Author: Richard Lardner
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2nd Trump whistleblower may give House Democrats fresh information for impeachment probe
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WASHINGTON — House Democrats leading an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine may have fresh information to work with after a new whistleblower stepped forward with what the person’s lawyer said was firsthand knowledge of key events. With Congress out for another week and many Republicans reticent to speak out, a text…
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Criticism of FAA mounts as other nations ground Boeing jets
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WASHINGTON • The Federal Aviation Administration is facing mounting criticism for backing the airworthiness of Boeing’s 737 Max jets as the number of countries that have grounded the aircraft grows in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines crash over the weekend. The rest of the world typically takes it cues from the FAA, long considered…
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Date set for Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to testify before House panel
WASHINGTON — The leaders of a House oversight committee say Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify before the panel on April 11. In an announcement Wednesday, Reps. Greg Walden and Frank Pallone say the hearing will focus on the Facebook’s “use and protection of user data.” Facebook is facing scrutiny over its data collection following…
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Trump floats new gun measures as gun owners talk ‘betrayal’
DENVER — When President Donald Trump raised the idea of banning “bump stocks” and curbing young people’s access to gun, gun owners and advocates who helped his political rise talked about disloyalty and desertion. Trump’s flirtation with modest gun control measures drew swift condemnation from gun groups, hunters and sportsmen who banked on the president…
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Senate narrowly approves Brownback for religious freedom job
Gov. Sam Brownback reacted Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 24, 2018, to the news that his nomination to become ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom advanced Wednesday on a tied procedural vote broken by Vice President Mike Pence. Brownback had just finished presiding over the State Finance Council, which voted to approve a $362 million rebuild of Lansing…
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Despite shutdown, troops get football, Lady Liberty to open
WASHINGTON— A U.S. government shutdown amid a congressional dispute over spending and immigration has forced scores of federal agencies and outposts to close their doors and triggered furloughs for Air Force civilian employees but won’t keep Lady Liberty shackled. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, closed since the government shut down Friday, will reopen…
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Government Shutdown: What’s closed, who is affected?
WASHINGTON— The federal government shutdown only partially curbs operations. But the longer the shutdown continues, the more likely its impact will be felt. U.S. troops will stay at their posts and mail will get delivered, but almost half of the 2 million civilian federal workers will be barred from doing their jobs if the shutdown…
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APNewsBreak: Army probes criticism of Green Beret training
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WASHINGTON — The Army says it’s investigating an anonymous email that accused service leaders of “moral cowardice” for ditching training standards and allowing undeserving soldiers to become elite Green Berets. The message was sent earlier this week to a wide swath of the Army Special Forces community. The message says the push to hit quotas…
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Trump demands ‘much tougher’ immigration law after NY attack
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WASHINGTON — Roused by the first major ISIS-inspired attack on U.S. soil since he took office, President Donald Trump urged swift repeal of an immigration program that brought the suspect to America and laid into a political foe he said was responsible for it — though Republican George H. W. Bush signed the law. Trump…
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GOP Sen. Flake, a vocal Trump critic, won’t seek re-election
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WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Jeff Flake announced Tuesday he would not seek re-election next year, delivering a forceful condemnation of the “flagrant disregard of truth and decency” and bemoaning political complicity in a Senate speech clearly directed at President Donald Trump. Speaking to a rapt audience of other senators, the first-term Arizona lawmaker spelled out…