Category: US Senate

Trump vows to dissolve charitable foundation

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he intends to dissolve his controversial philanthropic foundation to avoid any conflicts of interest with his presidency. Mr Trump’s sprawling portfolio of US and overseas business interests and holdings, as well as his Donald J Trump Foundation, have come under increased scrutiny in the weeks since his election.

Klobuchar will run again for Senate, rules herself out for governor’s race

Duty-Bound: U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar turned down calls urging her to run for governor, saying instead that her experience is need at a pivotal time in Washington. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar will run for re-election in 2018, ruling herself out for Minnesota’s next race for governor as she prepares to challenge the new Trump administration and look for ways to work with Republicans leading Congress.

This Christmas my prayers are for the people of Aleppo

It is a Christmas accompanied by the horrors of mass executions of women and children, airstrikes and barrel bombing of civilians – and mostly world silence in response. Americans witnessed neatly edited clips of human suffering in Aleppo as its residents made heartbreaking pleas for the world to save them.

Sanders’ bid, Hardwood tragedy top Vermont stories for 2016

In this May 26, 2015 file photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., formally announces in Burlington, Vt., that he he will seek the Democratic nomination for president while his grandson, Dylan Driscoll, 3, lays in the shade by the stage. Sanders’ strength in the primaries was chosen 2016’s top state story in a poll of journalists at Associated Press member newspapers and broadcasters in Vermont.

Critics say a popular vote would take power from the ‘white establishment’ – but it might not

Bill O’Reilly doesn’t want the Electoral College – or the disproportionate power it brings rural, white voters – to disappear. In a two-and-a-half minute introduction to the segment, the conservative Fox News anchor threw his support behind the system, insisting its survival was necessary to ensure that voters in predominantly rural states are not overrun by a growing population of minorities in city centers.

Sandersa bid, Hardwood tragedy top Vermont stories for 2016

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ strength in the Democratic presidential primaries has been chosen the top Vermont story of the year for 2016 in a poll of journalists at Associated Press member newspapers and broadcasters. Second place went to something much more tragic: the October deaths of five Harwood Union High School students in a crash caused by a wrong-way driver on Interstate 89. Others on the top 10 list included the alleged “Ponzi-like” scheme to defraud foreign investors in development projects in northern Vermont; Republican Phil Scott’s victory in the gubernatorial race; and the failed effort to legalize marijuana.

Sandersa bid, Hardwood tragedy top Vermont stories for 2016

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ strength in the Democratic presidential primaries has been chosen the top Vermont story of the year for 2016 in a poll of journalists at Associated Press member newspapers and broadcasters. Second place went to something much more tragic: the October deaths of five Harwood Union High School students in a crash caused by a wrong-way driver on Interstate 89. Others on the top 10 list included the alleged “Ponzi-like” scheme to defraud foreign investors in development projects in northern Vermont; Republican Phil Scott’s victory in the gubernatorial race; and the failed effort to legalize marijuana.

Michelle Obama’s fashion influence rivaled Jackie Kennedy’s

In this Sept. 4, 2012 file photo, first lady Michelle Obama, dressed in a Tracy Reese pink silk jaquard dress, walks on the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. Reese, who hails from Detroit, is clearly one of the first lady’s favored designers as Obama has been photographed in her clothes between 20 and 30 times.

Democrats want a fresh face for the 2020 presidential election, poll finds

If there is one lesson that Democrats and independents seem to have taken away from the 2016 presidential election, it’s that they want a completely fresh start in 2020. A whopping 66 percent of Democrats and independents selected “someone entirely new” when that option was included on the list of potential 2020 presidential candidates, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll released on Wednesday.

Politico: Obama Delivering Farewell Speech in Chicago

President Barack Obama is planning to deliver his farewell speech in Chicago – less than two weeks before Donald Trump takes office, Politico reports. The address, billed as a major speech, is expected to be delivered on Jan. 10. In his address, Obama is expected to thank Chicago and the state of Illinois for launching his political career, according to the website.

QUIZ: How Well Did You Pay Attention To Markets This Year an hour ago

It was a year dominated by some yuge surprises, but how closely have you been paying attention to the details? Here are 60 things that happened in 2016: 2. How long did China’s stock exchanges stay open before recently introduced circuit breakers ended trading on Jan. 7 after a 7 percent fall? 3. Crude dropped below $30 for the first time since 2004, but what was the proximate cause of the selloff? 5. What did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration find odd about some Parmesan cheese produced in rural Pennsylvania? 2. The ECB cut rates, but President Mario Draghi gave mixed signals at the press conference.

Bill to jumpstart research, speed up treatment options

A bill signed by President Barack Obama recently is looking to bring medical breakthroughs and tackle some of the largest health challenges facing Americans. Now a law, the 21st Century Cures Act will speed up the federal review process while reducing bureaucracy needed to approve new medical treatment options.

Hillary Still Losing Voters a ” Even After Election Day

A post-election poll finds that a tiny number of Trump voters have come to regret their vote, while a group four times larger now says they wish they hadn’t voted for Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton. The poll found that fully 99 percent of Trump’s voters would still pull the lever for him if the election were today instead of a month ago, meaning Trump has only lost one percent of support in the six weeks since Election Day, the New York Post reported this week.

