Public Cynicism Enables Costly Political Hypocrisy

The political hypocrisy of crony capitalism - touting market capitalism while making taxpayers fund corporate welfare - is a rare and unfortunate case of bipartisan consensus. Republicans openly embrace it, but many Democrats also fall prey to government-guaranteed corporate capitalism when they believe it to be politically expedient.

Libertarians Have Almost Nothing In Common With the Alt-Right

At Smith College, academic Loretta Ross recently gave a talk on, "Connections Between Far Right, Religious Right, Economic Conservatives, Libertarians, and Traditional Bigotry." Ross is just the latest example of writers and academics who mistakenly conflate libertarianism and the alt-right.

Hillary Clinton and the DNC: The Fish Rots From the Head

Citizens have been swamped by the tidal wave of corruption associated with or emanating from the Trump campaign and presidency, but late last week brought affirmation of a long-held belief that Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee rigged the primary campaign against populist Bernie Sanders. The revelations emanated from none other than Donna Brazile, the woman who sat in as the DNC's chair after Debbie Wasserman Schultz was deposed for exactly the corruption Brazile now exposes.

Voices Reform plans are up in the air – ” and so are tax pros

As it has so often in the past, Congress is making the end of the year difficult for accountants and tax practitioners, dragging tax legislation out to the last minute with a maximum of confusion and a minimum of advanced warning. The simultaneous release on Thursday of the Senate's proposals for tax reform and the House Ways and Means Committee's markup of an earlier House bill may bring the tax reform process closer to some kind of end, but they provide few, if any, actionable items for tax professionals to bring to their clients, and in fact may end up threatening the entire reform effort.

Glass Full, Glass Empty

Two years ago, Sonoma toddler Jack Yankee was the recipient of an outpouring of community goodwill and support when the little tyke battled a rare auto-immune disease via a bone-marrow transplant. Now, in the aftermath of the October fires, Jack's mom - who operates Woodfield Properties vacation rentals - announced "it's our turn to help out."

GOP leaders bolt from Senate candidate Moore after sex claim

A month before Alabama's special election, Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore abruptly faced allegations Thursday of sexual misconduct with minors decades ago - and an immediate backlash from party leaders who demanded he quit the race if the accusations prove true. The instant fallout followed a Washington Post report in which an Alabama woman said that Moore, then a 32-year-old assistant district attorney, had sexual contact with her when she was 14. Three other women interviewed by the Post said Moore, now 70, also approached them when they were between the ages of 16 and 18 and he was in his early 30s.

Va. Republican who leads House Judiciary Committee to retire

File - In this April 4, 2017 file photo, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., speaks during a hearing of the House Judiciary subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Goodlatte is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a 13-term congressman from Virginia.

Senate passes resolution requiring mandatory sexual harassment training

The Senate cleared a resolution on Thursday requiring that all senators and staffers undergo sexual harassment training. The Senate unanimously passed the resolution as part of the chamber's nightly wrap-up amid pressure from senators in both parties to change the chamber's voluntary training policy.

Watch Steve Scalise hail police who ‘prevented mass execution’ at GOP baseball practice

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise on Thursday commended the five police officers who "prevented mass execution" when a gunman opened fire on him and his Republican colleagues at baseball practice. Walking with crutches, the wounded Scalise spoke at a Capitol Police Department awards ceremony honoring the officers in the Capitol in Washington.

Teachers won’t be able to deduct what they spend on students’ supplies under tax bill

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., meets with reporters as he encourages support for Republican tax reform legislation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. As Republicans march forward on a massive overhaul of the nation's tax system, classroom teachers could end up feeling the pinch.

Congress Considers Mandating Sexual Harassment Training

Lawmakers are reviewing rules changes to mandate sexual harassment training for all employees on Capitol Hill. Liam James Doyle/NPR hide caption Usually it takes a scandal that rocks the Capitol to change the way it runs, but this time lawmakers aren't waiting for one before they beginning taking steps to enhance safeguards against sexual harassment in Congress.

Dem candidate: It ‘shouldn’t take brain cancer’ for John McCain to show courage

A House Democratic candidate said this week that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has shown an amount of "courage" recently by standing up to President Trump, but lamented that this only happened after his brain cancer diagnosis. "I've been tweeting on occasion about saluting Bob Corker and John McCain and Jeff Flake - men who have shown a little bit of courage speaking truth to their own party," said Dean Phillips, who is running for a House seat in Minnesota.

Mercy Corps Recognizes U.S. Senators Merkley And Young With Humanitarian Hero Award

The global organization Mercy Corps has recognized Sen. Jeff Merkley , member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees, and Sen. Todd Young , member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with its highest honor, the Humanitarian Hero Award. "Senators Merkley and Young have been powerful and passionate advocates in the halls of Congress, protecting humanitarian and development support for the world's most vulnerable people," says Neal Keny-Guyer, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps.

Democratic Wins: Start Of Anti-Trump Surge Or ‘Not So Fast?’

Jubilant Democrats across America are declaring their big election victories in Virginia and New Jersey - their first of the young Trump era - mark the beginning of an anti-Trump surge that could re-shape the balance of power in Congress in 2018. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says he can "smell a wave coming."

‘Goldilocks’ Legislation Aims to Clean up IoT Security

The proposed Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017 is not too hard, not too soft, and might be just right. Cybercrime in general - and most recently, crime perpetrated using IoT devices - has become a serious problem.

Senate bill to unwrap with tax cuts, end to local deduction

The Senate version of the Republicans' high-stakes tax overhaul is set to be unveiled with billions in tax cuts for people and corporations, repeal of the federal deduction for state and local taxes, and a likely compression of the personal income tax brackets from seven to four. The legislation pulling the attention of lawmakers in both chambers would bring the first major reshaping of the U.S. tax code in three decades.

Forget Donna Brazile & Hillary: the Single-Payer Army Can Lead the Way

Only a few days ago, the Old Guard, elitist leaders of the Democratic National Committee , began showing their teeth to the thousands of Berniecrats they once signaled might fill cavities in a rotting party . Add thousands more Bernie Sanders diehards in dozens of grassroots movements-Our Revolution to BerniePDX-or the thousands joining party affiliates such as the Working Families Party and the Democratic Socialists of America.

House approves bill to expand hydroelectric power

The Republican-controlled House has approved a bill aimed at expanding hydroelectric power, an action supporters said would boost a clean source of renewable energy but opponents denounced as a giveaway to large power companies. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state, would define hydropower as a renewable energy source and streamline the way projects are licensed, with primary authority granted to a single federal agency.