On Monday, Feb. 6, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and the Oneida County Humane Society removed 39 dogs from the It Matters to One Animal Rescue. Tuesday, February 7, 2017 The Oneida County district attorney ordered open government training for all Oneida County supervisors after finding that a county committee violated the open-meetings law, but the county has selected an attorney to draft the training document and give the presentation who has routinely fought cases against records requesters, and was one of the lead attorneys in The Times’ records case against the county’s sheriff’s department, a case the county lost in 2016.
Day: January 18, 2017
Oneida County
On Monday, Feb. 6, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and the Oneida County Humane Society removed 39 dogs from the It Matters to One Animal Rescue. Tuesday, February 7, 2017 The Oneida County district attorney ordered open government training for all Oneida County supervisors after finding that a county committee violated the open-meetings law, but the county has selected an attorney to draft the training document and give the presentation who has routinely fought cases against records requesters, and was one of the lead attorneys in The Times’ records case against the county’s sheriff’s department, a case the county lost in 2016.
Pruitt OK’d as EPA chief over environmentalists’ objections
Over the strong objections of environmental groups, the Senate confirmed Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, giving President Donald Trump an eager partner to fulfill his campaign pledge to increase the use of planet-warming fossil fuels. In six years as Oklahoma’s attorney general, Pruitt filed 14 lawsuits challenging EPA regulations that included limits on carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants.
A timeline of the Dakota Access oil pipeline
December 2014 – Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners applies to the federal government to build the 1,200-mile Dakota Access pipeline to carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to an existing pipeline in Illinois. The pipeline is projected to carry half a million barrels of oil daily.
Democrats blast Trump’s pick for Education Secretary
Democrats sliced holes in billionaire Betsy DeVos’s credentials to be the next US Education Secretary at a confirmation hearing on Tuesday , raising doubts whether President-elect Donald Trump’s pick will win approval in the full Senate. The nomination of DeVos to head an agency that sets policy for younger children and universities and also administers a college financial aid program of $1 trillion has outraged Democrats who believe the Michigan Republican wants to dismantle public education.
California progressivism is no substitute for activism
After overwhelmingly voting for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton by a margin of almost 2-1, the Golden State has now become the Blue State. But in anticipation of a Trump presidency, California quickly organized itself and reassured its residents that it would be a bulwark against perceived threats to justice, opportunity and progress.
With clemency for Manning, attention turns to WikiLeaks head
President Barack Obama’s decision Tuesday to commute Chelsea Manning’s sentence brought fresh attention to another figure involved in the Army leaker’s case: Julian Assange. On Twitter last week, Assange’s anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks posted, “If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case.”
Gov’s brief mention of Flint outrages congressman
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder mentioned the Flint water crisis 34 minutes into his “State of the State” address Tuesday. For Rep. Dan Kildee, whose congressional district includes the city, that 34-minute wait was too long.
Obama surprises his press secretary, Josh Earnest, at last White House briefing
US President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to the White House daily press briefing on Tuesday to praise his spokesman Josh Earnest. “He’s never disappointed.
The Many Faces of Trump Foreign Policy
From NBC. Admit it, you’d rather look at Nick Offerman than Donald Trump. Which is good.
Education secretary pick DeVos, deflects and sidesteps multiple questions at hearing
It was a sometimes contentious confirmation hearing for education secretary pick Betsy DeVos, who sidestepped several important issues bought up from Democrats. Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee grilled the wealthy Republican donor on a range of issues from sexual assault to child care, students with disabilities and making public colleges and universities tuition-free.
Six astonishing things Betsy DeVos said – and refused to say – at her confirmation hearing
Sen. Elizabeth Warren , with Sen. Chris Murphy at the hearing for Betsy DeVos. At her contentious confirmation hearing as Donald Trump’s nominee to be education secretary on Tuesday, Betsy DeVos was asked a question by Sen. Al Franken about an important education debate involving how student progress should be measured.
Schapiro ends as US ambassador on Friday, family stays in Prague
The U.S. ambassador to Prague, Andrew Schapiro, will leave the post on Friday, he told journalists on Tuesday, adding that he will be returning to the Czech Republic because his children will complete their school attendance in the current school year in the country. Schapiro will leave his office on the day of the inauguration of the new U.S. president, Republican Donald Trump.
