Month: February 2017

Lawmakers scrap Obama rules on coal mining, guns

In this file photo, President Barack Obama speaks during his final presidential news conference in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. The Republican-controlled House on Thursday took its first steps toward strengthening gun ownership under President Donald Trump, moving to scrap a requirement for background checks for Social Security recipients mentally incapable of managing their own affairs.

City debates more firefighters

Elizabeth City City Council has agreed to authorize the city to pursue a nearly $300,000 FEMA grant to pay for six new firefighters for two years. However, city officials continue to debate whether the city can afford the firefighters once the grant expires or if the firefighters are needed in the first place.

Today in History

On Feb. 3, 1917, the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, which had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, the same day an American cargo ship, the SS Housatonic, was sunk by a U-boat off Britain after the crew was allowed to board lifeboats. In 1867, Crown Prince Mutsuhito became Japan’s 122nd emperor at age 14 four days after the death of his father, Emperor Komei .

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Political polling around the world is often accurate, despite the victory of US President Donald Trump who was widely predicted to lose the 2016 election to Hillary Clinton, researchers said Thursday. Polls correctly predict elections nine out of 10 times, said the findings by the University of Houston published in the journal Science.

Top GOP senators in Obamacare replacement role soften stance on total repeal

Two top Republicans expected to lead the charge in the repealing of the Affordable Care Act said this week they are in favor of repairing it in lieu of a total repeal, which the GOP has aimed to do over the last eight years. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., both spoke about Obamacare and the hurdles the GOP is facing in order to repeal the law in its entirety, according to The Washington Post .

Tense call between Trump and Australian leader strains longtime ties

U.S. ties with staunch ally Australia became strained on Thursday after details about an acrimonious phone call between its leaders emerged and U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal between the two nations on refugee resettlement was “dumb.” During a 25-minute phone call last Saturday with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Trump accused Australia of trying to export the “next Boston bombers” under the agreement, the Washington Post reported.

Happy Hour Roundup

Well before President Trump’s inauguration, his top adviser Steve Bannon met with a few top-tier donors – the kind of donors capable of writing million-dollar checks. The message, according to two sources with knowledge of the conversations, was that Bannon wants to use the 2018 midterm elections as the arena to test the political clout of Trump’s populist message.

Court declines Arizona’s bid to reconsider license case

A federal appeals court has refused to reconsider its earlier decision that backed up the ability of young immigrants who are protected from deportation to get an Arizona driver’s license. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled 10 months ago that the immigrants suffered irreparable harm from Arizona’s policy for driver’s licenses.

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An… . CORRECTS LAST NAME FROM GARRETTI TO GARCETTI- Ali Vayeghan, an Iranian citizen with a valid U.S. visa, third from left, kisses his brother Houssein Vayghan, with his Marjan Vayghan at Los Angeles International Airport Thu… .

Franken makes stop with Rep. Nolan, to motivate volunteers

Eighth Congressional District Representative Rick Nolan and U.S. Senator Al Franken visited Lindstrom, January 29. Sen. Franken told a group of 70 or so, preparing to door-knock for the Democrat candidate in the House District special election February 14; that President Trump and his most recent executive order; banning entry or re-entry to the U.S. by people from certain nations, has introduced an element of “chaos” that he and Senator Amy Klobuchar are responding to as best they can. There had been a demonstration at the MSP International Airport and morning media interviews, and Franken was accelerating his schedule for the rest of the weekend so he could participate in last minute events.

Nikki Haley just delivered the Trump administration’s most hawkish words yet toward Russia

The US ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday delivered the Trump administration’s strongest words toward Russia since Trump took office. UN ambassador Nikki Haley declared that existing US sanctions would stay in place against Russia stemming from its annexation of the peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine, amid renewed fighting in the eastern part of the country this week.

ED Nominee DeVos Faces Evenly Split Senate as Two GOP Lawmakers Defect

Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Education , could be the most controversial pick for that post in American history. After her confirmation hearing and narrow approval Tuesday before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions , two Republican senators – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – said they would vote against DeVos when the vote goes before the full Senate.

Congress scraps Obama rules on coal mining, guns

The Republican-controlled Congress on Thursday scrapped Obama-era rules on the environment and guns, counting on a new ally in the White House to help reverse years of what the GOP calls excessive regulation. The Senate gave final approval to a measure eliminating a rule to prevent coal mining debris from being dumped into nearby streams, while the House backed a separate resolution doing away with extended background checks for gun purchases by some Social Security recipients with mental disabilities.

