Sen. Sherrod Brown To Fight Obamacare Repeal, Push For…

A new Republican president-elect and an allied GOP-led Congress is eager to take the nation from a predictable health market during the last two years of the Obama administration to a new era of uncertainty. This inauspicious forecast comes from Open Minds , which touts itself as having “monitored everything happening in the sectors of the health and human service field serving complex consumers” since 1987.

Perriello making surprise run for Virginia governor

Former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello is set to make a surprise entrance into the Virginia governor’s race, according to two Democratic operatives with direct knowledge of Perriello’s plan. Perriello is set to announce his plan to seek the Democratic nomination Thursday, according to the operatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss Perriello’s plans publicly.

Obama renominates former FCC commissioner

President Obama on Wednesday renominated former FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel to the agency just weeks after Senate Republicans refused to confirm her to a new five-year term. Bill Nelson Obama renominates former FCC commissioner Top Dem questions whether hacking caused nationwide customs outage Lawmakers complain about Trump’s security costs MORE , the ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee.

Governor’s report: Salmon remain in trouble in Washington

A new state report finds that salmon throughout Washington remain in trouble with many species not recovering and fishing harvests declining in recent decades. The governor’s State of Salmon in Watersheds report Wednesday notes that seven of 15 salmon and steelhead species listed as federally threatened or endangered are getting worse or not improving.

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United States President-elect Donald Trump has mocked an upcoming intelligence briefing on alleged Russian hacking in the U.S. presidential election, implying the U.S. authorities will fabricate the contents of the briefing. Trump tweeted that he was originally scheduled to receive the briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 3, but the meeting was delayed until Friday because “perhaps more time [was] needed to build a case.”

.com | California gets ready to protect foreigners from Trump

California, home to many foreigners without residence papers, is girding to fight any attempt by President-elect Donald Trump to expel them. Trump, who takes office on January 20, has vowed to deport from the country as many as three million immigrants with criminal records and build a wall along the border with Mexico.

Chuck Schumer: Trump opposition leader

Chuck Schumer arrived for his first day as Senate Democratic leader to a large, new Capitol suite still strewn with unpacked boxes. “It’s a little fancier than I’m used to, but it goes with the territory,” Schumer told us, as he sat down for his maiden television interview as the Senate’s top Democrat.

U.S. Banks Gear Up to Fight Dodd-Frank Act’s Volcker Rule

Big U.S. banks are set on getting Congress this year to loosen or eliminate the Volcker rule against using depositors’ funds for speculative bets on the bank’s own account, a test case of whether Wall Street can flex its muscle in Washington again. In interviews over the past several weeks, half a dozen industry lobbyists said they began meeting with legislative staff after the U.S. election in November to discuss matters including a rollback of Volcker, part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform that Congress enacted after the financial crisis and bank bailouts.

Big banks are gearing up to fight the Volcker rule

Big U.S. banks are set on getting Congress this year to loosen or eliminate the Volcker rule against using depositors’ funds for speculative bets on the bank’s own account, a test case of whether Wall Street can flex its muscle in Washington again. In interviews over the past several weeks, half a dozen industry lobbyists said they began meeting with legislative staff after the U.S. election in November to discuss matters including a rollback of Volcker, part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform that Congress enacted after the financial crisis and bank bailouts.

Reid: FBI director’s letter cost Democrats the election, Senate

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Monday FBI Director James Comey was “heavily involved as a partisan” in the weeks leading up to the election and that Comey’s actions handed the presidency to Donald Trump. The retiring Nevada Democrat said Democrats “would have won the majority in the Senate and would have won the presidency but for Comey.”

A Trump tweet that doesn’t spark outrage in Chicago

President-elect Donald Trump ‘s tweets often trigger what is now commonly referred to as Trump Derangement Syndrome, or TDS. You’ve seen the symptoms: the wailing and shrieking of tortured liberals; their references to Hitler and the end of days or whatever dark prophecies can be tweeted with two left thumbs.

Obama’s last trip to Chicago as president will be next week

President Barack Obama shown here during an address before Illinois lawmakers in the House chamber of the State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016. President Barack Obama shown here during an address before Illinois lawmakers in the House chamber of the State Capitol in Springfield, Ill., on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016.

Schadenboner Watch

Liberals are panicking about the fact that President-elect Donald Trump will be able to fill four vacancies on the historically left-leaning Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals when he takes office later this month. Outgoing Sen. Barbara Boxer called the vacancies a “judicial emergency,” according to Bay Area public radio station KQED, even though there are 29 judges on the court.

