Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sent messages to all members of Congress terminating their positions, stating “Your performance has not been adequate to justify further employment.” All Democratic and independent members of Congress, as well as two Republicans, found themselves locked out of their offices after everything inside had been confiscated.   read more

Some lawmakers and advocacy groups are critical of these vague and skimpy one-sentence bill drafts, saying they can shut out the public from important policy discussions, be used as a bait-and-switch tactic or lead to unintended consequences. Several lawmakers said that the finished product doesn't always get another public hearing. The National Conference of State Legislatures criticized such skeleton bills decades ago and in 1996 identified a dozen or so states that allowed them.   read more

Trump's election has reinvigorated the coalition, giving de Blasio the means to rally dissent among big city mayors and helping claim the mantle of a leading Trump antagonist among Democrats. The group also urged the White House to end a registration program for nonimmigrant visitors that could lead to a Muslim registry, an idea endorsed by Trump. Amid pressure from the mayors, Democrats in Washington and civil rights groups, the Obama administration moved last week to dismantle the program.   read more

Republicans argued that their proposal was about ensuring electoral fairness, but Democrats said it plainly smelled of a power grab. Before the measure became law, governors were allowed to appoint a simple majority in their party’s favor. Democrats have been vigorous in their complaints about Republican legislation curbing Cooper’s authority, and the measures that they approved during a hastily called special session will almost certainly be litigated for months.   read more

Stengel wrote for The New Yorker, Rolling Stone and Time, for which he covered the 1988 presidential campaign. In 1990, his book on apartheid caught the notice of Nelson Mandela, and Stengel was retained to ghostwrite Mandela’s autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom.” Stengel left Time in 2013 and the following year joined the State Department as Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Among other parts of his job, he was tasked with countering ISIS’ message.   read more

The nation’s jail and prison population decreased in 2015, and the number of adults locked up or on parole or probation fell to a level not seen since 2002 while overall crime continued to drop. Reasons for the declining incarceration rates include the federal prison system releasing thousands of nonviolent drug offenders in 2015 and states seeking to save money by enacting legislation and policies to reduce prison populations. Total prison population: 1.5 million,the lowest level since 2005.   read more

Peabody built its first mine on this coal-darkened plateau 50 years ago, and in the process dug up an adjacent American Indian village. Navajo horse trainer Grass called the dig a “desecration.” He and others said Peabody handed off 192 sets of human remains to an anthropology professor, destroyed ancient petroglyphs and archaeological ruins, and warehoused 1.2 million artifacts. They have joined with the Sierra Club to try to curb the mine expansion.   read more

There are 450 houses of worship in the U.S. that provide sanctuary to undocumented immigrants. The congregations joining this network have more than doubled since the election of Trump — a rapid rebuttal to Trump’s postelection promise to deport up to 3 million unauthorized immigrants. Protecting immigrants is a priority of the religious left, which has been jolted into action by Trump’s victory and his selection of an attorney general nominee who supports a crackdown on immigrants.   read more

The moves followed “years” of public input and proposals to protect the areas, said the White House. It will bring more to Utah's economy, and “ensure [the state's]...vast and beautiful landscape for many years," said Utah Democratic Party Chair Peter Corroon. "Where our Republican leaders have failed, Utah Democrats are committed to fighting for our public lands.” Meanwhile, Sen. Mike Lee said he will “work tirelessly” with Congress and Donald Trump’s administration to “undo” Obama's actions.   read more

A "staggering" number of town residents have been arrested based on a “hunch” or “feeling” that they were involved in criminal activity. Police strip-searched individuals suspected of committing crimes, placed them in cells without beds, toilets, or showers, and denied them communication with loved ones for days at a time. Citizens were “commonly detained for 72 hours or more without being provided an opportunity to contest their arrest and detention,” said the Justice Department report.   read more

Thousands of court records and internal agency documents showed that over the last 10 years almost 200 employees and contract workers of Homeland Security have taken nearly $15 million in bribes. These employees have looked the other way as tons of drugs and thousands of unauthorized immigrants were smuggled into the U.S. They have illegally sold green cards, given sensitive information to drug cartels, and even arranged the attempted murder of an informant.   read more

When Trump takes office, Republican attorneys general will go from challenging Obama's most contentious policies in court to providing legal backup for Trump's agenda. And Democratic-run states are set to take the offensive, challenging Trump's efforts. Already, California Gov. Brown has warned he'll fight Trump if he tries to ditch Obama's global warming initiatives. "If Trump turns off the satellites," Brown said of climate monitoring, "California will launch its own damn satellite."   read more

In 2009, Pareja received a very consequential assignment—he was made ambassador to neighboring Chile. He hadn’t been there long when he was recalled because a member of Peru’s armed forces was accused of spying for Chile. Pareja wasn’t gone long; he returned to Santiago after about a month. Much of Pareja’s energies were spent in negotiations with Chile over a disputed maritime boundary. He worked on it throughout his tenure.   read more

Critics say some panel members have financial ties to biotech businesses that could color the panel’s report, potentially giving short shrift to health and environmental worries. “Several members of this committee stand to benefit directly or indirectly from the rules and regulations their recommendations will help shape,” said FWW's Tim Schwab. “Nor does the committee include anyone who might advocate a more judicious approach to regulating the industry.”   read more

Trump has packed his Cabinet with nominees who dispute climate change. He said he'll withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and belittled global warming. But California — a state that has for 50 years been a leader in environmental advocacy — is about to step into the breach. In a show of defiance, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders said they'll work directly with other nations and states to defend and strengthen the most aggressive policies to fight climate change in the nation.   read more

In recent years, OneWest has foreclosed on at least 50,000 people, often in circumstances that consumer advocates say run counter to federal rules. Trump’s nomination of Steven Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary has prompted new scrutiny of OneWest’s foreclosure practices. Mnuchin was the lead investor and chairman of the company during the years it ramped up its foreclosure efforts. In 2015, CIT bought OneWest for $3.4 billion, of which Mnuchin personally made about $380 million on the sale.   read more

Just under 400,000 American retirees are now living abroad, according to the Social Security Administration. The countries they have chosen most often: Canada, Japan, Mexico, Germany and the United Kingdom. Retirees most often cite the cost of living as the reason for moving elsewhere, said PSC's Mitchell. "I think that many people retire when they are in good health and they are interested in stretching their dollars and seeing the world," Mitchell said.   read more