GOP leadership stands by Scalise after white supremacist speech

House Republican leadership is standing by Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 3-ranking House Republican, in the wake of a firestorm of criticism surrounding his 2002 speech to a white supremacist group.

http://gantdaily.com/2014/12/31/gop-leadership-stands-by-scalise-after-white-supremacist-speech/

The Associated Press' biggest Arizona stories of 2014

The last 12 months produced a frenzy of breaking news in Arizona as the midterm elections were settled, wacky storms barreled through the state, fights over immigration played out in the courts, a national uproar erupted over veteran health care and the state's best-known sheriff had to answer for his actions in court. Politics were never far from the conversation in many of the stories, especially as immigration was back in the news, Arizona lawmakers passed a religious rights measure and gay marriage became legal in the state.

http://www.ktar.com/?nid=22&sid=1794052

How 2014 Became the Worst Year in U.S.-Russia Relations Since the Cold War

President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin on a split-screen during an international D-Day commemoration ceremony on the beach of Ouistreham, Normandy, on June 6. On the last day of 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent President Obama a hopeful New Year's Eve message. Putin praised the two nations for sharing a "spirit of partnership and respect for each other's interests" that year.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/how-2014-became-the-worst-year-in-u-s-russia-relations-since-the-cold-war-20141231

Clinton, Oprah women most admired by Americans: poll

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton remains the woman most admired by Americans, followed by television icon Oprah Winfrey and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, polling agency Gallup said Monday. Clinton, a likely 2016 U.S. presidential candidate, won the honor for the 13th year in a row, earning 12 percent of the votes.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20141230000527

What to expect from labor policy in 2015

Given the outcome of November's midterm elections, the unprecedented attack on private- and public-sector workers that started after the "Tea Party election" in 2010 will likely continue in 2015. Among the legislative and regulatory developments we should expect in the next 12 months are the following: 1. More attacks on workers' rights at the state and local levels.

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/labor/228292-what-to-expect-from-labor-policy-in-2015

GOP Leaders Look For Scalise Flap To Blow Over

House Republican leaders have been supportive of Louisiana congressman Steve Scalise since the revelation that he appeared before a white supremacist organization 12 years ago, suggesting they think the flare-up will fade. Scalise is the Republican whip in the House.

http://wibx950.com/gop-leaders-look-for-scalise-flap-to-blow-over/

Eight lawmakers to watch in the 114th Congress

Look for Utah Sen. Mike Lee, left, to step out of Ted Cruz's shadow as a leader of Republicans' tea party wing. Look for Utah Sen. Mike Lee, left, to step out of Ted Cruz's shadow as a leader of Republicans' tea party wing.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-year-ahead-congress-20141231-story.html

Tech and Communication Services: Gravitate Toward the Moats

Mid-October presented an opportunity for tech, but valuations have rebounded and there are only a handful of undervalued, albeit higher-uncertainty, stocks. After a brief period in October when valuations across the technology sector corrected by 10%, stocks have rebounded, and the sector is once again slightly overvalued.

http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=675618&pgid=rss

Jacob Sullum on the Year's Highlights in Blame Shifting

For years New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has insisted that people who pay for sex and the intermediaries who facilitate that exchange are responsible for violence against women. Hence his February 26 column celebrating the arrests of men who were guilty of nothing but negotiating terms with cops posing as hookers.

http://reason.com/archives/2014/12/31/dont-blame-me

NYPD seeks to engage with 'Twitter school,' blog

The nation's largest police department, once a slow adopter of social media, has created a blog and punched up Facebook use. And there are now 101 Twitter accounts department-wide after top brass were sent to an in-house "Twitter school."

http://nj1015.com/nypd-seeks-to-engage-with-twitter-school-blog/

Eugene Robinson: Economic facts get in the way of Gop's story

Uh-oh. Now that the economy is doing well, what are Republicans -- especially those running for president -- going to complain about? And what are Democrats willing to celebrate? Last week's announcement that the economy grew at a 5 percent rate in the third quarter of 2014 -- following 4.6 percent second-quarter growth -- was the clearest and least debatable indication to date that sustained recovery is no longer a promise, it's a fact.

http://www.lowellsun.com/opinion/ci_27234298/eugene-robinson-economic-facts-get-way-gops-story?source=rss

APDirty Pol to Replace Dirty Pol?Staten Island Republican Michael...

Staten Island Republican Michael Grimm is resigning from Congress over a tax-evasion scandal-and his most famous potential successor left the House six years ago over a sex scandal. Anthony Weiner sexted with scores of women, only getting caught when a photo of his crotch went viral, and still ran for mayor two years later.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/31/will-dirty-pol-vito-fossella-replace-dirty-pol-michael-grimm.html

Rep. Matt Cartwright: Economy too important for Congress to engage in gridlock

The Delaware Canal trail near Wy-Hit-Tuk Park in Williams Township is the kind of recreation project that can provide an economic benefit for a community. The Delaware Canal trail near Wy-Hit-Tuk Park in Williams Township is the kind of recreation project that can provide an economic benefit for a community.

http://www.mcall.com/opinion/mc-2015-economic-challenges-cartwright-yv--20141230-story.html

'A Can-Do Person': How The West Reacted To Putin 15 Years Ago

Russia President Boris Yeltsin speaks with then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on December 31, 1999, the day that Yeltsin would resign and appoint the former KGB agent as the country's acting leader. The Ukraine crisis in 2014 brought Vladimir Putin's Russia to loggerheads with the West.

http://www.rferl.org/content/putin-15-years-ago-first-impressions-from-the-west/26771079.html

Doom for NOM?

The National Organization for Marriage is barely clinging to life, according to the group's reluctantly released tax returns for 2013. The Human Rights Campaign reported the contents of the NOM's tax returns on its blog in November but received the information only after repeated requests and after HRC filed a complaint with the IRS to compel NOM to release its 2013 Form 990, as required by federal law.

http://www.advocate.com/politics/marriage-equality/2014/12/31/doom-nom?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AdvocateNewsstandIssue+%28Advocate.com+Print+Issue%29

Political hits and headlines 2014

A look back at some of the top stories in a rollercoaster year for Welsh politics and politicians as the general election approaches. Local government faces what is now becoming its regular 20-year shake-up after the Williams Commission report in January recommended the number of councils be cut from 22 to between 10 and 12 .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-30480548#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Herzog, Livni promise Trajtenberg Finance Ministry

Decision by joint Herzog-Livni camp to promise member of their own party the Finance Ministry portfolio may complicate post-election coalition negotiations. Labor Party chief Isaac Herzog and Hatnua chair Tzipi Livni announce their political alliance in Tel Aviv .

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/Herzog-Livni-promise-Trajtenberg-Finance-Ministry-386242

Police impunity, CIA torture and Big Banking in the USA

In light of revelations of brutality by Baltimore police officers, residents, attorneys and current and former law enforcement offer testimony on whether the Maryland legislature should repeal key components of the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights. As we pass from 2014 to 2015, I find three events of the past month very disturbing and frightening for the future of our nation.

https://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/police-impunity-cia-torture-and-big-banking-in-the-usa/

Liberals roll their boulders

I know Christmas Day has come and gone, but we ought to try to retain the holiday spirit as long as we can.

http://jeffersonpost.com/news/opinion/151046579/Liberals-roll-their-boulders

7 New Brunswick political stories to watch in 2015

Jacques Poitras has been CBC's provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick since 2000. Raised in Moncton, he also produces the CBC political podcast Spin Reduxit.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/7-new-brunswick-political-stories-to-watch-in-2015-1.2883549?cmp=rss

5 things to know: Obama health law again in play

New episodes in the nation's long-running political drama over health care are coming via your news feed in 2015. The fate of President Barack Obama's health care law again hangs in the balance as the Supreme Court weighs another legal challenge to the program, now covering millions of people.

http://newsok.com/5-things-to-know-obama-health-law-again-in-play/article/feed/778805?custom_click=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newsok%2Fbusiness+%28NewsOK.com+RSS+-+business%29

Kazakhstan takes Guantanamo inmates

Five men held at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for more than a decade have been sent to Kazakhstan for resettlement, the Pentagon says. Officials say 28 inmates have been released from the facility this year, the largest number since US President Barack Obama took office in 2009.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-30640651#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Pope Francis splits with GOP

The magnetic pope has sparked new enthusiasm around the world for the church and has flexed his political muscles internationally, most recently by helping to engineer a new relationship between the United States and Cuba.a a But Francis's agenda, which also includes calls to address income inequality and limit climate change, is putting him at odds with Republicans, including GOP Catholics in the United States.a Hours after President Obama announced moves to ease trade and travel restrictions to Cuba, Sen. Marco Rubio , a practicing Catholic and potential 2016 presidential candidate, criticized the deal and Francis's role in it.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/228289-pope-francis-splits-with-gop

2014's top scandals

It seems as if no year on Capitol Hill is complete without a full slate of scandals. From the silly to the serious, The Hill compiled a list of the top dastardly deeds, political snafus, and outrageous actions that rocked Washington and the country in 2014.

http://thehill.com/homenews/228295-2014s-top-scandals

Officer dissents from sex assault policy, faces repercussions

Capt. Maribel Jarzabek, Air Force Legal Operations Agency-Community Legal Services Victims, briefs Victim Advocates on legal right for sexual assault victims Aug. 15, 2014, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Jarzabek is a special victims' counsel who represents victims in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa region, as well as deployed locations in Southwest Asia.

http://www.stripes.com/news/officer-dissents-from-sex-assault-policy-faces-repercussions-1.321766

Biggest Milwaukee-area business news stories of 2014: Year in Review

Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens with Herb Kohl at the announcement of the sale of the Milwaukee Bucks in April. It has been quite a year for business news in southeastern Wisconsin.

