Army veteran who came to the US illegally as a child gives powerful testimony against Jeff Sessions

Army veteran Oscar Vazquez delivered a powerful testimony against Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions on Wednesday, arguing the Republican senator would not protect immigrants in the United States. The testimony came as Democrats and civil-rights advocates wage a confirmation battle to block Sessions from the nation’s top law-enforcement post.

The US government is letting farmers charge more money for food that’s ‘transitioning to organic’

The US Department of Agriculture on Wednesday took a step toward increasing the production of organic foods – which has not kept pace with demand – by launching a program to certify farmland that growers are in the process of switching to organic. Obtaining certification under the program will allow farmers to sell products raised in accordance with organic guidelines for higher prices than conventionally-grown goods, according to the Organic Trade Association, an industry group.

Court: Age must be considered when youths get ‘life’ terms

New Jersey’s highest court has ruled that juveniles can’t receive the practical equivalent of life sentences without parole unless the sentencing judge considers their age and its “attendant characteristics.” The unanimous ruling issued Wednesday by the state Supreme Court stemmed from appeals filed by two men who were both 17 when they were convicted of serious crimes and received lengthy prison terms.

Obamacare drama at Senate vote-a-rama

Senate Republicans are poised to take the first step to repeal and replace President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare law by approving a budget blueprint that they’ve dubbed the Obamacare “repeal resolution.” The largely symbolic exercise — set to begin Wednesday evening and possibly stretching into the wee hours of Thursday — is ripe for theater.

Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: United States and Cuba to Hold…

The United States and Cuba will hold a meeting to coordinate their efforts to fight trafficking in persons in Washington, D.C., January 12 and 13. The U.S. delegation will be led by Ambassador-at-Large Susan Coppedge of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and Deputy Assistant Secretary John Creamer of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Working-level representatives from the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Health and Human Services will also participate.

Trump denounces ‘disgrace’ of reports of Russian ties to him

Trump says he owns a “great” company but really one of the … . FILE – In this Oct. 26, 2016, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, accompanied by, from left, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Trump, Melania Trump, Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump, speaks during the gra… NEW YORK – A defiant President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday adamantly denied reports that Russia had obtained compromising personal and financial information about him, calling it a “tremendous blot” on the record of the intelligence community if such material had been released.

Fake news, hidden cameras and comparisons to Nazi Germany – Donald…

Fake news, hidden cameras and comparisons to Nazi Germany – Donald Trump’s first news conference since election is predictably bullish Fake news, hidden cameras and comparisons to Nazi Germany – Donald Trump’s first news conference since election is predictably bullish US President-elect Donald Trump has suggested at a New York press conference that intelligence agencies may be responsible for the release of a dossier containing allegations that Russia holds compromising information about him. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a press conference in Trump Tower, Manhattan, New York, US U.S. President-elect Donald Trump waits with his children before speaking during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Safety workshop for commercial fishermen

The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association will offer a fishing vessel drill conductor workshop in Juneau on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the UAS Technical Education Center, 1415 Harbor Way, Room 106. Instructor Neil Nickerson will cover cold-water survival skills; EPIRBs, flares, and maydays; man-overboard recovery and firefighting; immersion suits and PFDs; emergency drills, helicopter rescue, life rafts, and abandon ship procedures.

Theya ll Never Learn: Celebrities Sing – I Will Survive’ Trump

Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, and Amy Adams are among the many movie stars who joined in to sing Gloria Gaynor’s 1979 hit “I Will Survive” ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration. The star-studded cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Hailee Steinfeld, Felicity Jones, and Taraji P. Henson, all trade verses on the disco hit, with some ad-libbing their own lines.

Celebrities react to Donald Trump’s press conference

The long-awaited press conference of President-elect Donald Trump – his first since winning November’s election – was certainly a talking point on Twitter, particularly among celebrities. Trump defended himself throughout the press conference – blaming intelligence agencies for the dossier – and also discussed relations with Russia and President Vladmir Putin.

Madonna has a broken heart because of President Trump

Madonna has felt as though the love of her life has “broken her heart” since she found out Donald Trump was to be the President of America. The 58-year-old pop superstar was a public supporter of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and admits since she awoke on November 9 to the news the former ‘Apprentice’ host – running as a Republican in the election – had secured the White House and was to become the 45th president she has felt as though a man has dumped her every day.

