B Media Network Political News Editor’s Home Page

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Arkansas governor urges changes to religious-objections bill

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson backed away Wednesday from his promise to sign a controversial religious-objections bill, bowing to pressure from critics that included his own son and some of the state's biggest employers, who say the legislation is anti-gay. The Republican governor said he wants the Legislature either to recall the bill from his desk or pass a follow-up measure that would make the proposal more closely mirror a federal religious-freedom law.

http://ift.tt/1IofKkK

EDITORIAL: Menendez has to resign

Resign, Sen. Menendez. It might be painful, but it's not complicated. You can no longer serve the public with any credibility.

http://ift.tt/1xAknaZ

Nelson endorses Mayor Brown for re-election

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson endorsed Mayor Alvin Brown, a fellow Democrat, saying Brown has governed in a bipartisan way that puts results ahead of politics in areas such as Jacksonville's military presence and expanding the port. Brown faces a re-election challenge from Lenny Curry, a business owner who is the former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, on May 19. Appearing with Brown at an event Wednesday in downtown's Hemming Park, Nelson said Brown conducts himself in a bipartisan fashion to be a mayor for all of Jacksonville, not just certain sectors or party affiliations.

http://ift.tt/1IofGS4

Sen. Robert Menendez indicted

Sen. Robert Menendez , ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, may face federal corruption charges related to his dealings with a political donor and friend. Federal prosecutors unveiled a 14-count indictment Wednesday of Sen. Robert Menendez , one of his party's leading voices on foreign affairs, charging him with using his office to benefit an eye doctor in exchange for many gifts over their decades of friendship.

http://ift.tt/1IofHFn

Sen. Bob Menendez indicted on corruption charges

U.S Sen. Bob Menendez, D-NJ, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on corruption charges. The two-term senator has said he is innocent and will fight the charges.

http://ift.tt/1IofEJV

Max Levchin Leads Tech Industry Push for Anti-Discrimination Laws

A rapidly expanding list of Silicon Valley CEOs, venture capitalists and leaders have signed a joint statement demanding states considering so-called religious freedom legislation to also pass laws banning discrimination against people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The tech industry's latest actions to protest the law comes after Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff cancelled a big industry conference in Indiana to fight against a bill that critics fear is so broadly worded that it opens the door to allowing businesses to discriminate against LGBT people on the basis of religious freedom.

http://ift.tt/1Dq4g2f

Future of Menendez senate seat

What does the future hold for Menendez's Senate seat? If Sen. Bob Menendez exits, there's an interesting list of possible successors. Check out this story on mycentraljersey.com: http://mycj.co/1Cy0WPb If the seat becomes vacant, Republican Gov. Chris Christie is in charge of choosing a temporary replacement and scheduling a special election.

http://ift.tt/1IofGBq

Michele Bachmann compares Obama to 'deranged' Germanwings pilot

In a feat of jujitsu-like contortion that combined a bunch of notions into one half-cocked Facebook statement , former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann offended just about everyone on Tuesday when she compared President Barack Obama to Andreas Lubitz, the troubled young German pilot who drove a Germanwings jetliner into a mountain last week, killing 150 people. "With his Iran deal, Barack Obama is for the 300 million souls of the United States what Andreas Lubitz was for the 150 souls on the German Wings flight - a deranged pilot flying his entire nation into the rocks," wrote Bachmann, who ran for president in 2012 and received just 5% of the vote in the 2012 Iowa Republican caucuses.

http://ift.tt/1xA169B

Menendez and Melgen: A timeline

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and eye doctor Salomon Melgen have a long history of dealings and trades of favors. Menendez and Melgen: A timeline U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and eye doctor Salomon Melgen have a long history of dealings and trades of favors.

http://ift.tt/1IofGkP

Kansas nears passing a bill that may force Uber out

The Kansas Legislature is about to pass a bill that Uber Technologies Inc. says will force it out of the Sunflower State, and legislators on one committee seem to be just fine with that.

http://ift.tt/1F3LlVR

NY's Schumer Aims For Senate Democratic Leader Post

Less than a week after Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced he will retire in 2016, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, confirmed he has enough support to succeed Reid. Schumer, speaking at a news conference outside Port Chester Village Hall on Tuesday, said, "I'm humbled that every one of my colleagues has endorsed me."

http://ift.tt/1IofDWj

Former 'Alpha House' roommates Schumer, Durbin feud over Senate leadership posts

In this March 3, 2015 photo, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., center, flanked by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., left, and Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. In the wake of the announced retirement of Reid, a very public feud has opened between the No.

http://ift.tt/1IofFNW

From Treason to Medicare Overbilling: Bob Menendez and a Short History of Senatorial Indictments

Democratic senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey was indicted this afternoon on 13 federal criminal counts, eight of them bribery. Indicted alongside him is ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, who's a big campaign donor to Menendez.

