Sat, December 14, 2024

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: The New York Times

A.T.F. Braces for a Sharp Change of Course Under Trump

There is little doubt that tumult lies ahead for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, perhaps in the form of even deeper funding cuts.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: The Boston Globe

A look at the South Korean leader who has been impeached after shocking martial law edict

South Korea's parliament has voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, a stunning fall from grace for a man who rose from political obscurity to the height of political power.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: Baltimore Banner

Maryland makes it easier to determine benefits eligibility with web portal

A new online tool makes it easier for Marylanders to determine whether they qualify for basic government services, such as food benefits and Medicaid, Gov. Wes Moore announced Friday.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: WKTV

National and International News in Focus: Dec. 13

Among the roughly 1,500 people whose sentences were commuted or who were pardoned by President Joe Biden are a nonprofit leader who supports at-risk youth, a social worker who fosters

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: RealClearPolitics

It's Time For a National Conversation About Left-Wing Violence

Even before we knew the targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione was politically motivated, many leftists were

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: Detroit Free Press

Democrats dash House Republican hopes of votes on tipped wage, paid leave

Michigan House GOP left session with a demand for votes to change paid sick leave and minimum wage laws. Democrats adjourned without taking them up.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: Graphic

Election 2024: Do Polls Matter?

Rrecently wrote a piece for the Centre for International Governance Innovation in which I described the likely outcome of the 2024 elections as follows - "by conventional wisdom, the economic pinch points felt under Ghana's ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government,

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: moneycontrol.com

After poll fight, patch up talks: NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar's mother bats for Sharad-Ajit unity

Pune, Dec 14 (PTI) Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar's mother Sunanda has emphasised the need for party factions led by veteran politician Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar to come together as voices for unity emerged from both rival camps.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: kathmandupost

Oli's China deal copy-paste of the pact I had finalised: Dahal

Maoist chief seeks to present bypoll results as a sign of his party gaining ground and the ruling parties losing support.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: MSN

'One Nation, One Election' Explained: What Is It And What Will Change In India

Though BJP's allies such as the TDP, Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), all of whom are represented in the Union Cabinet, are supporting the concept, the National Democratic Alliance will need backing from some of the members of the opposition INDIA alliance besides fence-sitters to ensure the passage of the constitutional amendment bill requiring support from two-thirds of the members in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: MSN

Singer IU backs impeachment rally with food and coffee for attendees

Singer and actor IU's agency, EDAM Entertainment, said Friday that it would provide food and hand warmers for attendees of the impeachment rally near the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Saturday,

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: MSN

Mitch McConnell, Who Had Polio, Reacts to RFK Jr. Ally's Anti-Vaccine Push

McConnell was partially paralyzed when he contracted polio at 2 years old, before vaccinations were available.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: MSN

Fury after Biden grants clemency to 'kids-for-cash' judge and city coffer embezzler

The victims of a pair of major corruption schemes in Pennsylvania and Illinois are angry Joe Biden granted clemency to the perpetrators. Biden announced on Thursday that he would commute the sentences of 1,500 convicted criminals. White House officials ...

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: MSN

Who is Francois Bayrou? Macron's latest pick to be France's prime minister

Who is Francois Bayrou? Macron's latest pick to be France's prime minister - The 73-year-old has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades and is one of the president's cloest allies

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: MSN

Mitch McConnell warns Trump nominees to 'steer clear' of 'dangerous' polio vaccine skeptics

Outgoing Senate Minority Leader and polio survivor Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) issued a stern warning Friday to incoming members of President-elect Donald Trump's administration who may seek to revoke federal approval of the polio vaccine.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: MSN

Facing certain defeat, Mayor Brandon Johnson postpones Chicago city budget vote

After the meeting, Johnson acknowledged he does not yet have the votes to pass his $17.3 billion spending plan.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: MSN

Federal labour minister takes steps to end Canada Post strike

The federal labour minister has taken steps he says should end the Canada Post strike by next week. But is it already too late for Christmas parcels and cards? Sarah MacDonald reports.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: USA Today

US grand jury charges former Syrian prison official with torture and immigration fraud

Syrian official who immigrated to the US in 2020, was in charge of Damascus prison from 2005-2008 and lied about his crimes to get a US "green card."

