Gianforte to run in special election for US House

Recent gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte plans to seek the Republican nomination in a special election for Montana’s U.S. House seat. Gianforte joins four other Republicans who have paid that fee to be considered in a special nominating convention after U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke vacates his seat.

TransCanada CEO vows to ‘diligently’ work on permit application for Keystone XL

The CEO of TransCanada says the company will work “diligently” to complete an application for a presidential permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would support its construction. In his first remarks since Trump’s endorsement, Russ Girling says he believes the project makes “imminent sense” for both Canada and the United States.

Noteworthy

In this Dec. 17, 2016, photo provided by ESPN, Brent Musburger smiles during the Las Vegas Bowl college football game. Musburger is calling an end to his broadcast career.

Two Breitbart Staffers Join Trump Administration

In his first days as president, Donald Trump has added two Breitbart staffers to his administration, highlighting his bond with the populist right-wing news outfit formerly run by his chief strategist Steve Bannon. Julia Hahn, who covered immigration issues for Breitbart through an aggressively anti-immigration lens, has been named special assistant to the president, a source with knowledge of the matter told CNNMoney.

Chaotic EPA Transition Rattles Stakeholders

On Wednesday, a spokesman for the EPA transition team had to push back on reports that political appointees would review the agency’s scientific publications. It’s just the latest in a series of public miscommunications from the agency’s transition, including public confusion on whether the agency would remove a webpage on climate change, whether it was freezing its public grant program, and whether it was muzzling employees from making public statements or using social-media accounts.

‘Sanctuary cities’ undaunted by Trump move to cut funding

Moina Shaiq holds a sign at a rally outside of City Hall in San Francisco, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. President Donald Trump moved aggressively to tighten the nation’s immigration controls Wednesday, signing executive actions to jumpstart construction of his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall and cut federal grants for immigrant-protecting “sanctuary cities.”

Trump finishes Supreme Court interviews

President Donald Trump is done interviewing candidates to fill the opening on the Supreme Court, a senior administration official told CNN Wednesday. Trump’s four finalists, the official said, are Neil Gorsuch, who sits on the federal appears court in Denver; William H. Pryor Jr., who sits on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals; Diane Sykes, a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; and Thomas Hardiman of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.

Supporters Pleased with President Trump’s Swift Action

Members of the Denton County Republican Party said they were a little surprised by the multiple executive actions the president signed in his first five days, but the swift action was one of the reasons they voted for him. After only five days in office President Donald Trump has already signed executive orders to get the ball rolling on topics like immigration, abortion rights and health care, and his North Texas supporters say that’s exactly why they voted for him.

White House Clarifies Trump Tweet on Sending a Fedsa into Chicago

The White House appears to be softening a cryptic tweet from President Trump threatening federal intervention over rising crime in Chicago. Fielding questions from reporters Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump was referring to his desire to “provide the resources of the federal government” to struggling law enforcement in the city.

Trump stirs fear with voter fraud probe

President Trump stirred bipartisan controversy on Wednesday by pledging to launch a “major investigation” into his baseless claim that widespread voter fraud cost him the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s assertion that as many as 3 million illegal ballots were cast has been disputed by news organizations, state attorneys general and academics who study voter fraud claims.

PM to call for ‘renewed’ special relationship between Britain and America

Theresa May will call for a “renewed” special relationship between Britain and America as she becomes the first world leader to meet Donald Trump since his inauguration as president last week. Arriving in America on Thursday ahead of Friday’s meeting in the White House, the Prime Minister will say that both the UK and US are undergoing a renewal which will allow them to “rediscover our confidence together” and “lead together again” in the world.

How Reporters And Civil Servants Can Thwart Trump’s Anti-Transparency Agenda

On January 24, two anonymous sources at the Environmental Protection Agency told Reuters that the Trump administration had instructed EPA officials to remove the data-heavy climate change page from the agency’s website, and that the page could be taken down as soon as the following day. A public backlash quickly ensued, and the Trump administration at least temporarily backed away from its plan to shut down the website on January 25, as E&E News reported .

Website that advertised escort services sued in 4 states

New lawsuits were filed Wednesday in four states on behalf of women who say they were victimized as teenagers when they were sold for sex on an international website. The suits filed in Alabama, California, Texas and Washington are believed to be the first to individually name the operators of Backpage.com, Seattle attorney Jason Amala said in an email.

