Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
As the lame-duck Congress limps to the finish line, billions of dollars in federal energy subsidies could be up for grabs. The perennial procrastination has solar and wind-power lobbyists scrambling for tax credits. Last week, lawmakers reached a deal on a $440 billion tax package only to have President Obama threaten a veto. The package would have…
Natalie DuBose, owner of Natalie’s Cakes & Things in Ferguson, Mo., lost her livelihood last Monday night. Earlier that night, a grand jury had gone public with its decision not to indict a white police officer for shooting and killing a young black man. Anger quickly spread through a crowd of protesters gathered in the streets of…
NASHVILLE—Tennessee Republicans, after having just increased majorities in the state’s General Assembly, likely will have to decide whether to expand Medicaid in the upcoming 2015 legislative session. That issue and others are expected to dominate the 2015 gathering, scheduled to begin in January. State Senate Democratic Caucus spokesman Matt Anderson said last week that, although in…
Arkansas Sen.-elect Tom Cotton shot back at NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd when asked whether his campaign rhetoric about the threat of terrorism on the U.S. southern border was “fear mongering.” In defending his stance, Cotton said, “As long as our border is open and it’s defenseless, then it’s not just an immigration issue. It’s…
The morning after Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson resigned, lawyers from both sides of the Michael Brown case appeared on “Fox News Sunday” to discuss the grand jury’s decision last week. Wilson wasn’t indicted, leading to riots in Ferguson and demonstrations across America. Watch the video to hear reaction to Wilson’s resignation, fallout from the grand…
American Federation of Teachers, one of the largest teachers unions in the United States, passed a resolution last week to ban Coca-Cola from its facilities and events. The teachers union stated its decision was based on human rights violations, which have been detailed in three books published several years ago. But why now, and why…
MINNEAPOLIS—Bird lovers launched a last-ditch drive at a Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority meeting to protect migratory species from what they consider a killer Minnesota Vikings football stadium being built with $500 million in taxpayer funding. The Minnesota Citizens for the Protection of Migratory Birds called on Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton to fire facilities authority chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen. “The…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Florida hasd the highest increase in illegal immigration of any state from 2009 to 2012, according to the Pew Research Center. By nature of avoiding detection, exact figures are hard to come by. But using community survey data, Pew’s Hispanic Trends Project estimates about 925,000 unauthorized immigrants now live in the Sunshine State, or…
The recently retired president of the National Education Association received a huge pay raise this year even though the union he led lost more than 40,000 members. Dennis Van Roekel, who retired this summer, was paid $541,632 during NEA’s fiscal year ending Aug. 31, a $130,000 increase from last year, driven by a gross salary hike…
More than a year after it was reported the IRS sent thousands of refunds to the tiny town of Parksley, Va., a woman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail fraud. Linda Avila admitted to obtaining more than $7.2 million in refunds by exploiting the federal government’s child tax credit program. Avila filed more than…
Communications Workers of America collects mandatory fees from more than 40,000 workers who don’t want to join the union. Based on the union’s 2014 annual report to the U.S. Department of Labor, CWA had 623,020 members and 43,353 “agency fee payers” as of May 31. CWA takes mandatory fees from workers in private industry and in taxpayer-funded…
Ali Albayati, a neurologist in Iraq, learned of a little boy wounded in deadly bombings by ISIS terrorists the old-fashioned way: through a written story. Back-to-back car bomb attacks Aug. 7 struck a building in Kirkuk, Iraq, used by Shiite Muslims for religious purposes, reportedly killing and wounding scores of people. Among the severely injured…
This week was supposed to be a celebration of thanks and Americana. However, a grand jury decision in Ferguson shifted the nation's focus to Ferguson, Mo. The unrest quickly spread across the country. Hopefully, in between some turkey and stuffing, you were able to catch up with loved ones. The photos below feature those stories…
It has been more than three weeks since Election Day and Democrats in North Carolina have mulled and analyzed the reasons for their failures—from the drag on the ticket by President Obama to Republican gerrymandering to events beyond their control such as ISIS and Ebola. And now, former Democrat political consultant and current communications adviser Thomas Mills has made a frank…
A Virginia Republican’s forthcoming retirement after three-and-a-half decades in the General Assembly could give Democrats a better shot at regaining control of the state Senate next year. Earlier this year, Republicans took control of the Virginia Senate and halted hopes of Medicaid expansion when Democratic state Sen. Phil Puckett abruptly resigned. Now, moderate Republican state Sen. John Watkins has announced…
In a selfless act, a mother from Aurora, Colo., made a decision during childbirth that put the life of her unborn baby son before her own. That decision ultimately ended her life while saving her seven-pound, four-ounce “miracle.” “How do I explain to him that his mom is gone giving birth to him?” the woman’s…
After three years in the Army and deployment to Iraq, this soldier, like many others, struggled to pay the bills and find a job. So “Pranking It Forward,” a charity campaign that does “pranks for good,” teamed up with “Extra” host Mario Lopez and first lady Michelle Obama to bring him the surprise of his life. The veteran,…
It’s time New York had its own state-run weather service to predict severe storms such as the one that has battered Buffalo, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says. Cuomo called for a system of Empire State weather stations even as he issued an apology for accusing forecasters of not sufficiently warning of the impending snowstorm that would slam…
Congress may use its “power of the purse” to block President Obama’s executive action on illegal immigrants, a prominent legislative and policy authority on Capitol Hill concludes. The new report from the Congressional Research Service says that the House Appropriations Committee was incorrect last week in saying the government agency most responsible for implementing Obama’s…
Conservative commentator and radio show host Mark Levin didn’t sugarcoat his reaction to the riots that broke out after the grand jury’s decision not to charge police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, 18, in Ferguson, Mo. >>> Disbelief as New York Times Publishes Address of Ferguson Police Officer “Brown was…