Day: December 29, 2016

President Obama designates two more nat’l monuments, infuriating right wingers in Utah and elsewhere

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… American Indian petroglyphs, some dating back 5,000 years, cover “Newspaper Rock” located in what is now Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah. Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada also contains a “Newspaper Rock.”

President Obama designates two more nat’l monuments, infuriating right wingers in Utah and elsewhere

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… American Indian petroglyphs, some dating back 5,000 years, cover “Newspaper Rock” located in what is now Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah. Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada also contains a “Newspaper Rock.”

21 Officers Died in Ambush Shootings in 2016, Report Says

Dallas Police Chief David Brown talks to reporters following a deadly night in which a dozen police and transit officers were shot, five of them killed. This year was particularly deadly for police officers in the United States, with 21 deadly ambush shootings marking the highest number in more than two decades, according to a law enforcement advocacy group that tracks fatal shootings of officers.

Ode to the Pundits

Award-winning animator Mark Fiore bestows a special award upon “the pundit class” who helped bring us the Donald Trump presidency in his latest clip. Watch the video and read Fiore’s thoughts on pundits below.

Ode to the Pundits

Award-winning animator Mark Fiore bestows a special award upon “the pundit class” who helped bring us the Donald Trump presidency in his latest clip. Watch the video and read Fiore’s thoughts on pundits below.

After Legislative Coup, North Carolina Can No Longer Be Considered a Democracy, Study Finds

A new report finds that North Carolina’s democratic institutions are so flawed that the state should no longer be considered a functioning democracy. The report, by the Electoral Integrity Project, or EIP, “points to extreme gerrymandering, voter suppression of communities of color and the recent stripping of power of incoming Democratic Governor Roy Cooper by Republicans,” reports “Democracy Now!” EIP gave the state a score of 58 out of 100 points-similar to those of Cuba, Sierra Leone and Indonesia.

After Legislative Coup, North Carolina Can No Longer Be Considered a Democracy, Study Finds

A new report finds that North Carolina’s democratic institutions are so flawed that the state should no longer be considered a functioning democracy. The report, by the Electoral Integrity Project, or EIP, “points to extreme gerrymandering, voter suppression of communities of color and the recent stripping of power of incoming Democratic Governor Roy Cooper by Republicans,” reports “Democracy Now!” EIP gave the state a score of 58 out of 100 points-similar to those of Cuba, Sierra Leone and Indonesia.

Punishment for Alleged Russian Hacking Expected to Be Announced Today

The Obama administration later today is expected to announce retaliatory steps against Russia for a cyber assault on Democratic political organizations during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to sources familiar with the matter. Federal authorities are also expected to expand on why Washington is confident that Russia was behind the hacks, which some officials believe may have influenced the U.S. presidential election .

Small plane crash in Fla. kills Minnesota mother active in public education

A small airplane crashed while trying to land in central Florida, killing both people aboard, one of them a central Minnesota woman being remembered for her tireless dedication to public education in her community. Deb Solsrud, 51, of New London, died when the single-engine plane she was in crashed early Tuesday evening in the front yard of a home in Port Orange, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

Small plane crash in Fla. kills Minnesota mother active in public education

A small airplane crashed while trying to land in central Florida, killing both people aboard, one of them a central Minnesota woman being remembered for her tireless dedication to public education in her community. Deb Solsrud, 51, of New London, died when the single-engine plane she was in crashed early Tuesday evening in the front yard of a home in Port Orange, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

APNewsBreak: US considers mining limits to save sage grouse

The Obama administration will release five possible plans Thursday for limiting mining on federal land in the West to protect the vulnerable greater sage grouse, but it isn’t saying which it prefers. The options range from banning new mining activity on about 15,000 square miles for up to 20 years to imposing no additional restrictions on mine locations.

