Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
LINCOLN, Neb.—In addition to the gaggle of TV, radio, online and newspaper reporters who regularly cover the Nebraska Legislature, a handful of lesser-known reporters who write about the legislature also work for it. The Unicameral Information Office employs three public information officers who earn an average of $47,442 per year not only to do public…
Four out of ten Americans believe President Barack Obama has expanded the power of the presidency too much, according to a new Reason-Rupe poll. Asked, “do you think Barack Obama has expanded the power of the presidency too much, not enough, or has he not expanded the power of the presidency?,” 42 percent responded that…
For some, Oct. 3 may be just another day. But for others aware of the sacrifice, today is remembered as the anniversary of two of the fiercest modern engagements of U.S. troops: the Battle of Mogadishu and the Battle of Combat Outpost Keating, which took place in 1993 and 2009, respectively. Fought against different enemies,…
Former President Jimmy Carter believes he could have defeated President Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election if he had been more “manly.” In an interview with CNBC, Carter said: “I could’ve been re-elected if I’d taken military action against Iran, shown that I was strong and resolute and manly and so forth.”
The Associated Press’ Washington bureau chief is the latest journalist to criticize the Obama administration for failing to live up to its promise of transparency. “Bush was not fantastic,” Sally Buzbee recently told a meeting of journalists. “The [Obama] administration is significantly worse than previous administrations.” Buzbee detailed eight ways the Obama administration is restricting…
Patients at a Veterans Affairs hospital have been going without toothbrushes, toothpaste, pajamas, sheets and blankets while department officials spend money on new Canadian-made furniture, televisions to run public service announcements and solar panels. Sources inside the Shreveport, La., hospital say patients have had to contend with substandard care, as many nurses spend less time on work than on cell…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Government transparency advocates are again confronting the Obama administration, this time over a White House memo aimed at filtering Freedom of Information Act requests. On Monday, a bipartisan coalition of 25 nonprofit organizations called on President Obama for change. In a letter spearheaded by Cause of Action, a government accountability group, the coalition urged…
A report published Wednesday showed the Department of Homeland Security removed a record number of illegal immigrants from the country in 2013—many of them recent border crossers and convicted criminals. DHS removed 438,421 illegal immigrants in 2013, an increase of more than 20,000 over 2012 and more than 51,000 over 2011, according to an annual…
Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah was penalized for praying on the field during Monday’s Chiefs-Patriots game. After making the sixth interception of his career, Abdullah, a Muslim, knelt in practice of the Sajdah, a prayer in which Muslims prostrate themselves in the direction of Mecca. Abdullah’s act of prayer resulted in a 15-yard penalty…
Thousands of consumers who were granted a reprieve to keep insurance plans that don’t meet the federal health law’s standards are now learning those plans will be discontinued at year’s end, and they’ll have to choose a new policy, which may cost more. Cancellations are in the mail to customers from Texas to Alaska in…
An investigative reporter whose private files were illegally seized during a raid on her home will receive $50,000 as part of a settlement with the Department of Homeland Security. How one reporter turned a government raid on her home into a win for press freedom. Audrey Hudson, an award-winning journalist most recently at the Washington Times, told…
A staffer for a Senate Democrat who championed the Export-Import Bank has joined the embattled agency to manage relationships with Congress and other government agencies. According to the congressional watchdog LegiStorm, Erin Gulick left her post as senior adviser to Democrat Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington to work as senior vice president for congressional and…
A couple who declined to allow a same-sex wedding ceremony on their family farm in upstate New York filed an appeal today that their attorney says will challenge “every facet” of a recent discrimination ruling against them. In September 2012, a lesbian couple approached Cynthia and Robert Gifford about holding their wedding on the Giffords’ Liberty Ridge…
Nothing strikes fear into developers and property owners more than a new critter on the federal list of endangered species. Case in point: The northern long-eared bat, found in 39 states. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service probably will place it on the list in April. The logging industry is worried. “The economic loss to the entire state of Michigan would…
HONOLULU — Hawaii Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom is warning fellow lawmakers he has serious concerns about the state’s economic future. Slom, the only Republican in the 25-member Senate, cites the Council on Revenues’ recent downgraded economic forecast indicating Hawaii is in much worse financial position than anticipated. “Hawaii is set to go bust in 2016…
Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation, warned Friday that conservatives must speak to Hispanics about issues besides illegal immigration. Gonzalez spoke to a Heritage Foundation audience about how he wanted to write a “wake-up call” for conservatives. “We cannot allow illegal immigration to monopolize how we talk about and to Hispanics,” said…
Nearly four times as many legal and illegal immigrants live in the United States as did in 1970, according to a report issued by the Center for Immigration Studies. According to the report, which is based on U.S. Census data, the number of immigrants coming from India, China, Latin America, and countries in the Caribbean…
Health care and women’s reproductive rights are stealing the spotlight in Colorado’s 2014 Senate race. The two candidates, incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Udall and Republican Rep. Cory Gardner, are battling over issues of abortion, personhood and birth control pills. As a result, citizens of the Rocky Mountain State are being bombarded with political ads targeting…
Conservatives planning to buck the status quo and oppose the reelection of John Boehner as House speaker have received a warning shot. Sources on Capitol Hill say dissenters could be stripped of their committee assignments should they fail to support the two-term speaker. There haven’t been any public challenges to Boehner, though reports have surfaced…
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says Congress should “go to court very quickly” to stop President Obama if he decides to act alone on immigration by deferring deportations and offering work permits to millions of people in the U.S. illegally. “If the president were to take further action, I believe it would be…