In a unanimous opinion issued December 6, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court held that violation of the False Claims Act’s seal requirement is not grounds for automatic dismissal. The Court declined to provide guidance for when dismissal may be appropriate and instead deferred to the discretion of the district courts.
Day: December 19, 2016
Obama sets rule to protect streams near coal mines
The Obama administration on Monday set final rules designed to reduce the environmental impact of coal mining on the nation’s streams, a long-anticipated move that met quick resistance from Republicans who vowed to overturn it under President-elect Donald Trump. The Interior Department said the new rule will protect 6,000 miles of streams and 52,000 acres of forests, preventing debris from coal mining from being dumped into nearby waters.
Volkswagen gets final extension for possible emissions deal
Volkswagen is facing a deadline of Monday, Dec. 19, 2016, to tell a federal judge in San Francisco whether … . FILE – In this Sept.
The Latest: McCrory says he’ll call session to undo HB2
North Carolina’s outgoing Republican Gov. Pat McCrory says he will call a special session so that legislators can repeal a law limiting protections for LGBT people. McCrory issued a statement Monday not long after the state’s incoming governor, Democrat Roy Cooper, said that legislators plan to come back Tuesday for a special session to repeal the law.
The Latest: Clinton wins NH, VT electoral votes total of 7
Graphic shows disparities between population and electoral votes among states; 4c x 5 inches; 195.7 mm x 127 mm; . Rex Teter, a member of the Electoral College, holds two days of delivered mail at his home in Pasadena, Texas, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016.
Pence names new Ohio River bridge after Lewis and Clark
A new bridge spanning the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky has been named after the 19th Century explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The new Lewis and Clark Bridge, which was previously known as the East End Crossing, opened to traffic Sunday.
Wisconsin protesters brave cold to oppose Trump
Protesters braved sub-zero wind chills outside Wisconsin’s state Capitol on Monday to protest against Donald Trump and urge 10 Republican Electoral College members to “vote your conscience” and cast a ballot against the president-elect. The protests, both inside the Capitol and outside where the temperature hovered around zero, came hours before Wisconsin’s presidential electors were to gather in a fourth floor hearing room to officially award the state’s 10 electoral votes to Trump.
The Latest: Trump gets all 6 electoral votes in Mississippi
Republican Donald Trump has received all six of Mississippi’s electoral votes for president. He won the state by a wide margin in November.
The Latest: Demonstrators rally as electors set to vote
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Latest on Maryland’s 10 members of the electoral college meeting in Annapolis to vote : Dozens of demonstrators are rallying in Annapolis, as Maryland’s 10 members of the Electoral College are scheduled to vote.
Protesters rally in advance of Connecticut electoral vote
Connecticut’s seven electors are expected to formally cast votes at noon Monday for Hillary Clinton, winner of the statewide election for president. But the protesters say they still felt the need to brave the cold and take a public stand, worried about Republican Donald Trump’s suitability to become the next president of the U.S., as well as the alleged Russian interference with the election.
Electors start voting to officially pick Donald Trump as President
At 10 a.m. Monday, members of the Electoral College began casting their ballots in state capitals across the nation to make Donald Trump’s victory official. The 538 men and women will be voting primarily in accordance with the results from November in their state.
The Latest: Denver protest as electors meet to vote
About 100 shivering protesters have gathered on the steps of Colorado’s Capitol building in Denver. They’re hoping to persuade Colorado’s nine electors to join a long-shot bid to block Republican President-elect Donald Trump.
Slideshow: Most sinful cities
The meeting of Presidential Electors will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday at the Capitol in Mississippi. The electors will case their electoral votes in the 2016 General Election or President and Vice President of the United States.
The Latest: SC win gives Trump 44 of 270 electoral votes
Graphic shows disparities between population and electoral votes among states; 4c x 5 inches; 195.7 mm x 127 mm; WASHINGTON – The Latest on the Electoral College meeting Monday to formally elect Donald Trump the nation’s 45th president : With a win in South Carolina, Donald Trump now has won 44 electoral votes of the 270 he needs to formally win the presidency. Clinton won the popular vote in the Nov. 8 election.
Villanova still No. 1 in AP Top 25 men’s hoops; UCLA at 2
The Latest on the Electoral College meeting Monday to formally elect Donald Trump the nation’s 45th president : The Latest on the Electoral College meeting Monday to formally elect Donald Trump the nation’s 45th president : U.S. women are increasingly using pot during pregnancy, sometimes for morning sickness. That’s according to an analysis of annual U.S. government drug surveys.
