Day: December 17, 2016

Indianaa s electors expected to cast ballots for Trump

Indiana’s eleven representatives to the Electoral College will gather at the Statehouse on Monday to formally cast votes to make Donald Trump president. Anti-Trump activists across the country have encouraged citizen electors to reject the Republican, who won a majority of Electoral College votes during the election, but lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Vice President-Elect Governor Mike Pence Issues Statement Regarding…

The state of Indiana urges motorists to avoid unnecessary travel as freezing rain, snow, and other winter weather continues to affect Hoosiers across the state. As the threat of winter weather continues, Vice President-elect Governor Mike Pence issued the following statement: “We cannot underestimate the hazards presented by freezing rain and frigid temperatures.

Outsiders selected by Trump aim to unnerve Washington

President-elect Donald Trump wishes supporters a Merry Christmas to kick off his “thank you” rally in Hershey, Pa., on Thursday. Seven men and one woman named by Trump to run vast government agencies share a common trait: once confirmed, their presence is meant to unnerve – and maybe even outright undermine – the bureaucracies they are about to lead.

Despite heavy lobbying, Utah electors say theya ll vote Trump

Utah’s six Republican presidential electors say they will all cast their votes next week for Donald Trump, as required under state law, but they’re being flooded with letters, calls and even full-page ads in Salt Lake City’s two newspapers urging them to vote for someone else. Jeremy Jenkins, an elector from Logan, said he’s been inundated with letters and emails from people – almost all out of state – urging him to vote for Clinton, someone else, or abstain.

Mourners pack auditorium for John Glenna s life celebration

Mourners who braved cold and icy roads packed an Ohio State University auditorium Saturday for a memorial service for space pioneer John Glenn as his casket advanced through the center of the his home state’s capital city in a somber processional. Roughly 2,500 people gathered at Mershon Auditorium for a memorial service called “a celebration of life” for the former fighter pilot, astronaut and longtime Democratic U.S. senator from small-town Ohio.

Stormier times for Californiaa s water expected under new law

The first winter storm of 2017 to drop welcome rain over the rivers, pumps, pipes and canals that move California’s water north to south likely will open a new era of tension over how much water goes to fish or farms under a new U.S law. Legislation signed Friday by President Barack Obama dictates that the federal portion of California’s heavily engineered water systems gives agricultural districts and other human users the biggest possible share of the most fought-over resource in a state with a six-year drought.

The Latest: US cites ‘understanding’ for glider’s return

The U.S. military says that through “direct engagement” with the Chinese, it’s “secured an understanding” that China’s navy will return an underwater glider seized in the South China Sea. Peter Cook, a spokesman for U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, says in a statement that the U.S. had registered its objection to what the U.S. is calling an “unlawful seizure” of the unmanned submerged device in international waters.

Kansas electors remain steadfast for Trump, defend college

The six Republican members of the Electoral College from Kansas feel bound to honor the state’s popular vote for Donald Trump in the presidential race and defend the college as a necessary to make sure the wishes of most voters in the nation aren’t ignored. Like their counterparts across the country, the Kansas electors say they received thousands of emails, most from outside Kansas, urging them not to vote for Trump, who received 57 percent of the vote in the state.

China says it seized US Navy drone to ensure safety of ships

In this undated photo released by the U.S. Navy Visual News Service, the USNS Bowditch, a T-AGS 60 Class Oceanographic Survey Ship, sails in open water. The USNS Bowditch, a civilian U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship, was recovering two drones on Thursday when a Chinese navy ship approached and sent out a small boat that took one of the drones, said Navy Capt.

Arizonaa s Electoral College voters urged not to back Trump

Arizona’s 11 Electoral College voters have each been inundated with tens of thousands of emails, hundreds of letters and untold numbers of phone calls urging them not to cast their ballots for president-elect Donald Trump. They say the anti-Trump effort is a waste of time, and that’s a generous description of their reaction.

Rohrabacher sees his out-of-mainstream Russia views taking hold under Trump

From left, Congressmen Steve Cohen , Dana Rohrabacher , William R. Keating and Steve King lay a wreath at the site of a terrorist attack in 2000 in Moscow’s Pushkin Square. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is finding himself newly relevant, after nearly three decades in Washington, as Donald Trump’s presidential win provides his out-of-the-mainstream views on Russia a new foothold.

