DMH

@Matthew Richard Tennessee does not have a Class 3 seat. You can do Class 1 or Class 2 as I am updating the roster.

Q1, 2016 (RL - 03/04/2024) Camilo deSonido (I-CA) Addresses Possible DNC Loyalty Pledge for 2016 Candidates @CNN Politics - Camilo deSonido (I-CA) tackles floated DNC loyalty pledge head-on with statement stating they would sign a pledge while emphasizing their political independence: @Al Sharpton - That young man deSonido has the right to run however he pleases. Shame on the DNC for trying to arbitrarily punish him. @Robby Mook - The party of Obama, Clinton, and Carter is going to nominate another proud Democrat in 2016. Democrats deserve a Democrat to vote for in November. @Larry Sabato - Senator deSonido was wise to get out ahead of this DNC loyalty pledge issue. Opposition from other candidates has left the issue in limbo as the DNC is set to make a final assessment in the coming days. @Sean Hannity - Real American patriots see right through the fascade of the "independent" Senator from California. This guy is calling for a $20 minimum wage and socialized medicine! An unserious tax-and-spend liberal! @New York Times Pitchbot - If Camilo deSonido were as successful as Aaron Burr, he would already have shot a Treasury Secretary and be featured in a Broadway musical. Charles Walker (R-CA) Attacks David Rollins (D-NE) Entitlement Spending Position @Fox News - Former General Charles Walker (R-CA) launches broadside against primary opponent David Rollins (R-NE) on entitlements, claiming Rollins would gut Social Security and Medicare. @Bret Baier - An interesting insight into the possible campaign Charles Walker is running in this primary. He's wise to calculate that senior voters will not be supportive of cuts to Social Security. @Glenn Beck - The next President will have to undue the bureaucratic nightmare Barack Obama has created. Any Republican not serious about looking at our entitlement spending is just part of the problem. @Jim Acosta - Polling does indicate that a majority of senior voters oppose cuts to entitlement spending. How Republicans running against cuts will navigate a party history of advocacy for reductions in spending could shift the conversation. British Singer David Bowie Passes Away at 69 From Liver Cancer @Rolling Stone - British singer and music icon David Bowie has died at the age of 69. The cause of death has been identified as liver cancer. @Norah O'Donnell - Liver cancer is projected to claim the lives of 30,000 Americans in 2016 and has been on the rise among both men and women. @Donald Trump - They asked me about David Bowie and I said I only knew him a little bit but he was a great talent! Rocket Man was a big hit. I LOVE THE BRITS! Preview of Increased Role of Puerto Rico and American Samoa Primaries @RealClearPolitics - Upcoming Primaries Put Puerto Rico and American Samoa into Historic Political Focus: ARTICLE @Ana Navarro - The Puerto Rican vote is going to be critical in key battleground states like Florida this November. Building a strong relationship with the community is key for any candidate. @Jake Tapper - Puerto Rico and American Samoa both having more prominent places on the primary calendar will no doubt bring campaigning from both major parties unseen in previous cycles. Texas Grand Jury Clears Planned Parenthood in Video Controversy; Charges Made Against Video Creators @MSNBC - A Texas grand jury has cleared Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing following explosive leaked video circulated widely of accusations of selling fetal body parts for profit. @NBC News - The filmmakers from the Center of Medical Progress that secretly filmed the videos have now been charged with tampering with government records. @CNN - The founder of CMP, David Daleiden, has also been charged with buying human organs. @Bret Baier - The videos at the heart of the Planned Parenthood conroversy had sparked calls from conservative groups to defund Planned Parenthoo at the time of their initial release. @Rosie O'Donnell - Turns out those lying sacks of crap that created those misleading Planned Parenthood videos are actually lying sacks of crap! @Franklin Graham - The death of unborn children is a travesty regardless of the case in Texas. Planned Parenthood should be defunded ASAP. @Cecile Richards - Planned Parenthood will continue to provide reliable health services and reprodutive access to women across this counry. The jury in Texas has reaffirmed that mission.

