Author: Sunfire

Mail.com

DENVER (AP) — For decades, a well-funded conservative group has helped state lawmakers across the U.S. write legislation to rein in unions, expand charter schools and lower taxes. Now, it’s expanding to the final frontier: normally nonpartisan city halls and county governments, which have become a bastion of liberal resistance to President Donald Trump.

The American Legislative Exchange Council is one of the country’s most prominent conservative groups, and its annual convention in Denver last week drew thousands of state legislators and lobbyists for panels on school choice and marijuana legalization, as well as speeches from conservative luminaries like Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and former Senator James DeMint.  Continue reading “US conservatism expands to final frontier: City Hall”

Mail.com

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Federal authorities planned to announce charges Thursday in what was described as a domestic dispute aboard a cruise ship in U.S. waters off Alaska that led to the death of a 39-year-old Utah woman.

A suspect was taken into custody, the FBI in Anchorage said late Wednesday. Princess Cruises said the woman died Tuesday night on the Emerald Princess, which was carrying 3,400 passengers and 1,100 crew members on a weeklong trip that left Sunday from Seattle. The ship docked in Juneau, Alaska, on Wednesday morning.  Continue reading “Federal authorities to announce charges in cruise ship death”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — They couldn’t pass a repeal of “Obamacare,” or find the votes for a White House-backed replacement. So now Senate Republicans are lowering their sights and trying to unite behind a so-called “skinny repeal” that would merely undo just a few of the most unpopular elements of Barack Obama’s law.

The “skinny bill” is an admittedly lowest-common-denominator approach, and it may not even have the votes to pass, either. But as Republicans search for how to keep their years-long effort to repeal and replace “Obamacare” alive, they’re coming to believe that the “skinny bill” may be the only option left.  Continue reading “GOP eyes narrow bill to advance goal on “Obamacare” repeal”

RT

The US Department of Defense has been caught out selling large amounts of military supplies to a fake police department. The fake department was created by the US government itself to sniff out waste and fraud.

The Government Accountability Office issued a revealing report last week showing that the Pentagon sold more than 100 controlled items valued at $1.2 million to a fake police department set up by the government watchdog agency through the 1990s-era 1033 program, according to a report released by the GAO. The 1033 program allows local and state law enforcement to apply for excess equipment from the US military.  Continue reading “Pentagon snared in govt sting as fake cops easily acquire $1.2mn worth of military gear”

Mail.com

LUCASVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Ohio put a child killer to death Wednesday, carrying out the state’s first execution after a 3½-year delay and signaling the possible resumption of capital punishment in the state.

Ronald Phillips was executed by lethal injection without any of the complications that marred the state’s last execution and caused the governor to pause scheduled executions. Phillips was sentenced to die for the 1993 rape and killing of Sheila Marie Evans, his girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter.   Continue reading “Ohio puts child killer to death in 1st execution in 3 years”

Mail.com

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — No knot-tying demonstrations. No wood-carving advice. President Donald Trump went straight to starting a fire in a speech at a national Boy Scout gathering. Parents, former Scouts and others were furious after Trump railed against his enemies, promoted his political agenda and underlined his insistence on loyalty before an audience of tens of thousands of school-age Scouts in West Virginia on Monday night.

“Is nothing safe?” Jon Wolfsthal, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter, saying Trump turned the event into a “Nazi Youth rally.” Trump, the eighth president to address the National Scout Jamboree, was cheered by the crowd, but his comments put an organization that has tried in recent years to avoid political conflict and become more inclusive in an awkward position.   Continue reading “Parents, former Scouts alarmed by Trump’s speech at jamboree”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump accused Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow Republican, of disappointing the country by opposing the GOP effort to demolish the Obama health care law, after initial votes demonstrated the party will be hard pressed to make any sweeping changes in the statute.

Senators planned to vote Wednesday on a Republican amendment to repeal much of President Barack Obama’s law and give Congress two years to come up with a replacement. That was expected to be rejected by a combination of solidly opposed Democrats and Republicans unwilling to tear down the law without a replacement in hand.   Continue reading “Trump assails GOP senator who opposed health care bill”

RT

Major global oil producers have almost fully complied with the crude production cut deal over the last six month, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Monday.

“The countries showed an unprecedented high level of discipline and compliance, which over six months stands at a level close to 100 percent, and in some countries even more than 100 percent,” Novak said.   Continue reading “OPEC, non-OPEC oil output cuts compliance nears 100% – Russian energy minister”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the effort by congressional Republicans to pass a health care bill (all times local): 11:30 a.m. Sen. Rand Paul says he will vote “yes” on a pivotal health care vote Tuesday afternoon after receiving assurances from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Paul had been a holdout against McConnell’s plans for legislation to repeal and replace “Obamacare.” He argued it did not go far enough in getting rid of the Obama law. But Paul says McConnell has informed him the Senate will take up a straight-forward repeal bill as he has been urging. And if that’s the case he will vote “yes” to open debate on the legislation.   Continue reading “The Latest: Rand Paul to vote “yes” on health care vote”

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NEW YORK (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to meet and detail a probe into a 2015 crash between a commuter train and an SUV that killed six people in the New York suburbs, a day after a U.S. official told The Associated Press that investigators determined the crash was extra deadly because of an unusual rail design.