Chaffetz, Grassley, want Trump compliance on Obama-era records requests

Just because President Obama ‘s tenure is over, it doesn’t mean that the Trump administration can ignore outstanding requests from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said Wednesday. Even before President Trump was sworn into office last week, Chaffetz gave White House Counsel Don McGahn “a long list of outstanding requests that we would be making of the administration to fulfill those requests,” Chaffetz said.

‘UNBELIEVABLE’ Secret Service vet shocked agent won’t die for Trump

“It is unheard of and unbelievable that someone at her level would comment publicly on being unwilling to protect the president,” said Byrne, author of “Crisis of Character,” a book that came out during the presidential campaign that was highly critical of Hillary Clinton. “Everyone has their own personal political opinions, but this job is not personal.

Executive Order: Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act , the Secure Fence Act of 2006 , and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 , and in order to ensure the safety and territorial integrity of the United States as well as to ensure that the Nation’s immigration laws are faithfully executed, I hereby order as follows: Section 1. Purpose. Border security is critically important to the national security of the United States.

Protesters hoist ‘RESIST’ banner from crane near White House

The morning after President Donald Trump issued orders to delay environmental rules and restart pipeline projects, seven Greenpeace protesters climbed a 270-foot tall construction crane blocks from the White House and unfurled a massive orange and yellow banner with the word, “RESIST.” The banner encouraging opposition to Trump’s agenda was clearly visible from the grounds of the White House for several hours on Wednesday, and from some angles it appeared to hover over the building.

Locals represent in Washington

Two locals represented the Florida panhandle in the nation’s capital last week at very different events — one at the inauguration celebrations and one during the Women’s March on Washington. Miramar Beach resident Suzanne Harris went up early in the week to attend the Florida Ball as the guest of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Top Trump adviser registered to vote in two states

Kellyanne Conway, Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus speak outside St. John’s Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Pence’s inauguration. Kellyanne Conway, Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus speak outside St. John’s Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Pence’s inauguration.

What’s next for the Dakota Access, Keystone XL pipelines?

BISMARCK, N.D. _ President Donald Trump’s executive actions on the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines are aimed at turning the much-protested pipelines into reality. Here’s a look at what may be next for the two pipelines: The $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline to carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois is nearly complete, except for a stretch underneath Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir in southern North Dakota.

UN holds off action over new Israeli settler homes30 min ago

The UN Security Council met behind closed doors today to discuss Israel’s plan to build new settler homes in the Palestinian West Bank, but took no action. Council members heard a report from UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov after the Israeli government approved a major expansion of 2,500 homes, in defiance of a UN resolution that demanded an end to settlement construction.

Trump’s Bogus Voter Fraud Claims Revisited

On Jan. 23, the new president told congressional leaders that between 3 million and 5 million illegal votes caused him to lose the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. Trump won the election with a convincing victory in the Electoral College, even as Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes.

Trump says US getting back control over border

The Latest on President Donald Trump : 3:10 p.m. President Donald Trump says in a speech at the Department of Homeland Security that his executive actions on immigration show that “beginning today,” the U.S. will get back “control of its border.” Trump says his administration will be working in partnership in Mexico to improve safety and economic opportunity for both countries and will have “close coordination” with Mexico to address drug smuggling.

Trump moves to build border wall, cut sanctuary city funds

President Donald Trump moved aggressively to tighten the nation’s immigration policies Wednesday, signing executive actions to jumpstart construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall and block federal grants from immigrant-protecting “sanctuary cities.” “We’ve been talking about this right from the beginning,” Trump said during a brief signing ceremony at the Department of Homeland Security.

Mass. House approves pay hikes for legislators

The Massachusetts House has approved a bill calling for nearly $18 million in annual pay raises for legislators, statewide elected officials and judges. The Democratic-controlled House voted 115-44 on Wednesday to send the bill to the Senate, where debate is expected on Thursday.

House Passes Abortion Funding Ban Days After Women’s March

Thousands of women and girls and their families took to the streets of Toronto on Saturday, Jan. 21, in a show of solidarity for women’s and human rights following the inauguration of US president Donald Trump. Days after millions of women marched nationwide to bring attention to women’s issues, the Trump administration and Congress have responded with actions against women’s reproductive rights.