Trump vows to – totally destroy’ restrictions on churches’ support of candidates

President Trump vowed Thursday to “totally destroy” a law passed more than 60 years ago that bans tax-exempt churches from supporting political candidates, a nod to the religious right that helped sweep him into office. Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Trump said he would seek to overturn the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt nonprofits – including churches and other houses of worship – from “directly or indirectly” participating in a political candidate’s campaign.

House Rolls Back Rule Restricting Gun Sales to Severely Mentally Ill

The Republican-led House voted Thursday to repeal an Obama-era Social Security Administration regulation to keep people with severe mental illnesses from buying guns. “The Social Security Administration not only overstepped its mission with this regulation, it discriminated against certain Americans with disabilities who receive Social Security benefits.

Berkeley campus chaos spurs questions at free-speech bastion

The chaos at the University of California, Berkeley, was shocking: Protesters set fires, smashed windows, hurled explosives at police and ultimately achieved their goal of cancelling an appearance by right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. The scene gained worldwide attention not just because of the mayhem but because of where it took place.

Can Trump wise up on world affairs before it is too late?

I’VE always maintained that the foreign policy arena is the place where Donald Trump is most likely to come seriously unstuck. Last weekend, as his immigration ban was making international headlines, another story was breaking that the Trump administration hoped would not come to light in the way it did.

Trump SCOTUS Nominee Neil Gorsuch ‘Founded’ ‘Fascism Forever Club’ in Prep School

From the “you can’t make this up” department, it appears that Neil Gorsuch claimed to have founded a “Fascism Forever Club ” while at Georgetown Prep, from which he graduated in 1985. Known to be fiercely conservative at Georgetown Prep School, #Gorsuch joked in yearbook he founded and led “Fascism Forever Club” pic.twitter.com/zrZZ53iP4I The man who has been nominated to replace the late Justice Scalia on the Supreme Court, apparently in more ways than one, included an organization by that name on his yearbook page, declaring himself its founder and president.

Study: Fake News Didn’t Change 2016 Election Results

A new study from Stanford and New York University shows fake news did not change the results of the 2016 presidential election, while far more false stories favored eventual President Donald Trump than his challenger, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. “Our data suggest that social media were not the most important source of election news and even the most widely circulated news stories were seen by only a small fraction of Americans,” lead researchers Hunt Allcott and Matthew Gentzkow wrote in the study, reports The Hill.

White House stands by Trumpa s first military raid, despite civilian, U.S. casualties

The White House on Thursday insisted that the risky ground raid personally approved by President Donald Trump against al Qaida targets in Yemen was a “successful operation,” despite the death of a Navy SEAL and the Pentagon’s conclusion that civilians, including children, were “likely” killed in the operation. “This was a very, very well thought out and executed effort,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.

Shark protection activist, filmmaker Stewart goes missing off Florida

A search for award-winning Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart, an environmental activist campaigning to protect sharks from being killed, entered its third day on Thursday after he went missing while diving off Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard received a call on Tuesday afternoon of Stewart going missing near Alligator Reef, located a few miles off the Florida Keys.

GOP senator tries to reassure Australia after Trump call

A senior Republican senator on Thursday sought to assure Australia that the United States remains a staunch ally following a tense discussion between President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Arizona Sen. John McCain said in a statement that he spoke with Joe Hockey, Australia’s ambassador to the United States, and expressed his “unwavering support for the U.S.-Australia alliance.”

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We’re glad to hear the news that a Republican lawmaker is rescinding his bill to sell off millions of acres of federally owned land. Rep. Jason Chaffetz announced late Wednesday night on Instagram that he would pull the legislation after backlash from both hunters, conservationists and other constituents who opposed the sell off of national lands.

Nancy Pelosi: Steve Bannon is a white supremacist

Too kind to call him a Nazi, evidently. Nancy Pelosi: Steve Bannon is a white supremacist Top ranking Democrat Nancy Pelosi did not mince her words when she expressed her concerns about Donald Trump’s chief strategist becoming a permanent member of the National Security Council.

US revises Russia sanctions for electronics exports

The Trump administration on Thursday revised recent U.S. sanctions that prevented American companies from exporting some electronic equipment to Russia. It also modified penalties on Iran, expanding a list of medical equipment that needs federal authorization to be sold to Iranian customers.