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Sam Knight - page 23

Sam Knight has 859 articles published.

DOJ Inspector General Urges Congress to Empower Government Watchdogs Ahead of Trump Era

With the Presidential transition impending, many in Washington are wondering how a new administration will react to government oversight. But as a key watchdog noted at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, it shouldn’t be up to executive appointees to dictate how federal agencies respond to their overseers. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said Wednesday that Congress must get involved and implement new rules, to bolster the chances of the public holding the federal government to account. “It shouldn’t be up to who sits in the chair, in the… Keep Reading

In Light of State Dept. Rumors, Lawmakers Question Trump Iraq War Claims

Four members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are calling on Donald Trump to “reject” Rudy Giuliani and John Bolton, when considering who to choose as Secretary of State. The lawmakers on Monday urged Trump to reconsider the qualifications of the pair, describing them as “discredited voices on foreign policy that have caused irreparable harm to this country and many others.” Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) sent the letter to the President-elect, noting that the rumored deliberation… Keep Reading

Filibuster Looks Safe, For Now–Dems With Chance to Repay G.O.P. for Obstructionism

Senate Democrats will still be able to block legislation and Supreme Court nominations in the Trump era, according to their Republican counterparts. Numerous GOP legislators in the upper body said that they are reluctant to lower the 60-vote threshold currently required to advance bills and Presidential picks to the highest court in the land. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) have all said that they’re skeptical of any… Keep Reading

U.S. Agency Sunk $85 Million in Abandoned Kabul Building Projects

Oversight of two failed government-funded projects in Afghanistan may have led investigators to uncovering large scale fraud. A luxury hotel in Kabul near the US Embassy and an adjacent apartment complex—both half-finished; both now abandoned—appear to be at the center of the scheme, according to a report released on Thursday by the Special Inspector General of Afghanistan (SIGAR). The projects were backed by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to the tune of $85 million. Both projects were spearheaded by Fathi Taher, a Jordanian businessman. The hotel—slated… Keep Reading

Surveillance Booster Feinstein to Lead Dems on Judiciary Committee in Trump “Law & Order” Era

Senate Democrats swapped a civil libertarian for a national security hawk as head of the party’s Judiciary Committee contingent, amid a post-election leadership shuffle. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will become the ranking Democrat of the Senate Appropriations Committee in the 115th Congress–a void left by the retiring Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). The panel has significant influence over how federal taxpayer money is spent. “My ongoing efforts range from economic development in Vermont and rebuilding our country’s infrastructure, to protecting Lake Champlain, fighting efforts to roll back protections… Keep Reading

Trump to Inherit Obama Drone Program–Without Any Rule Changes

President Obama is set to handover his targeted assassinations program to the administration of Donald Trump, without altering its controversial rules. The White House has declined to change the guidelines to drone killings and airstrikes abroad ahead of January’s inauguration, according to a report published Tuesday by The Guardian. The newspaper noted that the current administration “considers its standards for drone strikes to be scrupulous.” The outline is known as the May 22, 2013 Presidential Policy Guidance (PPG). The White House claims it has killed… Keep Reading

US-China Commerce Will Be “Paralyzed” If Trump Hikes Tariffs, Donald Appears to Waver

The US could find itself mired in a trade war, an organ of the Chinese Communist Party warned, if the Trump administration attempts to put steep tariffs on Chinese imports. Trade between the US and China would be “paralyzed” if President-elect Donald Trump hikes taxes on Chinese goods, a commentary published by The Global Times stated on Sunday. “A batch of Boeing orders will be replaced by Airbus,” the paper stated. “US auto and iPhone sales in China will suffer a setback, and US soybean… Keep Reading

Modest Wins for Minimum Wage, Huge Gains for Marijuana Legalization Amid Shock G.O.P. Wave

Ballot initiatives on minimum wage increases and marijuana legalization were approved by voters in a number of states on Tuesday night, despite Republicans’ jarring gains in representative elections. Measures that would increase the minimum wage were approved in Washington, Colorado, Maine and Arizona. Voters in Washington backed a move to raise the hourly wage floor to $13.50, while the other three states got behind increases to $12 per hour. The hikes will be phased in over the next four years. Voters, meanwhile, backed referenda that… Keep Reading

Stock Market Regulators Join Wells Fargo Fraud Investigation

The Securities and Exchange Commission has opened an investigation into Wells Fargo in the wake of the bank’s account falsification scandal. The company disclosed to investors on Thursday that the stock market regulator is among the bodies inquiring into its sales practices, according to CNBC. The revelation came roughly 12 hours after The Wall Street Journal broke news of the development. SEC officials have asked the bank for documentation and the agency’s fact-finding is still at an “early stage,” WSJ reported. In September, it was… Keep Reading

Chief Obama Trade Negotiator: “We Can Get the Votes” for T.P.P.

President Obama’s top trade negotiator said on Tuesday that he is hopeful the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) will be approved by Congress, during its upcoming lame duck session. “If they bring it forward, I think we can get the votes there,” US Trade Representative Michael Froman said Tuesday, in an interview on CNBC. “This trade agreement eliminates 18,000 taxes on our exports,” Froman also claimed, “and members of Congress are starting to see that.” The outlook contrasted with a more cautious tone struck in late… Keep Reading

From “Fair, Impartial” to Hatch Act Violator: Reid’s Comey Love Vanishes

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) has changed his tune about the integrity of the FBI investigation of the private email server that Hillary Clinton maintained while Secretary of State. After Bureau Director James Comey revealed late last week that emails uncovered in a separate inquiry have caused federal agents to revisit Clinton’s email system, Reid questioned Comey’s own compliance with the law. The top Democratic lawmaker told the FBI Director that his decision to announce further probing of the email issue “may violate the… Keep Reading

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