On-the-farm research making the case for industrial hemp

Real-world research in more than a dozen states in recent years is giving farmers new understanding of how to grow industrial hemp and showing that it has promise to be a viable commercial crop in the U.S. The 2014 federal farm bill allowed for university and state-sponsored research programs of the plant whose fiber can be used in products from paper to clothing and whose oil can be an ingredient in food and health products. Programs have now been launched in 15 states, with two more states coming online, according to the hemp advocacy nonprofit Vote Hemp.

Montana considers raising political campaign donation limits

Montana lawmakers are considering raising campaign contribution limits for state candidates and allowing decisions on campaign finance violations to go to mediation, over the objections of the outgoing regulator who says the measure could affect a pending case and diminish his office's independence. The bill by Sen. Tom Richmond , R-Billings, would increase how much money state candidates can receive from political parties, committees and individuals.

Idaho federal courts administrator Libby Smith to leave for 9th Circuit post

Elizabeth "Libby" Smith, clerk of court for the federal courts in Idaho, has been named the new circuit executive of the 9th Circuit; she will start her new job next month. Smith has managed administrative services for the U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Idaho since 2009, including federal court operations in Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Moscow and Pocatello.

Don’t Assume PAGA Claims Are Not Arbitrable: Ninth Circuit Reverses …

On March 3, 2013, in an unpublished decision in Valdez v. Terminix International Company Limited Partnership , Case No.15-56236, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a District Court order denying defendant Terminix International Company Limited Partnership's motion to compel arbitration of plaintiff Palcido Valdez's claim for penalties for violation of the California Private Attorneys General Act of 2004, Labor Code section 2698 et seq.

Hawaii to file first court challenge to new Donald Trump travel ban

President Donald Trump has signed a revised travel ban that temporarily halts entry to the USA for people from six Muslim-majority nations who are seeking new visas and suspends the country's refugee program. The executive order bars citizens from Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen from entering America for 90 days.

A look at legal issues with Trump’s revised travel ban

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson finishes a news conference about the state's response to President Trump's revised travel ban Thursday, March 9, 2017, in Seattle. Legal challenges against Trump's revised travel ban mounted Thursday as Washington state said it would renew its request to block the executive order.

Experts: New travel ban more palatable, still problematic – Tue, 07 Mar 2017 PST

More palatable, but still problematic: That's the judgment of some legal experts who have examined President Donald Trump's revised travel ban, issued after a month of legal wrangling over the original. It also attempts to erase the notion that it was designed to target Muslims by spelling out more of a national security rationale.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions faces Senate Tuesday a ” in public

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, facing fresh questions about his Russian contacts during the election campaign and his role in the firing of James Comey, announced that he will face a public hearing by former Senate colleagues today. • A friend of the president said Trump is considering “terminating” special counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed to lead an independent probe into Russia's role in the presidential election.

Trump Administration Delays New Muslim Immigration Ban Order

It's been nearly a month now since President Trump's Executive Order barring immigration or travel from seven majority Muslim countries was blocked by a Federal District Court Judge in Washington State, and later, by a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals . In the immediate aftermath of the Court of Appeals ruling, the Administration announced that it was declining to immediately proceed with an appeal of the panel's decision and would instead attempt to rewrite the order in a manner that would address the legal deficiencies that those two courts, along with several others across the country , have found with the original order only to delay the issuance of a new order several times now.

Airports, legal volunteers prepare for new Trump travel ban

Airport officials and civil rights lawyers around the country are getting ready for President Donald Trump's new travel ban - mindful of the chaos that accompanied his initial executive order but hopeful the forthcoming version will be rolled out in a more orderly way. The new order was expected as soon as Wednesday.

Ninth Circuit Declines To Delay Trump Travel Ban Appeal

The Trump Administration had until this week to file an opening brief in their official appeal of the case brought by the states of Washington and Minnesota in his temporary ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. And after the Department of Justice requested that the Ninth Circuit delay their appeal until the President could sign a new executive order, the circuit court denied that request but gave the administration another week to file their brief, as the Associated Press is reporting .

Government Wants Appeal Of Travel Ban Put On Hold

The Justice Department wants a federal appeals court to put President Trump's travel ban case on hold until he issues a new order, but the states who sued to stop the ban want the case to move forward. A government motion filed Friday says all actions on the appeal should be stopped because Trump intends to issue a new executive order that addresses some of the constitutional concerns raised by his first action.

AP Exclusive: Analysts downplay threat from 7 nations in ban

Analysts at the Homeland Security Department's intelligence arm found insufficient evidence that citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries included in President Donald Trump's travel ban pose a terror threat to the United States. A draft document obtained by The Associated Press concludes that citizenship is an "unlikely indicator" of terrorism threats to the United States and that few people from the countries Trump listed in his travel ban have carried out attacks or been involved in terrorism-related activities in the U.S. since Syria's civil war started in 2011.