USDA says individuals and groups may need license if buying…

A Washington Post investigation showing that buyers affiliated with 86 rescue and dog-advocacy groups and shelters nationwide have spent $2.68 million buying dogs at auctions has ignited fierce debate - and late Tuesday the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a bulletin stating that such individuals and nonprofits may need to be licensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act. "Our job is to ensure the humane treatment of the animals we regulate," Deputy Administrator Bernadette Juarez, who leads the department's animal care program, said in the bulletin, which cited "dog acquisitions from an auction for resale as pets" as a reason that individuals or groups may require federal regulation.

Trump businesses made millions off Republican groups, federal agencies report says

In this Dec. 21, 2106 file photo, the Trump International Hotel in Washington. An electrical subcontractor who worked on the Trump International Hotel in Washington has sued a company owned by President Donald Trump for more than $2 million, alleging it was not fully paid.

MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Margaret Atwood honoured for activism

They were honouring stars of Hollywood, the media and literature, but it was longtime activist and MeToo founder Tarana Burke - a name unknown to most people until six months ago - who got the biggest ovation at Variety's annual Power of Women event on Friday. Activist Tarana Burke attends Variety's Power of Women event Friday in New York and told the audience she's "desperate to change" the narrative surrounding the MeToo movement before it's too late.

Strikes Must Minimize Further Harm to Civilians in Syria

According to reports, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France have launched a strike against targets in Syria. Raed Jarrar, advocacy director for Middle East North Africa at Amnesty International USA, issued the following statement: "The people of Syria have already endured six years of devastating attacks, including chemical attacks, many of which amount to war crimes.

Women in the World Summit 2018: All you need to know

The 2018 Women in the World Summit will welcome the likes of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton , Oscar Award -winning actress Viola Davis and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to the event which will be set against the backdrop of #MeToo, antigun violence activism and the equal pay debate. Donald Trump 's campaign trail 'grab them by the p****' comment to Billy Bush, the White House endorsement of Roy Moore for senator of Alabama and praise of former aide and alleged wife beater Rob Porter were all catalysts in the organisation of the summit for founder Tina Brown CBE.

Gowdy probing Pruitt, doesn’t ‘have a lot of patience’ for him

Rep. Trey Gowdy doesn't "have a lot of patience" for Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt's ethical indiscretions. The House Oversight Committee chairman is probing the embattled EPA administrator as calls for Pruitt's resignation rise, a spokeswoman for the South Carolina Republican told CNN on Saturday.

NYT: Office Meant to Help Refugees Tracks Teens Seeking Abortions

Scott Lloyd, director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, oversees the program for tens of thousands of refugees who are looking for shelter in the United States, but he spends much of his time trying to stop young, undocumented immigrants from getting abortions, The New York Times reported. Lloyd has instructed his staff to provide a spreadsheet each week that lists any minors that are not accompanied by parents who have asked for an abortion, and how far along they are in their pregnancy, the newspaper reported.

Swampy McSwampface: EPA Chief Ruining Environment Living in Polluter Lobbyist Condo

As key figures of the Trump administration face mounting concerns about conflicts of interest, a growing number of critics are calling for the resignation of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt after ABC News revealed that last year he rented a D.C. condo owned by the wife of a top energy lobbyist, in what some are describing as "a sweetheart deal." "This deal stinks like the swamp Scott Pruitt is mired in.

Court blocks Trump administration from forcing undocumented teens to remain pregnant

Activists with Planned Parenthood demonstrate in support of a pregnant 17-year-old being held in a Texas facility for unaccompanied immigrant children to obtain an abortion, outside of the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. CREDIT: AP Photo/J.

Climate Chaos Claims Continue Causing Consternation

Anyone who thought "manmade climate cataclysm" rhetoric couldn't possibly exceed Obama era levels should read the complaint filed in the "public nuisance" lawsuit that's being argued before Federal District Court Judge William Alsup in a California courtroom: Oakland v BP and other oil companies. The allegations read at times like they were written by a Monty Python comedy team and a couple of first year law students.

Court: government can’t block immigrant teens from abortion

In this Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, file photo, activists with Planned Parenthood demonstrate in support of a pregnant 17-year-old being held in a Texas facility for unaccompanied immigrant children to obtain an abortion, outside of the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington. A federal court in Washington told the Trump administration Friday, March 30, 2018, that the government can't interfere with the ability of pregnant immigrant teens being held in federal custody to obtain abortions.

Latinos, Spanish remain hot issues

An attack on 18-year-old Cuban-American and Parkland activist Emma Gonzlez for not speaking Spanish by an Iowa Republican congressman's campaign staff highlights the pressures U.S.-born Latinos face on language. "This is how you look when you claim Cuban heritage yet don't speak Spanish and ignore the fact that your ancestors fled the island when the dictatorship turned Cuba into a prison camp, after removing all weapons from its citizens; hence their right to self defense," read a meme with Gonzalez's photo that was posted on Rep. Steve King's campaign Facebook page.

Congress gives police in other countries easier access to U.S. data, raising privacy concerns

Police in other countries will be able to get emails and other electronic communication more easily from their own citizens and from Americans under a bill that Congress stuffed inside the massive $1.3 trillion spending deal passed this week. Supporters say the bill, dubbed the CLOUD Act, will simplify the process for the U.S. government and its allies to get evidence of serious crimes and terrorist threats when that evidence is stored on a server in another country.

March for Our Lives: The moments that made up a movement

Thousands of students, teachers and other concerned citizens descended on the capital Saturday carrying signs and wearing symbolic price tags to say "enough" to gun violence. Many of the speakers at the March for Our Lives rally were students propelled into the debate over gun laws when a 19-year-old with a semi-automatic rifle mowed down their classmates and teachers last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Microsoft’s epic court battle with DOJ is coming to an end

Microsoft fought a court battle with the Department of Justice all the way to the Supreme Court - but the saga could soon be coming to an end. The Cloud Act, which is tucked into the spending bill that Trump signed Friday, addresses the question at the heart of the issue: Can law enforcement officials force US companies to hand over data that's stored on servers in foreign countries? The Cloud Act establishes a legal pathway for the US to form agreements with other nations that make it easier for law enforcement to collect data stored on foreign soil.