Pro-statehood demonstrators rally in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Upcoming Primaries Put Puerto Rico and American Samoa into Historic Political Focus - Q1, 2016 San Juan, PR - Officials in Puerto Rico and American Samoa are preparing for the expected increased exposure to issues both island territories are facing as they are slated to be consequential primaries in 2016. Past Republican and Democrat primaries in both territories have been a mostly muted affair. Local leaders and citizens alike believe 2016 could be a major change from past nominating cycles. "I think you are going to see Puerto Rico matter in this upcoming primary calendar," said Puerto Rican Governor Alejandro García Padilla (PD-PR). "Puerto Rico has pressing issues, ranging from the repeal of the Jones Act to our future as a territory, that oftentimes find themselves on the back burner. 2016 is looking to be something different." Voters in Puerto Rico have already been receiving more attention than normal at this time in previous cycles. The island continues to struggle with financial woes, infrastructure problems, an outdated energy grid, and other issues that have led to a record number of Puerto Ricans moving to the mainland United States, with a large population emerging in the Central Florida region. Independence and statehood both are on the minds of Puerto Rican voters as primary day nears. While independence has largely fizzled out as a major driving force within Puerto Rican politics, statehood has become a more prevalent issue in recent years as Puerto Ricans have signaled interest in exploring possible statehood. "I believe the time could be coming when Puerto Rico will finally get an up or down on statehood and Congress actually approves it," remarked college student Josefina Montez outside the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras. American Samoa has also benefitted from increased exposure as the primary season begins. With a population of roughly 55,000 and dependent on federal appropriations, the territory is notable for its strong military presence. In fact, American Samoa consistently enlists more soldiers per capita than any other United States territory or state. When asked about the impact of the upcoming primaries, Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga (D-AS) stated, "American Samoa will benefit from the next potential future leader taking a serious look at our territory. The development, growth, and strategic military success in American Samoa will be dependent on federal support in the coming years." Polling has been scarce regarding which candidates may be more viable than others in either territory as much focus remains on the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina. Puerto Rico and American Samoa both having a potentially decisive role in deciding the outcome of the current primary cycle will no doubt make the territories destinations for candidates hoping to march on to November.

