background preloader

Political News

Facebook Twitter

CallOut4: Hamline professor's post on... Tom Toles’s Best of 2013. Indigenous Groups Win Right to Seize Chevron's Canadian Assets over $18 Billion in Amazon Pollution. How a failed Supreme Court bid is still causing headaches for Hulu and Netflix. Judge Robert Bork (James K.

How a failed Supreme Court bid is still causing headaches for Hulu and Netflix

W. Atherton/The Washington Post) A San Francisco Judge rejected a bid to dismiss a lawsuit against video streaming company Hulu that alleges that the company shared their viewing habits with third parties in violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) this week. But Hulu is not the only online service that has had issues with the 1988 law — Netflix has had similar run-ins. And they can all blame one enterprising reporter and a failed Supreme Court nomination. In 1987 Justice Robert Bork, then a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, was nominated for the Supreme Court.

Freedom Industries, Company Behind West Virginia Chemical Spill, Files For Bankruptcy. A West Virginian Shared His Thoughts On The Chemical Spill, And It’s So Perfect We Don’t Want To Change a Thing. My dad, a lifelong firefighter, used to teach Hazardous Materials Response and Safety classes to first responders.

A West Virginian Shared His Thoughts On The Chemical Spill, And It’s So Perfect We Don’t Want To Change a Thing

Government shutdown: What you need to know. The game is the same, but many of the players have changed. Congress and the president are facing off in another supreme spending showdown. Here Are The Sleaziest Things Congress Has Done During The Shutdown. We're now almost two weeks into the government shutdown, and there's been no shortage of outrage over the fact that Congress remains unable to figure out how to end it.

Recent polling has shown record levels of support for replacing every member of Congress, and lawmakers are now less popular than witches and dog poop. This level of unpopularity may not come as a surprise to anyone who's followed the actions of Congress. The shutdown, brought on late last month by House Republicans who insisted that any measure to fund the government must also delay or dismantle Obamacare, has taken a nationwide toll on federal workers and programs. With around 800,000 federal employees furloughed without pay and programs for veterans, women and children increasingly becoming hobbled by the congressional impasse, lawmakers have been more successful at upsetting the people they serve than at ending the shutdown.

Here are some of the sleaziest things members of Congress have done so far: This Quote Says Everything About The GOP's Shutdown Stand. House Republicans are continuing to play hardball in negotiations over the spending bill that precipitated the government shutdown on Oct. 1, apparently out of fear that compromise would weaken their power. "We're not going to be disrespected," Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) told The Washington Examiner. State of the Union 2014: Rep. Michael Grimm Threatens NY1 Reporter. Update: Jan. 29, 11:24am Rep.

State of the Union 2014: Rep. Michael Grimm Threatens NY1 Reporter

Michael Grimm (R—N.Y.) physically threatened a local news reporter during a heated exchange following an interview after Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, telling the reporter, “I’ll throw you off this f—–g balcony.” Occupy Wall Street buys $14.7 million of Americans' debt. How Florida's Top Elections Official Just Made It Harder For College Students To Vote. By Aviva Shen "How Florida’s Top Elections Official Just Made It Harder For College Students To Vote" University Of Florida’s Reitz Union CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons Florida Gov.

How Florida's Top Elections Official Just Made It Harder For College Students To Vote

Rick Scott (R) endured heavy criticism for his administration’s efforts to limit voting in the 2012 election. Supreme Court rules on Native American adoption rights. NSA infiltrated online games. Was 'World of Spycraft' effort smart or a waste? (+video) The National Security Agency and its British equivalent have been spying on virtual elves, orcs, and trolls in massive multi-player online video games such as "World of Warcraft" and "Second Life", according to the latest leak from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

NSA infiltrated online games. Was 'World of Spycraft' effort smart or a waste? (+video)

Skip to next paragraph Peter Grier Washington Editor Peter Grier is The Christian Science Monitor's Washington editor. In this capacity, he helps direct coverage for the paper on most news events in the nation's capital. Recent posts. Affluenza: Rich Teen Kills 4 in Drunk Driving Accident, Gets Probation. Republicans Against Reality. Does Justice Antonin Scalia believe in the devil? You bet. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, shown speaking last week at Tufts… (Josh Reynolds / Associated…) WASHINGTON — Justice Antonin Scalia earned his reputation as the Supreme Court’s most outspoken conservative with sharp one-liners in his opinions and sarcastic cracks in the courtroom.

