aim.

Vermont Senate Leader Uncertainty abounding in Trump era

A top Vermont lawmaker says getting down to crafting the state's budget and priorities will be difficult without knowing how the policies of the incoming Trump administration will affect decisions on Medicaid, cleaning up Lake Champlain, and a variety of other issues. Legislators are prepared to work with the office of Republican Gov. Phil Scott, the congressional delegation and other states, controlled by both Republicans and Democrats, to find common ground, said Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe, a Democrat-Progressive from Burlington.

US: Senate Democrats introduce bill to block Trump Muslim registry

On January 5, 2017, nine Democratic senators filed a bill blocking the executive branch from registering people based on religion, race, gender, age, national origin or nationality. "Contrary to the President-elect's beliefs, America's diversity is not a threat - it is, in fact, our greatest strength," Sen. Jeff Merkley was quoted by The Hill as saying.

Russian malware discovered on Vermont electric company computer

The company released a statement confirming the malware associated with the Russian group Grizzly Steppe was found on a laptop which was not connected to the electrical grid system. "Last night, U.S. utilities were alerted by the Department of Homeland Security of a malware code used in Grizzly Steppe, the name DHS has applied to a Russian campaign linked to recent hacks.

Russia-linked malware found on US electric companya s laptop

Malware code linked to Russian hackers and found on a Vermont electric utility's computer is further evidence of "predatory" steps taken by that country against the U.S., a Vermont Democratic congressman said Saturday. The Burlington Electric Department confirmed Friday it had found on one of its laptops the malware code used in Grizzly Steppe, the name Homeland Security has applied to a Russian campaign linked to recent hacks.

Cornucopia Institute Calls For Investigation Of USDA’s National Organic Program

In a letter to the USDA's Office of Inspector General, The Cornucopia Institute has requested an independent audit of the National Organic Program , charging a multiplicity of illegal actions and inactions. The Wisconsin-based farm policy research group alleges that the National Organic Program has failed to enforce the laws governing organic agriculture, thereby allowing multinational corporate agribusinesses to squeeze out family-scale farmers, compromising the integrity of the organic label.