Finicum family, Bureau of Land Management still tangling a year after standoff

Ten months after her husband was killed in a standoff with the federal government, Jeanette Finicum was driving her cattle to their winter range in Northern Arizona when she received a message from the Bureau of Land Management : Keep off. She was told she could not pasture her cows on the grazing allotment she inherited upon the death of her husband, Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, even though she had turned in her application and written a check for fees and fines before making the 50-mile trek.

Alternative Foreign Policy Fact

Michael Barone attempts to calm our tempers with a soothing lullaby of an argument . Adopting a tone diametrically opposed to President Trump’s combative us vs. them rhetorical approach, Barone makes a clever argument that at the heart of Trump’s America First-ness is a healthy respect for our collective self that takes into the concerns of ordinary folks.

Official: Trump wants to slash EPA workforce, budget

The former head of President Donald Trump’s transition team at the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday he expects the new administration to seek significant budget and staff cuts. Myron Ebell said in an interview with The Associated Press that Trump is likely to seek significant reductions to the agency’s workforce – currently about 15,000 employees nationwide.

Trump administration pulls back on HealthCare.gov ads

President Donald Trump is making his first appearance before Republican House and Senate members since taking office to address lawmakers at their annual policy retreat President Donald Trump’s determination to wall off America’s border with Mexico triggers a diplomatic clash as the White House proposed a 20 percent tax on imports and Mexico’s president abruptly scraps next week’s trip to Washington President Donald Trump’s embrace of Guantanamo Bay as a jail for terror suspects represents a repudiation of an Obama administration philosophy that captured militants should be processed in the American criminal… President Donald Trump’s embrace of Guantanamo Bay as a jail for terror suspects represents a repudiation of an Obama administration philosophy that captured militants should be processed in the American criminal justice system Bodycam footage from a white Fort Worth police … (more)

PM holds talks with Trump – and Churchill’s back in the Oval Office

Theresa May will become the first foreign leader to visit US president Donald Trump at the White House, in a meeting she hopes will help renew the special relationship between Britain and America. The two leaders will spend about an hour in face-to-face talks on Friday in the Oval Office, where Mr Trump has restored a bust of Winston Churchill removed by predecessor Barack Obama.

Inside ‘Scandal’s’ Killer Election Twist: It’s ‘Not a Political Commentary’

Stars Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn talk with THR about the real-life parallels as ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey reveals relief about the show’s post-inauguration delay. ABC’s Scandal launched its sixth season Thursday with an unforgettable episode in which the Shonda Rhimes drama’s president-elect was assassinated as he was about to deliver his acceptance speech.

Tri-City Americans salute the troops Friday night

In a salute to the troops, the Tri-City Americans will hold their second annual Military Appreciation Night on Friday when they host the Seattle Thunderbirds. CH2M, which sponsored the Nuclear Night game for six years, decided to take the night in a different direction last year, and their choice was to honor the branches of the military.

Labor secretary nominee’s confirmation hearing delayed again

The confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s Labor secretary nominee Andrew Puzder was delayed again to allow more time for the candidate to submit his paperwork. The hearing is now set for Tuesday, Feb. 7, according to a statement Thursday from Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.

Female Marines to sleep next to male Marines in field

Female infantry Marines will be sleeping in makeshift shelters next to their male counterparts when out in the field and no special accommodation will be offered to them, a Marine Corps official said Thursday. Marines in the field stay in everything from a large, single room shelter filled with dozens of cots to sleeping under tarps or nothing at all, said Maj.

Report: Trump called park official to dispute crowd photos

On his first full day in office, President Donald Trump called the acting director of the National Park Service to dispute widely circulated photos of Trump’s inauguration. The Washington Post reported Thursday that Trump personally ordered park service head Michael Reynolds to produce additional photographs of the previous day’s crowds on the National Mall.

The Latest: Administration pulls back on HealthCare.gov ads

President Donald Trump takes the cap off a pen before signing executive order for immigration actions to build border wall during a visit to the Homeland Security Department in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017. . Former South Carolina Governor and current ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, in middle, waves to the crowd after current Governor Henry McMaster, at left, was sworn in by S.C. Chief Justice Don Beatty during a ceremon… .

With eye on 2018, Illinois governor says ‘Don’t blame me’

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s strategy for fending off potential Democratic challengers includes stressing the bright spots while blaming others for the things going horribly wrong FILE – In this Jan. 25, 2017 file photo, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner delivers his State of the State address in the Illinois House chamber in Springfield, Ill. With crises mounting around him and potential Democratic rivals circling, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s strategy for keeping his job in 2018 appears to involve stressing the bright spots and blaming others for the things going horribly wrong.

Arkansas bans common second-trimester abortion procedure

Arkansas is poised to become the third state to ban a commonly used second-trimester abortion procedure under restrictions approved Thursday that are expected to face a legal challenge. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed into law a measure banning the procedure known as dilation and evacuation, which abortion-rights supporters contend is the safest and most common procedure used in second-trimester abortions.

Ex-Rep. Dennis Kucinich discusses his latest trip to Syria and…

Former Rep. Dennis Kucinich and his wife, Elizabeth, along with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard met with Syrian religious leaders in Aleppo, led by Archbishop Denys Antoine Chahda of the Syrian Catholic Church of Aleppo, and joined by Archbishop Joseph Tabji of Maronite Church of Aleppo, Rev. Ibrahim Nseir of the Arab Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Aleppo, and others.