Lena Dunham considered radical career change

The 30-year-old actress was feeling so emotional at the end of the sixth and final season of the show she created, she began contemplating a radical change in career, much to the amusement of her boyfriend Jack Antonoff. She said: “I had a psychotic moment where I was like, ‘I’m going to become a wildlife rehabilitator and a crystal expert.’

Defiant Donald Trump calls reports on Russia ties a a disgracea

A defiant President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday adamantly denied reports that Russia had obtained compromising personal and financial information about him, calling it a “tremendous blot” on the record of the intelligence community if such material had been released. The incoming president, in his first news conference since late July, firmly chided news organizations for publishing the material late Tuesday night.

High Court Ready to Issue New Guidance on Employer Race-Based Actions

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in a race discrimination matter that could significantly affect employers’ efforts to comply with the anti-discrimination provisions of Title VII, and to avoid liability under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. LexisNexis is now the exclusive third party online distributor of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM’s legal news publications.

Trump blasts intel agencies over report on Russia ties

Trump says he owns a “great” company but really one of the … . FILE – In this Oct. 26, 2016, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, accompanied by, from left, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Trump, Melania Trump, Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump, speaks during the gra… NEW YORK – Hours before his first news conference as president-elect, Donald Trump on Wednesday blasted U.S. intelligence agencies, blaming them for leaking unsubstantiated reports on his relationship with Russia and demanding, “Are we living in Nazi Germany?” A U.S. official told The Associated Press on Tuesday that intelligence officials had informed Trump last week about an unsubstantiated report that Russia had compromising personal and financial information about him.

‘Yes we did’ – Obama bids farewell in nostalgic last speech

President Barack Obama has bid farewell to the nation in an emotional speech that sought to comfort a country on edge over rapid economic changes, persistent security threats and the election of Donald Trump. Forceful at times and tearful at others, Obama’s valedictory speech in his hometown of Chicago was a public meditation on the many trials the U.S. faces as Obama takes his exit.

TripAdvisor review spars comeback from Yorkshire landlord over clamping row

Trump denies ‘fake news’ Kremlin blackmail smear: Donald says he has NO DEAL, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING with Russia as Moscow ridicules the dirty dossier report as a Democrat conspiracy theory How Trump’s nemesis John McCain kicked off ‘Kremlin memo’ scandal by handing dossier to the FBI after sending an emissary abroad to collect it from mysterious British former spy The Kremlin DENIES claims it kept a blackmail dossier on Trump saying reports of compromising files are ‘no more than fiction’ ‘I never miss a golden opportunity’: Cringeworthy ad for Trump Tower Mumbai sweeps the web in light of The Donald’s alleged Russian sex acts Kellyanne Conway doubles down on Trump’s denial of Russian blackmail note on Seth Meyers saying Donald was ‘NEVER briefed on it’ Obama’s sting in the tail: Barack takes aim at Trump in emotional farewell speech urging Americans to rise up and fight racism – and … (more)

‘Nothing but an absolute fantasy’: Kremlin denies that Russian agents compromised Donald Trump

A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday dismissed as an “absolute fantasy” allegations that the Kremlin has collected compromising information about President-elect Donald Trump. “The Kremlin has no compromising dossier on Trump, such information isn’t consistent with reality and is nothing but an absolute fantasy,” Dmitry Peskov, who handles Putin’s day-to-day communications, told journalists.

January 11: Wastebook: Taxpayers Billed for Computers to Binge Watch…

The federal government spent millions of taxpayer dollars studying if women can pick Barbie out of a lineup, creating robot flowers, and building a computer that binge watches Desperate Housewives , according to a new report on wasteful spending. Sen. Jeff Flake on Tuesday released Wastebook: PORKemon Go , the latest chronicle of waste in a series started by former Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn .

Trump Already Looking Ahead to 2020 Re-Election

“Donald Trump plans to keep his Manhattan-based campaign headquarters open as he assumes the presidency – a move that represents a sharp break from his predecessors, and one that positions him to begin running for reelection in 2020,” Politico reports. “Trump intends to retain a skeletal campaign staff of around ten people with a senior aide at the helm.