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2014/12/31/biggest-milwaukee-areabusiness-news-stories-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+vertical_3+%28Investment+Banking+Industry+News%29

The Democrats' Black Hole

The new Senate will be even harder right than you thought, and there's little the 45 Democratic senators will be able to accomplish. But there's a smarter way they can play defense.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/31/the-democrats-black-hole-and-what-they-can-do-about-it.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29

Obama's Twitter Troll-in-Chief

Actor James Woods has had a long career in Hollywood. But now he's becoming almost as well known as the president's biggest heckler on Twitter-and conservatives love him for it.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/31/how-james-woods-became-obama-s-biggest-twitter-troll.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29

The Police Must Be Better Than This

Yes, cops are under stress. But they're trained to rise above emotional responses.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/31/we-need-our-police-to-be-better-than-this.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29

Names and faces

Jennifer Lopez arrives at The People Magazine Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Jennifer Lopez decided to hit the road after her split from singer Marc Anthony two years ago.

http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2014/dec/31/names-and-faces-20141231/

The nation in brief

QUOTE OF THE DAY "It was a mistake I regret." Steve Scalise, the third-ranking House Republican, referring to a speech he delivered to a white supremacy group in 2002 Subscribers must LOG-IN to read this full story.

http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2014/dec/31/harvard-law-oks-assault-policy-redo-gro/

Boehner: Grimm right to resign

This Dec. 23, 2014, file photo shows Rep. Michael Grimm, center, leaving Federal court in Brooklyn after pleading guilty to a federal tax evasion charge rather than go to trial in New York. A Republican source says the New York congressman is expected to resign before Congress returns to Washington next week.

http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2014/dec/31/boehner-grimm-right-to-resign-20141231/

New whip regrets white-group speech

In this Nov. 18, 2014 file photo, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of La., right, with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., left, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, following a House GOP caucus meeting. Scalise acknowledged that he once addressed a gathering of white supremacists.

http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2014/dec/31/new-whip-regrets-white-group-speech-201/

Indiana Gov. Pence Sat with Abbas at Xmas Dinner but Refused Private Meeting

Visiting Indiana Gov. Mike Pence attended a Christmas dinner hosted by Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas but snubbed Abbas' presumptive attempt to talk with the governor at a private meeting. The Indianapolis Star contradicted reports that Pence, a possible candidate for the GOP nomination as presidential candidate in the 2016 elections, did not attend the dinner with Abbas.

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/indiana-gov-pence-sat-with-abbas-at-xmas-dinner-but-refused-private-meeting/2014/12/31/

$4 million in school vouchers refunded

INDIANAPOLIS The refunding of nearly $4 million in Indiana private school voucher money to the state has raised questions about oversight of the program that now includes almost 30,000 students.

http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/4-million-in-schoolvouchers-refunded-4233357

Dana Milbank:

I watched the Christmas Day opening of "The Interview," to show North Korea that I wasn't afraid of its threats to blow up theaters that screen the parody of Kim Jong Un. The $9.50 I paid in the name of patriotic pride bought me stadium seating, a preview of the coming feature "Hot Tub Time Machine 2," and a feature film full of jokes about rectums, sex organs, ricin and the Supreme Leader defecating in his pants.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1214/milbank123114.php3

Texas blog roundup for the week of December 29

From WCNews at Eye on Williamson . There's no telling what will happen in the next legislative session, but some think it won't be so bad.

http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=64515

Meet the judges

Judges Patrick Higginbotham of Dallas, Jerry Smith of Houston and James Graves Jr. of Jackson, Miss., will sit on a panel that will hear appeals from state officials in Texas and Mississippi of lower-court rulings that overturned the two states' gay marriage bans. In the Louisiana case, U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman upheld his state's ban, so there, same-sex couples are appealing.

http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=64642

Cuba Cracks Down on Attempt to Test Free SpeechCNS

Two weeks after President Obama announced sweeping changes to U.S. policy on Cuba, the communist regime on Tuesday banned a free speech protest in Havana and detained several pro-democracy activists, preventing others from leaving their homes. Obama's policy shift entailed a prisoner exchange and steps to restore diplomatic relations, but set no conditions on an end to repression on the island - a key criticism on Capitol Hill at the time.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/cuba-cracks-down-attempt-test-free-speech

Louisiana pols offer Scalise bipartisan backing

The Louisiana delegation is offering bipartisan support to Rep. Steve Scalise, who is embroiled in scandal surrounding his 2002 address to a white supremacist forum. Rep. Cedric Richmond, the lone Democrat in Louisiana's House delegation, offered his full-throated support to the congressman in an interview with the New Orleans Times-Picayune Monday night.

http://www.koco.com/politics/louisiana-pols-offer-scalise-bipartisan-backing/30455966?absolute=true

The Real Reason It's So Hard To Find Disappeared Planes

Airlines don't want to pay for the technology to make finding lost flights easier. But a pair of bills being introduced to Congress could change the rules.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2014-12-31/the-real-reason-its-so-hard-to-find-disappeared-planes

20 Former Members of Congress Who Died in 2014

A former Senate majority leader, the first Puerto Rican-born congressman, Georgia's first Republican congressman since Reconstruction, and party-switchers were among former members of Congress who died in 2014. There was also a former Vietnam prisoner of war who blinked out the word "torture" in Morse code on TV, a convict, and members of the so-called Watergate baby class.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-12-31/20-former-members-of-congress-who-died-in-2014

Committee leaves transportation funding to lawmakers

Georgia will have to cover a $1 billion to $1.5 billion transportation funding gap to stay economically competitive, a committee of lawmakers is warning in a report issued Tuesday. The group says the legislature needs to figure out where the money will come from during the session that begins on Jan. 12. Transportation is expected to be the dominant issue in the coming year as Republican Gov. Nathan Deal begins his second and final term in office.

http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=283501

Candidates for governor already fighting for votes

It happened Tuesday evening near Burton Lane and Sale Road. The driver of a silver Chevy pickup truck ran off the roadway, crossed over a ditch and through a brick fence before crashing into the back of a home.

http://www.kplctv.com/story/27732259/candidates-for-governor-already-fighting-for-votes

Political observers say Scalise will weather storm over speech to 'hate group'

U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, said Tuesday that he regrets speaking to a white supremacist group before becoming a member of the Congress. Since the recent revelation of the speech Scalise gave to the European-American Unity and Rights Organization, or EURO, which was founded by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, the Southern Poverty Law Center has said the organization is a "hate group," and that Scalise should resign his leadership post in the Congress.

http://www.kplctv.com/story/27732908/political-observers-say-scalise-will-weather-storm-over-speech-to-hate-group

John Dingell reflects on 60 years in office as he prepares to pass the torch to his wife

The year John Dingell Jr., D-Dearborn, was first sworn to the United States House of Representatives, Disneyland opened in Los Angeles and General Motors was the first American corporation to make more than $1 billion in a year. A lot has changed in America since 1955, but Southeast Michigan's congressional representation has remained constant.

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/12/john_dingell_reflects_on_60_ye.html

Postal Service poised to begin controversial plant closures next week

The U.S. Postal Service next week plans to begin a new round of plant closings and consolidations that will affect dozens of mail-processing centers, despite calls from more than half the members of the outgoing Senate to postpone the changes. Earlier this month, 30 senators, all but one of them Democrats, issued a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe urging USPS not to move forward with its "network rationalization" program until the agency has completed its analyses of potential impacts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/12/31/postal-service-poised-to-begin-controversial-plant-closures-next-week/

MoveOn petition for the resignation of NYPD union president Pat Lynch

The intense reaction of disgust and horror that I experienced while watching that notorious clip of Pat Lynch blaming de Blasio and the peaceful protestors for the murders of the two NYPD police officers... that intense reaction motivated me to do a Google search for online petitions addressing the situation, and I found one on MoveOn.com: http://goo.gl/... Having already shared it on Twitter and FB, I figured it makes sense to share it here as well -- doing my part to make sure this petition gets as many signatures as possible. Unlike most online petitions I've signed, with this one I took the time to go deep in contributing my own thoughts prior to submitting my signature.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/31/1354855/-MoveOn-petition-for-the-resignation-of-NYPD-union-president-Pat-Lynch

North Woods national park proponents hiring outreach coordinator to promote plan

The effort to create a North Woods national park adjacent to Baxter State Park soon will have a local voice to answer people's questions and enlist their support. David Farmer, a spokesman for leading park advocate Lucas St. Clair and Katahdin Woods and Waters , said that the outreach coordinator position is "a continuation of what we have been working on."

http://bangordailynews.com/2014/12/31/news/penobscot/north-woods-national-park-proponents-hiring-outreach-coordinator-to-promote-plan/

Putin sends New Year's message to Obama

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in a New Year's message to U.S. President Barack Obama that Moscow is looking for equality in bilateral relations next year. The Kremlin on Wednesday published several dozen New Year's messages addressed to heads of states and international organizations such as the Olympic Committee and FIFA.

