Government
Democrat moves to force House debate on Trump’s alleged business conflicts and Russia ties
BALTIMORE — In an escalation of Democratic efforts to highlight questions about President Trump’s potential conflicts of interest and alleged ties to Russia, a senior House Democrat is dusting off a little-used legislative tool to force a committee debate or floor vote on the issue.<p>Rep. Jerrold …
U.S. CongressThe 25th Amendment, explained: how a president can be declared unfit to serve
The president of the United States has essentially unconstrained authority to use nuclear weapons however he sees fit.<p>So what would happen if the president, in the judgment of those closest to him, were to … not be in his right mind?<p>In such a scenario, there is, in fact, something that could …
Constitutional AmendmentsThe 4 Types Of Constitutional Crises
People have been talking about the possibility of a “constitutional crisis” since before President Trump’s election. And in the wake of Trump’s …
Constitutional LawHundreds chant “Do your job!” at House Republican in charge of investigating Trump
Hundreds of people shouted down Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) at a town hall he held in his home district on Thursday night, with many yelling “Do your job!” at the chair of the House Oversight Committee.<p>Chaffetz has come under fire for taking few actions against either Donald Trump’s international …
PoliticsFederal appeals court rules 3 to 0 against Trump on travel ban
A federal appeals panel has maintained the freeze on President Trump’s controversial immigration order, meaning previously barred refugees and citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries can continue entering the United States.<p>In a unanimous 29-page opinion, three judges from the U.S. Court of …
JudiciaryMichael Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, officials say
National security adviser Michael Flynn privately discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country's ambassador to the United States during the month before President Donald Trump took office, contrary to public assertions by Trump officials, current and former U.S. officials said.<p>Flynn's …
Russian GovernmentA reporter is suing the US government to learn how it vetted Trump’s advisers for security clearances
As a national security correspondent for Newsweek, reporter Jeffrey Stein knows he can’t see classified US government documents and doesn’t want to. He is, however, interested in how some of US president Donald Trump’s closest advisors—including Steve Bannon, Rex Tillerson, and Trump’s own family …
U.S. GovernmentWhite House for sale: Trump team openly flouts ethics rules in the Nordstrom flap — because Congress will do nothing
Donald Trump and his aides promote Ivanka's business, confident that the GOP Congress will look the other way<p>Do not purchase Ivanka Trump’s products. I’m not really sure what the president’s oldest daughter sells or where it’s sold, but that doesn’t really matter. Don’t buy it. The reason to swear …
RepublicansInexperience Weakens Congress and the White House
A younger, less experienced Congress tackles some old and knotty issues<p>For the first time in U.S. history, we have a president with no government …
U.S. CongressAbout That Bill Abolishing The Department Of Education
Tuesday was a busy day for education policy.<p>Betsy DeVos, you may have heard, was confirmed as Secretary of Education with an unprecedented tiebreaker vote.<p>The House of Representatives also voted to throw out a lot of rules that were decided on just last year. These rules tell states how to comply …
EducationCongressional Oversight May Be More Important Than Ever. Is Jason Chaffetz Up To The Job?
So far, he hasn't shown much interest in investigating Donald Trump's administration.<p>WASHINGTON ― When Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, thought Hillary Clinton was going to be president, he could barely wait to start …
U.S. CongressTrump’s refugee and visa ban gets another big defeat in court
President Trump’s refugee and visa ban is still on hold — and its future isn’t looking good.<p>The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals just rejected an attempt by the Department of Justice to reinstate the ban, after district judge James Robart put a temporary restraining order on it last week.<p>The court’s …
U.S. Department of JusticeKing letter and statement criticize Sessions prosecution
WASHINGTON (AP) — A letter sent by Coretta Scott King saying Jeff Sessions would be a bad choice for a lifetime federal judgeship is receiving new attention after Sen. Elizabeth Warren was rebuked Tuesday evening for quoting King's letter on the Senate floor.<p>Staffers from the Alabama senator's …
Civil RightsTrump vows law and order crackdown to combat 'menace' of crime
President signs orders that include focus on protecting police and promises ‘new era of justice’ despite violent crime rates that remain near historic lows<p>Donald Trump has launched a sweeping law and order programme to crack down on “the menace of rising crime” and deliver on his promise to do more …
Donald TrumpFederal judges have refused to reinstate the US travel ban, asserting their authority over Trump
Citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries can continue to enter the United States after an appeals court rejected the government’s motion to reinstate the ban.<p>The unanimous decision (pdf) doesn’t strike down US president Donald Trump’s executive order. The court will hold more extensive hearings …
LawTrump's Illusory Answers to Imaginary Crime Problems
The president’s latest executive orders achieve little while trying to answer a crime wave that data doesn’t support.<p>Jeff Sessions issued a de facto mission statement within moments of being sworn in attorney general on Thursday.<p>“We have a crime problem,” the former Alabama senator said. “I wish …
Criminal JusticeU.S. Senators denounce Trump plan to focus counter-extremism program on Islam
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A dozen Democratic senators on Thursday urged the Trump administration to reconsider overhauling and renaming a U.S. government program so it would focus solely on countering Islamist extremism, saying it could jeopardize security and may be illegal.<p>Restructuring the program …
PoliticsInside Chuck Schumer’s plan to take on President Trump
Put Chuck Schumer and Donald Trump in a room together and you can't miss the connection. They are the leaders of rival parties, sharp opponents on …
U.S. Congress‘A Patriotic Duty’: Dissent at the State Department
<b>To the Editor:</b><p>“Dissent on Travel Ban Spreads From One Embassy to Another” (front page, Feb. 1), about a State Department cable that “traveled like a chain letter — or a viral video” through American embassies around the world, quotes a diplomat as saying policy dissent is part of the department’s …
Foreign PolicyKellyanne Conway may face a federal ethics inquiry
In a rare bipartisan move, Republicans and Democrats have united to condemn remarks made by Kellyanne Conway that appear to violate ethics …
Congressional CommitteesRepublicans in Idaho tried to design a better plan than Obamacare — and failed
NAMPA, Idaho — Jamie Gluch lumbered into the kitchen and pulled from the freezer a bag of corn, the only affordable analgesic he had for his swollen face.<p>“You going to be okay?” asked his wife, 44-year-old Chelle Gluch. Jamie grunted “I’m all right” and joined the children at their in-home day-care …
Health CareCongress targets a California law that aims to give low-income workers retirement security
An ambitious California law intended to help create retirement security for low-income workers is in the crosshairs of the Trump-era Congress, which is moving to block the state and others from launching programs to automatically enroll millions of people in IRA-type savings plans.<p>The push is one …
RetirementTrump's Mexico border wall could cost $21bn, departmental files show – report
Department of Homeland Security report is said to list out a range of difficulties and warn the project could take more than three years<p>President Donald Trump’s proposed US-Mexico border wall would be a series of fences and walls that would cost as much as $21.6bn, and take more than three years to …
Government (UK)Report: Trump Wall To Cost $21.6 Billion - The Daily Beast
According to a report in <i>Reuters</i>, based on a review of an internal document produced by the Department of Homeland Security, President Trump's proposed wall at the U.S.-Mexico border could cost up to $21.6 billion and take more than three years to make. Trump has previously cited a $12 billion …
PoliticsThe decision to finish the Dakota Access Pipeline may have been illegal
By Christina Sterbenz on Feb 9, 2017<p>When the Army Corps of Engineers cleared the way for completing the Dakota Access Pipeline on Tuesday, the agency also canceled something the Standing Rock Sioux have been asking for since the project started: a full report on the environmental effects to the …
Army Corps of EngineersThe next possible judicial steps on Trump's travel ban order
How will the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rule on one of the most continuous issues of a controversy filled White House?<p>Though the question before the three-judge panel is a simple one — should they let the government enforce the Trump travel restrictions or not — the court has some options …
U.S. Department of JusticeHow Trump's Agenda Clashes With What Americans Want
The election of Donald Trump has created a misperception that America has lurched far to the right. But as a nation – and on a slate of issues – …
PoliticsTrump rule chills Energy Dept. nuclear whistleblowers
Like a stinging winter wind, Trump administration action gives a chill to Energy Department whistleblowers.<p>The department has temporarily halted an Obama administration regulation permitting civil penalties against federal nuclear contractors that retaliate against whistleblowers who report waste, …
U.S. Dept. of EnergyTrump Wants Cops to Confiscate More Stuff - VICE
<i>This article was published in partnership with the Marshall Project.</i><p>The comment was startling, even for President Donald Trump. In a meeting with county sheriffs this week, the president suggested he would "destroy" the career of a Texas state senator who wants to curtail the ability of law …
Criminal JusticeEPA Officials Yanked From Alaska Event as Trump Team Weighs In - Bloomberg
Just three days before this week’s environment conference in Alaska, the top<p>Environmental Protection Agency official in Anchorage called the …
Climate Change