Author: Sydney Robinson

Mike Pence Really Doesn’t Want You to Know About His Possible 2020 Ambitions

Mike Pence Really Doesn’t Want You to Know About His Possible 2020 Ambitions

Posted by | Aug 7, 2017 | , |

Vice President Mike Pence has had a bit of a scramble this week after some journos started paying close attention to his behind-the-scenes actions and decided that the Vice President appeared almost to be preparing for a 2020 presidential run. After it was discovered that Pence has set up a Super PAC, taken a trip to the political mecca of Iowa, and has met with some of the GOP’s biggest donors, reporters understandably assumed that the Vice President seemed to be gearing up for a 2020 run. This, along with Pence’s convenient absence from much of the Trump-Russia goings-ons,...

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Sen. Cory Booker Latest Lawmaker to Seek Federal Marijuana Legalization

Sen. Cory Booker Latest Lawmaker to Seek Federal Marijuana Legalization

Posted by | Aug 7, 2017 | , |

Late last week, Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat who has struggled to prove his progressive chops, announced a new effort to legalize marijuana federally.  The Marijuana Justice Act seeks to remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances. Currently, it sits at the most extreme schedule on that list, Schedule 1. Booker proposed the bill last week amid much fanfare, including a kickoff rally where he was joined by supporters on the steps of City Hall on Friday. “I don’t care who’s in office,” Booker said. “Now is always the right time to do what is right.” The...

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Trump Admin Seeks to Make it More Difficult for Elderly to Sue Nursing Homes Over Abuse

Trump Admin Seeks to Make it More Difficult for Elderly to Sue Nursing Homes Over Abuse

Posted by | Aug 7, 2017 | , , , |

The Trump administration is set to repeal an Obama-era rule which enabled residents in nursing homes to sue their caretakers for mistreatment, a roll-back that appears to have no real explanation. Though the Trump administration has made a habit of repealing as much progress made by its predecessor as possible, the choice to eliminate this extra protection for the elderly seems to be nothing more than spite. In June, an agency within the Department of Health announced their plans to do away with a rule implemented during President Obama’s presidency which allowed the elderly and their families to take...

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Press Orgs Back Bill Making Private Prisons Subject to FOIA Rules

Press Orgs Back Bill Making Private Prisons Subject to FOIA Rules

Posted by | Aug 7, 2017 | , |

A group of transparency and press organizations penned a letter this week to members of the Senate urging them to support and pass legislation which would apply the Freedom of Information Act to private prisons. The argument being made to support the bill is based on the fact that private prisons, though operating independently of the government, are still funded by taxpayers and receive federal prisoners through a contract with the government. Because of this, authors of the bill argue that they should be subject to the same rules for information as federal agencies. From the letter: “Private prison...

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Wyoming Residents Halt Construction of New Coal Mine

Wyoming Residents Halt Construction of New Coal Mine

Posted by | Aug 4, 2017 | |

Defying the pro-coal agenda of the current Administration, residents in Wyoming are taking action to block the construction of a new coal mine, even as the state sees a growth in coal production. Ramaco Carbon, a Chinese company seeking to construct a new coal mine near Ranchester, Wyoming earlier this year is finding their business plans impeded by actions from local residents who want the plant out of their state. Rather than allowing another mine to be constructed, Ranchester residents lobbied their local government to block the company’s permit, arguing that the proposed mine presented environmental concerns. The arguments...

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