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/world/article5223981.html

The Clinton echo

If there were an obvious takeaway for the 2016 hopefuls this year, it might as well have been the motto for the 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton: "It's the economy, stupid." So it is no wonder that many of Hillary Clinton's touchstones on the campaign trail this year have come straight from her husband's 1992 playbook --- at times almost verbatim --- a focus on rebuilding the middle class, addressing income inequality, and reviving the American promise that each generation should fare better than the last.

http://www.kvor.com/common/more.php?m=151&ts=1419938032&article=EF9F5119901411E4B51EFEFDADE6840A&mode=2

Lowey Says $765,000 Goes To SUNY Purchase For Green Infrastructure Project

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. U.S. Rep. Nita M. Lowey , the ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, announced a $765,000 federal grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Purchase College to implement green infrastructure when retrofitting campus pavement. "We must do all we can to create a sustainable environment and pass along a greener planet to the next generation," said Lowey.

http://newrochelle.dailyvoice.com/news/lowey-says-765000-goes-suny-purchase-green-infrastructure-project

10 Things to Know for Today

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http://www.710knus.com/news/article.aspx?id=8675515

After Talk With Boehner, Staten Island Rep Steps Down

Rep. Michael Grimm told reporters he wouldn't resign after he pleaded guilty to tax evasion last week, but John Boehner appears to have used his powers of persuasion on New York City's only Republican representative in Congress. Grimm announced his resignation in a statement last night that sources tell the New York Times was issued after a conversation with the House speaker.

http://www.wdsd.com/articles/national-news-104668/after-talk-with-boehner-staten-island-13102601

Year In Review: Packers game raised questions over NFL blackout policy

The Packers are finishing up yet another sold-out season heading into the playoffs. But there was a playoff game in 2014 that was nearly blacked out due to lack of ticket sales.

http://fox11online.com/2014/12/30/year-in-review-packers-game-raised-questions-over-nfl-blackout-policy/

Benghazi! Conservatives Hit Peak Distraction Meme In 2014

Save articles to read later In a hurry? Bookmarks allow you to save an article to read later at your convenience. There isn't a limit, either, so you can store your favorites, too.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/distraction-meme-scandals-2014

After guilty plea, NY congressman says he'll resign Jan. 5

A New York congressman who pleaded guilty to tax evasion just days ago has announced he'll resign from office next week because he would not be able to give the job his full attention anymore. "The events which led to this day did not break my spirit, nor the will of the voters," he said.

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2014/12/30/guilty-plea-ny-congressman-says-hell-resign-jan-5/

How race and police became a red-vs.-blue issue

Few things matter more than race when it comes to views of police. But political views matter a lot as well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/12/30/how-race-and-police-became-a-red-vs-blue-issue/

After Talk With Boehner, Staten Island Rep...

Rep. Michael Grimm told reporters he wouldn't resign after he pleaded guilty to tax evasion last week, but John Boehner appears to have used his powers of persuasion on New York City's only Republican representative in Congress. Grimm announced his resignation in a statement last night that sources tell the New York Times was issued after a conversation with the House speaker.

http://www.kiss1067.com/articles/national-news-104668/after-talk-with-boehner-staten-island-13102601/

How Cops and GOP Are Teaming Up to Undermine the BlackLivesMatter Movement

When hundreds of cops from around the country and as far away as Canada turned their backs on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio during the funeral of Officer Rafael Ramos, the NYPD officer shot to death alongside his partner Wenjian Liu by a deranged gunman, they fired the first salvo in a carefully coordinated political operation aimed at discrediting the liberal mayor and shattering the ongoing anti-police brutality protest movement. AlterNet has obtained emails revealing plans to organize a series of anti-de Blasio protests around the city until the summer of 2015.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/how_cops_gop_are_teaming_up_undermine_blacklivesmatter_movement_20141230?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+Truthdig+Truthdig%253A+Drilling+Beneath+the+Headlines

Why N.J. has seen historic lows in voter turnout recently

TRENTON - Last month's elections continued what has become a striking trend in New Jersey recently: People are voting at historically low rates. Though U.S. Sen. Cory Booker - a nationally known politician - won his first full term in Washington and all 12 of the state's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for grabs, only 36 percent of New Jersey's registered voters cast ballots in November's midterm elections.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/12/why_njs_voter_turnout_has_reached_historic_lows.html

Historical ignorance of the recent past

Just after WW2 - 1946.....Professor Laskie....Political Science Professor at London University writes a 600 page book on American Democracy, within the final 2 paragraphs...On the final page he predicts the next 50 years.... the United States will be - the most influential nation on earth in a variety of ways......But he focuses on the question if it will be for the good or ill of the Democracy and the world. In some ways...America has met expectations.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/30/1354701/-Historical-ignorance-of-the-recent-past

The Clinton echo

If there were an obvious takeaway for the 2016 hopefuls this year, it might as well have been the motto for the 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton: "It's the economy, stupid." So it is no wonder that many of Hillary Clinton's touchstones on the campaign trail this year have come straight from her husband's 1992 playbook - at times almost verbatim - a focus on rebuilding the middle class, addressing income inequality, and reviving the American promise that each generation should fare better than the last.

http://gantdaily.com/2014/12/30/the-clinton-echo/

Marking the non-happenings of 2014

The end of the year usually sees a lot of reflecting on the major events of the past 12 months. In reality, it's often the things that didn't happen that seem to end up getting the most media attention in a given period.

http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20141230/OPINION/141239995/101092/OPINION02

10 Things to Know for Today

Indonesian authorities spot six bodies from the flight that went missing off the coast of Borneo island, and recover three of them. With a surge in air travel across the region, airlines are struggling to hire and train enough crews to keep up with demand.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/dec/30/10-things-to-know-for-today/

Open-lake dump of toxic dredge by Army Corps offshore of Cleveland out-of-bounds: editorial

The Buffalo office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needs to be brought to heel by federal and state authorities for continuing to press ahead with its inane plans to dump toxic Cleveland harbor and Cuyahoga River dredge directly into Lake Erie. The open-lake disposal of what the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency calls "contaminated material" is tentatively scheduled to begin on April Fool's Day , according to a public notice the Corps published last month.

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/12/open-lake_dump_of_toxic_dredge_by_army_corps_means_war_editorial_river.html

Minister's call on media diversity

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid backs more diversity in the media but said it would not be right to set minimum targets into the BBC charter Television and the media should be more diverse but writing minimum targets into the new BBC charter would not work, the Culture Secretary has said. Sajid Javid said he would not want to encourage tokenism and praised moves by BBC director-general Tony Hall to increase black and ethnic minority talent on the airwaves.

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/national/11693080.Minister_s_call_on_media_diversity/

Obama not ready to leave the field just yet

It's too early for a final judgment on Mr. Obama. There's a whole fourth quarter to be played.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-obama-not-ready-to-leave-the-field-just-yet-20141229-story.html?track=rss

Bad feelings toward the neighbors

It is an alarming and deplorable situation. An annual survey released by the Cabinet Office on Dec. 20 showed that as much as 83 percent of Japanese people polled do not feel a sense of affinity toward China, while 66 percent of them gave the same answer with regard to their feelings toward South Korea.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/12/30/editorials/bad-feelings-toward-neighbors/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+japantimes+%28The+Japan+Times%3A+All+Stories%29

'For US Jews, Ted Cruz is star attraction at Passover getaways '

Wealthy American Jews planning their Passover vacation this spring will have a chance to hear one of Israel's most ardent supporters and, by extension, one of Barack Obama's fiercest critics in a resort near you. Ted Cruz, the Republican senator from Texas who is considering a run for the presidency, is listed as a speaker in a number of high-end vacation getaways that cater to religious Jews in the United States, according to the online magazine Politico .

http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/For-US-Jews-Ted-Cruz-is-star-attraction-at-Passover-getaways-386131

Obama: Nation Less Racially Divided

With protests over treatment of blacks by police in Houston and across the U.S., President Barack Obama suggests race relations have actually improved during his time in the White House. who teaches humanities at Rice University.

http://www.sunny99.com/articles/texas-news-489524/obama-nation-less-racially-divided-13102539/

Jeb Bush Seen As Clear GOP Frontrunner

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has yet to officially announce a 2016 run for President, but he's already getting good news from the The former Florida Governor is the leader among Republicans in a new CNN/OCR poll with 24 percent. His closest competitor is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is second with 13%.

http://www.sunny99.com/articles/texas-news-489524/jeb-bush-seen-as-clear-gop-13102536/

The Pundit Audit, 2014

Every year, sometime in December, I pore over my stories from the previous months and ask what I got wrong . The theory behind this hairshirting is that I will not re-make the same mistakes; that public shaming, even if self-inflicted, is going to stop me blundering into some weak punditry or lazy analysis.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/features/2014-12-30/the-pundit-audit-2014

"The longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion."'

With the Taliban still fighting and Afghan troops still in training, some U.S. troops won't be coming home soon. After 13 years of war, President Barack Obama this week declared the end of U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-12-30/five-reasons-why-the-us-really-isnt-done-in-afghanistan

10 things to know for Dec. 30

Indonesian authorities spot six bodies from the missing flight off the coast of Borneo island, and recover three of them.

http://www.journalgazette.net/news/worth-a-click/10-things-know-1230

Michael Gerson:

One outcome of and proof for ideological polarization is the way it has made stalwarts appear like centrists. In what world is Hillary Clinton - feminist heroine, author of Hillarycare, sworn enemy of the vast right-wing conspiracy - not progressive enough? In what parallel universe is Jeb Bush - a tax-slashing, school-voucher-supporting, pro-gun former Southern governor - some kind of moderate? George Wallace, who managed to be foolish on an amazing variety of topics, said that there wasn't "a dime's worth of difference" between the Democratic and Republican parties.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michael/gerson123014.php3

Dave Weinbaum:

Democrats supported the war in Afghanistan overwhelmingly, voting unanimously for it on 9/14/2001. Not only did 58% of the Dem Senate vote for war on Iraq and Saddam on 10/11/2002 but they based it on a display of bravado General George Patton would have been proud of, starting in 1998.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/dave/weinbaum123014.php3

Alicia Colon:

