Former HHS secretary Tom Price’s air travel wasted $341,000 in government funds, watchdog says

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price repeatedly failed to follow federal requirements during his travels, wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars in government funds, according to the internal watchdog of the department he once led. The inspector general's report, released Friday morning, comes 10 months after Price, an orthopedic surgeon and former congressman from Georgia, resigned under pressure amid criticism for his extensive use of private jets while traveling on government business.

Subpoena Sought Over Allegations EPA Mishandled Records Requests

Environmental Protection Agency manipulated its handling of open records requests so that documents from the Obama years got priority over those involving the agency's embattled former chief, Scott Pruitt, and other Trump administration officials, according to congressional interviews with EPA staffers. The agency also allowed political appointees to review some planned responses to requests lodged under the Freedom of Information Act, according to interview excerpts cited by Representative Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat.

EPA aide: Scrutiny of ‘politically charged’ records requests Source: AP

The Environmental Protection Agency assigns public-records requests from environmental groups or others that it sees as "politically charged" to special internal review, a top agency official told congressional staffers investigating the actions of Scott Pruitt, the scandal-plagued former administrator who resigned this month amid mounting ethical allegations. EPA Chief of Staff Ryan Jackson told congressional investigators one such records request, from the Sierra Club, was a "fishing expedition."

Conservative states balk at voter-approved medical marijuana

In this Tuesday, July 10, 2018 photo, Chip Paul, who helped write the medical marijuana state question and push for its passage, answers a question for a reporter before a meeting of the Oklahoma Board of Health in Oklahoma City. When nearly 60 percent of voters in Oklahoma approved medical marijuana last month, pot advocates celebrated a hard-fought victory that was the culmination of a years-long effort to ease restrictions on the use of cannabis.

Conservative states balk at voter-approved medical marijuana Source: AP

Pot advocates celebrated the culmination of a yearslong effort to ease restrictions on the use of cannabis last month when nearly 60 percent of Oklahoma voters approved medical marijuana. Oklahoma's proponents had even included a two-month deadline for the implementation in their measure so as to avoid the years of delays they had seen elsewhere.

Peter Strzok fiasco wrecks the GOP’s bogus conspiracy theory

There are times when you watch what's happening in American politics and come to believe you've fallen through the rabbit hole, to a place where everything is upside down. Today was one of those times, as FBI agent Peter Strzok testified in a public hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, the latest chapter in the saga of Republican attempts to prove that any and all investigation into Russia's attempt to manipulate the 2016 election and the Trump campaign's eager cooperation with that effort is a "witch hunt."

FBI agent who sent anti-Trump texts defiantly fends off GOP attacks

Peter Strzok, the FBI agent who sent anti-Trump texts, engaged in angry exchanges with House Republicans Thursday as he testified for the first time in public at a joint hearing before the House Judiciary and Oversight committees. One of the first exchanges began when Rep. Trey Gowdy, A South Carolina Republican, said he "didn't give a damn" as Strzok tried to explain the "context" around the texts including one that said "we will stop it," referring to then-candidate Donald Trump.

‘Constitutional Conservatives’ Lose Interest in Holding Trump Accountable

When Rep. Jim Jordan , Rep. Mark Meadows , Rep. Justin Amash , and six other colleagues co-founded the House Freedom Caucus in January 2015, there was ample reason for libertarians to cheer. Unlike the soft-spined conservatism of the larger Republican Study Committee, the Freedom Caucus promised to be much more hardcore about spending, war, constitutionalism, and oversight of the executive branch.

Democratic candidate says he won’t back Pelosi for Speaker

A Democrat seeking to flip Ohio's 1st Congressional District in November says he won't support U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi for Speaker if the party regains control of the House of Representatives. Cincinnati's Aftab Pureval has joined a growing list of Democratic congressional candidates who are distancing themselves from the House minority leader from California.

Hearing on Russia probe devolves into shouting match

An embattled FBI agent whose anti-Trump text messages exposed the Justice Department to claims of institutional bias vigorously defended himself at an extraordinary congressional hearing that devolved into shouting matches, finger-pointing and veiled references to personal transgressions. Peter Strzok on Thursday testified publicly for the first time since being removed from special counsel Robert Mueller's team following the discovery of texts last year that were traded with an FBI lawyer in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

5 takeaways from FBI agent’s explosive congressional hearing

In an explosive, hourslong congressional hearing Thursday, FBI agent Peter Strzok was defiant as Republicans unleashed blistering attacks, saying his anti-Trump sentiment - captured in personal text messages - is evidence of bias at the Justice Department. Democrats threw their support behind Strzok with gusto.

7 fast-food chains agree to end ‘no-poaching’ policies

This Feb. 15, 2018, file photo shows a McDonald's Restaurant in Brandon, Miss. Seven national fast-food chains have agreed to end policies that block workers from changing branches, limiting their wages and job opportunities, under the threat of legal action from the state of Washington.

Rep. Bishop introduces bill that would make it easier for states to drop daylight saving time

A new bill introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, Wednesday would give states power to decide if they will continue observing daylight saving time. The bill, H.R. 6331 , also known as the Daylight Act, would also make it easier for states to decide to maintain daylight saving time year-round and keep observing it as is.

Little testifies on grazing policy

Lt. Gov. Brad Little was among a set of four witnesses who appeared Thursday before a House subcommittee which held an oversight hearing on public lands grazing. Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee have in recent months been moving toward significant changes to the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Equal Access to Justice Act, which allows groups who successfully prove in court that federal agencies violated federal rules to recover attorney fees.

The GOP Corporate Tax Bill Rewards Offshoring – Here’s What We Can Do to Stop It

A new op-ed in The Hill co-authored by CWA President Chris Shelton and Rep. Lloyd Doggett shines a spotlight on how the Republican corporate tax bill rewards and incentivizes the offshoring of more American jobs, and calls for Congress to pass Doggett's bill, the No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act , to stop this disturbing trend. Many of the companies that are among the biggest beneficiaries of the Republican tax bill, such as Wells Fargo, have already been closing American call centers and aggressively offshoring U.S. jobs.