In an attempt to end the war caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump has offered to return Alaska to Russia in exchange for Russia pulling its troops from Eastern Ukraine. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said he would agree to the proposal if Trump also returned Fort Ross and the Russian River in California, Russia sold Fort Ross to Mexican citizen John Sutter in 1841.   read more

“It is hard to believe that in 2015 the State of California is operating a facially discriminatory program that perpetuates the outdated stereotype that only women can be caregivers," said attorney Grunfeld. "Our clients meet the stringent criteria of this program except for their gender. The Governor and CDCR should stop defending their discriminatory law and let qualified men participate in the ACP. Defendants’ policies de-legitimize the role that men play in their families."   read more

NASA spent $723 million on the nine-year, 3 billion-mile voyage to Pluto. The Cowboys play in a football cathedral that cost $1.33 billion. But that’s not the most expensive NFL stadium. That distinction belongs to MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Giants, which cost $1.6 billion to construct. Another billion-dollar NFL venue is on the way in Minnesota: U.S. Bank Stadium, where the Minnesota Vikings will play.   read more

After receiving her citation, Cammelleri’s boyfriend noticed a missing comma in it. It read that “motor vehicle campers” were prohibited, when it should have read “motor vehicle, campers.” She argued in court that the ordinance applied to a type of vehicle she didn’t own, and Judge Robert Hendrickson of the 12th Ohio District Court of Appeals agreed. In his ruling, Hendrickson threw out the ticket and ordered the city to reimburse Cammelleri $1,500 for towing and legal fees.   read more

When they reached Signal’s shipyards in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the workers discovered that not only were their H-2B guest worker visas meant for temporary non-agricultural workers and would not lead to a green card, but they would also be working in slave conditions. Signal packed the Indian workers 24 to a trailer in "isolated, guarded labour camps", and extracted $35 a day from each for accommodation.   read more

Nadeau was elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 1978 and was the youngest member of that body when he began serving there at age 23. Nadeau joined the Maine Department of Transportation in 2002 as director of policy and communications and in 2004 was named deputy commissioner for policy, planning and communications. Nadeau was named deputy administrator at the Federal Highway Administration in July 2009.   read more

For the first time in the U.S., a federal court has ruled that advances in DNA technology require that previously valueless forensic specimens must be viewed as newly discovered evidence, and therefore not subject to time limits established by law. This could lead to new trials for convicted individuals who have been claiming their innocence. The ruling came about in the case of a new trial sought by a man who, nine years ago, was convicted of attempted sexual abuse of a minor.   read more

A new program to be tested by the Justice Dept. will expand the Freedom of Information Act process. The six-month pilot program that will see seven federal offices and agencies publish all responses to FOIA requests. “If successful, the pilot could be implemented more broadly across the executive branch and increase public access to important information about government activity...a promising shift from present practice,” said the Sunlight Foundation.   read more

U.S. District Court Judge Raner Collins ruled that Rodriguez has a Fourth Amendment right to challenge the shooting, which he said constituted a “seizure” on the part of the Border Patrol. Unreasonable seizures are a violation of the Fourth Amendment. “The Court finds that...the Mexican national may avail himself to the protections of the Fourth Amendment and that the agent may not assert qualified immunity,” Collins wrote. His ruling allows the lawsuit to proceed.   read more

“Efforts to further increase transparency, no matter how well intentioned, must avoid unintended consequences that could undermine the Federal Reserve’s ability to make policy in the long-run best interest of American families and businesses,” Yellen said. One bill would require the Fed to articulate how it sets interest rates and explain why it sometimes deviates from its own rules when doing so. Another plan would establish regular external review of the Fed’s policy-making process.   read more

The Sexuality Institute’s president, Rev. Ted McIlvenna, says that among the college’s holdings is a pornographic film library. He said he'd never want to get his school accredited through an affiliate of the Department of Education. “Accreditation is a bunch of crap,” he said. “They would never let me keep my library.” The Christ for the Nations Institute has received $310,000 to educate war vets. A museum operated by the school is based on the premise that humans and dinosaurs co-existed.   read more

The B61-12 nuclear bomb will have an adjustable yield and a tail section to allow the bomb to be guided to its target. Hans Kristensen, nuclear weapons expert at the nonpartisan Federation of American Scientists, said the bomb violates a 2010 Obama pledge not to produce nuclear weapons with new military capabilities. “We do not have a nuclear guided bomb in our arsenal today,” Kristensen said. “It is a new weapon.” He said the capability will make the bomb more useable in future conflicts.   read more

In Oklahoma, a GOP Facebook post compared food stamp recipients to feeding animals in national parks, where it can result in dependency. The state's Dept. of Human Services responded: “That was an appalling and uniformed comment. Obviously you did not bother to know the majority of the 604,000 people receiving food benefits in Oklahoma are people who are aging...with disabilities...the working poor who are raising children. ...Is that the kind of dependency you are suggesting we discourage?”   read more

The numbers showed that the poverty levels for white, Asian and Hispanic kids declined from 2010 to 2013. But the rate for black youths remained largely the same. Overall, the child poverty rate in the U.S. dipped slightly from 22% to 20% during this span. The Pew study also reported that black and Hispanic children are overrepresented when it comes to poverty. “Children make up 27% of the black population, but 38% of blacks in poverty,” said Pew.   read more

"I think members [of Congress will] realize they are being sold on a bill that doesn’t solve anything consumers are asking for...a mandatory labeling standard," said Colin O'Neil. Critics have called HR 1599 the “Mother of All Monsanto Protection Acts” after the company that opposes GMO labels. OCA's Ronnie Cummins characterized the legislation as “anti-democracy and anti-state’s rights.” Vermont already has a GMO labeling law, and Big Food has been fighting in court to get it overturned.   read more

Undocumented immigrants have until now been able to get birth certificates by providing a foreign ID if they don’t have a Texas driver’s license or a U.S. passport, as allowed under state law. The officials reportedly told the women they would no longer accept either the matricula consular or a foreign passport without a current U.S. visa. “Everyone born in the United States is entitled to the full rights of citizenship," said attorney James Harrington, who represents the families.   read more

The exodus of instructors has been blamed on education spending cuts, including low teacher pay. Gov. Brownback himself has led a charge to cut school funding. The Republican-dominated legislature’s attempts to do away with tenure, undermine teachers’ unions and even pass a law that would have allowed teachers to be criminally prosecuted for presenting material deemed harmful to minors have also been cited as reasons.   read more