Release of emails by Chicago mayor doesna t end dispute

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s decision to release thousands of pages of private emails does not end a dispute in Illinois about public access to such emails from him and other officials when they deal with government business. Emanuel announced late Wednesday that he had settled a lawsuit by a government watchdog group over emails from his personal accounts, but it allows him and his personal lawyer to decide which emails are public records and which are not.

License issued for $1B Montana power storage project

A Montana company has been granted a license to build a $1 billion, 400-megawatt power storage project in the central part of the state that would supplement electricity from wind turbines and other sources, according to documents released Thursday by federal regulators. The 50-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission allows Absaroka Energy, of Bozeman, Montana, to construct and operate the project on a 177-acre site near the tiny town of Martinsdale, home to fewer than 100 people.

Senate Dems press Trump’s wealthy picks for financial data

Top Senate Democrats are trying to put the brakes on President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, insisting on extensive financial information on some of the wealthiest Americans before moving forward on nominations. Frustrated by the slow response of billionaires and multimillionaires to their request, 16 Democrats delivered an ultimatum Thursday, saying no committee should vote on a nominee until the individual has cleared an FBI background check, provided a financial report and an ethics agreement with the Office of Government Ethics, and responded to “reasonable requests for additional information” such as tax returns.

Clinton wins popular vote by nearly 2.9 million

In this Dec. 8, 2016 file photo, Hillary Clinton attends a ceremony to unveil a portrait of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Capitol Hill in Washington. Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than President-elect Donald Trump, giving her the largest popular vote margin of any losing presidential candidate, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

Capitol Report: Senate Dems say Wells Fargo not responding to fraud info requests

US Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, holds up copies of Wells Fargo earnings call transcripts as she questions John Stumpf, then chairman and CEO of Wells Fargo The bank’s management has so far failed to answer all the questions the committee members have put to it, the letter says, following its settlement with multiple regulatory authorities in September for multi-year fraudulent sales practices. The letter , jointly signed by nine Democrats including Ranking Member Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, again asked Wells Fargo’s board for a status report on its ongoing investigation of the fraud and a detailed timeline of when the board learned about the illegal practices and actions it took.

Butt Hurt Loser Michael Moore Has DRAMATIC Meltdown- HILARITY Ensues

Now that the Electoral College has made Donald Trump one step closer to becoming the 45th president of the United States, liberal author and filmmaker Michael Moore says the centuries-old system designed by America’s Founding Fathers is “racist.” On Tuesday morning, a day after Trump officially received the electoral votes needed to become president, Moore tweeted a message to the “rest of the world” in an attempt to “explain what happened yesterday.”

Reid to decide on next career in coming weeks 49 mins ago

Harry Reid plans to maintain a home in Washington D.C. and cited the area’s high-quality health care, but he also said he’d spend more time in Nevada when his term ends Jan. 3. LAS VEGAS – Outgoing Democratic Sen. Harry Reid says he’s been offered several jobs and will decide in coming weeks what he’ll do after retiring from his 34-year stint in Congress. Reid said in an interview with KNPR on Wednesday that he’s been approached by law firms, rich people who want his help and Nevada companies.

North Carolina Bathroom Bill repeal fails

Amid deepening acrimony, a supposedly bipartisan deal to kill the North Carolina law known as the “bathroom bill” fell apart Wednesday night, ensuring the likelihood that global corporations and national sports events will continue to stay away from the state. The law limits protections for LGBT people and was best known for a provision that requires transgender people to use public restrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates.

In bitter divide, repeal of North Carolina LGBT law fails

Amid deepening acrimony, a supposedly bipartisan deal to kill the North Carolina law known as the “bathroom bill” fell apart Wednesday night, ensuring the likelihood that global corporations and national sports events will continue to stay away from the state. The law limits protections for LGBT people and was best known for a provision that requires transgender people to use public restrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates.

Poll: Democrats want someone new for 2020

President-elect Donald Trump has yet to take office, but pollsters have already begun to dip their toes into the next presidential cycle. A USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Wednesday found Democratic and independent voters lukewarm on a handful of party leaders and most excited for “someone entirely new.”

Senators urge action to block drastic drug price hikes

Angered by skyrocketing drug prices, a pair of senators on Wednesday urged Congress to block companies from cornering the market on old, off-patent drugs. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., released findings from a year-long investigation into companies like Turing Pharmaceuticals, which generated national outrage last year after hiking the price of a life-saving anti-infection drug by more than 5,000 percent.

Brownback: Not inclined to support changes to campus concealed weapons law

Governor Brownback said Wednesday he isn’t inclined to support changes to the state’s concealed weapons law for public colleges and universities. Gov. Sam Brownback said Wednesday he isn’t inclined to support changes to the state’s concealed weapons law for public universities, a signal to lawmakers they will have to gather veto-proof majorities to modify the policy.

Who are the real champions for children?

In “Senators owe vulnerable kids real debate, floor votes” by John Kelly and Daniel Heimpel , they correctly highlight the enormous problem that children face in the legislative process where bills involving children, such as the Family First Prevention Services Act and the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act , fail to get votes in the Senate despite overwhelming bipartisan support. To their list, I would add the Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act, which also failed to get approved by Congress.