“Fake news” as shorthand will almost surely be returned upon the media tenfold. The fake news narrative has already begun to encompass not just fabricated stories, but a wider swath of traditional media. Fox News? Fake news. Trump’s misleading claims about Ford keeping jobs in America? Fake news. This wide formulation of “fake news” will be applied back to the traditional news media, which does not yet understand how threatened its ability is to declare things true, even when they are.   read more

“The president-elect talked during the campaign about the movement that he had built,” said de Blasio. “Now, it’s our turn to build a movement — a movement of the majority that believes in respect and dignity for all.” Cuomo said he would create a new unit of the State Police to investigate hate crimes, move to expand state human rights law and seek new funds to provide legal representation to immigrants.   read more

A 2011 federal survey of 10 jurisdictions that used field tests found just two provided any kind of formal training. At least 100,000 convictions a year rely on field-test results to identify illegal drugs. Much of that evidence is never confirmed by a certified lab. Of all material suspected of being meth in 2015, 21% proved not to be. “Police officers aren’t chemists,” McClelland said. “We shouldn’t be doing field tests on the hood of patrol cars.”   read more

If and when the nation warms another 4.5 degrees, expect there to be around 15 heat records for every cold one, the new study in Monday's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences predicts. That warming can be as early as 50 years from now if greenhouse gas emissions — from the burning of coal, oil and gas — continue at their recent pace or a century away if carbon pollution slows down, said study lead author Gerald Meehl, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.   read more

"I think a lot of Americans would be very nervous to learn Donald Trump has access to our phone records,'' said Elizabeth Goitein of Pompeo's desire to reinstate the collection of Americans' phone data. "It would make a lot of Congress nervous as well.'' Prof. Freiwald said Pompeo will have leeway to interpret the law broadly so they may collect vast amounts of information. Pompeo is promoting the discredited view that it is always good for a government to collect more data on its people.   read more

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed state police to create a special unit to investigate reports of hate crimes, saying it's in response to what he called "ugly political discourse" that didn't end with the election. He plans to push for legislation that expands protections under New York's human rights law to all students statewide. Cuomo also wants to create the nation's first emergency legal defense fund to ensure all immigrants have access to representation.   read more

Donald Trump boasted he knew more about fighting terrorists than America’s generals. But now his focus on them worries national security experts, who say Trump could place undue emphasis on military force in foreign policy. Trump’s inclination runs counter to civilian control of the military — a constitutional principle that protects the U.S. from becoming like Pakistan or Turkey, where the military is a political player. "We are not a militaristic society, nor do we want to be,” said Gen. Ham.   read more

Mining claims on 30,370 acres north of the nation's first national park would be prohibited for at least two years while a long-term ban is considered, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said during a visit to Montana. It's part of the Obama administration efforts in its last days to keep industry out of natural and environmentally sensitive areas. Republicans and industry representatives have promised to seek their reversal once Donald Trump takes charge of the White House.   read more

The report said the problem was far worse than originally believed. In the last three years, the agency produced at least 19,000 cards that included incorrect information or were issued in duplicate. Also, more than 2,400 immigrants who were approved for two-year conditional resident status were instead given cards that were good for 10 years. The agency had also had used incomplete fingerprint records to grant citizenship to hundreds of people who were to have been deported.   read more

The case could now go to the Supreme Court, where its fate may rest with a single justice, Anthony Kennedy, who has expressed a willingness to strike down partisan gerrymanders. Should the court affirm the ruling, it could upend the next round of state redistricting for elections nationwide, most of which are likely to be conducted by Republican-controlled legislatures. “It is a huge deal,” said Prof. Gerken. “For years, everyone has waited for the Supreme Court to do something on this front."   read more

"There is no out, honestly, there is no way out," said the single mother from Houston. "Even if you want to do the right thing, you want to pay your citation, you get caught up in this spider web of citations that are tangled up with late fees and surcharges and there is no...way out." She is among thousands of Texans living in poverty who have found themselves ensnared in a legal system that brings increasing debt and often lands them in jail because they are unable to pay traffic fines   read more

The findings come 41 years after the close of the Vietnam War. Since then, veterans have become increasingly distrustful of the VA. They maintain that their exposure to Agent Orange, which contained the toxic chemical dioxin, has harmed their own health and has been passed on to their children. The VA had been expected to announce its decision this year, but officials now say that will be left to the administration of Donald Trump.   read more

All of Obama's environmental accomplishments are at risk from Trump's presidency. Trump loathes regulation and wants to increase oil and gas drilling and the use of coal. He said he believes climate change is a hoax and has vowed to "cancel" U.S. involvement in the landmark Paris Agreement on global warming. He may also weaken or kill the Clean Power Plan, a cornerstone Obama policy meant to reduce carbon pollution from the nation's power plants as part of an effort to combat climate change.   read more

Pence has long presented himself as a champion of a free press. But his gubernatorial administration has argued against the public release of emails and other documents that could shed light on his tenure as governor. His office has withheld documents, delayed responses or flatly denied public records requests filed by news organizations. Yet he aggressively criticized Hillary Clinton for refusing to release emails sent from a private server she maintained while secretary of state.   read more

More than 110,000 students, including disproportionate numbers of black and disabled students, were subjected to paddling or a similar punishment in 2013-14. King said it would be considered "criminal assault or battery" against an adult. "[It] has been clearly and repeatedly linked to negative health and academic outcomes for students, "he said. "It is opposed by parent organizations, teachers unions, medical and mental health professionals and civil rights advocates..."   read more

In their lawsuit, Pawnee residents say the 27 companies operate wastewater injection wells even though they know the method causes earthquakes. Oklahoma has had thousands of earthquakes in recent years, with nearly all traced to underground wastewater disposal. "We have clients who don't allow their children to go upstairs because they're afraid the roof will fall in on them," said Curt Marshall, an attorney for the residents. "There's a lot of fear; when is the next big one?"   read more