A campaign rival bites on Trumpa s a Evan McMuffina remark, and the comeback is delish

At one point in October, it looked as though independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin might throw a wrench in the whole electoral process, and President-elect Donald Trump has not forgiven him for that. Into early November, the little-known conservative on the ballot in 11 states appeared to be polling close to Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton in Utah, according to RealClearPolitics .

Trump Risks U.S. Default with Debt Ceiling Denier Mulvaney as Budget Chief

So far, the defining trait of the incoming Trump administration is its staffing with extremists dedicated to destroying the agencies they are supposed to head. Friday was no exception, as President-elect Trump made the latest addition to his Kamikaze Cabinet by selecting South Carolina Republican Congressman Mick Mulvaney to direct the Office of Management and Budget .

Harassment of GOP electors continues as vote nears

Even as progressives whine about the threat Donald Trump represents to Democratic norms, the harassment of GOP electors has continued across the country. In Arizona, electors Bruce Ash and Alberto Gutier tell Tucson.com the number of calls, letters and emails are increasing as the vote draws near : Ash, a Republican national committeeman and one of the electoral voters, has received more than 700 letters and 6,500 emails asking, demanding and, in some cases threatening, him to vote for any candidate other than Trump For electoral voter Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the messages have gotten nastier in the days leading up to Monday.

Stark County residents sue to keep state Rep. Christina Hagan out of Electoral College

Two Stark County residents have filed a complaint against Republican state Rep. Christina Hagan, looking to keep her from voting for president as a member of the Electoral College. The complaint, filed in Stark County Court of Common Pleas by Andrew Diliddo Jr. and Hagan’s former Democratic opponent, Deborah Cain, says if Hagan were to participate as a presidential elector she would violate the Ohio Constitution.

With Ivanka Trump, the role of first daughter may evolve

She was a key player in her father’s winning campaign, and people are closely watching the next moves by President-elect Donald Trump’s 35-year-old daughter. She’s attended her father’s transition meetings with high-profile figures, including the Japanese prime minister and technology leaders, and has indicated her interest in working on policy issues such as child care.

Drug overdose deaths increased significantly in past 5 years

Drug overdose deaths have increased by 33 per cent in the past five years across the country, with some states seeing jumps of nearly 200 per cent. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 states saw increases in overdose deaths resulting from the abuse of heroin and prescription painkillers, a class of drugs known as opioids.

Hillary blames Comey letter, Putin orchestrated hacking behind her stunning loss

Defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has blamed her presidential election loss on the “unprecedented” events of Russian cyber hacking and the FBI’s probe into her use of her personal email server. The cyber attacks — which US intelligence sources believe were approved by Vladimir Putin — were the result of a “personal beef” the Russian leader had with her, Clinton told the gathering of fundraisers, who had given a total of about USD 1 billion to her campaign.

Iran asks for JCPOA’s Joint Commission session

News selected on topics and regions – oil and gas, business, politics, IT, the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea region, Central Asia Ranking of the Azerbaijani banking sector Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has sent a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini demanding a session of JCPOA’s Joint Commission over extension of sanctions against Tehran by US.

Here’s an early, easy GOP win for reform: Republicans should scrap the CFPB

If Republicans want a quick jump-start on government reform with their new electoral mandate in January, a top agenda item would be scrapping the Orwellian-named Consumer Financial Protection Bureau . The CFPB, part of the Dodd-Frank regulatory regime adopted by Democrats in 2010, is an agency meant to stop racism and anti-woman bias, President-elect Donald Trump has promised to dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act and, thankfully, this could very well mean the CFPB also.

I am very proud of the work I’ve done as president – Obama

Outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama has given himself a pass mark, telling Americans that he has done well in office as president in the last eight years. Obama, who made the remarks in his final press conference of the year, justified his actions on issues ranging from the economy to Syria, and from the Russia hacking scandal to the passage of Obamacare.

Abbreviated Pundit Round-up: Russian meddling is believed to have happened by both FBI and CIA

Donald Trump has won the presidency after narrowly carrying a few states to put him above 270 electoral votes.But according… Senate Republicans refused to give President Obama’s pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Scalia even the courtesy of a… One does not have to believe the the meddling decided the election to believe that 1) it happened 2) it is not a good thing 3) in a close election like this one everything mattered and 4) Donald Trump’s denials are both inappropriate and highly suspicious. He was told before the election this was happened, but denies it and denies it happened at all.

