Category: US Senate

Jake Tapper Grills Loretta Lynch On HerTarmac Meeting With Bill Clinton [VIDEO]

CNN’s Jake Tapper grilled outgoing Attorney General Loretta Lynch for her notorious tarmac meeting with former President Bill Clinton in June, while agencies under her supervision were investigating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. The interview, which aired Sunday, is part of series of public statements Lynch is making as she prepares to turn the Department of Justice over to Sen. Jeff Sessions, who President-elect Donald Trump has nominated to succeed her.

U.S. Electoral College Set to Confirm Trump’s Presidential Victory

The next chapter in the tumultuous U.S. presidential election plays out Monday, with voting in the Electoral College expected to officially confirm that billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump will become the country’s 45th president. Americans have known since early November that Trump would take over the White House when he is inaugurated January 20. U.S. presidential elections, however, are not determined by the national popular vote, but rather by the individual outcomes in presidential balloting in all 50 states and the national capital city, Washington.

The Latest: Senator: Exploding e-cigs need federal look

The Latest on Sen. Charles Schumer saying the federal government needs to look at exploding e-cigarettes : U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says the federal government needs to figure out why e-cigarette devices and batteries are exploding and catching fire, hurting users. The New York Democrat on Sunday cited a recent Associated Press story saying the FDA identified about 66 explosions in 2015 and early 2016.

Bipartisan Group Of Senators Call For Panel To Investigate Russian Hacking

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer , R, and John McCain speak to the media after meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama about immigration reform in Washington July 11, 2013. REUTERS/Larry Downing A bipartisan group of senators called for the creation of a panel in order to investigate allegations of Russian hacking in U.S. elections, according to a report from Reuters Sunday.

Trump camp pushes back on Russian election-meddling claim, calls it a ‘spin job’

Stephen Bannon , senior advisor to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, and Reince Priebus stand as Trump speaks at the USA Thank You Tour event at the Wisconsin State Fair Exposition Center in West Allis, Wisconsin, Dec. 13. Donald Trump’s top aides on Sunday said the president-elect isn’t ready to accept the finding by intelligence agencies that Moscow hacked Democratic emails in a bid to elevate Trump. And that even if it’s true, they said, Trump still won the White House fair and square.

China says it will give drone back, but Trump says a keep ita

In this undated photo released by the U.S. Navy Visual News Service, the USNS Bowditch, a T-AGS 60 Class Oceanographic Survey Ship, sails in open water. The USNS Bowditch, a civilian U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship, was recovering two drones on Thursday when a Chinese navy ship approached and sent out a small boat that took one of the drones, said Navy Capt.

Trump takes on First Lady’s ‘no hope’ comment

President-elect Donald Trump said first lady Michelle Obama “must have been talking about the past” when she said there’s no sense of hope after his election. Trump, speaking Saturday at the final rally of his post election “thank you” tour, then resisted escalating the spat further, suggesting “she made that statement not meaning it the way it came out.”

Biden, mourners pay tribute to John Glenn, American hero

The nation’s vice president and a retired Marine Corps general were among the dignitaries, family members and other mourners who choked up Saturday during a memorial tribute to the late space hero John Glenn. Roughly 2,500 people gathered at Mershon Auditorium on the Ohio State University campus for “a celebration of life” for the former fighter pilot, history-making astronaut and longtime Democratic U.S. senator from small-town Ohio.

Trump says Michelle Obama’s ‘no hope’ comment about the past

President-elect Donald Trump said first lady Michelle Obama “must have been talking about the past” when she said there’s no sense of hope after his election. Trump, speaking Saturday at the final rally of his postelection “thank you” tour, then resisted escalating the spat further, suggesting “she made that statement not meaning it the way it came out.”

Rowe a candidate for Sessions’ Senate seat

A state lawmaker from Walker County has suddenly become a candidate to replace U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions in Congress should he be confirmed as attorney general. A state lawmaker from Walker County has suddenly become a candidate to replace U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions in Congress should he be confirmed as attorney general.