Kansas university president says $15K degree is possible

The interim president at Fort Hays State University has accepted Gov. Sam Brownback’s challenge to make it possible for a higher education student to receive a bachelor’s degree for $15,000 or less. Andy Tompkins says that depending on the field of study, a student can get a degree for that cost if two years are spent at a community college and two years are spent at his university, the Hutchinson News reported .

What Are the Possible Motives Behind Donald Trump’s Voter Fraud Lie?

By “propagating the myth of his stolen popular vote,” Trump has attacked both the democratic process and the press, which, in its ideal, is free and independent, writes Amherst College law professor Lawrence Douglas at The Guardian. “The impulse to heap all of Trump’s lies together or to puzzle over his unusual psychology threatens a to deflect our attention from the politics of this particular claim, which contains two separate falsehoods: first, that immigrants robbed him of the popular vote; and second, that the media has conspired to suppress the story.

The Injustices of Chelsea Manning’s Ordeal

After overseeing the aggressive prosecution and near-seven-year incarceration of Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning, President Obama – in one of his last acts in office – commuted all but four months of her remaining sentence but ignored the fact that he had taken no action on the war crimes that Manning revealed. At his final news conference, Obama explained his reasons for commuting Manning’s record-setting 35-year sentence for leaking classified information to the public.

Week One of Trump drama features Mexico

The first week of Donald Trump’s presidency promised Canada two bridges, one oil pipeline and a set of locks. America’s two neighbours had vastly different experiences in Week 1 of the reality-TV-star’s presidency – Canada away from the spotlight, quietly hoping for the best, while Mexico featured in tension-filled plot twists.

Survey: DC women’s march drew many first-time protesters

About a third of the people who turned out for the Women’s March on Washington were first-time protesters, an unusually high share of newcomers for a demonstration, according to a survey of march participants. University of Maryland Professor Dana Fisher said Thursday the random survey of 527 participants in the District of Columbia march on the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration also found that about 56 percent hadn’t been part of a demonstration in the past five years, including the first-timers.

TransCanada makes new application for Keystone XL

TransCanada Corp. has submitted a new presidential permit application to the U.S. Department of State for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. The project would move oil 1,180 miles from Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska, where it would connect with other lines for refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Analysis: Trump’s border wall faces reality check

President Donald Trump’s vow to accelerate construction of a “contiguous, physical wall” along the Mexican border is slamming into a Washington reality – who’s going to pay for it and how? Instead, U.S. taxpayers will foot the bill, starting with money already in the Department of Homeland Security account that amounts to a small down payment. Then it’s up to the Republican-led Congress to come up with $12 billion to $15 billion more, according to an estimate offered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Thursday from a GOP issues retreat in Philadelphia.

The Latest: Texas convict awaiting execution for killing 2

A 43-year-old convicted killer has been moved to a small cell a few steps from the Texas death chamber where he’s awaiting the outcome of federal court appeals his attorneys have filed to try to put off his lethal injection. Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark says inmate Terry Edwards appears apprehensive following his transfer about 45 miles Thursday afternoon from the East Texas prison that houses death row to another prison in downtown Huntsville where executions are carried out.

Trump could revive Missouri proposal on deported immigrants

As President Donald Trump rolls out plans to build a wall on the Mexican border and considers blocking refugees, Missouri lawmakers are trying again to pass a bill aimed at cracking down on deported immigrants who come back and commit crimes. Under the proposal pitched Thursday by Republican Sen. Mike Cunningham, immigrants who are deported but come back and commit any assault or felony offense would face up to 10 years in prison for “illegal re-entry.”

Trump Fires Obama Border Patrol Chief

HE’S FIRED! Trump administration tells Border Patrol chief to pack his bags one day after the president ordered Homeland Security to build his wall U.S. Border Patrol chief Mark Morgan is out, just a few months after taking over the agency as an Obama White House appointee President Trump gave the order hours later to build a wall on America’s southern border, and said he would hire an additional 5,000 border patrol officers Now excuse me a moment. I want to record the weeping and lamentations of the Obamaite women, especially the ones with penises.

Trump advisers, daughter registered to vote in 2 states

President Donald Trump’s sweeping preview of his plans to investigate voter fraud in the United States includes those registered in more than more than one state. A number of people closest to the president fall into that category, including his Treasury Secretary nominee, Steve Mnuchin, Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, as well as his younger daughter, Tiffany Trump.

Expecting Trump action, US suspends refugee resettlement interviews

The US Department of Homeland Security has temporarily halted trips by staff to interview refugees abroad as it prepares for a likely shakeup of refugee policy by President Donald Trump, two sources with knowledge of the decision said on Thursday. The decision effectively amounts to a pause in future refugee admissions, given that the interviews are a crucial step in an often years-long process.

Analysis: Trumpa s border wall faces reality check

WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump’s vow to accelerate construction of a “contiguous, physical wall” along the Mexican border is slamming into a Washington reality – who’s going to pay for it and how? Instead, U.S. taxpayers will foot the bill, starting with money already in the Department of Homeland Security account that amounts to a small down payment. Then it’s up to the Republican-led Congress to come up with $12 billion to $15 billion more, according to an estimate offered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Thursday from a GOP issues retreat in Philadelphia.