National
Top US diplomat asks for "flexibility" as Congress passes new Russian Federation sanctions
House Republicans are expected to review the Senate-passed sanctions bill in the coming weeks, an aide told Politico . Indeed, the bill requires a congressional review if the president attempts to ease or end sanctions against Moscow, according to the Associated Press . [Full Article...]
Tropical weather possible next week in Mexico Gulf
The reasoning behind the policy change is to offer more advanced warning for areas potentially seeing tropical storm or hurricane force winds by a system that is within two days of developing into one. It is way too early to say with any confidence exactly where this system will track. Despite all the recent rain, Orlando is 8.10 inches below the average rainfall total for the year. [Full Article...]
Gerrymandering: Drawing districts for political advantage
While the court may rule that Gill v. Whitford may be out of its legal jurisdiction after hearing arguments, it could also create a new legal criteria for redistricting when new election maps are drawn in 2020. As Yale Law School dean Heather Gerken noted in a Vox piece following the initial district court decision, a gap above that amount indicates that the disadvantaged party "would have nea... [Full Article...]
Angry White House Reporters Blast 'Useless' Sean Spicer
It just doesn't make any sense to me. "And it just feels like we're sort of slowly but surely being dragged into what is a new normal in this country where the president of the United States is allowed to insulate himself from answering hard questions". [Full Article...]
Dems say they'll slow Senate work over secretive care bill
Rubio indicated that Senate Republicans will need to work on revising the bill together; the won't simply accept and vote on McConnell's draft. The CBO said that bill would result in 24 million people losing healthcare after a decade, but that federal budget deficit would be cut significantly. [Full Article...]
Supreme Court strikes down sex offender social media ban
Finding that the modern Internet, and especially its social media sites, are bringing about a "revolution in thought", the Supreme Court on Monday created broad constitutional shelter for exchanging or exploring ideas electronically. The case had come up before he joined the court in April. "These websites can provide perhaps the most powerful mechanisms available to a private citizen to make hi... [Full Article...]
Trans Am cyclist dies in western Kansas crash
According to a Kansas Highway Patrol crash report , 61-year-old Eric Fishbein of San Luis Obispo was killed after being hit by a vehicle in Southwest Kansas on Saturday. We are all reeling from this and are doing our best to get through today. The Trans Am Bike Race released a statement on their Facebook page offering support to fellow riders and condolences to the Fishbein family. [Full Article...]
Crews continue to fight wildfire that forced town evacuation
Multiple homes are threatened, as well as a critical watershed. A Type III Incident Management Team has been ordered and will arrive this evening. "Firefighter safety and public safety is always our No. The weather is expected to remain dry and warm over the coming days, with a chance of thunderstorms later in the week. A separate brush fire gave residents on the northwestern edge of one of the ... [Full Article...]