Biden, other mourners choke up in tribute to John Glenn

The nation’s vice president and a retired Marine Corps general were among the dignitaries, family members and other mourners who choked up Saturday during a memorial tribute to the late space hero John Glenn. for the former fighter pilot, history-making astronaut and longtime Democratic U.S. senator from small-town Ohio.

Kansas electors remain steadfast for Trump, defend college

The six Republican members of the Electoral College from Kansas feel bound to honor the state’s popular vote for Donald Trump in the presidential race and defend the college as a necessary to make sure the wishes of most voters in the nation aren’t ignored. Like their counterparts across the country, the Kansas electors say they received thousands of emails, most from outside Kansas, urging them not to vote for Trump, who received 57 percent of the vote in the state.

Here’s an early, easy GOP win for reform: Republicans should scrap the CFPB

If Republicans want a quick jump-start on government reform with their new electoral mandate in January, a top agenda item would be scrapping the Orwellian-named Consumer Financial Protection Bureau . The CFPB, part of the Dodd-Frank regulatory regime adopted by Democrats in 2010, is an agency meant to stop racism and anti-woman bias, President-elect Donald Trump has promised to dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act and, thankfully, this could very well mean the CFPB also.

Abbreviated Pundit Round-up: Russian meddling is believed to have happened by both FBI and CIA

Donald Trump has won the presidency after narrowly carrying a few states to put him above 270 electoral votes.But according… Senate Republicans refused to give President Obama’s pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Scalia even the courtesy of a… One does not have to believe the the meddling decided the election to believe that 1) it happened 2) it is not a good thing 3) in a close election like this one everything mattered and 4) Donald Trump’s denials are both inappropriate and highly suspicious. He was told before the election this was happened, but denies it and denies it happened at all.

Obama signs bill for Flint water, California drought

President Barack Obama signed a bill Friday authorizing water projects across the country, including $170 million to address lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and $558 million to provide relief to drought-stricken California. Obama said the bill advances vital projects across the country to restore watersheds, improve flood control and rebuild water infrastructure – including pipes in Flint, where residents have struggled with lead-tainted water for more than two years.

North Carolina’s new law pushes the partisan envelope

North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature has fundamentally altered the balance of power, taking power from the governor before a newly-elected Democrat takes office. Jeanne Aaroe protests outside the Senate gallery after it was cleared during a special session of the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday.

FDA Increases Transparency of Adverse Event Data for Cosmetics and Foods

On December 6th, FDA announced that it is publicly releasing data received by the Agency’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition about adverse events related to cosmetics and foods, including both conventional foods and dietary supplements. Adverse events can be any negative reaction to a product, such as a serious illness or allergic reactions, or other complaints like packaging problems, that are received through FDA’s voluntary adverse event reporting systems for these classes of regulated products .

Don’t shoot the messenger

It is difficult to divine whether Gov. Sam Brownback enjoys living in a state of denial – or if he actually believes repeating misleading statements often enough will convince Kansans they are true.

Obama signs massive water bill that could impact Delta

President Barack Obama on Friday quietly signed and bequeathed to President-elect Donald Trump a massive infrastructure bill designed to control floods, fund dams and deliver more water to farmers in California’s Central Valley. While attempting to mollify critics’ concerns over potential harm to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, Obama signed the $12 billion bill in a distinctly low-key act.

U.S. electors expected to officially confirm Trump victory

The U.S. Electoral College is expected on Monday to officially select Republican Donald Trump as the next president in a vote that is usually routine but takes place this year amid allegations of Russian hacking to try to influence the election. At meetings scheduled in every state and the District of Columbia, the institution’s 538 electors, generally chosen by state parties, will cast official ballots for president and vice president.

Ethics reviews incomplete for several Trump picks

Several of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet choices have not completed a full review to avoid conflicts of interest, the government’s ethics office says, even as Republican senators move quickly to hold at least nine confirmation hearings this week. In a letter to Senate leaders, the director of the Office of Government Ethics described the current status of several nominees, some of whom are billionaires and millionaires, in the ethics process and expressed concern about the lack of ethics reviews just days from committee hearings.

