Trump To Drop US From Paris Accords

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Environment & Global Warming & Energy, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

It looked for a moment like he was reconsidering this campaign promise to leave the Paris Accord on climate change, but no.  In a few minutes, Trump will announce from the Rose Garden that the US is out. Celebratory mood in the White House Rose Garden for Paris announcement. A jazz band is playing. pic.twitter.com/Ohm5EYJNnT — Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) June … Read More

Trump Fires Comey

Ken AshfordBreaking News, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

It’s been an amazing 16 hours. The comparisons to Watergate’s “Saturday Night Massacre” can’t be helped. Let’s be clear about this: Trump has fired the head of the investigation into his campaign’s contacts with the Russians. The reason? Because of the way Comey handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server.  Almost nobody is buying that rationale, or the timing. … Read More

Breaking: Apparent Terrorist Attack At Parliament/Westminster Bridge

Ken AshfordBreaking News, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Police say attack at UK Parliament being treated as “terrorist incident until we know otherwise”https://t.co/WG8yXWpPVV pic.twitter.com/gaUKNRFJwN — BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) March 22, 2017 Crowds being moved out of Parliament Square, policeman tells BBC, suspect vehicle outside UK Parliament. Latest: https://t.co/WG8yXW8f4n pic.twitter.com/umfHcz3Fs1 — BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) March 22, 2017 Woman dies & a number are hurt, some with “catastrophic” … Read More

Redstate’s Patterico’s Analysis of the 9th Circuit Decision Against Trump

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Constitution, Courts/Law, Immigration and Xenophobia, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Don’t normally quote from the conservative Redstate blog, and I rarely agree with Patterico (the author) on anything.  But this analysis is so good — so spot on — that I am reprinting it in full: As you have no doubt heard, the Ninth Circuit today issued an opinion upholding the District Court’s TRO halting much of Trump’s order on … Read More

Possible Terrorist Attack In Berlin

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Foreign Affairs, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

In a day that has already seen a diplomatic assassination, it looks like we might have a terrorist attack on our hands. A truck ran into a Christmas market an hour or so ago in a major public square in Berlin. There are reports of several dead, 50 injured. The incident happened in Breitscheidplatz in western Berlin. Because of the similarity between … Read More

The Brazen NCGOP Power Grab

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Local Interest, RepublicansLeave a Comment

The lame-duck North Carolina legislature’s is engaging in a last-minute effort to weaken the office of the governor before Democrat Roy Cooper. Here’s one thing they are doing. Back in 2013, this same legislature dramatically increased the number of what are technically called “exempt positions” under the governor, giving newly elected Republican Gov. Pat McCrory significant new patronage power. The … Read More

North Carolina May Finally Have An Election Result

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Election 2016, Local InterestLeave a Comment

Sitting governor Pat McCrory (R-NC) refused to concede the election for NC governor, which ended three weeks ago.  By the end of election day, current NC attorney general and Democratic challenger Roy Cooper was ahead by a little over 6,000.  But the results still had to be counted and certified, down to the last one. If Cooper’s margin remained below … Read More

Matthew Update

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Disasters, Local Interest, WeatherLeave a Comment

As of this writing (10/7/2016) at 11:45 a.m., Hurricane Matthew, now a Category 3, has shown a little mercy by veering slightly northernly and westernly than expected.  Right now, the western eyewall is brushing the Florida coast — the hurricane is located 75 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The winds along the Florida coast are rough, but it doesn’t seem to … Read More

Matthew Bears Down

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Disasters, WeatherLeave a Comment

Florida is going to get hit HARD. Thousands told to evacuate.  Winds up to 140. No we did not work coordinate this with the @pbpost #newspapers #frontpagestoday pic.twitter.com/KkJiB7MCst — Rolando Otero (@Photero) October 6, 2016 From the National Weather Station in Melbourne FL – no mincing of words: The #eyewall of #Hurricane #Matthew is now completely visible on @RadarScope. #HurricaneMatthew … Read More

Breaking: Big Victory For Voter Rights — No Voter ID In Upcoming NC Elections

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Constitution, Courts/Law, Election 2016, Supreme Court, Voter Suppression & Voter SecurityLeave a Comment

NC voter ID law will NOT be enforced in fall election after the U.S. Supreme Court denies stay request (in a 4-4 split — obviously, had Scalia lived, it would have been a loss for voting rights advocates, but he didn’t so……) The stay was a request by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and state officials to delay a permanent injunction blocking provisions in … Read More

Breaking: 4th Circuit Overturns Lower Court; Finds That GOP “Intentionally” Passed “Discriminatory” Voting Rights Law

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Constitution, Courts/Law, Local Interest, Race, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit invalidated North Carolina’s stringent new voting restrictions, holding that the law violates both the United States Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. The North Carolina measure, the Fourth Circuit held, has a discriminatory impact on black voters, impermissibly burdening their voting rights under the VRA. More boldly, the court also … Read More

Nice Terror Attack: At Least 84 Killed, Including 10 Children, As Truck Slams Into Bastille Day Crowd

Ken AshfordBreaking News, Election 2016, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

He drove more than a mile through the crowd, swerving at times to make sure he hit people. The videos of the carnage are devastating. The driver, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, was shot and killed. The victims include two Americans: Texas residents Sean Copeland, 51, and his son Brodie, 11, who were on vacation with their family in Nice. Here’s what we know about … Read More