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: Washingtonian

Clashes Are Coming for Trump Officials Dining Out in DC

DC restaurants have long prided themselves on being politically neutral spaces. A big political name could be just another diner—no matter the headlines he or she generated by day. And restaurateurs, for the most part, didn't publicly weigh in on partisan issues for fear of alienating any potential customers.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: MSN

Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell

Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule.

[ Sat, Dec 14th 2024 ]: Business Standard

Ashok Gehlot demands MoU regarding PKC-ERCP project be made public

This comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lay the foundation stone for the Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal-Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (PKC-ERCP) on December 17
Fri, December 13, 2024

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: The Globe and Mail

Trump transition team recommends scrapping car-crash reporting requirement opposed by Tesla

The move could cripple the U.S. government's ability to investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: RealClearPolitics

Pomeroy: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya Could Bring Big Changes to NIH and Science Research

Thursday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, RealClearScience editor Ross Pomeroy joined Carl Cannon to discuss how Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Donald Trump's pick to lead the National Institutes of Health, and Robert F.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: Sky News Australia

Former Liberal minister in Howard and Abbott governments Kevin Andrews dies following battle with cancer

Tony Abbott has led tributes following the death of his former minister Kevin Andrews after a year-long battle with cancer. Tributes have flown from members of parliament following the death of former Liberal MP Kevin Andrews.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: Washington Examiner

FBI flap: There is no fourth branch of government

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: KRQE Blogs

Albuquerque City Council proposes ordinance changes to deal with problem properties

The City of Albuquerque has had a longstanding problem with neglected and boarded-up buildings attracting the wrong crowd. Now, it's trying to rewrite the entire

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: New Republic

Why RFK Jr. Really Wants His Daughter-in-Law to Lead CIA

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. thinks that the CIA was behind his uncle's assassination in 1963—and he wants Donald Trump to appoint his daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, to be deputy CIA director so she can deep dive into the agency's history.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: Toronto Star

Poilievre's Conservatives say they would adopt Trudeau government's military budget increases

The opposition Conservatives say they would maintain defence budget increases planned under the current Liberal government if they take power, without making equivalent cuts under their proposed "dollar-for-dollar" spending cap.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: denver7

Colorado Congressman Greg Lopez joins President-elect Trump's DOGE caucus

Colorado Republican Congressman Greg Lopez has joined President-elect Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: NBC News

Trump team in talks with Biden and Ukrainian officials about ending war with Russia

Ukraine and its supporters in Washington and Europe had worried that Trump would return to the White House with the view that Kyiv was the main barrier to ending the war. But the president-elect's social media posts suggest he views Putin and not Ukraine as the problem, the two sources and former U.S. officials said.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: CBC.ca

Federal government steps in to end Canada Post strike

Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon is sending the Canada Post labour dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board for what could be an order to return to work; he says he expects mail service to resume next week.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: Mediaite

'What Is Going On?' CNN Anchor Stunned Joe Rogan and Elizabeth Warren 'Sound The Same' On CEO Murder

Kasie Hunt wondered "What is going on" when people like Joe Rogan and Sen. Elizabeth Warren sound "the same" when talking about the UHC CEO murder.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: The New York Times

Trump Ordered to Sit for Deposition in ABC News Defamation Suit

The deposition, if it is held as scheduled next week, will take place even as the president-elect is in the throes of defending cabinet nominees and putting together his administration.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: MSN

McConnell defends polio vaccine after revelation that RFK Jr. advisor sought to revoke approval of the inoculation

Ky., a polio survivor, responded critically to a report in The New York Times that a key lawyer and longtime advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: MSN

Qatar delegation to meet Syria's interim government on Sunday, Qatari official says

Qatar will send its first official delegation to Damascus on Sunday to meet Syria's interim government and discuss reopening the Qatari embassy and enhancing humanitarian aid deliveries, a Qatari official told Reuters on Friday.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: AZ Central

Supreme Court to hear challenge to California's pace-setting vehicle emissions rules

The issue is whether the Environmental Protection Agency can allow California to impose emissions standards on new vehicles that are tougher than the federal government's. The Clean Air Act permits that under certain conditions. That provision was ...