Louisiana Spotlight: Gov. John Bel Edwards hit with court, election and budget losses
La. Gov. John Bel Edwards speaks to media during the Louisiana Symposium on Recovery and Resilience Thursday, December 8, 2016, at the LITE Center in Lafayette, La. La. Gov. John Bel Edwards speaks to media during the Louisiana Symposium on Recovery and Resilience Thursday, December 8, 2016, at the LITE Center in Lafayette, La.
Donald Trump thinks his supporters, whom he just called a violenta and …
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at the USA Thank You Tour 2016 at the Giant Center on Dec. 15 in Hershey, Pa. If my many supporters acted and threatened people like those who lost the election are doing, they would be scorned & called terrible names! Trump said Friday at a rally in Orlando that his supporters had been both of those things during the campaign, but that they had toned it down since he won.
Fired Bradley regrets not sticking around to see Jaguars win
The Jaguars lost and Bradley was fired after the game. . Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley reacts during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, in Houston.
House Republicans shut down investigation into Flint water crisis, blame EPA instead
As President Obama signed a bill Friday authorizing $170 million to address lead in the drinking water in Flint , Michigan, Republicans in the House quietly closed a nearly yearlong investigation into the disaster before receiving crucial information from Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a pair of letters late Friday afternoon offering no new information and essentially summarizing what was already revealed about the crisis during several high-profile hearings earlier this year to announce the end of his investigation.
North Carolina governor-elect says lawmakers will call session to repeal bathroom bill
The city of Charlotte on Monday abandoned a nondiscrimination ordinance that helped spark North Carolina’s controversial “bathroom bill,” potentially clearing the way for legislators to drop the highly-criticized measure that prompted lawsuits and cost the state jobs and tourism dollars. North Carolina’s governor-elect Roy Cooper said Monday he has been told that due to Charlotte’s actions, state lawmakers would call a special session Tuesday to vote on repealing the measure known as House Bill 2 .
Gov-elect: North Carolina will repeal LGBT law on Tuesday
In this June 24, 2016, file photo, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper speaks during a forum in Charlotte, N.C. North Carolina legislators will repeal the contentious HB2 law that limited protections for LGBT people and led to an economic backlash, the state’s incoming governor, Roy, said Monday, Dec. 19. less FILE – In this June 24, 2016, file photo, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper speaks during a forum in Charlotte, N.C. North Carolina legislators will repeal the contentious HB2 law that limited … more FILE – In this Monday, April 25, 2016, file photo, protesters head into the Legislative building for a sit-in against House Bill 2 in Raleigh, N.C. North Carolina legislators will repeal the contentious HB2 law that limited protections for LGBT people and led to an economic backlash, the state’s Gov.-elect Roy Cooper said Monday, Dec. 19, 2016.
As alliance wavers, U.S. says gave Philippines big annual defense aid boost
The United States provided the Philippines with $127 million in security assistance in the 12 months ended in September, the biggest sum in about 15 years, overlapping with a stream of angry threats from President Rodrigo Duterte to sever their defense alliance. The U.S. embassy in Manila on Friday confirmed its longtime Asian ally had received a 154 percent increase in military assistance from the 2014-2015 period, the biggest sum since American forces returned to the Philippines in 2002.
HB2 deal in jeopardy over city’s partial repeal of nondiscrimination ordinance
A deal to repeal House Bill 2 may be in jeopardy after some state lawmakers say the Charlotte City Council didn’t go far enough in a vote to repeal its non-discrimination ordinance Monday. The Charlotte City Council voted Monday to repeal part of its non-discrimination ordinance.
Donald Trump blames terrorists for killings in Turkey, Germany
Jumping ahead of investigators, President-elect Donald Trump is blaming Islamic terrorists for deadly violence in Turkey and Germany and vowing anew to eradicate their regional and global networks. Authorities in both countries were still investigating Monday when Trump issued a pair of statements condemning the attacks, the same day the Electoral College formally awarded him the presidency.
Mount Washington wind chill hits 87 below zero
New England’s highest peak is notorious for its winds. Combine those whipping winds with an air temperature of 35 below zero and you get a wind chill of minus 87. A West Lebanon woman survived a close call Saturday after she was dragged underneath a tractor trailer in a White River Junction parking lot.