Does Justice Antonin Scalia believe in the devil? You bet

When a government lawyer defending campaign funding laws raised the specter this week of million-dollar checks flowing to congressional campaigns, Scalia was unmoved. Highlights from the 'Bridgegate' e-mails. Chris Christie's Confrontational Style. 15 Chris Christie Controversies You Missed - Olivia Nuzzi - POLITICO Magazine. Democrats in New Jersey have been celebrating what you might call Chris Christiemas this week.

15 Chris Christie Controversies You Missed - Olivia Nuzzi - POLITICO Magazine

GOP Official Resigns After Saying Purpose Of Voter ID Is To Suppress Votes Of Democrats, 'Lazy Blacks' Until Thursday, Don Yelton was a precinct chair in the Buncombe County, North Carolina Republican Party. That ended after a Daily Show interview riddled with racism and candid admissions about the purpose of a voter suppression bill enacted by Republican lawmakers in his state. Over the course of the interview Yelton admitted that he supports requiring voters to show ID, in addition to the other, many voter suppression provisions included in the North Carolina law, because “the law is going to kick the Democrats in the butt.” He also denied that the law is racist during the course of an interview where he both used a particular racial slur that begins with the letter “n” and claimed that he is not racist because he “one my best friends is black.”

Watch it: Yelton also offered several other reasons why he supports the voter suppression law. Fox News' Anna Kooiman Falls For Parody About Obama Funding Muslim Museum. Phoenix Becomes First City To End Chronic Homelessness Among Veterans. By Scott Keyes on December 23, 2013 at 12:09 pm "Phoenix Becomes First City To End Chronic Homelessness Among Veterans" Don Matyja, a homeless Army veteran hanging out with his dog Tyson in Costa Mesa, California. The Obama administration has set a goal of ending homelessness among veterans by 2015, but one city reached that mark a year early.

Ted Cruz’s origins continue to haunt him. Believe it or not, it looks like Sen.

Ted Cruz’s origins continue to haunt him

Ted Cruz is still a Canadian citizen. Although it has now been over a month since he promised to renounce his Canadian citizenship – which he obtained by virtue of his birth in Calgary, Alberta – there has been no indication (whether press release, statement or otherwise) announcing that he has followed through on the commitment. Cruz’s website is silent on the subject, his official biography doesn’t even mention the word “Canada,” and I received no response to repeated email requests for additional information. Harvard Law Should Start Giving Out The ‘Ted Cruz Award’ To The Most Annoying Student. Antoinette Tuff-Michael Brandon Hill: Atlanta school clerk says she talked gunman into surrendering. Colleges Help Ithaca Thrive in a Region of Struggles. 12 Years of Mayor Bloomberg. As he leaves office this week, Mr.

12 Years of Mayor Bloomberg

You Might Hate Obamacare, But It's Saved These People's Lives. Minneapolis mayoral race runner-up Mark Andrew beaten up by 2 teenage girls. At Least 26 Children Or Teens Died In Florida Stand Your Ground Cases. BREAKING: Pennsylvania Judge Strikes Down New Voter ID Law. By Scott Keyes.

BREAKING: Pennsylvania Judge Strikes Down New Voter ID Law

Syria offers concessions ahead of Geneva peace talks. BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's main Western-backed opposition group pushed Tuesday for President Bashar Assad's government to establish humanitarian corridors to besieged opposition areas and release political prisoners, saying it wants to see progress on those confidence-building measures before it will decide whether to attend an international peace conference. The statement from the Syrian National Coalition made clear the huge hurdles still ahead as the international community tries to bring the warring sides together for peace talks scheduled for Jan. 22. The long-delayed negotiations, which would be the first face-to-face meeting between the Assad government and its opponents, aim to broker a political resolution to Syria's civil war. BBC News - Syria snipers 'shoot at pregnant women,' UK doctor claims.

China Confirms One-Child Policy Revision In Q1 2014. The policy change will first take effect in some areas of China, Yang Wenzhuang, director at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, told Xinhua, the state news agency. The change would allow millions of Chinese families to have two children, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday. The revision was first announced at China’s decisive third plenum meeting, where the leadership issued a road map for the economic and political policy changes it has in mind for the coming decade. Chinas-web-junkies. BBC News - Greek police appeal over mystery girl found in Roma raid. Meet Mohammed Assaf, Gaza's 'Arab Idol'