If People magazine had featured this week merely a conversation with the President and the First Lady, Michelle Obama's comments would have been unremarkable. But she made one as an example of the First Couple's racist experiences and one that occurred after she became First Lady: "I tell this story - I mean, even as the first lady - during that wonderfully publicized trip I took to Target, not highly disguised, the only person who came up to me in the store was a woman who asked me to help her take something off a shelf.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1214/colon123014.php3

Thomas Sowell:

Now that Barack Obama is ruling by decree, he seems more like a king than a president. Maybe it is time we change the way we address him.

http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell123014.php3

New Republican-led panel will focus on energy and environment

Rep. Jason Chaffetz looks on during testimony at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Nov. 19. House Republicans next year will use a new oversight subcommittee to examine the Obama administration's energy and environmental policies. Rep. Jason Chaffetz , future chair the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced that he would form the new panel to watch over the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the departments of agriculture, energy and interior.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2014/12/30/new-house-oversight-panel-will-focus-on-energy-and-environment/

Clinton copies from husband's playbook

If there were an obvious takeaway for the 2016 hopefuls this year, it might as well have been the motto for the 1992 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton: "It's the economy, stupid." So it is no wonder that many of Hillary Clinton's touchstones on the campaign trail this year have come straight from her husband's 1992 playbook - at times almost verbatim - a focus on rebuilding the middle class, addressing income inequality, and reviving the American promise that each generation should fare better than the last.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/30/politics/clintonecho/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Republicans see diversity in their 2016 hopefuls

Long criticized as the party of old white men, Republicans are seeing a diverse group of people step up for possible contention in the 2016 presidential race. This class of contenders could include two Hispanic senators, an Indian-American governor, a female business leader and an African-American neurosurgeon.

http://www.daily-jeff.com/latest%20headlines/2014/12/30/republicans-see-diversity-in-their-2016-hopefuls

McIntyre served constituents well

When Mike McIntyre went to Washington in 1997, he was determined to forge a path built on solid constituent service and adherence to his own religious values.

http://www.jdnews.com/opinion/our-opinion/mcintyre-served-constituents-well-1.418874

FBI Probes If Banks Hacked Back as Firms Mull Offensives

So say a dozen security specialists and former law-enforcement officials, who described an intensifying and largely unspoken sense of unease inside many companies after the recent breach of Sony Corp. 's networks. U.S. officials have shown little appetite to intervene as banks, retailers, casinos, power companies and manufacturers have been targeted by foreign-based hackers.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-30/fbi-probes-if-banks-hacked-back-as-firms-mull-offensives.html

Train Station That Brought Lincoln To Gettysburg To Be Added To National Military Park

Legislation appended to a half-trillion-dollar defense authorization bill will add the train station that brought President Lincoln to Gettysburg for his historic address to the national military park in 2015. The legislation clears the way for the Gettysburg Foundation to donate the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station and an undeveloped 45-acre parcel of battlefield land to the National Park Service.

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2014/12/train-station-brought-lincoln-gettysburg-be-added-national-military-park26095

Myanmar's opposition undecided on contesting polls

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says it is too early for her party to decide whether it will join 2015 elections because it depends on whether the constitution and election laws are amended. She noted Tuesday that her National League for Democracy party boycotted 2010 polls because it believed the legal conditions were unacceptable.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/myanmars-opposition-undecided-on-contesting-polls/2014/12/30/4d957ac4-900d-11e4-a66f-0ca5037a597d_story.html

Report: Rep. Grimm announces resignation effective Jan. 5

Grimm pleaded guilty in federal court last week to felony tax fraud. He privately told House Republican leaders Monday he will resign, following calls from Democrats for him to step down.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/12/30/report-rep-grimm-announces-resignation-effective-tuesday/

Low-profile US diplomat helped negotiate with Cuba

Just in time for the holidays, a low-profile presidential aide invited long-suffering Judy Gross into his White House office to personally give her the gift she'd been hoping for the past five years. Her husband, Alan Gross, was being released from a Cuban prison and coming home.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20141230/news/312309977/

Obama golf game forces Army couple to move wedding

A couple getting married near President Barack Obama's vacation spot in Hawaii learned the hard way that the big day rarely goes exactly as planned. Natalie Heimel and Edward Mallue Jr. - both U.S. Army captains stationed in Hawaii - were scheduled to tie the knot Sunday at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course, a military course with ocean views near Obama's rented vacation home in Kailua.

http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2014-12-30/obama-golf-game-forces-army-couple-move-wedding

More Inspections, Fewer Mines Result in Lowest Number of Miner Deaths

Less than five years after an explosion fueled by excess coal dust killed 29 men deep inside a West Virginia underground mine, the nation's coal mines are on pace for an all-time low in work-related deaths. Federal mine safety officials credit changes they've made since the Upper Big Branch disaster in April 2010.

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/12/30/351019.htm

Will Hillary run? She needs to decide soon

A still undeclared candidate, Hillary Rodham Clinton sits atop the prospective field of Democratic presidential candidates for 2016. But as Clinton has said before, if she runs again, she'll work as hard as any underdog.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/54719

Convicted tax evader will resign from Congress

A New York congressman who pleaded guilty to tax evasion just days ago has announced he'll resign from office next week because he would not be able to give the job his full attention anymore. "The events which led to this day did not break my spirit, nor the will of the voters," he said.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/54721

President Obama's golf game disrupts military wedding

This Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014, photo provided by Keao's Photography shows Natalie Heimel, second from left, and Edward Mallue Jr., third from left, both U.S. Army captains stationed in Hawaii, reacting with their wedding party after getting a phone call from President Obama during their ceremony at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The couple was told on Saturday they would have to have to move their wedding away from the 16th hole because Obama and his friends planned to golf.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/national/president-obamas-golf-game-disrupts-military-weddi/njcm4/

Steve Scalise's lame excuse

The Post reports: Rep. Steve Scalise , the House majority whip, acknowledged Monday that he spoke at a gathering hosted by white nationalist leaders while serving as a state representative in 2002, thrusting a racial controversy into House Republican ranks days before the party assumes control of both congressional chambers. His spokesman's explanation is less than satisfying.

http://lucianne.com/thread/?artnum=814841

Obama nominees in doubt

Democrats are still dancing in the end zone after running up the score on dozens of President Barack Obama's nominees during the lame duck. They should enjoy the moment, because Republicans are about to step up their goal-line defense.

http://lucianne.com/thread/?artnum=814837

After Guilty Plea, NY CongressmanSays He ll Resign Jan. 5

A New York congressman who pleaded guilty to tax evasion just days ago has announced heA ll resign from office next week because he would not be able to give the job his full attention anymore. Republican Rep. Michael Grimm issued a statement late Monday saying he will resign effective Jan. 5. "The events which led to this day did not break my spirit, nor the will of the voters," he said.

http://lucianne.com/thread/?artnum=814832

Search crews find debris, bodies near site where AirAsia plane last seen

Indonesian officials say they've spotted debris and several bodies floating in the waters near where the missing AirAsia plane was last seen. The head of Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency, Bambang Soelistyo, also said a shadow in the shape of a plane has been spotted in the water.

http://www.wkow.com/story/27727261/2014/12/30/search-crews-find-debris-bodies-near-site-where-airasia-plane-last-seen

Next 25 Articles

The Obama administration's failure from this summer's border surge looks even worse in hindsight, according to an analysis released Monday by the Center for Immigration Studies that found the Homeland Security Department knowingly released most illegal immigrants into the community where they absconded, blending into the rest of the illegal immigrant population. Most of those coming were not unaccompanied minors, but rather members of family units - at least one parent with a child or children, who under the law could have been held and deported quickly.

http://lucianne.com/main2/?fcnt=814798

Dayton unsure of Minnesota's next step on wolves

Dayton says he's unsure how active Minnesota would be in any appeal of the federal judge's pre-Christmas decision, which reinstated federal protection for the species in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. It's halted the hunt that had gone on for two years to manage the wolf population.

http://froggyweb.com/news/articles/2014/dec/30/dayton-unsure-of-minnesotas-next-step-on-wolves/

Here's Why Obama Said The U.S. Is 'Less Racially Divided'

President Obama says Americans feel worse about race relations not because relations are worse, but because we're talking about them more. Obama offered that analysis during a year-ending NPR interview.

http://www.wnyc.org/story/heres-why-obama-said-the-us-is-less-racially-divided/

Unions Hope Illegal Immigrants Join Up

The nation's biggest unions are making a big push to attract illegal immigrants who have been given new protections by President Barack Obama's Executive Order . "They haven't been able to get immigrants to sign up because of a concern that they would be deported or they would be put into a database of the government, so they've been very reluctant to sign up already," Avela tells KTRH News.

http://www.sunny99.com/articles/texas-news-489524/unions-hope-illegal-immigrants-join-up-13099750/

By Margaret TalevFive Ways Obama Can Mess with Republicans in 2015

He's freed from the constraints of another election. If the end of 2014 foreshadows the president's next set of moves, Republicans will not be amused.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-12-29/five-ways-obama-can-mess-with-republicans-in-2015

Jeb Bush jumps to the front of Republicans' 2016 race

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is suddenly leading the pack of 2016 presidential hopefuls in the Republican Party. A CNN/ORC poll released on Sunday found Bush with the support of 23 percent of Republicans, 10 percentage points higher than his nearest rival, New Jersey Gov. Chris Cristie.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/228116-gop-2016-race-jeb-jumps-to-the-front

In US-Cuba prisoner swap, mystery surrounds the unnamed 53

Cuba's most prominent dissidents say they have been kept in the dark by U.S. officials over a list of 53 political prisoners who will be released from jail as part of a deal to end decades of hostility between the United States and Cuba. For years, dissident leaders have told the United States which opponents of Cuba's communist government were being jailed or harassed, but they say they were not consulted when the list of prisoners to be freed was drawn up or even told who is on it.

http://bangordailynews.com/2014/12/29/news/nation/in-us-cuba-prisoner-swap-mystery-surrounds-the-unnamed-53/

10 notable suburban business people of 2014

Not too many jobs allow you the golden opportunity of talking to so many innovators. This year, I've had the honor to talk with many, including these 10 notable people: •Edith M. Flanigen, an 85-year-old consultant and retired award-winning chemist with UOP LLC in Des Plaines, had the opportunity of a lifetime when she was feted at the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C., in November.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20141229/business/141228708/

U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan ends combat role

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http://www.trust.org/item/20141228154445-gphsv/?source=fiOtherNews3

Liberals rise, but at a cost to Democrats

The Democratic left is rising, and it's unclear whether that will help the embattled party prosper or sink. Ideology-driven mo ... Associated Press U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is an Independent from Vermont, but has caucused with Democrats.

http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/MCT-Liberal-122914

GOP erects bigger tent for minority challenge

The faces of the Republican Party's most ambitious members are changing. Long criticized as the party of old white men, the GO ... FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2014 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/GOP-Big-Tent-122914

Is Mitt Romney For Same-Sex Marriage Equality Or Against It?

