Joe Kennedy’s tweet on sexual assault insensitivity is a bit much

Should any member of the Kennedy family be lecturing any other politician about insensitivity to the rape and abuse of females? On Friday morning, the president tweeted out, re: the Kavanaugh-Ford contretemps: "I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time and place!" "2 of 3 sexual assaults are never reported.

Anti-Kavanaugh voices Hirono, Feinstein took campaign cash from Dem…

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday evening, Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono urges men to 'do the right thing' amid allegations of misconduct against President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
 U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, who told men to "just shut up and step up" in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, might have some explaining to do about her campaign cash. U.S. Sen. Tom Carper's First State PAC donated $1,000 to Hirono's political campaign in June, despite the Delaware lawmaker's confession of abuse.

EPA chief: US needs a single standard for fuel efficiency

In this July 11, 2018, file photo, Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler speaks to EPA staff at EPA Headquarters in Washington. Wheeler says there should be a single national standard for fuel efficiency for cars and trucks, speaking out as a showdown looms with California that could throw the car market into turmoil.

Trump’s immigration order sparks confusion, deep concern

President Donald Trump's reversal of a policy separating migrant families at the Mexico border sparked confusion over how the new guidelines will play out and deep concern that the changes don't go far enough, allowing children to still be held in detention even if they remain with their families. "We are pleased that the president is calling a halt to his inhumane and heartless policy of separating parents from their children," said Peter Schey, the lawyer in a lawsuit that resulted in a key agreement governing the treatment of migrant children in detention called the Flores settlement.

Senators press Pruitt for details on new legal defense fund Source: AP

Four Senate Democrats asked Scott Pruitt on Monday for details about a new legal defense fund to help the Environmental Protection Agency administrator as he weathers a series of federal ethics investigations. Pruitt confirmed at a Senate hearing last week that people he did not identify have created the legal defense fund in his behalf, but he gave no specifics on its operation.

Senators press Pruitt for details on new legal defense fund

Four Senate Democrats asked Scott Pruitt on Monday for details about a new legal defense fund to help the Environmental Protection Agency administrator as he weathers a series of federal ethics investigations. Pruitt confirmed at a Senate hearing last week that people he did not identify have created the legal defense fund in his behalf, but he gave no specifics on its operation.

Will Trump negotiate with California on auto gas mileage?

Addressing a key concern for manufacturers, President Donald Trump has instructed his administration to explore negotiations with California on achieving a single fuel economy standard for the nation during a meeting with auto industry executives. The president met with top auto executives Friday to discuss the standards and tasked Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to handle the talks with California officials, according to two people briefed on the meeting.

Auto executives to meet with Trump on gas mileage standards

Executives from 10 auto companies will meet with President Donald Trump and cabinet officials on Friday to discuss the administration's plan to reduce gas mileage and pollution requirements enacted during the Obama administration. The auto industry wants to relax the standards, but not so much that they provoke a legal fight with California, which has power to impose its own stricter tailpipe pollution limits.

Senator wants info on EPA chief’s multiple email accounts Source: AP

The Republican chairman of a Senate oversight committee is pressing the head of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide details about his use of multiple government email addresses. Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso issued a letter asking EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to disclose all his email addresses and affirm that all were being searched in response to Freedom of Information Act requests.

White House: No change ‘at this time’ to Shulkin’s VA job

With his job status in danger, embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin sought to lower his public profile Monday as a White House spokesman insisted that President Donald Trump still had confidence in his leadership "at this point in time." Shulkin, the lone Obama administration official in Trump's Cabinet, abruptly backed out of a media availability Monday morning that had been scheduled at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Elsmere, Delaware, as part of an annual Veterans Summit hosted by Democratic Sen. Tom Carper.

Dems: Did EPA security staffer steer contract to associate? Source: AP

Senate Democrats are pressing Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt on whether a key member of his taxpayer-funded security team improperly steered a government contract to a personal business associate. The Associated Press reported in December that EPA paid $3,000 to Edwin Steinmetz Associates to have Pruitt's office swept for hidden listening devices.

Gas-tax increase would hit Trump states hardest, Koch groups say

A federal gas tax increase to help pay for upgrading U.S. roads and bridges would fall hardest on states won by Donald Trump in 2016, according to a report released Tuesday by two groups tied to the billionaire Koch brothers that oppose the increase. The impact of raising the gas tax by 25 cents per gallon, as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has suggested and Trump reportedly has offered to support, would vary widely from state to state because of differences in the current tax rate and fuel consumption, the report by Americans for Prosperity and by Freedom Partners shows.

Trump suggests 25 cent increase in gas tax, senator says

President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that a 25 cent increase in gas and diesel taxes would be needed to help pay for the administration's new infrastructure plan, according to Democratic Sen. Tom Carper. In a bipartisan meeting with lawmakers at the White House, Trump noted that the federal gas tax hasn't been raised since 1993, said Carper, the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee.

Trump pulls nomination of Kathleen Hartnett White for top environmental post

The White House said Sunday that Kathleen Hartnett White asked that her name be pulled from consideration for the position. President Trump withdrew the nomination of Kathleen Hartnett White to be the top environmental official in the White House Saturday after Senate Democrats attacked her climate change views, and few Republicans came to her defense.

Trump’s infrastructure plan hits early roadblock over funding

Top Democrats are questioning President Donald Trump's infrastructure plan even before it's released, raising doubts about whether the administration's approach can win bipartisan support. Trump has long touted his plan to upgrade U.S. public works as something that can win Democratic backing, and he will appeal to Democrats on infrastructure in his State of the Union address on Tuesday.

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.

White House: Cohn didn’t fake bad reception on Trump call

The White House is disputing a Democratic senator's claim that top economic adviser Gary Cohn faked bad reception to get President Donald Trump off the phone. Delaware Sen. Tom Carper said Wednesday in a CNN interview that he and other Democrats had been in a meeting with several White House officials discussing tax reform when the president called from Asia.