Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
As Republicans push for the Syrian refugee program to be halted, former defense and national security officials today sought to reassure lawmakers that while risks cannot be fully eliminated, they can be mitigated to ensure terrorists do not enter the United States. During a joint hearing of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees…
Senate Republicans emphasized Wednesday that they will fight the Obama administration for the right to review an international climate deal expected to be struck in Paris next month. At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, GOP lawmakers insisted they should be able to review and vote on a deal that…
16.1 million Americans served in the Second World War. Amazingly, some of those veterans are still alive today. Frank Levingston, who is said to be the oldest living World War II veteran, just celebrated a milestone birthday. Levingston, who can still recall his Army days, turned 110 years old on Friday, Nov. 13, and says…
A Kentucky couple has decided to “attempt something big” to stop abortion. After watching controversial videos of Planned Parenthood executives, Kevin and Nicole Cook decided they wanted to adopt a child whose biological mother considered abortion. Two years ago, the couple suffered a miscarriage. They have struggled with infertility ever since. In an interview with The…
Since Friday’s brutal terrorist attacks in Paris, policymakers are calling for the process refugees go through to resettle in the United States to be halted, at least temporarily. But what is the process those refugees must go through to gain entrance into the country? Since Sept. 11, 2001, the United States has resettled 748,000 refugees,…
Feeling pressure to respond to President Barack Obama’s ongoing plan to resettle Syrian refugees to the United States, House and Senate Republican lawmakers on Tuesday united around the idea of pausing such admissions into the country. After more than half of the nation’s governors voiced opposition to taking in Syrian refugees into their states, both…
Since Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder assumed office, the number of welfare recipients in the state has declined by a staggering 70 percent, according to a news report. A total of 64,492 individuals received cash assistance from the state this past August, down from 227,490 in 2011. Snyder, a Republican, took office in January 2011 and was re-elected in November…
Virginia environmentalists and big landowners have made a concerted effort to interfere with the business activities of an organic farmer, claims a new lawsuit describing harassment that comes close to stalking. Martha Boneta, who owns and operates the 64-acre Liberty Farm at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Paris, Va., seeks damages in…
For months, the House Freedom Caucus has been shaking up Congress. Monday night, the group of conservatives opted to keep that momentum going by re-electing Rep. Jim Jordan as chairman. Widely respected among the caucus, the Ohio Republican ran unopposed and was elected unanimously. Another founding member of the caucus, Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., said…
The majority of Americans dislike the budget deal Congress passed in October, according to a poll from the Economist Group and YouGov. Sixty-one percent of those polled—Democrats, Republicans, and independents—said they are dissatisfied with the bipartisan budget deal and believe that “lawmakers should have stuck to lower spending levels.” The remaining 39 percent agreed that the deal “is…
A pro-life group complains that Hulu, an online video streaming service, banned its ads from the website because the ads aren’t pro-choice. Hulu is “censoring content” meant to help women, the group says. In a press release, Students for Life of America said it created the ads in the style of public service announcements to show viewers…
A Planned Parenthood clinic in South Carolina faces state fines for the improper disposal of aborted baby body parts. According to WISTV in South Carolina, the proposed fines range from $2,200 to $21,150 for violating state disposal regulations. Two other abortion clinics in the state and two waste disposal companies also face fines for failing to dispose of the…
In the aftermath of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris, governors across the United States are attempting to shut their doors on Syrian refugees looking to find a safe haven in the country. As of Monday evening, more than two dozen governors announced opposition to policies that would permit Syrian refugees to enter their states amid concerns they could have ties…
In the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks, President Barack Obama is projecting confidence in his strategy against the Islamic State, arguing for patience and diplomacy over an escalation of military force. Critics, meanwhile, believe that America needs to respond more aggressively or risk losing its credibility, although most of these detractors stop short of…
Students swarmed college campuses across the nation Thursday to rally against the rising costs of higher education, demanding free college tuition, the zeroing out of student debt, and a $15 minimum wage hike for campus employees. The protests, which spawned from a social media movement called the Million Student March, hit 110 colleges throughout the U.S. and…
D.C. Central Kitchen, a meal provider and the creator of one of Washington, D.C.’s most successful job training programs, raised over $550,000 last week to put toward its annual operating budget. The nonprofit earns 60 percent of its $13-million annual budget through social enterprises—including a catering business and a school lunch program—throughout the District. The…
Unity. It's what fueled the violent terrorists who killed more than 132 people and injured 350 more in Paris Friday. But it's also fueling citizens and leaders with different religions, politics, and cultures around the world joining together in mourning. While ISIS is unified in hatred for those who differ from it, the rest of…
Last week, Chicago-based Sister Alicia Torres, a soft-spoken member of the Franciscans of the Eucharist, took first place on the Food Network cooking competition “Chopped.” Torres, competing on a special Thanksgiving-themed episode of the popular show, won $10,000 for her take on a traditional Thanksgiving feast. In one challenge, she made turkey quesadillas and, in…
Congress should cancel President Obama’s “blank check” for resettling Syrian refugees here in the wake of the bloody Islamic State attacks in Paris that left hundreds dead or wounded, a prominent senator on immigration issues urged today. “Our track record on screening is very poor.”—@SenatorSessions Obama’s plan to include at least 1,000 Syrian refugees among…
President Barack Obama said during a press conference in Turkey on Monday that his administration has “the right strategy” on ISIS, and “we’re going to see it through.” “What I’m not interested in doing is posing or pursuing some notion of American leadership, or American winning or whatever other slogans they come up with, that…