Czechs in poll: Trump may improve relations with Russia
The policy of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump may positively influence the U.S.-Russian relations and the fight against terrorism, many Czechs said in a poll conducted by the CVVM institute and released on Tuesday. A positive development in the U.S.-Russian relations after Trump is inaugurated is expected by 35 percent of the respondents.
Swiss stocks – Factors to watch on Jan 18
Jan 18 The Swiss blue-chip SMI was seen opening 0.25 percent higher at 8,325 points on Wednesday, according to premarket indications by bank Julius Baer. Two decades after they were spurred into action to tackle AIDS in Africa, global drugmakers said they would invest $50 million over three years to fight cancer and other non-communicable diseases in poor countries.
Four federal departments that could be shut down first.
He and Mike Pence have promised, Mother Jones magazine points out, that on Trump’s first day in office he will repeal Obamacare, end the “war on coal,” expel illegal immigrants, begin construction of a “beautiful Southern border wall,” fix the Department of Veterans Affairs, come up with a plan to stop ISIS, get rid of “gun-free zones,” “start taking care of our … military,” withdraw from the TPP trade agreement, cut regulations and designate China a currency manipulator. OK, much of that was probably just campaign talk.
Trump Calls Civil Rights Hero John Lewis A Liar
Donald Trump continued to attack civil rights hero John Lewis, now calling the icon a liar. Almost 50 Democratic lawmakers have announced plans to boycott Trump’s inauguration after he smeared Lewis over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, while also attacking his largely black congressional district.
Drug company fined $150 million for not reporting suspicious orders
A prescription drug wholesale company was handed a record fine Tuesday on allegations from U.S. regulators for not reporting suspicious orders of painkillers. McKesson Corporation will pay a $150 million fine and stop selling certain drugs in Colorado, Ohio, Florida and Michigan after it avoided its own internal systems to avoid inconsistent or outsize orders of drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone that are linked to the national opioid epidemic, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.
Clive McFarlane: John Lewis’ actions make the case for his character Posted at
When U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, moral leader and American hero, questioned his legitimacy as president-elect, Donald Trump, in his typical schoolyard and uneducated rant, took to Twitter to denounce the congressman as “All talk, talk, talk – no action or results,” and to denigrate Mr. Lewis’ congressional districts as being “in horrible shape and falling apart .” This racist view of black Americans as not just the product of crime- and drug-infested communities, but as the creators of those environments, has long been the perspective of many Americans, and is perhaps why so many of them answered Mr. Trump’s clarion call to possibly strip some Americans of the protections guaranteed by the nation’s Constitution.
Interior nominee Zinke disputes Trump on climate change
Donald Trump’s choice to head the Interior Department on Tuesday rejected the president-elect’s claim that climate change is a hoax, saying it is indisputable that environmental changes are affecting the world’s temperature and human activity is a major reason. “I don’t believe it’s a hoax,” Rep. Ryan Zinke told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at his confirmation hearing.
New report: Abortions in US drop to lowest level since 1974
Abortion rights activists rejoice in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington as the justices struck down a strict Texas anti-abortion law. A Guttmacher Institute report out Tuesday has found that the annual number of abortions in the U.S has dropped to well under 1 million, the lowest level since 1974.
Republican males say it’s a better time to be a woman than a man
To be a woman in the United States is to feel unequal, despite great strides in gender equality, according to a wide-ranging poll about gender in postelection America released Tuesday. It is manifested in catcalls on the street, disrespect at work and unbalanced responsibilities at home.
The left can’t help overplaying its hand
This week, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., accused President-elect Donald Trump of being an illegitimate president. He said: “I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected.
If GOP gets trapped, ObamaCare reform fails
As Republicans begin the long and arduous process of repealing and replacing ObamaCare, they may find themselves faced with the political and policy equivalent of forcing a square peg into a round hole. Donald Trump and other Republican leaders have promised to keep the popular portions of ObamaCare, while eliminating the unpopular ones.