White House eyes 7-cent gas tax hike for infrastructure plan
The White House may back the first hike in the federal gasoline tax in decades in order to pay for President Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure package.
U.S. Headlines
Trump’s Border Wall Prototypes Unveiled
Nearly a year after President Donald Trump’s surprise electoral victory, the first step to fulfill the central pillar of his campaign — a promise to build a wall along the country’s southern border — has taken shape along the perimeter between San Diego and Mexico.
Conservatives Targeted by IRS Celebrate Settlement
The group that led a lawsuit against the IRS for illegally targeting conservative non-profit organizations celebrated the Justice Department’s multi-million dollar settlement on Thursday.
Trump Announces Designation of Opioid Epidemic as Public Health Crisis
President Donald Trump announced plans on Thursday to combat the surging opioid epidemic in America, beginning a move that would free up resources and loosen regulations to help combat drug deaths, but falling short of his August promise to declare the the epidemic a national emergency.
IRS agent’s email says groups were targeted ‘primarily because of their political party affiliation’
Lawyers think they have finally found the smoking gun in the IRS’s tea party targeting scandal: an email from an IRS agent to her supervisors alerting them that the agency was, in fact, singling out some groups’ applications for extreme scrutiny ‘primarily because of their political party affiliation.’
Trump to issue emergency declaration next week on opioids
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would declare a national emergency next week on opioid abuse, a move that could give states access to federal funds to fight the drug crisis.
Mike Pence casts tie-breaking vote to cancel Obama-era rule favoring class-action suits against banks
With Vice President Mike Pence casting the deciding vote, the Senate voted late Tuesday night to undo a rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would bar financial firms from contracts that rule out class-action lawsuits related to their products. The measure now goes to President Trump’s desk.
GOP Sen. Jeff Flake won’t seek re-election in 2018
U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., facing a tough primary fight, announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election next year — while taking a parting shot on the Senate floor at President Donald Trump for behavior he called ‘reckless, outrageous, and undignified.’
Government Collects $3.3 Trillion in Taxes in Fiscal Year 2017; Runs $666 Billion Deficit
The federal government collected approximately $3.3 trillion in taxes in fiscal year 2017, but the federal government still ran a $666 billion deficit during that time, according to the latest monthly Treasury Department statement.
Trey Gowdy targeting James Comey in new Clinton probe
Rep. Trey Gowdy plans to grill former FBI Director James Comey about his decision-making as part of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s decision to re-examine the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server.
GOP investigates Russian granted US entry by Obama administration while under FBI investigation for bribery
The Obama administration awarded a visa allowing a top Russian nuclear executive to enter the United States after the FBI had already gathered substantial evidence he was involved in a racketeering scheme involving bribery, kickbacks, extortion and money laundering, court records show.
Bill to restrain warrantless searches of Americans introduced to Senate, House
Bipartisan groups in the Senate and House of Representatives introduced legislation Tuesday that seeks to restrain government agencies’ surveillance powers on American citizens.
Supreme Court drops Trump travel ban case
The Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday dismissing Hawaii’s challenge to President Trump’s refugee policy, as encapsulated in his earlier ‘extreme vetting’ executive order, saying the case is moot because the 120-refugee pause has now expired.
Conservative groups get behind Bannon revolt against Republican establishment
Tea party groups and other prominent grass-roots conservative operations say they are on board with Steve Bannon’s crusade to oust the entire slate of incumbent Republicans because the former White House political strategist is tapping into the same anti-establishment mood they have been sensing for a while.
Podesta Group now part of special counsel probe into Russian collusion: Report
Tony Podesta and The Podesta Group are now being investigated as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into collusion claims between the Trump campaign and Russia, NBC News reported.
ACLU rejects Christian baker’s free speech claim: ‘This is not about the cake’
The American Civil Liberties Union told the Supreme Court on Monday the First Amendment doesn’t give a Christian baker the right to discriminate against a same-sex couple by refusing to bake them a wedding cake.
Studies reveal power of liberal bias among politically active internet giants
Robert Epstein tried a simple experiment in the run-up to the presidential election: running searches on Google and Yahoo for political topics.
Maryland governor signs order blocking Israel boycotts
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed an executive order Monday blocking the state from awarding contracts to companies that support boycotts of Israel.
FBI informant’s testimony sought as Clinton-Russia uranium case re-emerges
A controversial 2010 deal that cleared the way for a Kremlin-backed company to gain control of a huge chunk of America’s uranium supply is getting new scrutiny as a Capitol Hill inquiry gears up to probe the Obama administration’s suspected silencing of an FBI informant who reportedly had information on high-level corruption by Russian nuclear officials who engineered the deal.
Report: GOP Tax Framework Could Raise GDP By 5%, Wages By 7%
President Donald Trump’s tax reform framework could raise GDP by as much as 5 percent and wages by as much as 7 percent, according to a new study from Boston University economists.