Franken’s rising political star obscured by accusations

Franken has spent much of his nine years as sena... . FILE - In this May 3, 2017, file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Al Franken listens on Capitol Hill in Washington, as FBI Director James Comey testified before the committee on oversight of the FBI.

Letter to Cairo, IL residents questioned by Comptroller, 2 U.S. Senators

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is now weighing in on a letter that was reportedly sent to people in Cairo that said they have to move out of the Elmwood and McBride housing complexes by Dec. 1. When asked about the letter, Mendoza said, "We are aware of it I believe, but we're still trying to get to the bottom of it and so was they mayor yesterday actually." In a letter dated November 15, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin wrote to HUD Secretary Ben Carson asking for clarity on the relocation timeline.

For Franken, a rising trajectory, and then the accusations new

In this June 15, 2016, file photo, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., laughs during an interview with The Associated Press in his office on Capitol Hill in Washington. Franken has spent much of his nine years as senator trying to shed his funnyman image and digging into issues.

This Thanksgiving, Thank Donald J. Trumpby Deroy Murdock This…

And much of it would be absent had the White House's current occupant not become president on November 8, 2016. The day after Donald J. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, Princeton University economist Paul Krugman called Trump's victory "the mother of all adverse effects."

Roy Moore’s Democratic opponent uses Ivanka Trump quote to attack him …

The Democratic candidate running against controversy-ridden Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race is invoking the words of Ivanka Trump to win support. Doug Jones has published a 30-second advertisement on the accusations facing Mr Moore, in which a narrator quotes Ms Trump condemning the behaviour of the Republican candidate.

This Thanksgiving A Majority Would Prefer To Hold The Side Of Political Talk

This year, even more than last year, people are dreading talking politics over Thanksgiving dinner. A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds that 58 percent of people celebrating the holiday are not excited about the prospect - and Democrats are less excited than Republicans.

Debt and Higher Taxes for Our Grandchildren

Should the government borrow against the future? Should it guarantee higher taxes for your children and grandchildren in return for lower taxes for you? If government's moral legitimacy depends on the consent of the governed, as Thomas Jefferson argued in the Declaration of Independence, can the federal government morally compel those who haven't consented to its financial profligacy - because they are not yet born - to pay higher taxes? These questions are at the base of the debate - such as it is - in Congress these days over the so-called Republican tax reform plan.

A nod, and a nodding off, to another year of American hilarity

Tryptophan, an amino acid in turkey, is unjustly blamed for what mere gluttony does, making Americans comatose every fourth Thursday in November. But before nodding off, give thanks for another year of American hilarity, including: A company curried favor with advanced thinkers by commissioning for Manhattan's financial district the "Fearless Girl" bronze statue, which exalts female intrepidity in the face of a rampant bull .

Lufkin shoppers give their perspective on average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner

The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is at a five-year low according to a new report from the American Farm Bureau Federation. They're saying a turkey and all the fixings will cost around $49.12 for a group of 10, but Lufkin native Janet Edwards said that's not enough to feed a whole family during this holiday.

Two more women accuse Al Franken of groping while at Democratic Party events during his 2008 campaign

United States Senator Al Franken is facing further accusations of groping women after two additional women came forward and told their stories to the Huffington Post . The misconduct allegations described by both women allegedly occurred during Franken's successful 2008 campaign, which was the former comedian's first foray into electoral politics.

Jeff Sessions orders review of gun background check system

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday ordered a review of a government database used for background checks on gun buyers, after a man who killed 26 people in a Texas church was left off the system despite having a criminal record. Sessions said the Nov. 5 shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, by Devin Kelley, a former Air Force serviceman who had a 2012 conviction for domestic assault, showed that not all the necessary information was being added to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS.

Dayton: Shouldn’t take long to elect two new legislators

Two Minnesota lawmakers are resigning amid allegations of sexual harassment, and on Wednesday Gov. Mark Dayton said it shouldn't take long to replace them. Dayton said he'll call for special elections soon once he receives formal notices from state Sen. Dan Schoen, a Democrat from St. Paul Park, and Rep. Tony Cornish, a Republican from Vernon Center.

Slowik: We may already be about halfway through Trump’s presidency

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House Tuesday in Washington for a Thanksgiving trip to Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House Tuesday in Washington for a Thanksgiving trip to Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla.

Gary Cohn feigned bad phone connection to end Trump call: senator

White House economic czar Gary Cohn pretended to have a bad phone connection in order to end a call with President Trump earlier this month, a Democratic senator said Wednesday. Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware told CNN that Cohn was having a discussion with Democratic senators about tax reform when the President phoned in while traveling in Asia.