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May 2016 - page 2

Republican F.E.C. Members Blasted By Colleagues for Stopping Coal Baron Coercion Probe

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Three members of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) criticized Republican colleagues for quashing the investigation of an industrialist accused of coercing workers into supporting right-wing causes. The commissioners, two Democrats and an independent, had moved to launch an inquiry of Murray Energy and its CEO, Robert Murray. Their proposal was shot down by their three GOP counterparts in a 3-3 vote. “We voted to find reason to believe in this matter because we owe it to all employees to ensure that the workplace is free…

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Sanders Bucks Dem Leaders, Calls for Opposition to Puerto Rico Bill

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In a message to fellow Senate Democratic caucus members, Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday called for the defeat of emergency legislation to address Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis. A bill introduced last week by House Republicans would require the island territory to give up its budget-making autonomy in exchange for debt relief. The measure has the tentative support of the Obama administration and Democratic leadership. Puerto Rico is currently $72 billion in the hole, and already defaulting on financial obligations. Sanders, a presidential hopeful, said in a…

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Obama Unveils End of Vietnam Arms Embargo, Praises T.P.P.

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The United States on Monday announced the end of the arms embargo on Vietnam. President Obama said from Hanoi that the decision was made “to complete what has been a lengthy process towards moving toward normalization with Vietnam,” according to The Guardian. The bilateral detente comes amid tension between China and a handful of its neighbors over Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. “At this stage both sides have developed a level of trust and cooperation,” Obama said at a press conference alongside Vietnamese President Tran Dai…

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Sixth Amendment Doesn’t Apply to Sentencing Delays, SCOTUS Rules 8-0

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The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday that the Speedy Trial clause of the Constitution isn’t relevant during the sentencing process. Justices said the Sixth Amendment “does not apply once a defendant has been found guilty at trial or has pleaded guilty to criminal charges.” The case, Betterman v. Montana, was brought by a man who waited 14 months after filing a guilty plea before his punishment was adjudicated. Brandon Betterman had been sentenced to seven years in prison, four suspended. He was found guilty…

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Wyden Leads Charge to Stop D.O.J. From Expanding Hacking Powers Through an Administrative Rule Change

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A group of Senators are trying to prevent a Department of Justice rule change from taking effect, which could grant the government broad new powers to hack into people’s computers. The Stop Mass Hacking Act was introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Wednesday to block an expansion of government surveillance made possible by a tweak to federal court procedures. The change to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procure would allow a magistrate judge, in cases where the location of a computer…

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US, China Trade Accusations Over Surveillance Plane

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The United States and Chinese governments accused one another of aggressive behavior after the Pentagon said Wednesday that two Chinese fighter jets made an “unsafe” interception of an American surveillance craft. Beijing responded to the charge on Thursday, saying its pilots kept a “safe distance” during the incident, which occurred in the South China Sea. It also said the US should stop “close-in reconnaissance activities,” according to The Wall Street Journal. The South China Sea has increasingly become a focal point for geopolitical tensions. China has in…

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2001 AUMF, Gitmo Restrictions Survive as House Passes Defense Policy Bill

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Last minute attempts to wind down trappings of the Bush-era Global War on Terror were thwarted Wednesday night before lawmakers in the House passed the annual defense bill. An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) put forth by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) to repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) was defeated in a 285-138 vote. Fifty-seven Democrats joined Republicans to preserve the 15-year-old consent to war. The Obama administration is currently using the law to justify its ongoing military operations…

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Rep. Massie Says Lawmakers Need to Read Classified 28 Pages Before Voting on NDAA

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One Republican lawmaker on Wednesday urged the release of a secret portion of the congressional 9/11 report, arguing that keeping it classified could “jeopardize national security.” Appearing on CSPAN’s Washington Journal, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said that he read the so-called 28 pages of the 9/11 inquiry, and claimed they could provide “recourse” to the victims of the terrorist attacks. The pages were classified by the Bush Justice Department shortly after the full report was finalized. Many who are familiar with the section, including the…

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Dems Defend Payday Lenders as Only Option, But CFPB Shows Many Short-Term Borrowers End Up Losing Their Cars

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Opponents of the imminent move toward enhanced regulation of payday lenders claim the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will cut off an important source of credit for low-income Americans. “Put simply when the electricity is cut off, the water is turned off, the car payments are due, and the rent must be paid–poor people cannot go to big banks for a loan,” said Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) in March. But according to a report published early Wednesday morning by the CFPB, many payday loan customers…

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Split Decision for the Democrats

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Tuesday night’s primaries proved once again that the Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) presidential campaign still has enormous support, despite little chance of victory. Sanders picked up a 9-point win in the Oregon primary, claiming a slim majority of the state’s pledged delegates. The Democratic frontrunner, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is clinging to the narrowest of leads in Kentucky. With 99-percent counted, Clinton is up by fewer than 2,000 votes. Her campaign declared victory, although the results won’t be official until the end…

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Federal Agencies Brace for Historic Wildfire Season, Cite Climate Change

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Representatives with the US Forest Service met with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday to prep for what could be another record-breaking wildfire season due to global warming. This year has already seen five times more acreage burned than at this time last year, the most aggressive wildfire season ever recorded. The Forest Service spent $2.6 billion on dousing fires alone in 2015. “We keep setting records we don’t want to see beat,” Secretary Vilsack said in a statement after the meeting. In prior years,…

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