Immigrant Activists and Pols Tell Donald Trump That They’re ‘Here to Stay’
Public Advocate Letitia James and Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito participated in the “March for Immigrant New York” today organized by the New York Immigration Coalition. Immigrants, activists and top New York Democrats marched to Trump Tower on Sunday in a display of defiance against President-elect Donald Trump’s proposals to deport two million or more undocumented individuals living in the United States The 1,000-plus marchers, officially called the “March for Immigrant New York,” traveled from the Dag Hammerskjold Plaza near the United Nations to Trump Tower.
Jackie Evancho is a performer with talent and class
PG columnist Tony Norman’s slight regarding Jackie Evancho’s selection to sing the national anthem at the 2017 presidential inauguration is laughable . Donald Trump couldn’t get Beyonce or Katie Perry? Quite possibly the new administration simply chose to have a performer who arguably may be the best pure singing talent today.
Electoral education: Electors make it official today
It’s Election Day in America. Again. In 50 state capitals and the District of Columbia, 538 members of the Electoral College will cast their ballots for President and vice president.
Three suspected illegal immigrants arrested in takeaway search
THREE suspected illegal immigrants working at a takeaway were arrested as police searched for perpetrators, and victims, of child sexual exploitation. Officers from the Castle Point and Rochford community policing team, backed by Rochford District Council, carried out the intensive checks at several fast food outlets across Rayleigh in an effort to find any vulnerable children.
Comcast’s call center at 55 Executive Drive in Hudson expects to hire 60 new employees in 2017.
Quarterback Tom Brady led four scoring drives – two after turnovers – and New England’s defense kept the Denver Broncos out of the end zone Sunday in a 16-3 victory that clinched the… A LEGACY is a normal progression of life.
No Glitches Expected as Wisconsin Electors Prepare for Official Vote
Many eyes will be watching today as the Electoral College meets at state capitols across the country to officially cast ballots for president. The process has come under fire this year because Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, while Donald Trump picked up the electoral votes needed to win.
Sage, Ink: Naughty Rewards
In the waning days of President Barack Obama’s administration, he and his wife, Michelle, hosted a farewell party, the full import of which no one could then grasp. It was late October, Friday the 21st, and the president had spent many of the previous weeks, as he would spend the two subsequent weeks, campaigning for the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton.
Big employers no strangers to benefits of cheap, illegal labor
The Texas Tribune is taking a yearlong look at the issues of border security and immigration. In this part of the project we look at how our insatiable demand for illegal drugs and cheap labor make the border less secure.
Australia and France insist on secrecy of new sub design
The Australian and French defense ministers say they are giving top priority to concealing design details of a new Australian submarine after data was leaked from French shipbuilder DCNS about a submarine built for India. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday that the mutual concerns of France and Australia to avoid a repeat of such a leak were addressed in an agreement on protecting classified information signed in Paris last week.
New Jersey’s presidential electors set to meet in Trenton
The Electoral College delegation will meet Monday afternoon in Trenton to officially allot the state’s 14 electoral votes to Democrats Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine. Clinton won the state on Election Day over Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who is preparing to take office in January to succeed President Barack Obama.
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A federal court just hammered away at the Second Amendment with an asinine ruling with regard to waiting periods. The lawsuit, Silvester v.
Press Digest – Wall Street Journal – Dec 19
Dec 19 The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary kicks off living nativity production
It’s been a few months since the Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary lost their U.S. Department of Agriculture license and exotic animal rescues were removed from the facility. “I’ve been part of the living nativity now for 12 years and it’s great.
Look in the mirror and accept you lost, Trump aides tell Democrats
Donald Trump’s top aides have said the US president-elect is not ready to accept the finding by intelligence officials that Moscow hacked Democratic emails in a bid to elevate the billionaire property mogul.
Ireland accuses Brussels, China’s real-life Big Brother, Microsoft
Dublin has laid out the grounds for its appeal against the European Commission’s demand that it claw back a 13bn of state aid from Apple Ireland has outlined the grounds for its appeal against the European Commission ‘s demand that it claw back €13bn of state aid from Apple, accusing Brussels of interfering with national sovereignty. The Irish finance ministry said the EU’s executive arm had misunderstood both Irish law and the relevant facts of the case, and also that the commission had exceeded its powers.