Month: January 2017

A farewell address, a news conference and White House change

The outgoing president somberly ruminated about the fragility of democracy and earnestly implored Americans to reject corrosive political dialogue. Fourteen hours later, the incoming president staged a defiant and frenetic news conference at his gilded New York City tower, dismissing critics, insulting reporters and likening the country’s intelligence officers to Nazis.

Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 12 Jan 2017

The former MI6 officer who, as a private intelligence contractor, wrote the dossier on Donald Trump’s alleged links to Moscow is “terrified” for his and his family’s safety, the Daily Telegraph claims. Christopher Steele, 52, fears a “prompt and dangerous backlash from Moscow” and went into hiding on Wednesday morning, the paper says.

You have to see the trailer for new action comedy CHiPs

The trailer for cop comedy film CHiPs is out, and it is just what you need to brighten your day. Amid the hard-hitting – albeit excellent – titles that have been making headlines this awards season, this hilariously ridiculous action film is set to be one of your guilty pleasures of the year.

Police reformers are pro-cop

At his confirmation hearing, U.S. attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions expressed sympathy for the nation’s police officers. They feel unfairly “blamed” and their “morale has suffered.”

North Providence planners OK $30M public-safety building

North Providence’s planning board has passed a preliminary plan to build a $30-million public-safety complex that would house the traffic court and most of the town’s police and fire operations. The Providence Journal reports the plan for the 52,000-square-foot building was approved Wednesday night.

GA Congressman Sanford Bishop keynote speaker at MLK event

PHENIX CITY, AL Georgia Congressman Sanford Bishop made a stop in the Chattahoochee Valley Saturday as he was the keynote speaker at a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event. Bishop, a U.S. representative for Georgia’s 2nd congressional district, was the keynote speaker at the Community of Concerned Clergy’s “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration” in Phenix City, Alabama.

GA Congressman Sanford Bishop keynote speaker at MLK event

PHENIX CITY, AL Georgia Congressman Sanford Bishop made a stop in the Chattahoochee Valley Saturday as he was the keynote speaker at a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event. Bishop, a U.S. representative for Georgia’s 2nd congressional district, was the keynote speaker at the Community of Concerned Clergy’s “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration” in Phenix City, Alabama.

Obama Ends Cuban Immigration Perk as Part of Opening

President Barack Obama ended a decades-old policy of granting residency to Cubans who enter the U.S. without a visa, a final step in the outgoing president’s move to reverse the Cold-War isolation of the Caribbean nation. Obama’s order now places President-elect Donald Trump, who campaigned as an opponent both of current immigration flows and of normalizing relations with Cuba, in the position of either accepting another opening to Cuba or having one of his early actions in office be making it easier for immigrants to come into the country.

Walker’s Wisconsin tuition idea shuffles political alliances

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to cut tuition at the University of Wisconsin and use taxpayer funds to pay for it is shaking up normal political alliances with some Democrats expressing support while skeptical fellow Republicans worry it could put the state on a path toward socialist Bernie Sanders’ free college tuition plan. Republican governors across the nation have criticized universities over higher tuition and some, including Walker, have forced tuition freezes.

At hearing, Rex Tillerson says Russia ‘poses a danger’ to US, but is not ‘unpredictable’

Barraged by questions about Russia, Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state promised a far more muscular approach toward the Kremlin on Wednesday, abandoning much of the president-elect’s emphasis on improving ties between the Cold War foes. Instead, Rex Tillerson suggested the outgoing Obama administration responded too softly to Moscow’s takeover of Ukrainian territory.

Trump takes questions

US President-elect Donald Trump whispers to his daughter Ivanka during a press conference January 11, 2017 at Trump Tower in New York. Trump held his first news conference in nearly six months Wednesday, amid explosive allegations over his ties to Russia, a little more than a week before his inauguration.

Maryland’s General Assembly Gavels for 2017 Session

The 2017 session of the Maryland General Assembly began Wednesday amid confusion stemming from federal investigations plaguing Democrats and concern among Republicans over the possible override of several vetoes issued by Gov. Larry Hogan at the end of the 2016 session. The Senate is scheduled to begin to debate the vetoes on Jan. 18. The Maryland House of Delegates room was filled with delegates, friends and family members for the first day of the legislative session on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, in Annapolis, Md.

U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear custody case –

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear the custody case of a Choctaw child who was placed with extended family in Utah under terms of the Indian Child Welfare Act, ending a years’ long effort by opponents to overturn the law designed to keep Indian children in Native American families., the tribe said, in a news release. Without comment, the court refused to hear an appeal of California court decisions that removed a child known as Lexi from a Santa Clarita foster family who had fought the law in an effort to adopt Lexi.

DNI Chief Clapper Calls Trump – Says He Was…

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper called President elect Donald Trump tonight to discuss the many intelligence leaks to the liberal media over the past week. Clapper also discussed the disgusting and fraudulent “golden shower” conspiracy being pushed by CNN, Buzzfeed and several liberal media outlets.

The Latest: Clapper speaks with Trump about Russia report

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says he has spoken with Donald Trump about the unsubstantiated report claiming Russia had compromising personal and financial information about the president-elect. Clapper says in a statement released Wednesday night that he told Trump the intelligence community “has not made any judgment that the information in this document is reliable.”

DoJ: Six VW execs indicted in emissions scam

Volkswagen attempted to fraudulently avoid emission controls with its diesel models for almost a decade – and the Department of Justice will make them pay for it , literally and figuratively. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that they had reached a deal where VW will plead guilty to corporate criminal conduct and pay a total of $4.3 billion.