It is a time of fear in the face of freedom, a time of an emptying country and swelling cities, a time for the widening of previous roads and the opening of new paths, yet a time when these paths are mined by knowing algorithms of the all-seeing eye. It is the time of the warrior's peace and the miser's charity, when the planting of a seed is an act of conscientious objection.

http://irregulartimes.com/2014/12/29/is-mitt-romney-for-same-sex-marriage-equality-or-against-it/

The Failure of Republican Economics

According to reports , one of the first acts of the Republican congress will be to fire Doug Elmendorf, current director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, because he won't use "dynamic scoring" for his economic projections. Dynamic scoring is the magical-mystery math Republicans have been pushing since they came up with supply-side "trickle-down" economics.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_failure_of_republican_economics_20141229?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+Truthdig+Truthdig%253A+Drilling+Beneath+the+Headlines

Pence begins economic development part of trip

Gov. Mike Pence is scheduled to begin the economic development portion of his nine-day trip to Israel by meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . Pence, Netanyahu and Israeli Minister of Economy Naftali Bennett are scheduled to meet Monday to discuss economic relations between Indiana and Israel.

http://dailyjournal.net/view/story/c2ed23a9aa0a4017bd6d5780f4af36f9/IN--Pence-Israel/

The GOP's 2016 problem

The Republican establishment won big during this year's midterm elections, fending off far-right candidates in primary races who might have threatened the party's bid to retake full control of Congress. GOP leaders will have to keep an eye on a wide-open presidential primary, along with internal party fights at the House, Senate and gubernatorial levels.

http://www.wtma.com/common/more.php?m=151&ts=1419850746&article=B591B77C8F4911E4B51EFEFDADE6840A&mode=2

CNN/ORC Poll: Bush surges to2016 GOP frontrunner

Jeb Bush is the clear Republican presidential frontrunner, surging to the front of the potential GOP pack following his announcement that heA s "actively exploring" a bid, a new CNN/ORC poll found. He takes nearly one-quarter - 23% - of Republicans surveyed in the new nationwide poll, putting him 10 points ahead of his closest competitor, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who tallied 13%.

http://lucianne.com/thread/?artnum=814758

Cop killer blame game shows a double standard

Going by objective standards of reason and fairness, Al Sharpton is not to blame for the assassination of two New York City cops over the weekend. Nor are New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, President Obama or any of the protesters and activists they supported, encouraged and allied themselves with.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-blame-game-in-new-york-cop-killings-shows-a-demonization-double-standard-20141224-story.html

The GOP's 2016 problem

The Republican establishment won big during this year's midterm elections, fending off far-right candidates in primary races who might have threatened the party's bid to retake full control of Congress. GOP leaders will have to keep an eye on a wide-open presidential primary, along with internal party fights at the House, Senate and gubernatorial levels.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/29/politics/conservative-primary-fights/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_allpolitics+%28RSS%3A+Politics%29

Rage Against the New Age Machine: Three Days at the Osho International Meditation Resort

I went to India searching for spiritual enlightenment. I found a neoliberal heaven that catered to my worst possible self.

http://religiondispatches.org/rage-against-the-new-age-machine-three-days-at-the-osho-ashram/

Obama doesn't rule out US embassy in Iran

A man surfing on the Central California coast was dragged under water by a juvenile great white shark and bitten in the hip on Sunday before he could paddle to shore, where he received help from two doctors who... A man surfing on the Central California coast was dragged under water by a juvenile great white shark and bitten in the hip on Sunday before he could paddle to shore, where he received help from two doctors who happened to... Goats are known to eat just about anything, but it didn't dawn on Vince Thomas until recently that the menu might include Christmas trees.

http://www.newschannel6now.com/story/27719995/obama-doesnt-rule-out-us-embassy-in-iran

Obama Warns Republicans He Plans to Veto Their Legislation

Warning from President Barack Obama to congressional Republicans: I have a veto pen and, come January, I won't be afraid to use it. Since taking office in 2009, Obama has only vetoed legislation twice, both in fairly minor circumstances.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-warns-republicans-he-plans-veto-their-legislation

Obama Praises Troops as US Marks End of War in Afghanistan

The longest war in American history has come to a "responsible conclusion" with the withdrawal US and NATO combat forces from Afghanistan, US President Barack Obama has said but warned that the country remains "a dangerous place". NATO's war in Afghanistan, fought for 13 years, came to a formal end yesterday with a flag-lowering ceremony in Kabul that marked the transition of the fighting from US-led combat troops to the country's own security forces.

http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/Obama-Praises-Troops-as-US-Marks-End-of-War-in-Afghanistan/874834

Top 10 Chris Christie quotes of 2014

Gov. Mitt Romney, center, jokes with Christie during New Jersey's governor's 52 birthday celebration in September in . "Let me tell you something Mr. President, you were wrong, Mitt Romney was right and the world is suffering because of it."

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/12/top_10_chris_christie_quotes_of_2014_1.html

GOP Senator Says Congress Could Target Funding for UN Over Palestinian Issue

As the Palestinians and their allies prepare to push a U.N. Security Council resolution to a vote within days, Sen. Lindsey Graham warned at the weekend that the incoming GOP-controlled Senate could respond by targeting U.S. funding for the United Nations. On a visit to Israel, Graham told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that the new Senate would also act, in January, to pass bipartisan Iran sanctions legislation long opposed by the Obama administration.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/gop-senator-says-congress-could-target-funding-un-over-palestinian

Nazis, Sunscreen, and Congress

They did their best to convince you otherwise. But Congress actually did some things in 2014.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/29/nazis-sunscreen-and-sea-gull-eggs-congress-in-2014-was-hella-productive.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29

Republican Battles GOP on Immigration

A prominent Republican senator tells 2016 contenders to skip the Iowa caucuses and its occasionally anti-immigrant crowd if they want to have a shot at winning the White House. Sen. Jeff Flake, the vocal proponent of immigration reform from Arizona, has a New Year's wish: serious action in the issue from the House of Representatives, and soon.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/29/can-this-republican-bring-the-gop-back-to-its-senses-on-immigration.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29

How Public Unions Divide Democrats

Paying for all those pensions inevitably means less money for parks and schools. It's a conundrum Democrats can no longer ignore.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/29/how-public-sector-unions-divide-the-democrats.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29

How Much Will Business Owners Save From Senate's Section 179D Extension?

Business owners, architects, and tax professionals may want to act fast to get their properties certified with National Cost and therefore take advantage of the energy tax breaks outlined in Section 179D of the IRS tax code. The Senate finally renewed the tax extenders for 2014, but the extension only lasts for two weeks and was passed amidst controversy and contention that threaten its longevity.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/12/prweb12409567.htm

Obama: US Race Relations Haven't Worsened in Decades

President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Dec. 19, 2014. President Obama says "gaps of understanding" and "mistrust" persist between blacks and whites in America but have improved since he took office six years ago.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-us-race-relations-worsened-decades/story?id=27869188

Obama: Iran has 'chance to get right with the world'

This Dec. 19, 2014, file photo shows President Barack Obama as he speaks during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. WASHINGTON: Iran could become a "very successful regional power" if Tehran agrees to a long-term deal to curb its nuclear program, Barack Obama said in an interview with NPR News, however the US president criticized the Islamic Republic for supporting Hezbollah.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2014/Dec-29/282517-obama-iran-has-chance-to-get-right-with-the-world.ashx

Ann McFeatters: Happy thoughts about what we hope will happen in 2015

It's hard at this pleasant, anticipatory time of year to dwell on grim news about our politicians .

http://heralddemocrat.com/opinion/national-commentary/ann-mcfeatters-happy-thoughts-about-what-we-hope-will-happen-2015

David M. Shribman:

Is Barack Obama's duty to hear the voices of the entire country or is it to heed the entreaties of his allies on the left and in the Democratic Party? That is one of the simplest, and also one of the most complex, questions of our time. To ask it is to please conservatives who argue that Mr. Obama consistently ignores their impulses and ideas.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/david/shribman122914.php3

Debra J. Saunders:

Fiorina has run for office only once, as the Republican challenger to Sen. Barbara Boxer of California in 2010 - and she lost. Still, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO won prime attention by running and losing.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1214/saunders122914.php3

Bruce Bialosky:

There is an argument put forth among some in Los Angeles whenever there is an eruption coming from Gaza of rockets fired into Israel. We love to hear the restraint that certain people suggest to the Israelis about the level of their military reaction to the terror raining down on their civilian population.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1214/bialosky122914.php3

