Democratic legislators call for Obama state holiday

February 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment
President Barack Obama, as he leaves the podium in his last press conference.

President Barack Obama, as he leaves the podium in his last press conference. (New Yorker Magazine Photo)

SPRINGFIELD, IL ( Brian Robbins-Springfield Journal-Register. Click to read the entire story here is an excerpt.) President Barack Obama’s birthday may become the next state holiday, if some Illinois Democrats have their way. & House Bills 231 and 503 and Senate Bill 55 all make Obama’s birthday, Aug. 4, an official holiday. & Both House bills would make Aug. 4 a “legal holiday,” in which state government offices shut down, and schools and businesses have the option of closing. The Senate bill’s “Barack Obama Day” would be commemorative only. & Rep. Andre Thapedi, a Chicago Democrat who is sponsoring HB 231, had tried making Obama’s birthday a state holiday last year, but the bill stalled in a House committee.

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Senate advances Betsy DeVos nomination for education secretary

February 3, 2017 By Leave a Comment
DeVos in senate hearings earlier in the process. (AP photo)

DeVos in senate hearings earlier in the process. (AP photo)

WASHINGTON DC – (David Sherfinski – The Washington Times. Please click to read the full story. Here is an excerpt.) The U.S. Senate on Friday advanced the nomination of Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s pick to be the next secretary of education, on a 52-48 vote. Mrs. DeVos’ prospects looked dicey earlier this week when two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, announced they would not vote to confirm her. & But with Republicans holding an effective 52-48 majority in the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence will potentially have to break a 50-50 tie if other senators stick to their sides on the actual confirmation vote.

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Say it ain’t so: Punxsutawney Phil ‘predicts’ 6 more weeks of winter

February 2, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Punxsutawney Phil gives his forecast this morning of six more weeks of winter. (AP photo)

Punxsutawney Phil gives his forecast this morning of six more weeks of winter. (AP photo)

 PUNSXUTAWNEY, PA.  (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Click on the link to read the entire story.  Here is an excerpt. One of the most famous groundhog and prognosticator, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow, meaning we’ll have to endure six more weary weeks of winter. & A massive crowd started gathering overnight in Punxsutawney, Pa., for pre-dawn festivities before Phil emerged at sunrise — 7:29 a.m. — to make the prediction. & A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early. & In reality, Phil’s prediction is decided ahead of time by the group of handlers on Gobbler’s Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. & Phil’s official website claims he has “of course” issued a correct forecast 100 percent of the time. But NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information notes that Phil’s forecasts have shown “no predictive skill” in recent years.

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Trump honors fallen Navy SEAL during unannounced trip

February 1, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Trump and his daughter Ivanka after exiting Marine One at Dover Air Force Base Today (AP Photo)

Trump and his daughter Ivanka after exiting Marine One at Dover Air Force Base Today (AP Photo)

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) (Julie Pace – Please click to read the whole story…here is an excerpt… — Assuming the somber duties of commander in chief, President Donald Trump made an unannounced trip Wednesday to honor the returning remains of a U.S. Navy SEAL killed in a weekend raid in Yemen. Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, a 36-year-old from Peoria, Illinois, was the first known U.S. combat casualty since Trump took office less than two weeks ago. More than half a dozen militant suspects were also killed in the raid on an al-Qaida compound and three other U.S. service members were wounded. More than a dozen civilians were also killed in the operation, including the 8-year-old daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical cleric and U.S. citizen who was targeted and killed by a drone strike in 2011.

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BREAKING: Senate confirms Rex Tillerson as secretary of state

February 1, 2017 By Leave a Comment
New Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the Senate conformation hearings

New Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the Senate conformation hearings

WASHINGTON DC – (Guy Taylor- Washington Times Click to read the whole story here is an excerpt.) The Senate voted Wednesday afternoon to confirm Rex Tillerson as the nation’s 69th secretary of state, officially making the former Exxon Mobil CEO America’s top diplomat and chief foreign policy adviser to President Trump. In a 56-43 vote, Republicans picked up three Democratic votes to pierce the minority’s hoped-for united front against Mr. Trump’s unconventional nominee: Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Mark R. Warner of Virginia, all of whom face re-election next year. Democratic-leaning independent Sen. Angus S. King Jr. of Maine also voted to advance Mr. Tillerson’s nomination. & Officials said Mr. Tillerson, who had an extended lunch meeting with Mr. Trump Wednesday afternoon, would be sworn in during a private ceremony. He is not expected to appear at State Department headquarters in Foggy Bottom until Thursday or Friday.