http://ift.tt/1IofFxm

John McCain, a Big and 'Lucky' Life

He has led an extraordinarily big life. We talk about some of it: Vietnam, the 2008 presidential campaign.

http://ift.tt/1F4aQGu

Lies, damned lies and politics

The interviewer is Dana Bash. The interviewee is Harry Reid, former Senate Majority Leader in the United States.

http://ift.tt/1IofF0p

Sources: Menendez stepping down as top Dem on Senate panel

Two sources say indicted New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez is voluntarily stepping aside from his post as top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A Democratic official says Menendez planned to announce his decision Wednesday evening.

http://ift.tt/1xAkiUw

Inslee signs measure paving way for WSU medical school

A bill signed by Gov. Jay Inslee Wednesday ends the 98-year prohibition against opening a medical school at Washington State University. House Bill 1559, passed in March in the House and Senate by wide margins, eliminates a restriction dating from 1917 that gives the University of Washington in Seattle the exclusive right to operate a public medical school in the state of Washington.

http://ift.tt/1xAkh3c

Hillary Clinton dodges Brooklyn campaign headquarters talk

Clinton on Wednesday attended a roundtable on early child development in Brooklyn with New York City's first lady, Chirlane McCray. The former secretary of state, first lady and New York senator is expected to announce her bid for the Democratic nomination in coming weeks.

http://ift.tt/1xAkh2Y

Reid's exit sets off Senate leadership scramble

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's decision to retire has sparked a very public feud between the No. 2 and No.

http://ift.tt/1GMPtyh

Sen. Menendez Is Indicted

Sen. Bob Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants who rose to become one of the highest-ranking Hispanic members of Congress, was indicted on corruption charges Wednesday. The New Jersey Democrat, an influential voice on foreign policy, was accused of using his office to improperly benefit a Florida eye doctor and political donor who provided him with trips aboard his luxury jet.

http://ift.tt/1P0dqW6

Menendez charges won't slow legislation, senators say

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will continue efforts to ramp up pressure on Iran and authorize military force against the jihadist Islamic State even as the panel's top Democrat, Robert Menendez, battles federal charges, committee members say. The Justice Department on Wednesday formally charged the second-term New Jersey senator with using his office to help a longtime friend and major campaign contributor, Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen.

http://ift.tt/1NCj7WR

Gutfeld SLAMS Media Bias: 'What Qualifies As A Scandal These Days For A Democrat?' [VIDEO]

Fox News' Greg Gutfeld slammed the media's coverage in the immediate aftermath of corruption charges against Sen. Bob Menendez, asking "what qualifies as a scandal" for a Democrat among the press. Appearing from his perch on "The Five," Gutfeld lamented that Democratic scandals are rarely found by the press, citing Anthony Weiner as a prime example, saying Weiner was "his own Woodward and Bernstein."

http://ift.tt/1P0htSl

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez indicted on corruption charges

Sen. Bob Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants who rose to become one of the highest-ranking Hispanic members of Congress, was charged Wednesday with accepting nearly $1 million worth of gifts and travel from a longtime friend in exchange for a stream of political favors on the donor's behalf. A federal grand jury indictment accuses the New Jersey Democrat of using the power of his Senate seat to benefit Dr. Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida eye doctor who prosecutors say provided the senator with luxury vacations, airline travel, golf trips and tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to a legal defense fund.

http://ift.tt/1GMPr9u

To Make Hillary Testify Publicly, It's Now or Never Andrew C....

If the Benghazi committee is planning on subpoenaing Clinton once her campaign starts, they're in for a rude awakening. rey Gowdy , who chairs the House select committee investigating the Benghazi massacre, has invited former secretary of state Hillary Clinton to submit to a private, transcribed interview with committee staff.

http://ift.tt/1CyfqOX

U.S. Steel announces Minntac idling

The latest downturn in the iron-mining sector took a turn for the worse Tuesday morning, as U.S. Steel announced it would temporarily slash operations at its flagship Minntac plant in Mt.

http://ift.tt/19LbfVC

Republicans hoped to avoid a debate over social issues heading into the next presidential contest. Yet the bac... .

http://ift.tt/1NCj4KK

Black Hats, White Hats

In our so-called Western cowboy movies, the good guys wore white hats. The bad guys wore black Hats.

http://ift.tt/1NCj5OI

Criticism of Indiana law overblown

Today's Paper, also known as the e-Edition, is an online replica of the printed newspaper. You can view today's paper or previous issues.

http://ift.tt/1NCj4Kz

Kyle Ringo: Strong voices speak clearly against Indiana law

NBA legend turned TV analyst Charles Barkley, right, called for this week's Final Four to be moved out of Indianapolis because of an Indiana law that could allow discrimination against gays and lesbians. All three hold public positions and different degrees of power, and all three, along with many others, have taken action to oppose the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Indiana.

http://ift.tt/1GMPn9K