Jay Ambrose:

In this holiday season, let's suppose what might strike some as a miracle, that our Democratic president and a Republican Congress will soon join forces to do something wondrously humane. Let's suppose they agree to do what actually works to help shove poverty off the American map.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1214/ambrose122914.php3

Ann McFeatters

It's hard at this pleasant, anticipatory time of year to dwell on grim news about our politicians . So let's not.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1214/A_McFeatters.php3

Pence begins economic development part of trip

Gov. Mike Pence is scheduled to begin the economic development portion of his nine-day trip to Israel by meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pence, Netanyahu and Israeli Minister of Economy Naftali Bennett are scheduled to meet Monday to discuss economic relations between Indiana and Israel.

http://wishtv.com/2014/12/29/pence-begins-economic-development-part-of-trip/

Fred Barnes:

On domestic issues, President Obama rarely leads and doesn't like to negotiate. In his first two years in office, he didn't have to do either.

http://jewishworldreview.com/1214/barnes122914.php3

'Despicable act' fuels tension

Some blame New York mayor Bill de Blasio and politicians for the ongoing violence in the city, writes Jamelle Bouie. smaaiyl Brinsley shot a former girlfriend in Baltimore, and hours later, in Brooklyn, New York, he ambushed and killed two police officers in their car and then killed himself.

http://www.iol.co.za/the-star/despicable-act-fuels-tension-1.1799644

Despite Election Defeat, Obama Sees Room To Push His Agenda

Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep interviews President Obama on Dec. 17 in the Oval Office, where they discussed recent moves on Cuba and immigration, and prospects for cooperation with a GOP-dominated Congress. President Obama has begun his administration's final phase the way he began several other chapters of his presidency: seeking to recover from disaster.

http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2014/12/29/152645/despite_election_defeat_obama_sees_room_to_push_his_agenda?category=politics

Obama warns GOP he plans to use veto pen in 2015

Warning from President Barack Obama to congressional Republicans: I have a veto pen and, come January, I won't be afraid to use it. Since taking office in 2009, Obama has only vetoed legislation twice, both in fairly minor circumstances.

http://klfy.com/ap/obama-warns-gop-he-plans-to-use-veto-pen-in-2015/

2014 In Review: Malloy Prepares For Second Term After Winning Tight Race

In a hard-fought campaign that mirrored their exceptionally close 2010 gubernatorial campaign, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was able to fend off Greenwich multimillionaire Tom Foley to win his second consecutive four-year term as governor in November's election. A former mayor of Stamford, Malloy was able to overcome an early campaign lead by Foley - a Quinnipiac University poll in early September had Foley leading Malloy by 6 percentage points.

http://weston.dailyvoice.com/politics/2014-review-malloy-prepares-second-term-after-winning-tight-race

Political Targeting Pushes Bounds of Privacy

Politico : "In the 2014 campaign, many voters expressed outrage over the National Security Agency's collection of telephone metadata, and others complained about retailers using tricks to get their emails and other personal information. But by far the most sweeping violator of privacy wasn't the government or big-box stores: It was the very political leaders to whom the voters were appealing."

http://politicalwire.com/2014/12/29/political-targeting-pushes-bounds-of-privacy/

Republicans see diversity in their 2016 hopefuls

In this Dec. 17, 2014 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the son of Cuban immigrants, expresses his disappointment in President Barack Obama's initiative to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington. Long criticized as the party of old white men, Republicans are seeing a diverse group of people step up for possible contention in the 2016 presidential race.

http://www.news965.com/news/ap/top-news/republicans-see-diversity-in-their-2016-hopefuls/njcDT/

GOP puts up a bigger tent for minority challenge

Long criticized as the party of old white men, the GOP's next class of presidential contenders may include two Hispanic senators, an Indian-American governor, a female business leader and an African-American neurosurgeon. In a group that could exceed a dozen Republican White House prospects, all but a few are in their 40s or 50s, while one of the oldest white men is a fluent Spanish speaker whose wife is a native Mexican.

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/gop-puts-up-a-bigger-tent-for-minority-challenge-1.1809575

Despite Election Defeat, Obama Sees Room To Push His Agenda

President Obama has begun his administration's final phase the way he began several other chapters of his presidency: seeking to recover from disaster. Obama has moved vigorously since his party lost the Senate in November.

http://www.npr.org/2014/12/29/372537535/despite-election-defeat-obama-sees-room-to-push-his-agenda?

The Year of Unconventional Wisdom

Voters had a way of not always following the script-otherwise known as "conventional wisdom"-set out by those whose columns, microphones, talk shows, and TV appearances give them the prominence to proclaim what quickly is accepted as the way it is. Perhaps the biggest lesson learned from the year gone by is that conventional wisdom-always subject to change-now does so more rapidly than ever.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/white-house/the-year-of-unconventional-wisdom-20141229

2014, According to the Drudge Report

Don't doubt the influence of Matt Drudge. According to Quantcast , the Drudge Report sees a steady stream of more than 2 million unique visitors daily.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/2014-according-to-the-drudge-report-20141229

Obama warns GOP he plans to use veto pen in 2015

President Barack Obama is putting congressional Republicans on notice that he expects to use his veto pen far more often next year. Obama says he hasn't vetoed many bills since taking office in 2009.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/dec/29/obama-warns-gop-he-plans-to-use-veto-pen-in-2015/

Bernardo de G lvez y Madrid's Very Good Year

Rep. Jeff Miller sponsored the bill granting Bernardo de GA lvez y Madrid honorary citizenship. Among the flurry of bills President Barack Obama signed into law before heading to Hawaii for the holidays was a resolution granting GA lvez honorary U.S. citizenship, something that's only happened eight times in U.S. history and is a distinction bestowed only on non-U.S. citizens of "exceptional merit."

http://blogs.rollcall.com/hill-blotter/bernardo-de-galvez-y-madrids-very-good-year/?dcz=

10 Races to Watch in 2016: Nevada Senate

Republicans ousted Sen. Harry Reid as majority leader in 2014. This cycle, the GOP wants to finish the job and defeat the Democrat at home in Nevada.

http://atr.rollcall.com/races-to-watch-2016-nevada-senate-harry-reid/?dcz=

Obama Warns GOP He Plans to Use Veto Pen in 2015

Warning from President Barack Obama to congressional Republicans: I have a veto pen and, come January, I won't be afraid to use it. Since taking office in 2009, Obama has only vetoed legislation twice, both in fairly minor circumstances.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-warns-gop-plans-veto-pen-2015-27873403

Despite Election Defeat, Obama Sees Room To Push His Agenda

President Obama has begun his administration's final phase the way he began several other chapters of his presidency: seeking to recover from disaster. Obama has moved vigorously since his party lost the Senate in November.

http://www.wnyc.org/story/despite-election-defeat-obama-sees-room-to-push-his-agenda/

Amid tension, more than 20,000 attend NYPD funeral

Thousands of police officers, state troopers, sheriff's deputies and others from law enforcement agencies big and small across the country gathered at the New York City funeral of a slain officer killed with his partner in a brazen daytime ambush a week ago. The sea of blue uniforms stretched for blocks outside the Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens on Saturday, as police helicopters flew above in a missing-man formation and Officer Rafael Ramos' body was carried by pallbearers in a casket draped in the New York Police Department flag.

http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Amid-tension-more-than-20000-attend-NYPD-funeral-286951621.html

'A shift in perception' of Canada in the U.S.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, left, and U.S. President Barack Obama attend the G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia on Nov. 15, 2014. Canada has undergone a gradual image makeover in Washington since Stephen Harper was elected, experts say.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/12/27/a_shift_in_perception_of_canada_in_the_us.html

State's educational attainment inexorably linked to poverty, unemployment

Since we're headed into a courthouse-to-statehouse election year in Mississippi, the political conversation will of course turn to who is responsible for any and every thing that's not to the liking of the state's electorate. Democrats tell us that Mississippi's troubling unemployment numbers are the fault of Republicans in control of the legislative and executive branches of government in Mississippi.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-opinion/2014/12/states_educational_attainment.html

What The Papers Say - 28 December

In amongst the previews of Sunday's match at St James Park against Newcastle United, several Blues feature in local and national press. Tim Howard is the widely quoted and in the Liverpool Echo , he reveals why he believes Roberto Martinez will help him improve as a goalkeeper, despite entering his 37th year.

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2014/12/28/what-the-papers-say-28-december

Elizabeth Warren's Wall Street jihad

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, speaks at the Center for American Progress' 2014 Making Progress Policy Conference in Washington Nov.19, 2014. The revival of the U.S. financial system after the crash of 2008 is arguably the Obama administration's biggest domestic policy success.

http://bangordailynews.com/2014/12/28/opinion/contributors/elizabeth-warrens-wall-street-jihad/

greg_sargent

Greg Sargent writes The Plum Line blog, a reported opinion blog with a liberal slant -- what you might call "opinionated reporting" from the left.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/12/28/sunday-open-thread-109/

Obama either fired up or passe

It was supposed to be a joke. "Are you still president?" comedian Stephen Colbert asked Barack Obama earlier this month.

http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Obama-s-twilight-122814

Today in History

On Dec. 28, 1944, the musical "On the Town," with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, opened on Broadway.

http://www.journalgazette.net/news/Today-in-History-4200256

Congress likely to make key decisions on drones

The Obama administration is on the verge of proposing long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year. Federal Aviation Administration officials have said they want to release proposed rules before the end of this month, but other government and industry officials say they are likely to be delayed until January.

http://www.turnto10.com/story/27716521/congress-likely-to-make-key-decisions-on-drones

NATO lowers flag on its Afghan war, but...