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: The New York Times

Emmanuel Macron Appoints Key Ally as France's New Prime Minister

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday tapped François Bayrou, a veteran centrist politician and one of his top allies, as the new prime minister, a move that few expect would stabilize France's roiling politics.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Page threatens to pause senior tax freeze in St. Louis County. Council scoffs.

County Executive Sam Page said the council must pass a budget Tuesday or risk the county pausing in-person applications for the senior property tax freeze. Some councilmembers called his bluff.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: CNN

Trump says GOP will try to eliminate Daylight Saving Time

President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday the Republican Party would try to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, calling it "inconvenient" and "costly."

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: KSBW The Central Coast

Meet the faces of Trump's upcoming administration

Among those named are several celebrity figures like TV show host Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr. Oz, who Trump tapped for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator. There's also former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon who was picked to lead the Department of Education and former NFL player Scott Turner named to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: MSN

Food donation and recycling expand in New York

Hochul signed a law expanding New York's food donation and recycling program, making more businesses donate excess edible food and recycle food scraps.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: MSN

Middle East changes after fall of Bashar Al-Assad

The U.S. is trying to prevent the rise of terrorism in the Middle East after end of Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad's regime.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: MSN

Mayor Brandon Johnson postpones Friday vote on 2025 city budget rather than suffer defeat

Mayor Brandon Johnson made an eleventh-hour decision to cancel a Friday vote on his 2025 budget plan, the latest setback for the mayor after months of squabbling with aldermen and failing to shore up enough support in the City Council to finalize a $17.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: MSN

Trump calls for ending Daylight Saving Time. It's 'inconvenient,' he says.

Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation," the president-elect wrote, criticizing the century-old practice of shifting clocks twice per year.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: NJ.com

CNN analyst: Here's why Trump pick RFK Jr. has strong support among Americans

President-elect Donald Trump tapped Kennedy to lead the Health and Human Services Department shortly after winning the White House last month. Enten said that new Fox News polling showed that Kennedy has more support among Americans than not to be confirmed by the Senate.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: MSN

Trump calls for end to daylight saving time

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday the Republican Party "will use its best efforts" to end daylight saving time, which he called "inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time,

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: MSN

Democrats want correspondence between Trump picks, Boris Epshteyn

Two Democratic senators are pressing for correspondent between President-elect Trump's Cabinet picks and Boris Epshteyn following allegations that the longtime Trump adviser was seeking payment to promote individuals interested in roles in the next Trump administration.

[ Fri, Dec 13th 2024 ]: AARP

AARP Urges Passage of Prescription Drug Legislation by Year's End

You could earn AARP Rewards points when you use our free financial resources. Help Register Login Login Hi, %{firstName}% Hi, %{firstName}% Games Car rental AARP wants Congress to move ahead with legislation aimed at making it harder for drug companies to block less expensive versions of medications from coming to market.

FBI flap: There is no fourth branch of government

They posit a fourth branch of government outside of the executive branch and lean on the idea of a 10-year term for the director to suggest the bureau has always and should be run immune to the demands of elected officials. This is both constitutionally improper and historically ignorant.

The article from the Washington Examiner discusses the historical context and implications of the FBI Director's term limits, focusing on the tenure of FBI Director Christopher Wray. It highlights how former President Donald Trump's decision to retain Wray, despite his appointment by President Barack Obama, reflects a tradition of maintaining stability within the FBI. The piece notes that FBI directors are appointed to a 10-year term to insulate the agency from political pressures, a practice established after J. Edgar Hoover's long and controversial tenure. However, the article points out that this tradition has been inconsistently followed, with some directors serving shorter terms due to various reasons including political changes or personal decisions. It also touches on the controversies surrounding the FBI's actions during Trump's presidency, suggesting that these events have put additional scrutiny on the role and independence of the FBI Director. The article concludes by questioning whether the 10-year term limit still serves its intended purpose in the modern political climate.

Read the Full Washington Examiner Article at:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/in_focus/3259907/fbi-history-directors-10-year-term-trump/