Don Surber: Never Trump and its Obamanaut friends think we are a…

Never Trump and its Obamanaut friends think we are a bunch of rubes being played for suckas by President Trump because he held a meeting with Al Gore, or someone in his upcoming Cabinet donated to Planned Parenthood, or someone associated with him lobbied sometime somewhere. Just remember: Never Trump and its Obamanaut friends got the election wrong.

Obama signs bill for Flint water, California drought

President Barack Obama signed a bill Friday authorizing water projects across the country, including $170 million to address lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and $558 million to provide relief to drought-stricken California. Obama said the bill advances vital projects across the country to restore watersheds, improve flood control and rebuild water infrastructure – including pipes in Flint, where residents have struggled with lead-tainted water for more than two years.

North Carolina GOP strips some of Democratic governor’s power

North Carolina Republicans stripped the incoming Democratic governor of some of his authority on Friday and they were on the cusp of an even greater power grab, an extraordinary move that critics said flies in the face of voters. Just last week, it appeared Republicans were ready to finally accept Democrats’ narrow win in a contentious governor’s race.

Eric Trump huffily shuts down sister auction

An auction offering a 45A minute private meeting with Ivanka Trump in exchange for a charitable donation was abruptly canceled Friday after questions were raised about the process by ethics experts, who said it appeared to offer bidders special access to the next first family. Ethics concerns – hoocoodanode? Eric Trump, whose stubborn case of “resting sociopath face” is perhaps a factor in the decision to recruit his famous sibling for the auction rather than representing his eponymous foundation himself, was none too pleased about the derailment of the annual sister-hustle: Eric Trump issued a statement as well, expressing regret that the charity effort had to be called off.

Obama says Putin knew about hacks: President urges Trump to take…

President Barack Obama put Russia’s Vladimir Putin on notice Friday that the U.S. could use offensive cyber muscle to retaliate for interference in the U.S. presidential election, his strongest suggestion to date that Putin had been well aware of campaign email hacking. Caught in the middle of a post-election controversy over Russian hacking, Obama strongly defended his administration’s response, including his refusal before the voting to ascribe motive to the meddling or to discuss now what effect it might have had.

Love Your Homemade Quilt? Thank Capitalism.

A patchwork quilt covering a bed in a country B&B or hanging on a museum wall evokes nostalgia for simpler times. Using simple shapes-triangles, squares, trapezoids, octagons-and the clever arrangement of color and pattern, the quilters of a bygone era created beauty and utility from what we wasteful moderns might simply discard.

North Carolina’s new law pushes the partisan envelope

North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature has fundamentally altered the balance of power, taking power from the governor before a newly-elected Democrat takes office. Jeanne Aaroe protests outside the Senate gallery after it was cleared during a special session of the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday.

Here’s what the future of rail travel in the Northeast could be like

WASHINGTON — U.S. transportation officials proposed spending more than $120 billion over the next 30 years to revamp and overhaul railroad tracks in the Northeast Corridor, shaving 80 minutes off the trip between Washington and Boston, and expanding rail service throughout New Jersey. The report by the Federal Railroad Administration said a mixture of funding sources would need to be tapped to fulfill the plan of improved service along the 457-mile corridor, including some new tracks, new stations and new trains.

Trump salutes supporters in Florida, names budget director

President-elect Donald Trump, in the latest stop of his victory lap, told a military veteran-laden crowd in Florida that while he would build up the country’s armed forces, he would use them sparingly as commander-in-chief. “For too long, we’ve moving from one reckless intervention to another, to countries you’ve never heard of before,” Trump said at a rally Friday night in Orlando.

Monday’s letters: Focus on fixing cyber security

Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta is the kind of behavior that the United States needs to address, but the hype about it is poorly focused. First, the hacking effort was likely expected by cyber security folks, but apparently not sufficiently by the DNC and Podesta to take even modest precautions: Shame on the DNC and Podesta.

St. Albert MP calls for change alongside Bret McCann

St. Albert MP Michael Cooper spoke alongside Bret McCann at a press conference this afternoon, calling for changes to the Criminal Code. McCann, the son of Lyle and Marie McCann, is calling on the federal government to make changes to remove inoperative and unconstitutional sections of the Criminal Code.