NATO formally ended its war in Afghanistan on Sunday, holding a low-key ceremony in Kabul after 13 years of conflict that have left the country in the grip of worsening insurgent violence. Afghan National Army soldiers patrol the compound of the mosque in Sangesar village where Mullah Omar founded the Taliban movement 20 years ago is located, on December 11, 2014 The event was arranged in secret due to the threat of Taliban strikes in the Afghan capital, which has been hit by repeated suicide bombings and gun attacks over recent years.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/452674/nato-lowers-flag-on-its-afghan-war-but-insurgency-boils

Quin Hillyer: Why Bobby Jindal should not run for president

Gov. Bobby Jindal obviously wants to be president. But at age 43, Jindal is young enough, by far, to bide his time.

http://theadvocate.com/news/opinion/11168373-123/quin-hillyer-why-bobby-jindal

Smiley Anders: Lame ducks, a oeDuck Dynasty,a and other odd birds: Quacky 2014 draws to a close

As the year 2014 lurches to an end, it's once again time to recall the stories that defined this less-than-glorious year in the Gret Stet of Louisiana. It was a year when Louisiana joined the other states of the Confederacy in becoming solidly Republican and bright red .

http://theadvocate.com/entertainment/allentertainment/9740153-123/smiley-anders-lame-ducks-duck

California's presidential primary wasn't always anticlimactic

Scenario: California moved its primary up to February from June, when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were still slugging it out for the Democratic nomination. The mood: "To California political activists who have labored for years under the mantra that the state doesn't matter in the presidential primaries, 2008 has been the campaign that brought back wonderment," The Times wrote at the time.

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1228-close-california-20141228-story.html

NATO to Mark End of Its Afghan War

NATO will hold a ceremony in Kabul today formally ending its war in Afghanistan, officials said, after 13 years of conflict that have left the country in the grip of worsening insurgent violence. The event was arranged in secret due to the threat of Taliban strikes in the Afghan capital, which has been hit by repeated suicide bombings and gun attacks over recent years.

http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/NATO-to-Mark-End-of-Its-Afghan-War/874723

American arrested in Israel to be held until end of trial

The Obama administration is about to propose long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year. The Obama administration is about to propose long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year.

http://www.newschannel6now.com/story/27716539/american-arrested-in-israel-to-be-held-until-end-of-trial

Yes-We-Can president faces twilight of maybes

It was supposed to be a joke. "Are you still president?" comedian Stephen Colbert asked President Barack Obama earlier this month.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/yeswecan-president-faces-twilight-of-maybes/30405478

Hey GQ, cana t find any crazy Democrats? Herea s 16

In a survey of the "Craziest Politicians of 2014," GQ had difficulty locating any Democrats. Seventeen out of 20 on the list were Republicans, with the only liberals being Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson and America's reigning nabob of nuttiness, Joe Biden.

http://nypost.com/2014/12/28/hey-gq-cant-find-any-crazy-democrats-heres-some/

VIDEO: Amid tension, more than 20,000 attend NYPD funeral

Thousands of police officers, state troopers, sheriff's deputies and others from law enforcement agencies big and small across the country gathered at the New York City funeral of a slain officer killed with his partner in a brazen daytime ambush a week ago. The sea of blue uniforms stretched for blocks outside the Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens on Saturday, as police helicopters flew above in a missing-man formation and Officer Rafael Ramos' body was carried by pallbearers in a casket draped in the New York Police Department flag.

http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2014-12-28/video-amid-tension-more-20000-attend-nypd-funeral

Achiever of the Year: Sarah Palin? For all her detractors'...

For all her detractors' cries of "irrelevance" and "she's just a reality show entertainer" , Palin goes on, election cycle after election cycle, populating Congress with her endorsed candidates in a cost-effective manner, and in such numbers that the likes of Karl Rove with his 1% success rate can surely view only with hidden admiration, if not downright envy. In what is perhaps the most interesting aspect of Palin's year of achievement, in instance after instance where Palin was ridiculed for a straightforward statement , her most strident critics have agreed, in whole or in part, with her views.

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/200270/

Was It Worth It?

We know how many of our troop and contractors have died the "collateral damage" is much harder to find estimates range from a quarter of a million lives on up. How many total wounded there are is unknown, how many lives broken unspoken.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/28/1354430/-Was-It-Worth-It

Of Cuban Spies, A Baby And A FilmmakerBy Nina Strochlic

Adriana Perez really wanted to have a baby. There was just one hitch: her husband Gerardo Hernandez was serving a double life sentence in a federal prison in California and she was thousands of miles away in Cuba.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/28/of-cuban-spies-a-baby-and-a-filmmaker-the-strange-tale-of-the-cuban-five.html

Capitol Insider: Both sides ask high court for ruling on gay marriage

It wasn't exactly peace on earth, but in the run-up to Christmas, the two sides in the legal battle over gay marriage did achieve agreement on one key point: "The present status quo is unsustainable," attorneys with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine assert in a brief.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/12/28/capitol-insider-both-sides-ask-high-court-for-ruling-on-gay-marriage.html

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise Was Reportedly an Honored Guest at...

According to recently uncovered posts on Stormfront, the Internet's oldest and most notorious white nationalist and neo-Nazi forum, the United States House Majority Whip, Steve Scalise , was allegedly an honored guest and speaker at an international conference of white supremacist leaders. Twelve years ago last May, the spacious but plainly appointed conference rooms of the Landmark Best Western Hotel in Metairie, Louisiana, a 16-story, drably-colored octagon-shaped tower that juts into an empty skyline and hugs Interstate 10 so tightly that it serves, in a way, as a type of gateway monument into the city of New Orleans, were filled with dozens of people from all over the country.

http://www.bayoubuzz.com/louisiana-news/louisiana-political-blogs/item/806638-house-majority-whip-steve-scalise-was-reportedly-an-honored-guest-at-2002-international-white-supremacist-convention

WX203-516_2013_094724_high.jpg

The Obama administration is about to propose long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year. Federal Aviation Administration officials have said they want to release proposed rules before the end of this month, but other government and industry officials say they are likely to be delayed until January.

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/faa-nears-long-awaited-drone-rules-but-key-decisions-on-drones-likely-to-come-from-congress-1.1697453

Ferguson rant more daunting than Obama call: Tim Howard

Our eNewspaper network was founded in 2002 to provide stand-alone digital news sites tailored for the most searched-for locations for news. With a traditional newspaper format, more than 100 sites were established each with a newspaper-type name to cover the highest-ranked regions, countries, cities and states.

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php/sid/228915825

'SEC Primary' could affect South Carolina GOP primary's impact

There's a chance South Carolina's 2016 Republican presidential primary could be overshadowed by a glut of other Deep South votes in the upcoming White House nomination season. In what's being referred to as an "SEC Primary," officials in five Southern states - Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee - are working together to hold a same-day regional primary, on March 1, 2016.

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20141228/PC1603/141229609/1177

NATO lowers flag on its Afghan war, but insurgency boils

NATO formally ended its war in Afghanistan on Sunday, holding a low-key ceremony in Kabul after 13 years of conflict that have left the country in the grip of worsening insurgent violence. The event was arranged in secret due to the threat of Taliban strikes in the Afghan capital, which has been hit by repeated suicide bombings and gun attacks over recent years.

http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-nato-lowers-flag-on-its-afghan-war-but-insurgency-boils-2014-12?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+businessinsider+%28Business+Insider%29

Policies of GOP governors could find national play

FILE - This Nov. 19, 2014, file photo shows Indiana Gov. Mike Pence at the Republican Governors Association annual conference in Boca Raton, Fla. One group of potential candidates for president probably won't be shuffling... .

http://www.news9.com/story/27713496/policies-of-gop-governors-could-find-national-play

Grace in silence of 'W'

In the domain of foreign affairs, 2014 has brought heated national debates on an impressive range of subjects: Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Syria, Ebola, immigration policy and, most recently, torture, North Korea and Cuba. One of the more remarkable features of all these discussions has been the consistent grace of President George W. Bush.

http://www.lowellsun.com/editorials/ci_27217997/grace-silence-w?source=rss

Some predictions guaranteed to come true during 2015

Trust me. You can take these to the bank. In 2015, I predict neither Mitt Romney nor Elizabeth Warren will announce a run for president, but Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton will.

http://www.lowellsun.com/opinion/ci_27217994/some-predictions-guaranteed-come-true-during-2015?source=rss

Federal funding for Savannah port approved

SHEP is expected to have a positive impact on the economy in the southeastern United States generally and in Coweta County in particular. Coweta businesses and industries use the ports at Savannah and Brunswick for importing materials and exporting finished products.

http://www.times-herald.com/Local/20141228ports-funding-PIC-16-?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2FTopStories+%28The+Times-Herald+%3E+Top+Stories%29

Russia Plans to Build 'Noah's Ark' - But Not Exactly in the Way You May Think

Moscow State University announced it has received Russia's largest scientific grant ever to help it realize its ambition of collecting genetic material for every living - and extinct - creature that has ever traversed the Earth, a project it is calling "Noah's Ark." Russia's English-language network RT reported Friday that besides collecting DNA information on all living creatures, the university plans to construct a "gigantic" ark-like structure on campus in which to store the samples.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/28/russia-plans-to-build-noahs-ark-but-not-exactly-in-the-way-you-may-think/?#038;#038;#038;

American arrested in Israel to be held until end of trial

An Israeli court has ordered an Illinois man charged with plotting anti-Muslim violence detained until the end of court proceedings against him. Everett Adam Livvix was arrested in November and charged with weapons possession.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/dec/28/american-arrested-in-israel-to-be-held-until-end-o/

Congress likely to make key decisions on drones

In this Feb. 13, 2014, file photo, Jon McBride, who designs and builds drones with Digital Defense Surveillance, flies a training drone for members of the the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office search and rescue team, during a demonstration, in Brigham City, Utah. The Obama administration is on the verge of proposing long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year.

