Commentary: Judge’s information questionable

Judge James Robart, of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington State, believes there is no basis for President Trump’s executive order temporarily suspending non-American entry from seven terrorism-plagued countries. In court last week, Robart questioned Justice Department lawyer Michelle Bennett about the administration’s decision to confine the moratorium to Somalia, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Iraq, and Iran.

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Activity is seen outside the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals building in San Francisco on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017. A federal appeals court refused Thursday to reinstate President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from seven predo… Lawyers for the state of Virginia are challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration, arguing in federal court that his seven-nation travel ban violates the Constitution and is the result of “animus toward Muslims.”

Is US-Iran relationship heading back into the deep freeze?

Iran will today celebrate the 38th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, an event that still defines the country and its place in the world, as it seeks to assert itself against a more confrontational US administration. After decades in isolation, the Shia theocracy has enjoyed a thawing relationship with the West in the past few years.

Ron Kind, Tim Walz seats being targeted by GOP

La Crosse Congressman Ron Kind is less than two months into his latest term, but his opponents already are trying to make sure it’s his last. House Republicans have targeted 36 Democratic seats it want to win next year – 21 months from now – including the seats of Kind and southern Minnesota’s Tim Walz, according to Politico .

Ohio drillers say 6 shale counties saw $43M tax bump

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Oil-and-gas drillers in Ohio have paid $43 million in property taxes to local governments and schools in six shale counties since 2011, according to a report released Thursday.The finding by the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and Energy In Depth Ohio, a natural-gas research and education group, comes as Republican Gov. John Kasich … (more)

Big utilities try to tilt solar energy market in their favor

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s energy utilities want state lawmakers to pass a law that critics say would muscle out smaller companies from the emerging solar energy market.Solar power provides only about 1 percent of the country’s energy, but it is growing rapidly, with U.S. Energy Department figures showing solar industry employment grew 125 percent … (more)

UK offers teens cybersecurity classes to fight attacks

When a judge who helped derail President Donald Trump’s travel ban was hit with online threats, the abuse raised safety concerns among jurists across the country. When a judge who helped derail President Donald Trump’s travel ban was hit with online threats, the abuse raised safety concerns among jurists across the country.

Appelate court eyes reconsidering Trump travel ban

A federal appeals court in San Francisco that declined to reinstate President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries might take up the issue again at the request of one of its judges. On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously turned down the Trump administration’s bid for an emergency stay of a lower court order suspending the ban.

Democrats seek investigation into national security adviser

Congressional Democrats on Friday called for an investigation into whether White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn discussed U.S. sanctions in phone calls with Russia’s ambassador while President Barack Obama was still in office, conversations that may have broken U.S. law aimed at barring private citizens from conducting diplomacy. The White House said President Donald Trump had “full confidence” in Flynn, a show of support coming as the administration scrambled to manage the fallout from reports that Flynn addressed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call late last year.

Report: Russia considers sending Edward Snowden back to U.S. to ‘curry favor’ with President Trump

Snowden called the NBC News report “irrefutable evidence” that he wasn’t colluding with Russians, despite allegations from the U.S. House of Representatives. Report: Russia considers sending Edward Snowden back to U.S. to ‘curry favor’ with President Trump Snowden called the NBC News report “irrefutable evidence” that he wasn’t colluding with Russians, despite allegations from the U.S. House of Representatives.