Investigation of California senator finds 6 misconduct cases

WEBVTT HE WILL STEP ASIDE UNTIL THEINVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE.IT'S BACK TO WORK FOR LAWMAKERSAT THE STATE CAPITOL BUT NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL.TONIGHT, ON THE ADVICE OF HISCOLLEAGUES LOS ANGELES SENATOR,TONY MENDOZA MADE THANNOUNCEMENT.>> I HAVE DECIDED THAT I WILLTAKE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FOR THISMONTH OF JANUARY TO ALLOW THISINVESTIGATION TO MOVE FORWARDANA: THE SENATE ISINVESTIGATING AFTER THREE WOMENWHO WORK FOR MENDOZA ACCUSED HIMOF OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT.MENDOZA INITIALLY REFUSED TOTAKE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE WHENASKED BY HIS FORMER ROOMMATE ANDSENATE PRESIDENT KEVIN DE LEON.>> WE HAVE HEARD THEANNOUNCEMENT FROM SENATORMENDOZA WITH REGARDS TO THPENDING INVESTIGATION, HIS LEAVEOF ABSENCE.I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN.SO WITH THAT, WE'LL RECONVENETOMORROW MORNINGDANA: TWO ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATSRAUL BOCANEGRA AND MATT DEBABNEHRESIGNED LAST MONTH FOLLOWINGCLAIMS OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT.THERE'S NOW A ... (more)

Venezuela Launches Virtual Currency, Hoping to Resuscitate Economy

With Venezuela suffering one of the most severe economic collapses of modern times, the beleaguered administration of President NicolA s Maduro announced on Tuesday that it had begun a presale of virtual currency backed by the nation's vast petroleum reserves. The government, which had announced plans for the new digital currency late last year, said the initiative was a response to a financial crisis marked by a profound devaluation of the national currency, the bolA var, and quadruple-digit inflation.

President Trump endorses Mitt Romney, one of his most vocal critics, in Utah Senate race

President Donald Trump on Monday night threw his full support behind Mitt Romney's bid to be the next U.S. senator from Utah , writing on Twitter that he would be a "worthy successor" to retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. The endorsement is significant because Trump had previously encouraged Hatch to seek another term, and Romney had been among the most vocal Republican critics of Trump's presidential aspirations, once calling him "a phony" and "a fraud."

President Donald Trump endorses Mitt Romney in Utah Senate race

President Donald Trump has apparently endorsed one-time adversary and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney as Romney runs for Senate in Utah to replace Sen. Orrin Hatch, who is retiring. . @MittRomney has announced he is running for the Senate from the wonderful State of Utah.

2018 Leon Panetta Lecture Series moves to newly renovated Monterey Conference Center

Monterey >> The 21st season of the Leon Panetta Lecture Series is set to begin next week with a newly renovated venue and a lineup of experts ready to talk about the issues facing the country and the world. The theme of this year's series is “2018 - Is the American Dream Alive and Well?” and begins with the first event Feb. 26 at the Monterey Conference Center at 7 p.m. The discussion's topic - “The Economy and the American Dream, Impact of Debt, Growth, Immigration and Tax Cuts” - will feature two former senators, Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire, and Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, and will be moderated by former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

Rush Limbaugh Is More Progressive on Immigration Than Anyone on Capitol Hill. Seriously.

Who would have thunk it but when it comes to immigration, the king of conservative talk radio, Rush Limbaugh , might have become the most progressive voice in America today. Limbaugh has done more than any human alive over the last two decades to kill any immigration bill that smacked of "amnesty."

President Trump supports improving gun background checks

The White House says President Donald Trump supports efforts to improve the federal gun background check system after a school shooting in Florida that left 17 dead. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that the president had spoken to Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, about a bipartisan bill designed to strengthen the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers.

Trump backs effort to improve gun background checks: White House

President Donald Trump spoke to Senator John Cornyn about gun legislation on Friday, two days after a shooting at a Florida school killed 17 people, and supports efforts to improve the federal background check system, the White House said on Monday. Trump spoke to Cornyn, a Republican, about the bi-partisan bill he and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy introduced to improve federal compliance with criminal background checks, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

President Trump Lashes Out at Oprah and Russia Investigation in Tweet Storm as Nation Mourns

As the nation mourned, President Donald Trump kept largely silent about the Florida school shooting victims and the escalating gun control debate, instead raging at the FBI for what he perceived to be a fixation on the Russia investigation at the cost of failing to deter the attack. From the privacy of Mar-a-Lago, Trump vented about the investigation in a marathon series of tweets over the weekend.

Trump Backs Effort to Improve Gun Background Checks

President Donald Trump spoke to Senator John Cornyn about gun legislation on Friday, two days after a shooting at a Florida school killed 17 people, and supports efforts to improve the federal background check system, the White House said on Monday. Trump spoke to Cornyn, a Republican, about the bi-partisan bill he and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy introduced to improve federal compliance with criminal background checks, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Few states let courts take guns from people deemed a threat

The warnings around Nikolas Cruz seemed to flash like neon signs: expelled from school, fighting with classmates, a fascination with weapons and hurting animals, disturbing images and comments posted to social media, previous mental health treatment. In Florida, that wasn't enough for relatives, authorities or his schools to request a judicial order barring him from possessing guns.

Ex-wife of former White House aide says Hatch has apologizedAssociated Press

In this Jan. 9, 2018, file photo, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the president pro tempore, arrives at the Capitol for weekly policy meetings, in Washington. Colbie Holderness, an ex-wife of former White House staff secretary Rob Porter said Sunday, Feb. 18, that she has received a letter of apology from Hatch, the Utah Republican who defended his former aide from "a vile attack" after Holderness and another ex-wife accused Porter of domestic abuse.