Hope, Trump upstage ‘La La Land’s’ moment in the sun

Chart shows films with most Golden Globe nominates in 2017; 2c x 3 inches; 96.3 mm x 76 mm; By JOCELYN NOVECK Associated Press Donald Trump was not in attendance at the Golden Globes, but he was there in spirit – or more precisely, as the target of a slew of political barbs. By JOCELYN NOVECK Associated Press Donald Trump was not in attendance at the Golden Globes, but he was there in spirit – or more precisely, as the target of a slew of political barbs, not to mention an… Actress Meryl Streep earned a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes Sunday and in accepting, turned the spotlight away from herself.

U.S. appeals court revives Clinton email suit

In a new legal development on the controversy over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails, an appeals court on Tuesday reversed a lower court ruling and said two U.S. government agencies should have done more to recover the emails. The ruling from Judge Stephen Williams, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, revives one of a number of legal challenges involving Clinton’s handling of government emails when she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

Democrats eye confirmation fight over Trump’s Treasury pick

Democrats are eyeing the Senate confirmation hearings for Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary pick selection as a prime opportunity to chip away at the Republican’s populist appeal with working-class voters and begin rebuilding their own party’s economic message. Given the narrow GOP majority in the Senate, Steven Mnuchin is likely to be confirmed.

Democrats plan lengthy hearings for Trump Cabinet nominees

Democratic senators plan to aggressively target eight of Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees in the coming weeks and are pushing to stretch their confirmation votes into March – an unprecedented break with Senate tradition. Such delays would upend Republican hopes of quickly holding hearings and confirming most of Trump’s top picks on Inauguration Day.

Study finds November 9 was the day with the most ‘f-words’ used online

Has 2016 been the crudest year ever? Study finds almost one-billion ‘f-words’ were written on social media this year – with the most coming the day after Donald Trump was elected Almost one-billion f-words were tweeted, posted, commented, shared and blogged across the internet in 2016, a new study has found. Analysis carried out on the language used across the internet found the word ‘f**k’ was used 946,158,697 times this year.

Navy extends comment time on plan to add jets at Whidbey

The Navy is giving people an extra month to weigh in on its proposal to increase the number of electronic attack aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The Seattle Times says the new Feb. 24 deadline results from requests by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Rep. Rick Larsen and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray for more time for public review of the draft environmental study.

Trump to meet with Republic of Congo president on Tuesday: Sassou spokesman

Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou plans to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing political turmoil crisis in Libya and other African issues, Sassou’s spokesman said on Monday. Sassou’s spokesman Thierry Moungalla, in a post on Twitter, noted that the two men were meeting to discuss ways to the end the Libyan crisis as well other broader issues affecting the continent, according to a statement attached to the tweet.

Trump to meet with Republic of Congo president on Tuesday: Sassou spokesman

Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou plans to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing political turmoil crisis in Libya and other African issues, Sassou’s spokesman said on Monday. Sassou’s spokesman Thierry Moungalla, in a post on Twitter, noted that the two men were meeting to discuss ways to the end the Libyan crisis as well other broader issues affecting the continent, according to a statement attached to the tweet.

Trump’s wiretap tweets come as NSA surveillance programs are up for renewal this year

Nearly four years after National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden blew the lid off domestic spying, the vast surveillance programs cherished as the “crown jewels” of the U.S. intelligence establishment are about to spring back into public debate – and not just because of Donald Trump’s allegation that he’s been the subject of wiretaps. The legal framework for some of the broadest U.S. surveillance programs, authorized for a five-year period in 2012, will expire Dec. 31 unless Congress reauthorizes it.

US privacy board in disarray before Trump takes office

A federal board responsible for protecting Americans against abuses by spy agencies is in disarray just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The five-member Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board will have only two remaining members as of Jan. 7 – and zero Democrats, even though it is required to operate as an independent, bipartisan agency.

State News

Gov. Scott Walker is asking the Wisconsin state legislative body to approve a bill which directs an additional $35.5 million toward the construction of broadband infrastructures throughout the state. Friday, December 9, 2016 A special three-judge federal redistricting panel has ordered the governor and the Legislature to redraw the state’s legislative districts, in time for them to be jurisdictionally valid for the 2018 elections.