Federal judge knocks down Florida’s voting ban for ex-felons

In a ruling that could have reverberations on this year's crucial elections, a federal judge Thursday ruled that Florida's current ban on former felons voting is unconstitutional and needs to be changed as soon as possible. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a blistering ruling that says the state's current process to restore voting rights - which can take years - is flawed.

As another spending deadline nears, Trump tells Republicans to seek immigration ‘compromise’

U.S. President Donald Trump urged his fellow Republicans on Thursday to overcome sharp internal divisions over immigration policy, a debate closely enmeshed with a deadline to fund the government that looms next week. Congress needs to agree by Feb. 8 on another temporary spending bill.

#ReleaseTheMemo isn’t about transparency – it’s political grandstanding

From spying on Martin Luther King Jr. to surveilling Americans citizens under the PATRIOT Act, the FBI has been abusing its powers since its inception in 1908. Politicians routinely turn a blind eye to such misdeeds.

Axelrod on Trump: A ‘rooster taking credit for the dawn’

One day after Trump delivered the State of the Union address on Capitol Hill, Obama staffer David Axelrod delivered his own take on American politics. President Donald Trump talked about business moving to the U.S., chain migration, energy exports and the Islamic State group.

Commentary: In State of Union address, Trump promises to fix trade? Try competing first

US President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump's protectionist approach and laser focus on China may have played well on the stump, but it will leave the American workers who ushered him into office at a disadvantage.

Swing voters: Trump speech on ‘plus side of mediocre’

WASHINGTON President Trump's first State of the Union address did little to change the hearts and minds of a group of swing voters who liked his call for more vocational education and paid family leave but rated the speech overall as not terribly convincing. President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union address in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol to a joint session of Congress Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 in Washington.

Trump to call for unity in address after divisive year

President Donald Trump, facing sagging approval ratings in a midterm election year, is seeking to rally a deeply divided nation in Tuesday night's State of the Union address with optimism about the growing economy and calls for action on immigration, trade and infrastructure rebuilding. White House officials said Trump would appeal for bipartisanship, though it's unclear if his rhetoric will be matched by any real overtures to Democrats.

All hail Mitch McConnell, the stone-cold legislative assassin who keeps Trump afloat

In March of 2014, America first became aware of a practice soon come to be known as "McConnelling" - candidates posting hokey stock videos of themselves online that Super PACs could then pilfer and use in their own ads. At the time, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky uploaded an awkward reel of himself accomplishing several mundane tasks, including giving speeches, hanging out with his wife and flashing a million-dollar smile while staring deeply into voters' souls.

Cohen: Donald Trump’s first year brims with success

WINNING: President Trump, accompanied by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, right, has lunch with the United Nations Security Council yesterday. Not only have his policies added over $8 trillion in value to the stock market - in year one of his administration - the economy is roaring and unemployment is at an all-time low.

Jay-Z, leading on Grammy Day, attacked by Trump

Jay-Z is leading nominations Sunday for the Grammys, was feted Saturday by music industry heavyweights - and, in between, was taken to task by the president of the United States. American rap mogul Jay-Z - who took home the Industry Icon award at the traditionnal Clive Davis pre-Grammy party - leads with eight Grammy nominations President Donald Trump criticized Jay-Z on his Twitter feed, likely in response to the rap mogul's denunciations of the US leader in an interview.

Strong health sign-ups under Obamacare encourage Democrats

Republicans on the campaign trail this year will be eager to tout the potential benefits of their tax cut plan. Failed efforts by congressional Republicans last year to repeal former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act exposed not only deep divisions within the party but also revealed core benefits of the law that millions of Americans now take for granted.

Air Force One: New fridges for Donald Trump’s presidential planes to cost $24mThe Independent

US President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 12 January, 2018, for a weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago: AFP Air Force One , the military-spec jet liner that ferries President Donald Trump around the globe, is to receive a $24m refrigerator upgrade. Boeing was handed the contract to design and install two gigantic chillers on the aircraft that will store enough food to keep crew members, travelling journalists, Mr Trump and his advisers going for weeks at a time.

Trump to deliver first State of the Union address

US President Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, RT's Washington Correspondent Brian O'Donovan looks ahead. Article II, Section 3 of the US Constitution states that the President " shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."

Air Force One is upgrading its refrigerators, and the cost to taxpayers will be a cool $24 million

Under a new government contract awarded to Boeing, the U.S. Air Force will pay the aeronautics behemoth $23,657,671 to replace two of the five chiller units on the plane currently used by President Donald Trump. Both of those units, which are used to store food, were installed on the plane when it was originally delivered in 1990, according to the Air Force.