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/technology/articleGallery/Congress-likely-to-make-key-decisions-on-drones-5981867.php

Ex-Man United man: I was scared of Sir Alex's Ferguson's hairdryer

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has revealed that dealing with an irate football manager such as Sir Alex Ferguson or David Moyes is more daunting than speaking with the president of the United States. The former Red Devils' custodian spoke out in an interview about his experience of talking with Barack Obama, but feels that the brunt of a manager's anger was much more frightening.

http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/12/28/ex-man-united-man-tim-howard-reveals-fear-of-sir-alexs-hairdryer/

Slain NYPD officer mourned at funeral, fellow officers protest against mayor

Thousands of police officers from across the U.S. packed a church and spilled onto the streets on Saturday to honor a slain New York officer as a devoted family man, aspiring chaplain and hero, though an air of unrest surrounding his ambush shooting was not completely pushed aside. While mourners inside the church applauded politely as Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke, hundreds of officers outside turned their backs on him to protest what they see as his support for demonstrators angry over killings by police.

http://indianexpress.com/article/world/americas/slain-nypd-officer-mourned-at-funeral-fellow-officers-protest-against-mayor/

George Will - Cuba Derangement Syndrome

Barack Obama has made a geopolitical irrelevancy suddenly relevant to American presidential politics.

http://www.crescent-news.com/opinion/2014/12/28/george-will-cuba-derangement-syndrome

Congressman speaks for small businesses

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, the departing chairman of the U.S. House's Small Business Committee, elevated the profile of such firms partly through the committees works on issues such as federal contracts and the more than 200 hearings the panel held. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, the departing chairman of the U.S. House's Small Business Committee, elevated the profile of such firms partly through the committees works on issues such as federal contracts and the more than 200 hearings the panel held.

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/business/congressman-speaks-small-businesses-2745033

This day in history

Today is Sunday, Dec. 28, the 362nd day of 2014. There are three days left in the year.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20141228/NEWS/312289993/1102/RSS01&source=rss

Mr. Obama comes to town and other top stories of 2014

Let's be honest, most high school commencement ceremonies can be an outright snooze. Graduates count down classmates crossing the stage for their diplomas to the end of the alphabet, eager to get the heck out and proceed to a family party.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20141228/NEWS/312289839/1116/RSS03&source=rss

A Sea of Blue Salutes Fallen Police Officer

New York police officers escorted the hearse carrying slain Officer Rafael Ramos after his funeral at Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale, N.Y., on Saturday. John Taggart for The Wall Street Journal The funeral procession for Officer Rafael Ramos in Glendale, N.Y., He and his partner, Officer Wenjian Liu, were gunned down last weekend while sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/fallen-nypd-officer-receives-inspectors-funeral-1419692781?mod=trending_now_9

Death penalty states unmoved by botched execution

Oklahoma's last execution went so badly that the state tried to cancel it before it was over. With the inmate writhing while the lethal drugs seeped into his body, his executioners drew the viewing gallery curtains, concealing what the warden later described as "a bloody mess."

http://www.ksla.com/story/27714022/death-penalty-states-unmoved-by-botched-execution

Smerconish: My meeting with Fidel Castro

President Obama's reestablishment of relations with Cuba has me thinking about the night I spent more than six hours with Fidel Castro. I was in Havana in 2002 with U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, on assignment as a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20141228_The_Pulse__My_meeting_with_Fidel.html

US, NATO to mark end of mission to Afghanistan

The United States and NATO will mark the formal end of the war in Afghanistan on Sunday with a ceremony at their military headquarters in Kabul as the insurgency they fought for 13 years remains as ferocious and deadly as at any time since the 2001 invasion that unseated the Taliban regime following the Sept. 11 attacks.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article5065764.html

Adelson shouldn't have so much pull

A prohibition of gambling on the Internet is a pet project of billionaire Sheldon Adelson. He does not want competition against his mega casino network and has paid millions to politicians and groups to have Congress ban Internet gambling technology.

http://lasvegassun.com/news/2014/dec/28/adelson-shouldnt-have-so-much-pull/

Congress likely to make key decisions on drones

The Obama administration is about to propose long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year. Federal Aviation Administration officials have said they want to release proposed rules before the end of this month, but other government and industry officials say they are likely to be delayed until January.

http://krqe.com/ap/congress-likely-to-make-key-decisions-on-drones/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+krqe-business+%28Local+News+from+KRQE.com%29

Congress Likely to Make Key Decisions on Drones

The Obama administration is about to propose long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year. Federal Aviation Administration officials have said they want to release proposed rules before the end of this month, but other government and industry officials say they are likely to be delayed until January.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/congress-make-key-decisions-drones-27859832

Little-known book by pope outlines views, hopes for Cuba

Pope Francis greets attendees during a recent audience with the Holy See's employees in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican. In a 1998 booklet, "Dialogues between John Paul II and Fidel Castro," then Jorge Mario Bergoglio criticizes socialism and denounces the U.S. embargo of Cuba.

http://www.theday.com/books/20141228/little-known-book-by-pope-outlines-views-hopes-for-cuba

MLK Commemoration Celebrates King's Legacy; Features Keynote Speaker Dyson

Penn State's 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration will celebrate the late civil rights leader's life and work with a message that "Now, More Than Ever," is the time to make King's vision of a more just and peaceful world a reality. The commemoration features events throughout the month of January, highlighted by the Jan. 22 Evening Celebration with keynote speaker Michael Eric Dyson, the well-known professor and author of numerous books on society, culture, history and race.

http://gantdaily.com/2014/12/28/mlk-commemoration-celebrates-kings-legacy-features-keynote-speaker-dyson/

FAA nears long-awaited drone rules, but key decisions on drones likely to come from Congress

The Obama administration is about to propose long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year. Federal Aviation Administration officials have said they want to release proposed rules before the end of this month, but other government and industry officials say they are likely to be delayed until January.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/286951001.html

How Bashar al-Assad's Regime Came Back in the Syrian Civil War in 2014

First, the Baath regime of Bashar al-Assad continued to assert control over most urban areas along the trunk roads of the west of the country. Damascus, Homs, Hama, Latakia and part of Aleppo were all in government hands.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/how_bashar_al-assads_regime_came_back_in_the_syrian_civil_war_in_2014_20141?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+Truthdig+Truthdig%253A+Drilling+Beneath+the+Headlines

Clinton Economic Approach Under Scrutiny

Rejuvenating the economy figured prominently in the first Clinton's presidential campaign and could form the foundation of the next one's. More than two decades after Bill Clinton won the presidency, Hillary Rodham Clinton is considering another White House bid ? and for her, too, it's still "the economy, stupid."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/clinton-economic-approach-scrutiny-27849525

Mayor, VP to speak at slain NYPD officer's funeral

Thousands of people were expected to attend the funeral of a New York City police officer shot to death along with his partner one week ago in a brazen daylight ambush that shook the city. NEW YORK - Thousands of people were expected to attend the funeral of a New York City police officer shot to death along with his partner one week ago in a brazen daylight ambush that shook the city and put an end to large-scale local protests criticizing police following a series of high-profile deaths in police custody.

http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20141227/NEWS11/141229567/101016/NEWS

Jeb Bush stepping down from Tenet Healthcare board

MIAMI As he takes steps toward a presidential run, Jeb Bush is resigning from the board of Tenet Healthcare Corp. The health care company said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that the former Florida governor told Tenet's board of directors that he would step down at the end of the year. Bush has been a director since 2007.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/12/26/5408292/jeb-bush-to-step-down-from-tenet.html#storylink=rss

Iowa Insurance Marketplace Shrinking

Iowa had only two companies in the online insurance Marketplace for 2014. For 2015, it looks like they will be down to one.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/27/1354284/-Iowa-Insurance-Marketplace-Shrinking

Why diet anymore?

Every time I go on a diet, I lose at least twenty pounds. This is true no matter whether it's the Adkins, Vegetarian*, Low sugar, Vegan* or "Calorie Counting".

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/27/1354267/-Why-diet-anymore

Four Governors Who Could Bring Midwestern Values to the White House

One group of potential candidates for president probably won't be shuffling off to Iowa, New Hampshire or other early campaign spots in the new year. They'll be hunkered down in statehouses across the Midwest, pushing bills through their legislatures.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/27/four-governors-who-could-bring-midwestern-values-to-the-white-house/?#038;#038;#038;

North Korea blames U.S. for Internet outages, calls Obama a 'monkey'

North Korea called U.S. President Barack Obama a "monkey" as it blamed Washington Saturday for Internet outages that it has experienced amid a confrontation with the United States over the hacking of the film studio Sony Pictures. The National Defence Commission, the North's ruling body, chaired by state leader Kim Jong Un, said Obama was responsible for Sony's belated decision to release the action comedy "The Interview", which depicts a plot to assassinate Kim.

http://usa.news.net/article/2547492/

Month by month, here are the stories (maybe) of 2015

Making predictions about what will occupy our civic attention is perilous because the universe tends to scoff at everyone's tidy little plans, whether they be journalists or governors. This time last year, hardly anyone in state government was talking about coal ash.

http://www.wral.com/month-by-month-here-are-the-stories-maybe-of-2015/14285799/

Three From Baylor Voted Tswa Dii All-State In Volleyball

Baylor's Gabby Gray, Lilly Turner and Haven Bethune and GPS's Reagan Williams have been voted to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Division II all-state volleyball team.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2014/12/27/290947/Three-From-Baylor-Voted-TSWA-DII.aspx