The majority of voters did not vote for Donald Trump for president; the majority of voters did not vote for Republican candidates for the Senate; and fewer than 51% of voters cast their ballots for Republican candidates for the House of Representatives. The Republican Party now controls the White House, both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court, no matter how that came to be. I believe it is worth bearing in mind that a majority of U.S. citizens did not support the Republican winners.   read more

As is so often the case with late Friday news releases, there is more to the story than meets the eye. Although the move by the Obama administration appears to be a positive step towards transparency, crucial sections of the memos remain censored. At issue is the fact that the program actually went beyond monitoring foreign conversations and included the bulk collection of emails from Americans with no connection to terrorism.   read more

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in Louisiana tagged BP with the bulk of the responsibility for the disaster that killed 11 workers and dumped millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. In liability terms, Barbier found BP was 67% responsible, while Transocean, which owned the oil rig, and Halliburton Co., which performed cement work on the ruptured well, were tagged for only 30% and 3%, respectively.   read more

Only 20% of U.S. senators, 18% of House members, 10% of governors and 24% of state legislators are women, according to a Pew Research study. The research looked at the 2% of Americans who say they’ve run for public office at some time in their lives and found that group is overwhelmingly male and white. Eighty-two percent of those who have run for office are white.   read more

As Hughes and his unit approached Sistani’s residence, a crowd formed and began to get ugly. In response, Hughes held his rifle at arm’s length, muzzle down, and ordered his troops to take a knee and smile. Hughes and his unit then left the scene. He drew much attention, even being mentioned in one of President George W. Bush’s weekly radio addresses, for diffusing the situation. Sistani later issued a proclamation asking Najaf’s residents to cooperate with the Army.   read more

Efforts to expose videos and photos that documented torture at Guantánamo have been blocked by a federal appeals court in New York that sided with the Obama administration in its refusal to turn over the information. The case centered on the treatment of Mohammed al-Qahtani, dubbed the 20th hijacker in the 9/11 attacks. Captured in 2001 and held at Guantánamo since then, al-Qahtani has been subjected to torture and other harsh treatment during his detention.   read more

The report acknowledges that there have been many instances of problems in other states, but California is different: “Available data suggests that present day well stimulation practices in California differ significantly from practices used for unconventional shale reservoirs in states such as North Dakota and Texas.”   read more

Seventy-five Fayette prisoners participated in the research. Of the participants: —More than 81% of responding prisoners reported respiratory, throat, and sinus conditions; —68% of responding prisoners experienced gastrointestinal problems; —52% reported experiencing adverse skin conditions, and; —12% of prisoners reported either being diagnosed with a thyroid disorder at SCI Fayette, or having existing thyroid problems exacerbated after transfer to the prison.   read more

As chief of the National Guard Bureau, much of Grass’ time has been spent fighting to keep funding cuts from hurting the Guard’s readiness. Other issues that he has had to deal with are sexual assault prevention and ensuring that same-sex spouses of Guard soldiers and airmen receive the benefits they’re entitled to. In June 2014 Grass did a star turn with an appearance on “Late Night with David Letterman.”   read more

Awang Adek had hoped to be appointed Menteri Besar, or chief minister, of Kelantan if he was successful in the 2008 election, but he was defeated. He was appointed as a senator in 2009, maintaining his post as deputy finance minister. He was reappointed to the Senate seat in 2012. Awang Adek served as a director of several Malaysian companies before being named ambassador.   read more

The 2015 Women’s World Cup will take place at six Canadian venues, including the finals at Vancouver’s BC Place, which has artificial turf. Since FIFA rules demand that all games be played on the same surface, the entire event will be grass-free. But that has incensed many international soccer players because the surface changes how the ball moves and how the game is played and is responsible for more injuries than natural grass. The men’s World Cup is played on grass.   read more

Last year, the seven-person police force for a community of 1,000 residents produced 11,603 traffic citations, according to the Gainesville Sun. About half the town’s $1 million budget comes from court fines. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says it will investigate charges by Waldo officers that Police Chief Mike Szabo and City Manager Kim Worley ordered them each to write 12 tickets during each 12-hour shift.   read more

More recently, Rixey was deputy program executive officer of Air Anti-Submarine Warfare and Advanced Sensors Programs and vice commander of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. His last assignment before moving to DSCA was as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for International Programs and director of the Navy International Programs Office.   read more

After his departure from the Energy Ministry, Hassane was a consultant for a year, and then in 2007 was named a senior advisor to Deby. The following year, Hassane was once again named minister of oil and energy. Deby fired him from that post again in 2010, reportedly because Hassane pestered the oil consortium, led by ExxonMobil, about falling production.   read more

A self-appointed border militia from Colorado has been criticized by law enforcement in Arizona, where the group tried to detain scientists studying bats in the desert. Sheriff Tony Estrada expressed serious concern about the actions of the militiamen driving around the desert in ATVs with firearms and wearing camouflage. “These people . . . are completely out of their environment. They really don’t know the area. They don’t know the terrain."   read more

In some towns, such as Dellwood, Missouri, and Stone Park, Illinois, the difference is greater than 70%. The gap in Ferguson is 55%. Other communities with a 50% or greater racial disparity include 11 in New Jersey alone, eight in Illinois, and six in California. Hispanics are also underrepresented in many police forces. For example, in Montclair, California, 70% of the population is Hispanic, but Hispanics make up only 15% of the police force.   read more

In the 15 months since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the federal law banning same-sex marriage, federal courts across the land have nullified similar bans adopted at the state level. But one federal judge has decided to buck this trend, ruling Louisiana’s statute legalizing only heterosexual unions is constitutional despite what the highest court has said.   read more