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Sen. Jeff Sessions Wins Senate Committee Approval for Attorney General Post

February 1, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has been approved at the Senate confirmation hearings level, being grilled during the meetings. US News and World Report photo

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has been approved at the Senate confirmation hearings level, being grilled during the meetings. US News and World Report photo

WASHINGTON, DC- (Erik Ortiz – NBC News – Click to read the full story – Here is an excerpt -) A Senate panel voted Wednesday morning to advance the nomination of Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general — a day after Democrats clashed with Republicans over the future of the Department of Justice. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Sessions’ nomination along party lines, 11-9, sending it to the full Senate for confirmation. Sessions is expected to easily win approval by the GOP-controlled chamber. & The urgent need for an attorney general also comes after Acting Attorney General Sally Yates was fired by Trump on Monday night after she refused to direct the Justice Department to enforce his controversial immigration ban.

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Sanctuary State’ Bill Moves Forward in California Senate

January 31, 2017 By Leave a Comment

California flagSACRAMENTO CA – (Darwin Bond-Graham -eastbayexpress.com click to read the whole article- Here is an excerpt)- The California State Senate’s public safety committee passed a bill today that would prohibit local law enforcement agencies from using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, or arrest anyone due to their immigration status. Introduced by Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon, SB 54 builds on other recently passed measures that supporters say are meant to build trust between law enforcement agencies and the state’s immigrant communities, and to protect immigrants who aren’t convicted of violent crimes from being arrested and deported. &

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Democrats Stall a Sessions Vote After Trump Fires Yates

January 31, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions in meetings with President Elect Donald Trump (Jerusalem Post photo)

Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions in meetings with President Elect Donald Trump (Jerusalem Post photo)

WASHINGTON, DC (Bloomberg, Please Click to read the entire story. Here is an excerpt.) Senate Democrats renewed an assault on Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, questioning his independence after the president fired the acting attorney general for refusing to enforce his executive order on immigration. & “Many people have doubts about whether Jeff Sessions can be that person, and the full Senate and the American people should at the very least know exactly how independent he plans to be before voting on him,” the Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, said in a statement Monday night. & Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters Tuesday that after President Barack Obama’s “hyperpoliticized Department of Justice,” Americans want “somebody as attorney general who will enforce the law against anyone who breaks the law, and Jeff Sessions will do that.” & The anger over Trump’s handling of Yates intensified Democratic opposition to other Trump nominees. Only five have been confirmed so far, with more than a dozen nominations still awaiting votes. & Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to demand that Congress quickly approve his nominees. “When will the Democrats give us our Attorney General and rest of Cabinet! They should be ashamed of themselves! No wonder D.C. doesn’t work!” Trump said.

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Trump order targeting business rules leaves key regulations untouched

January 30, 2017 By Leave a Comment
U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order cutting regulations, accompanied by small business leaders at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington U.S., January 30, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order cutting regulations, accompanied by small business leaders at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington U.S., January 30, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

WASHINGTON, DC (Ayesha Rascoe and Amanda Becker, Reuter’s News Service. Please click to read the entire story. Here is an excerpt.) President Donald Trump signed an order on Monday that will seek to dramatically reduce federal regulations, but the policy will not apply to most of the financial reform rules introduced by the Obama administration. Trump’s latest executive action will require that agencies cut two existing regulations for every new rule introduced and it will set an annual cap on the cost of new regulations. For the rest of fiscal 2017, the cap will require that the cost of any additional regulations be completely offset by undoing existing rules. But, the move does not cover independent agencies that crafted many of the rules required by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the White House said.

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Donald Trump: I will announce Supreme Court pick Tuesday evening

January 30, 2017 By Leave a Comment
AP file photo

AP file photo

WASHINGTON, DC – (David Sheferinski -Washington Times) Click to read the Full Story – Here is an excerpt – ) President Trump said Monday that he plans to announce his pick to fill the current vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court at 8 p.m. Tuesday from the White House. Mr. Trump said at the White House that his pick is “unbelievably highly respected.” & Several names that have been mentioned as possible picks are Judge Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, Judge William Pryor of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.

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