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Trump Tweets Call to End Legislative Filibuster

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The President of the United States took to his favorite social media platform on Tuesday, and called for the full dismantling of the filibuster. Donald Trump attacked the long-standing Senate procedure, when striking out at a negotiated budget deal on Capitol Hill. The agreement left out many of his top priorities, including money for a border wall and the stripping of funding from so-called “sanctuary cities.” “The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate…

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GOP Marks International Labor Day By Pushing Death of Mandatory Overtime

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Republicans in Congress spent International Workers’ Day advancing legislation that could end mandatory overtime pay in the United States. The House Rules Committee on Monday set the parameters for considering the bill, in motions passed on party-line votes. Full deliberation on the proposal should begin on Tuesday, according to Republican leaders. The proposal would allow employers to offer 1.5 hours of paid time off, for every hour worked over the 40-hour overtime threshold. Current rules, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, force managers to pay…

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US Pacific Command Chief Refuses to Rule Out Invasion of North Korea, Says Pyongyang Has “Provoked Us”

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Attempts by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to ease the concerns of North Korean leadership may have backfired spectacularly on Thursday, when a high-ranking military commander refused to rule out the possibility of the US toppling Pyongyang “for the heck of it.” Adm. Harry Harris, head of Pacific Command, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to brief lawmakers about the simmering conflict on the Korean peninsula—tensions that could ratchet up following the unsettling exchange between the admiral and Sen. Graham. Characterizing Kim Jong Un’s dash…

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Pentagon Watchdog Accused of “Doctoring” Whistleblower Retaliation Investigation Findings

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A United States Senator has said that “a culture of corruption is thriving” at the office of the Pentagon’s internal watchdog. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) blasted the Defense Department Office of Inspector General on Thursday, relaying allegations of higher-ups “doctoring” the findings of whistleblower retaliation investigations. Grassley brought up the accusations on the Senate floor by discussing the case of Rear Adm. Brian Losey. The Pentagon inspector general had found Losey guilty of retaliating against numerous perceived whistleblowers. Revelations about these cases, brought to light…

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Dem Lawmaker Grills Fed Prison Chief Over “Occupancy Guarantees” Contracts

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During an oversight hearing with the head of federal prisons, Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) called on the agency to review arrangements with private jailers that require beds to be full. Testifying before a House Judiciary subcommittee on Wednesday, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Acting Director Dr. Thomas Kane stated that the government still includes occupancy guarantees in its contracts with for-profit prisons. Also known as “lockup quotas,” the provisions require state and federal authorities to keep a certain minimum of prison beds full—generally between 70 and…

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Incoming CIA General Counsel Gives Trump Wiggle Room on “Taking Out Their Families”

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President Trump’s pick to be the CIA’s top lawyer would not categorically state that the deliberate attacking of “terrorists’ families” is illegal. Agency General Counsel-nominee Courtney Elwood said that the practice “would implicate a variety of laws.” She also noted that it would target “persons who are not otherwise lawful targets under existing law.” But Elwood did not overtly state that the practice violates federal and international law, when asked by Democratic Senators. “If confirmed, I will work to ensure that all activities of the…

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Investigation of Facility Forces US Marshals to Oversee Its For-Profit Prisons

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An internal audit of a single private prison caused the US Marshals Service to admit that it wasn’t properly overseeing its for-profit detention facilities. The law enforcement agency said that it would establish onsite monitoring at each one of the fifteen contracted prisons under its purview, when pressed last year by the Justice Department Office of Inspector General. The inspector general’s final report, which was released on Tuesday, had been launched to probe a facility in Leavenworth, Kansas, run by CoreCivic, Inc. Internal auditors had…

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As Water Heats Up Around Flynn, White House Withholds Documents from Congress

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The Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee said he was “extremely troubled” by what he saw in classified records related to Gen. Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former National Security Advisor. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) briefed reporters on Tuesday shortly after reviewing financial disclosures Flynn made when applying for his security clearance. The procedure required Flynn to reveal all income from foreign sources. Flynn had received tens of thousands of dollars in 2015 from various Russian firms, including the state-run news channel, RT. Those appearance fee payments,…

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While Verifying Iran Deal Compliance, Tillerson Outlines How Trump Could Scrap the Agreement

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The Trump administration could still annul the Iran nuclear deal despite certifying Tehran’s compliance with the agreement, observers warned. The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) said Wednesday that President Trump could effectively rip up the accord, by violating its terms on sanctions. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed late Tuesday that Iran is currently abiding by the terms of the multilateral deal–one that involves all five permanent members of the UN Security Council. “With this certification, President Trump must now uphold the United States’ obligations and…

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#DAPL Mogul Cut $250,000 Check to Trump’s Inauguration

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Financial disclosures filed on Tuesday reveal that corporate chiefs, including those with pending business before then-incoming President Trump, provided much of the financing for the festivities around his inauguration. Complying with federal law, the Trump Inaugural Committee disclosed its donors to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Tuesday, showing total contributions of more than $106 million—a new record. Included in the roster of funders is pipeline builder Kelcy Warren, who contributed a quarter-million dollars to the event. Warren’s company, Energy Transfer, is behind construction of the…

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IRS Privatized Debt Collection Scheme Could Lead to Rip-Offs, Both Legal and Illegal

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The IRS, earlier this month, announced the start of a program allowing private contractors to collect tax debt. On Monday, another federal agency warned that the move is giving an opening to con artists. The Federal Trade Commission published a blog post outlining rules governing the privatized tax collection scheme. Commission officials said Americans should be aware of the guidelines, cautioning them against falling prey to scams. “Anyone who says they’re collecting for the IRS and asks you to make a payment over the phone…

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