During Monday’s press briefing — the first the White House has held this month — Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tried to justify President Trump’s call for the Department of Justice to investigate the origins of a New York Times op-ed written by an anonymous administration officials that portrays the president as unhinged and unfit to […]
At least 99 immigrant children separated from their families and sent to detention facilities in Chicago are dealing with the long-term consequences of the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy, according to a recent investigative report by ProPublica. The report, which cites a number of confidential records from Illinois shelters run by the federally contracted Heartland Human […]
With the upcoming midterm elections expected to be competitive across more districts than usual, congressional Republicans who represent swing districts have used membership in the House Climate Solutions Caucus to burnish their environmental credentials — without having to vote for bills that would help the environment or climate. The latest example is a Republican incumbent […]
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed legislation on Monday to shift the state to 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045. Brown timed the signing of the bill to kick off this week’s global climate summit that will bring officials and activists from around the world to San Francisco. Senate Bill 100, authored by state Sen. Kevin de León (D), […]
The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that it will shut down the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) office in Washington, D.C., saying the delegation had “not taken steps to advance the start of direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel.” The statement also slammed the PLO for being critical of “a U.S. peace plan they have […]
A panel of three Republican judges openly defied the Supreme Court on Monday, permitting a law that is nearly identical to the abortion restriction the justices struck down in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt to take effect. Just like Hellerstedt, Comprehensive Health v. Hawley concerns two restrictions on abortion. The first requires abortion clinics to comply with expensive architectural […]
Under President Donald Trump, the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shrunk to levels not seen since the Reagan administration. But if Trump has his way, pollution levels will rise to Reagan-era levels too. Not only is the president seeking to roll back or terminate countless clean air and clean water rules, but […]
Under President Donald Trump, the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shrunk to levels not seen since the Reagan administration. But if Trump has his way, pollution levels will rise to Reagan-era levels too. Not only is the president seeking to roll back or terminate countless clean air and clean water rules, but […]
Stepping up its attacks on organized religions, the Chinese government has been cracking down on churches in Beijing and elsewhere in the country, burning bibles, dismantling crosses, and forcing Christians to sign documents renouncing their faith, requiring loyalty to the country’s atheist Communist Party. The Associated Press reported on Monday that, according to an e-mail […]
Stepping up its attacks on organized religions, the Chinese government has been cracking down on churches in Beijing and elsewhere in the country, burning bibles, dismantling crosses, and forcing Christians to sign documents renouncing their faith, requiring loyalty to the country’s atheist Communist Party. The Associated Press reported on Monday that, according to an e-mail […]
The East Coast is bracing itself this week as Hurricane Florence draws near, threatening states throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Depending on where the storm eventually hits, this week could see a “worst-case scenario” situation for several states, with some areas prepared for a disaster reminiscent of last year’s Hurricane Harvey. Virginia, South Carolina, […]
The East Coast is bracing itself this week as Hurricane Florence draws near, threatening states throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Depending on where the storm eventually hits, this week could see a “worst-case scenario” situation for several states, with some areas prepared for a disaster reminiscent of last year’s Hurricane Harvey. Virginia, South Carolina, […]
President Trump on Monday morning attacked former President Obama for allegedly once saying Trump “would need a magic wand to get to 4% GDP” — a statement that would look bad in light of the fact that GDP growth during the second quarter was 4.2 percent. “’President Trump would need a magic wand to get […]
Teachers in several Washington state districts are continuing their fight for better pay this week, as the strike in Tacoma enters its third school day. While some districts reached an agreement with teachers over the weekend — Tukwila and Puyallup teachers will receive a 10 percent raise and an average 11 percent raise respectively — numerous […]
Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger was arrested, charged with manslaughter, and released on bond over the weekend after killing a neighbor in his apartment on Thursday night. Guyger, 30, walked into Botham Jean’s flat believing it was her own after the end of her shift. The officer lives in a third-floor apartment at the Southside […]
Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) spoke at four different conferences organized by a racist, conservative activist, according to a new report by The Washington Post. In 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017, DeSantis attended conferences hosted by the David Horowitz Freedom Center in Palm Beach, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina, the organization’s president confirmed […]
Sweden is facing political deadlock after a general election on Sunday failed to deliver a clear majority for either the center-left or center-right coalitions. Ahead of the election, all eyes were on the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party which has surged in popularity, whose electoral message focused on capturing Swedish resentment over rising crime and […]
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — “We have to make America mentshlekhkeyt again,” Rabbi Arnold Rachlisl declared with a grin at Sabbath service at University Synagogue in Irvine, California. The rabbi was clearly proud of his joke. Mentshlekhkeyt means “humanity” or “human decency” in Yiddish, he explained to the crowd gathered at the synagogue. Many in the […]
When the creators of a popular show set in the Middle East called actress Azita Ghanizada in 2016 to come in for a third audition, she braced herself for the feeling of disappointment that, by then in her nearly two decades-long acting career, had become distressingly familiar. “The creators were asking me questions about my […]
“The federal fiscal burden threatens the security, liberty, and independence of our nation,” the 2016 Republican party platform warned. To get off “the path to bankrupting the next generation,” they vowed to “fight for Congress to adopt, and for the states to ratify, a Balanced Budget Amendment.” Now that the GOP controls Congress and the White House, […]