Asian shares mixed after Trump offers scant policy details

Authorities urged thousands of people in Northern California to evacuate homes as rivers swollen by four days of heavy rain threatened to crest above flood level, even as another day of showers was forecast for… Rescue workers used boats and firetrucks to evacuate dozens of Northern California residents from their flooded homes Wednesday as a drought-busting series of storms began to move out of the region after days of heavy rain… Lawyers for Texas death row inmate Christopher Wilkins looked to the U.S. Supreme Court to keep him from becoming the first prisoner executed in the nation this year. Texas on Wednesday put to death an inmate convicted of killing two men over a phony drug deal, the first U.S. execution of 2017.

Asian shares mixed after Trump offers scant policy details

Authorities urged thousands of people in Northern California to evacuate homes as rivers swollen by four days of heavy rain threatened to crest above flood level, even as another day of showers was forecast for… Rescue workers used boats and firetrucks to evacuate dozens of Northern California residents from their flooded homes Wednesday as a drought-busting series of storms began to move out of the region after days of heavy rain… Lawyers for Texas death row inmate Christopher Wilkins looked to the U.S. Supreme Court to keep him from becoming the first prisoner executed in the nation this year. Texas on Wednesday put to death an inmate convicted of killing two men over a phony drug deal, the first U.S. execution of 2017.

Trump, McCain take aim at F-35 program

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump Tower in New York City. In his first press conference since winning the presidential election in November, Donald Trump again took aim at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Trump, McCain take aim at F-35 program

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump Tower in New York City. In his first press conference since winning the presidential election in November, Donald Trump again took aim at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Alabama lawmaker: Democrats’ criticism of Trump pick Sessions is…

A Republican lawmaker on Wednesday came to defense of fellow Alabaman Jeff Sessions, saying attacks on the potential attorney general by Democrats who object to him is part of their “war on whites.” Speaking on Alabama’s WBHP 800, Rep. Mo Brooks , made his comments on the same day that civil rights pioneer and fellow House member John Lewis and Sen. Corey Booker spoke out against the controversial lawmaker.

Alabama lawmaker: Democrats’ criticism of Trump pick Sessions is…

A Republican lawmaker on Wednesday came to defense of fellow Alabaman Jeff Sessions, saying attacks on the potential attorney general by Democrats who object to him is part of their “war on whites.” Speaking on Alabama’s WBHP 800, Rep. Mo Brooks , made his comments on the same day that civil rights pioneer and fellow House member John Lewis and Sen. Corey Booker spoke out against the controversial lawmaker.

U.S. Senate Committee Backs Montenegro’s Bid To Join NATO

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution supporting Montenegro’s membership in NATO on January 11,sending it to the full Senate for a vote. The committee backed the small Balkan nation’s bid to join the military alliance last year, but it did not come up for a vote in the full Senate, where a two-thirds majority is required for approval of new NATO members.

U.S. Senate Committee Backs Montenegro’s Bid To Join NATO

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution supporting Montenegro’s membership in NATO on January 11,sending it to the full Senate for a vote. The committee backed the small Balkan nation’s bid to join the military alliance last year, but it did not come up for a vote in the full Senate, where a two-thirds majority is required for approval of new NATO members.

Obama speech marks unofficial countdown for black Americans

Carlos took a moment to reflect on how, eight years earlier, she had worked as an organizer in Atlanta to get Barack Obama elected president, marking her start in politics. The wife and mother only briefly considered her choice: Should she drop everything to see the president one last time? As Obama said goodbye and thanked supporters on Tuesday night in his adopted hometown of Chicago, the occasion marked the unofficial countdown to the end of his historic presidency.

Obama speech marks unofficial countdown for black Americans

Carlos took a moment to reflect on how, eight years earlier, she had worked as an organizer in Atlanta to get Barack Obama elected president, marking her start in politics. The wife and mother only briefly considered her choice: Should she drop everything to see the president one last time? As Obama said goodbye and thanked supporters on Tuesday night in his adopted hometown of Chicago, the occasion marked the unofficial countdown to the end of his historic presidency.

Idaho Rep. Heather Scott faces possible sanctions for claiming female …

Idaho State Representative for Distric 1 Heather Scott talked about local politics in Priest River before the candidates forum at Priest River Junior high school sponsored by Bonner County Republican Central Committee on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. BOISE – In an outburst that shocked and upset her fellow lawmakers, controversial North Idaho Rep. Heather Scott claimed female members of the Idaho House get leadership positions only if they “spread their legs.”

Idaho Rep. Heather Scott faces possible sanctions for claiming female …

Idaho State Representative for Distric 1 Heather Scott talked about local politics in Priest River before the candidates forum at Priest River Junior high school sponsored by Bonner County Republican Central Committee on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. BOISE – In an outburst that shocked and upset her fellow lawmakers, controversial North Idaho Rep. Heather Scott claimed female members of the Idaho House get leadership positions only if they “spread their legs.”

Morning roundup

Jim Furyk was appointed Wednesday as the U.S. captain for the 2018 Ryder Cup in France, where his team will try to win on European soil for the first time in 25 years. The former U.S. Open champion, and the only player in history to twice post rounds in the 50s, brings more playing experience than any other U.S. captain.

Morning roundup

Jim Furyk was appointed Wednesday as the U.S. captain for the 2018 Ryder Cup in France, where his team will try to win on European soil for the first time in 25 years. The former U.S. Open champion, and the only player in history to twice post rounds in the 50s, brings more playing experience than any other U.S. captain.