Federal judges deny efforts to delay Arkansas executions

This combination of undated file photos provided by the Arkansas Department of Correction shows death-row inmates Jack Jones, left, and Marcel Williams. The two Arkansas inmates scheduled to be put to death Monday, April 24, 2017, in what could be the nation's first double execution in more than 16 years have asked an appeals court to halt their lethal injections because of poor health.

Political Horizons: New legislative independence frustrates old process

Republican House Majority Leader Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, center, and House Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, right, listen Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry Jr., R-Metairie, left, during a legislative recess on the House floor while awaiting legislation from the Senate which addresses the state budget deficit Monday Feb. 20, 2017, in Baton Rouge. Gov. John Bel Edwards smiled a lot but wasn't happy Thursday morning as he schmoozed his way around the lobby outside the public dining room - the town square of the State Capitol.

Can Bruce Rauner save himself?

With Illinois in near financial ruin, as businesses and economic refugees flee the state in search of opportunity, there is at least one industry prepared to invest $200 million or more in Illinois' strangled economy: Political expenditures in the 2018 gubernatorial elections could reach that $200 million sum, perhaps exceed it, as Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner seeks re-election, and Illinois Democratic boss House Speaker Michael Madigan welcomes big-bucks Democrats into the race. Boss Madigan, thin, wizened and in his mid-70s, still runs things.

Marching for science that’s vital to Oregon’s economy, environment and health

We are in the midst of an unprecedented assault on science and evidence-based policy which will have profound impacts in Oregon and beyond. The White House has proposed a massive 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency budget, which could reduce Oregonians' access to clean air and water.

Why Trump cannot brush off demands for his taxes

"President Donald Trump lashed out Sunday at the protesters who took part in marches across the country Saturday to demand that he release his tax returns, declaring on Twitter that 'The election is over!' "Trump's comments followed a nationwide Tax March that drew thousands of people in dozens of cities on the country's traditionally recognized deadline to file taxes, April 15." He bizarrely argued: "I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican - easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?" The one has nothing to do with the other, of course. Voters didn't put him there to act as an autocrat, responsible to no one.

EDITORIAL: Bad bill offers religious break to county clerks

One political truism has become all too apparent in recent years: Those among us who most loudly claim to cherish and respect the U.S. Constitution often happen to be the most eager to gut and redraft key passages of it. Latest evidence: Republican state Sen. Brian Birdwell, who has pushed hard this legislative session for an Article V Convention of States to rewrite offending parts of the Constitution - a dangerous idea for all real patriots who love this republic and understand its intricate framework for governance.

Apocalyptic Progressivism

Shortly after the 2008 election, President Obama's soon-to-be chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, infamously declared, "You never let a serious crisis go to waste." He elaborated: "What I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."

The Shameless Sean Spicer Hitler Hypocrisy

Press secretary Sean Spicer publicly apologized several times for this comment about Bashar Assad, the murderous dictator of Syria: "You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons." Spicer got hammered for supposedly minimizing the horror of the Holocaust.

Donald Trump: Save the Eisenhower Memorial

There is hope! I am speaking of the envisioned memorial of Dwight D. Eisenhower here in Washington, D.C. Admittedly, its design by the crank architect, Frank Gehry, has been pretty much accepted by the memorial commission, and the chairman of the House committee that has control of the funding, Ken Calvert, seems to be going along. What's more, the Congressionally approved waiver calling for the memorial to have all of its funding in place before groundbreaking has been approved.

New Day, New Race

This week, the national media and national Democrats claimed a premature victory in the Georgia sixth congressional district special election, which they saw as a referendum on President Trump. When all the votes were counted, Democrat Jon Ossoff found himself in a runoff against Republican Karen Handel rather than the outright win he and his funders had hoped for.