The NTSB is scheduled to meet Tuesday in Washington, where a final report of the February 2015 crash is expected to be presented. The Metro-North Railroad train crashed into an SUV on the tracks at a crossing in Valhalla, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of New York City. The impact sparked an explosion, and flames blasted into the passenger area, burning out the first car of the train. The driver of the SUV and five people aboard the train were killed. More than a dozen others were injured.   Continue reading “US safety board to detail findings of deadly NY train crash”

Mail.com

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The tractor-trailer was pitch-black inside, crammed with maybe 90 immigrants or more, and already hot when it left the Texas border town of Laredo for the 150-mile trip north to San Antonio.

It wasn’t long before the passengers, sweating profusely in the rising oven-like heat, started crying and pleading for water. Children whimpered. People took turns breathing through a single hole in the wall. They pounded on the sides of the truck and yelled to try to get the driver’s attention. Then they began passing out.   Continue reading “Mexican officials: At least 25 people in truck were Mexican”

RT

An 18-year-old woman who allegedly caused a crash that killed her younger sister – a tragic incident which was also live-streamed on Instagram – has been arrested by police in California.

Obdulia Sanchez from Stockton, south of Sacramento, was booked into Mercer County Jail on charges of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter while under the influence, KFSN reported.   Continue reading “‘I killed my sister, but I don’t care’: Teen arrested after live-streaming fatal crash”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pressured Republicans Monday to approve the Senate’s wheezing health care bill, saying a showdown vote planned for this week is their “last chance to do the right thing” and erase the Obama law.

Trump’s prodding came a day before leaders say the Senate will vote on legislation shredding much of President Barack Obama’s health care law. Lacking the votes to push it through his chamber, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., postponed one roll call last month and hasn’t yet announced exactly what version of the measure lawmakers would consider Tuesday.   Continue reading “Trump: Health vote is last chance for GOP to do right thing”

Mail.com

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A Taliban suicide bomber killed 24 people in a horrific early morning assault in a neighborhood where prominent politicians reside, causing residents and analysts to question the government’s ability to protect Afghanistan’s capital.

Another 42 people were injured in the attack that took place during morning rush hour as government employees and students made their way to work and school. Plumes of black smoke were seen billowing skyward outside the entrance to a private high school. Students in nearby dormitories were injured by flying glass.   Continue reading “Afghan security scrutinized after suicide bomber kills 24”

Mail.com

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Sitting in a classroom above a gun range, a woman hesitantly says she isn’t sure she could ever shoot and kill someone, even to protect herself. Couldn’t she just aim for their leg and try to maim them?

Her instructor says self-defense is not about killing someone, but is instead about eliminating a threat. If the gun gets taken away by a bad guy, the instructor says, “I promise you they’re not going to be having any sympathy or going through the thought process you are.”   Continue reading “Black women picking up firearms for self-defense”

RT

An execution site with 17 apparent victims of extrajudicial killings was found near the Old City of West Mosul, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said. The find is among a flood of evidence of atrocities being committed by Iraqi troops, the rights group pointed out.

The site was studied by “international observers, whose evidence has proven reliable in the past,” HRW said in its latest report. It was located in a Mosul neighborhood west of the Old City retaken from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) back in April.  Continue reading “HRW says mass execution site found in Mosul as Iraqi govt admits ‘individual acts’ of abuse”

Mail.com

HONOLULU (AP) — Groups have filed a human-rights complaint that aims to jump-start an investigation into conditions among foreign workers in Hawaii’s commercial fishing industry. Turtle Island Restoration Network told The Associated Press on Wednesday that they filed the complaint last week with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission. The filing asks the panel to determine the responsibility of the U.S. for human rights violations against foreign workers in Hawaii’s longline fishing fleet.

An Associated Press investigation into the seafood industry revealed that hundreds of men are confined to Hawaii boats that operate due to a federal loophole that exempts the foreign fishermen from most basic labor protections. Many come from impoverished Southeast Asian and Pacific nations to take the jobs, which can pay as little as 70 cents an hour.   Continue reading “Human rights petition sent for Hawaii fishermen”

Mail.com

MARIPOSA, Calif. (AP) — A blaze burning in foothills west of Yosemite National Park destroyed dozens of structures and forced thousands to flee Gold Rush-era towns but fire crews have been able to stop it from reaching a threatened community on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

The fire was threatening about 1,500 homes and other buildings, after already destroying 29 structures. It’s not clear what type of buildings burned. The flames are near Highway 49, a historical route winding its way up California foothills of the western Sierra Nevada dotted with little towns that sprouted along the gold Mother Lode that drew miners to California in the 1800s.   Continue reading “Thousands flee raging wildfire near Yosemite National Park”

RT

Nearly 40,000 domesticated American mink have been released into the wild by trespassers, and now a family-owned farm in Minnesota is scrambling to gather the small, semi-aquatic mammals. Authorities have deemed the incident “a disaster.”

Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson of Eden Valley is calling it “domestic terrorism.” The FBI has joined the investigation and have concluded that an exterior fence was dismantled in three spots by more than one person at Lang Farm, according to the St. Cloud Times.   Continue reading “Release of 40k mink in Minnesota dubbed ‘domestic terrorism’ by sheriff”