Key Questions About Russia’s Alleged Hacking of the US Election

A Central Intelligence Agency report that Russian operatives intervened in the U.S. election to help President-elect Donald Trump win has roiled Capitol Hill, producing a bipartisan call for congressional investigations. But there is skepticism within the U.S. government, particularly at the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, that the evidence definitively proves that the Russians had the […]

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Ohio Takes Major Step to Protect Individual Rights, Due Process

For Ohioans who put civil forfeiture reform on their holiday wish lists this year, Christmas came early. Yesterday, the Ohio Legislature voted overwhelmingly to approve H.B. 347, a sweeping reform bill that will dramatically scale back the practice of seizing and forfeiting property absent a criminal conviction. Civil forfeiture is the legal tool that enables […]

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Senate Democrats Retreat, Help Pass Spending Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

Senate Democrats, digging in their heels Friday over health benefits for retired coal miners, threatened to shut down the government over the weekend for lack of a short-term spending agreement by a midnight deadline. “ We’re not going to shut down the government.”— @SenSchumer But Democrats gave in Friday evening, saying they would fight on […]

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Senate Democrats Retreat, Pass Spending Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

Senate Democrats, digging in their heels Friday over health benefits for retired coal miners, threatened to shut down the government over the weekend for lack of a short-term spending agreement by a midnight deadline. “ We’re not going to shut down the government.”— @SenSchumer But Democrats gave in Friday evening, saying they would fight on […]

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In Texas, Republicans Fight New Sanctuary Cities in Wake of Trump Victory

In the border state of Texas, the Republican governor and state Legislature are promising to combat a new trend since the election of Donald Trump, in which cities and localities vow to limit how much they assist federal authorities with removing immigrants living illegally in their communities. Sally Hernandez, the Democratic sheriff-elect in Travis County, […]

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Trump Picks Retired Marine General as Homeland Security Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security, news organizations reported Wednesday. If nominated and confirmed, Kelly would join a Cabinet that is already well represented by military figures. Trump has announced retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis for secretary of defense and retired Army […]

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Japanese Prime Minister’s Pearl Harbor Visit Will Further Reconciliation

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced he would travel to Pearl Harbor later this month, the first Japanese leader to do so. Abe commented he would accompany President Barack Obama to “pay tribute [and] comfort the souls” of those who died from both countries during World War II. He emphasized his intent to “send messages […]

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Can Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos Really End Common Core?

On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump made big promises about getting rid of Common Core. “We’re going to end Common Core, we’re going to have education an absolute priority,” he said in a campaign video. Upon being nominated secretary of the Department of Education, Betsy DeVos made clear her stance against the national education standards. […]

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Trump-Tsai Phone Call a Good Start to Reforming US-Taiwan Relations

The transition team has announced that President-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone with the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen Friday. Not only is there nothing wrong with this, it could be a sign of good things to come in America’s Taiwan policy. U.S.-Taiwan relations operate under a number of restrictions derived from the three communiques with China […]

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