Desperation

The mainstream media are abuzz with claims that House Republicans have voted to ” gut ” or ” eviscerate ” the Office of Congressional Ethics , or to strip it of its independence. Perpetual House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi claimed Republicans had ” eliminated ” the oversight body, and linked the move to President-elect Donald Trump, claiming that the House Republicans’ move represents a violation of Trump’s campaign promise to “drain the swamp” in Washington.

House GOP votes to gut independent ethics office

House Republicans have voted to eviscerate the Office of Congressional Ethics, the independent body created in 2008 to investigate allegations of misconduct by lawmakers after several bribery and corruption scandals sent members to prison. The ethics change, which prompted an outcry from Democrats and government watchdog groups, is part of a rules package that the full House will vote on Tuesday.

Morning Bits

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks at her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 17. One is precedent, two is a trend . “Another way for Australia to demonstrate its unswerving support for Israel, as the Middle East’s only liberal, pluralist democracy, might be to join any move by the Trump administration to move its embassy to Jerusalem.”

Paul Ryan expected to be re-elected as House speaker Tuesday

Paul Ryan is expected to be easily re-elected Tuesday as speaker of the House, kicking off the new Congress and marking a quiet end following a year that saw both parties questioning their congressional leadership. Ryan was re-elected by the House Republican conference in November to serve a second term as speaker of the House.

Ex-death row inmate in Ohio wants new trial amid new doubts

A one-time death row inmate in Ohio whose sentence was commuted to life in prison has asked a judge for a new trial based on concerns that have surfaced about a former state crime lab worker. Attorneys for Kevin Keith are questioning whether the state forensic expert provided unreliable testimony against him at his 1994 trial.

No proof Russian hacking influenced US election: Trump spokesman

No evidence has emerged to suggest Russian hacking influenced the outcome of the U.S. presidential election and it would be irresponsible to jump to conclusions before receiving a final intelligence report, Donald Trump’s spokesman said on Monday. Chief Strategist & Communications Director for the Republican National Committee Sean Spicer arrives in the lobby of Republican president-elect Donald Trump’s Trump Tower in New York, New York, U.S. November 14, 2016.

House Republicans Move To Weaken Congressional Ethics Office

U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy laughs as he and House Speaker Paul Ryan, flanked by House Republican Whip Steve Scalise , introduce Representative Jason Smith and Representative Luke Messer as new members of the House Republican leadership team after their caucus held leadership elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. November 15, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst In an abrupt move made without the backing of their leaders, Republicans in the House of Representatives plan to dramatically scale back an independent congressional ethics office created eight years ago.

Fish seek cooler waters, leaving some fishermen’s nets empty

Dean West, a deckhand aboard the boat Proud Mary, gets ready to trawl for sea bass and fluke off the coast of Point Judith, R.I., Aug. 9, 2016. The fishing industry faces antiquated regulations that have been overtaken by climate change, as warming seas are causing species to move out of their historical ranges to cooler and deeper waters.

Bundy friends, family protest federal monument decision

Supporters of cattleman and anti-federal government figure Cliven Bundy are protesting a presidential decision to give national monument protection to public land where Bundy grazes cows near his southern Nevada ranch. With Bundy and four sons in federal custody awaiting trial on conspiracy and other charges, a small group of other family members and friends staged a peaceful weekend rally Saturday near the Bundy home and the Gold Butte area outside Bunkerville, a small town near Arizona.

State of the Statehouse: Pence’s turnaround led Indiana political stories in 2016

Gov. Mike Pence started the year of 2016 as politically vulnerable, with sinking approval ratings and a looming rematch against a well-funded opponent who almost beat him four years ago. He is ending the year as vice president-elect, having helped Donald Trump surprisingly claim the presidency and power through a 20-point victory in Indiana, a margin far higher than any polls predicted.

Democrats extol health care law in bid to derail GOP repeal

Senior House Democrats on Monday extolled the benefits of President Barack Obama’s health care law in hopes of derailing Republican plans to gut the statute and over time replace it. In a conference call with reporters, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said the GOP will begin its “assault” on the health care law when the 115th Congress convenes Tuesday.

Trump takes dig at Rahm Emanuel over Chicago homicides

President-elect Donald Trump is taking a dig at Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s mayor and President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff, about the city’s rising homicide tally. The nation’s third-largest city had 762 homicides in 2016 – the most in two decades and more than the largest cities, New York and Los Angeles, combined.

Trump Takes Aim at Mayor Emanuel in Tweet About Chicago

President-elect Donald Trump tweeted Monday about Chicago’s “record setting” violence in 2016, claiming the city should seek federal help if local authorities can’t handle the crisis. As Chicago closed on one of its most violent years in decades, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted Monday the city should seek federal help if local authorities can’t handle the crisis.