Trump writing own ‘short’ inaugural speech

President-elect Donald Trump is turning his attention Thursday to crafting a “short” but impactful inaugural address designed not to overly burden the thousands of supporters expected to attend next month’s ceremony. “He wants to write the inaugural himself,” said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, who met with Trump Wednesday to discuss, among other things, the upcoming speech on January 20th.

Progress and struggles reflect in top race headlines of 2016

Of the many events marking the closing year of Barack Obama’s time as the nation’s first black president, none had deeper resonance than his opening of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture on the National Mall. Tracing the history of black America from its dark beginnings in human bondage to Obama’s historic election, the museum has already welcomed more than 600,000 visitors.

Progress and struggles reflect in top race headlines of 2016

Of the many events marking the closing year of Barack Obama’s time as the nation’s first black president, none had deeper resonance than his opening of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture on the National Mall. Tracing the history of black America from its dark beginnings in human bondage to Obama’s historic election, the museum has already welcomed more than 600,000 visitors.

What the UNSC resolution means for the US and Israel

The United Nations Security Council on Friday passed a resolution condemning Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The United States abstained on the resolution, allowing it to pass, rather than vetoing it — as it usually does with resolutions it sees as overly critical of Israel.

What the UNSC resolution means for the US and Israel

The United Nations Security Council on Friday passed a resolution condemning Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The United States abstained on the resolution, allowing it to pass, rather than vetoing it — as it usually does with resolutions it sees as overly critical of Israel.

2 Guardsmen dead after Apache crash in Texas

Two Army National Guardsmen were killed Wednesday afternoon when the AH-64 Apache helicopter that they were flying crashed into Galveston Bay in Texas, the state’s National Guard said. The soldiers were conducting a “routine training flight” when the helicopter crashed into the water just off the shore of the Bayport Cruise Terminal, about 25 miles southeast of Houston, about 4 p.m. local time, according to a Texas Military Department statement.

2 Guardsmen dead after Apache crash in Texas

Two Army National Guardsmen were killed Wednesday afternoon when the AH-64 Apache helicopter that they were flying crashed into Galveston Bay in Texas, the state’s National Guard said. The soldiers were conducting a “routine training flight” when the helicopter crashed into the water just off the shore of the Bayport Cruise Terminal, about 25 miles southeast of Houston, about 4 p.m. local time, according to a Texas Military Department statement.

US senators: Russia should be sanctioned for election hacks

U.S. senators visiting eastern European allies to discuss security issues called for sanctions against Russia for interfering in the presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts. Their demands came amid ongoing discussions among U.S. officials on an imminent response to alleged Russian meddling that would ensure the U.S. takes action before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Relations between Obama, Netanyahu camps hit rock bottom

It took eight years of backbiting and pretending they got along for relations between President Barack Obama’s administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to finally hit rock bottom. Though they’ve clashed bitterly before, mostly notably over Iran, the two governments seemed farther apart than ever after a speech Wednesday by Secretary of State John Kerry and last week’s United Nations resolution.

Trump holds Q&A, discussing jobs, Russia, Israel

President-elect Donald Trump applauded the return of 8,000 jobs to the U.S. and hailed his transition discussions with President Barack Obama in a series of comments that amounted to the most detailed interaction he’s had with journalists since before the election. In one of his cameos Wednesday on the front steps of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump touted plans by a Japanese mogul to bring jobs to the United States.

Trump holds Q&A, discussing jobs, Russia, Israel

President-elect Donald Trump applauded the return of 8,000 jobs to the U.S. and hailed his transition discussions with President Barack Obama in a series of comments that amounted to the most detailed interaction he’s had with journalists since before the election. In one of his cameos Wednesday on the front steps of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump touted plans by a Japanese mogul to bring jobs to the United States.

Netanyahu Obama and the UN

By Gwynne Dyer Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is very, very cross about last Friday’s United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the creation of illegal Jewish settlements all over the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem. He called in the ambassadors of all the Western countries that voted for the resolution to tell them off: Britain, France, Spain, even New Zealand.