Q1, 2016 (RL - 03/03/2024) Xiomara de la Cruz (D-TX) 2016 Democratic Primary Campaign Launch @Texas Tribune - BREAKING: Houston Mayor Xiomara de la Cruz announces 2016 presidential campaign for the Democratic nomination. @Mayor Ivy Taylor - As a fellow Texas mayor, I am proud to support my friend, Xiomara de la Cruz, because she has led the city of Houston with candor and dedication. Local politicians get it done! Armed Militia Protestors Occupy Wildlife Sanctuary in Oregon @Fox News - BREAKING: Armed Militia Protestors Occupy Wildlife Sanctuary in Oregon: ARTICLE @CNN - Occupiers have claimed that the spark of this occupation was the treatment of two area ranchers convicted of federal land arson, who they believed were wrongly convicted. @MSNBC - The men at the center of this occupation, Dwight and Steven Dwight Hammond, father and son, have stated that they do not want the assistance of protestors. @NBC News - Occupiers have also stated that this occupation is meant to advance their view that the federal government is constitutionally required to turn over most of the federal public land they manage to individual states and that the federal government encroaches on the rights of ranchers. @Governor Kate Brown - What started as a peaceful and legal protest has become unlawful. It was instigated by outsiders whose tactics we Oregonians don't agree with. State and local authorities will work to mediate this issue peacefully. @Jim Acosta - The White House has stated that the FBI is currently monitoring the ongoing occupation of the wildlife refuge in Harney County, Oregon and is coordinating with state and local authorities. @Bret Baier - Ammon Bundy, the leader of this occupation, is the son of rancher Cliven Bundy who was the central figure a standoff two years ago in Nevada involving unpaid grazing fees on federally-owned public land. @Jake Tapper - Worth noting that various far-right militias, such as the 3 Percenters and Oath Keepers, are part of this occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Katrina Valdez (D-VA) Endorses Doug Murphy (D-WI) for President @Richmond Times-Dispatch - Virginia Senator Katrina Valdez endorses Senator Doug Murphy of Wisconsin for the 2016 Democratic nomination. @Congressman Gerry Connolly - I think Doug Murphy's unique appeal to working class voters will be instrumental to holding the White House in 2016. Proud to support him. Some Democratic Candidates Express Openness to Local Control of Federal Land @Larry Sabato - Curious to see some Democratic candidates give credence to the argument of local control of federal land. Could become a wedge issue in early states with rural voters. @Kyle Kulinski - I think Democrats would be idiots to ignore a dissatisfied voter group that would benefit from a progressive approach to policy. It's worth hearing their concerns. @Sean Hannity - Some Democrats pretending to care about rural communities after eight years of neglect under Barack Obama is a new low. They'd create a federal agency to regulate the air you breathe if they could! Alex Fakhouri (D-MI) Undecided; Will Endorse Before Michigan Primary @Detroit Free Press - Sources close to Michigan Senator Alex Fakhouri indicate that he is undecided on who he will support but is expected to make a decision before the Michigan primary. @Jake Tapper - Senator Fakhouri could in particular be a key figure in moving the small but increasingly influential Muslim American community in Michigan towards a specific candidate come primary day. @Steve Bannon - Patriots in Michigan should watch closely to see how Fakhouri endorses. Dangerous times we are living in for the West. Nathan Cohen (D-MA) Endorses Doug Murphy (D-WI) for President @Boston Globe - Massachusetts Democratic Senator Nathan Cohen endorses Wisconsin Senator Doug Murphy for President. @Stephen Lynch - As a former union man myself, I believe Doug Murphy is the candidate who will best serve the interests of working Americans. He’s got my vote. Nolan Stokes (D-MD) Makes Case to MSNBC Against Loyalty Pledge @MSNBC - Senator Nolan Stokes of Maryland makes his case against the floated DNC loyalty pledge: SPIN ZONE @Kyle Kulinski - I think Senator Stokes hit the nail on the head by openly calling out that this loyalty pledge singularly impacts the deSonido campaign. Don't let up! @Donna Brazile - I've still yet to hear a compelling argument for why Democrats shouldn't nominate a Democrat for the fall. Douglas Butcher (R-LA) Criticizes Camilo deSonido (I-CA) For Having A "Psychotic Level of Ambition" Due to Age @The Advocate - Senator Douglas Butcher (R-LA) attacks Democratic presidential primary candidate Camilo deSonido (I-CA) as having a “almost psychotic level of ambition” due to his young age in running for President at the Rotary Club of New Orleans: PR @Jesse Watters - It does take a certain level of psychotic ambition for someone just elected in 2012 to think they can just waltz into the WH. Remember the last guy to do that: Barack Obama! @Cenk Uygur - Supporting a Democrat over the Klan in 1991 isn’t exactly the flex Senator Butcher seems to think it is. Not exactly brave by any standard! @Rolling Stone - Google searches for Hamilton, the hit musical on Broadway, receive a bounce following Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr being mentioned by prominent elected officials. @Lin Manuel Miranda - Aaron Burr, sir Andrew Clarke (D-MO) Announces Support For Nebraska Reinstitution of Death Penalty On The Kelly File @Fox News - Senator Andrew Clarke (D-MO) comes out in favor of Nebraska reinstating the death penalty on the Kelly File: SPIN ZONE @Governor Pete Ricketts - I may not agree with Andrew Clarke on everything but I welcome his support to let the people of Nebraska decide on the death penalty and not a small number of people in Lincoln. @Nebraska Democratic Party - We are disappointed to see fellow Democrat Andrew Clarke of Missouri support the pet project of Pete Ricketts that defies the will of voters over a humane criminal justice system.

THE FOLLOWING TOPICS ARE PERMISSIBLE TO SPEAK ABOUT: State of 2016 Election (Dem vs Rep Primaries) LGBT Rights + North Carolina HB2 Possible DNC 2016 Loyalty Pledge Oregon Wildlife Refuge Occupation Federal Emergency Declaration for Flint, MI Any material covered in the Stateside 2015 Year in Review Amy material in the SCOTUSBlog Top Cases of 2015 Any material covered in the Rolling Stone 2015 Year in Review Any material covered in the BBC World News Ten Most Significant World Events in 2015 Please DM Admins for other topic approval Name: Media/Outlet: Reason: (Ex. Why I Stand with the Armed Militas) [Bullet points/brief outline of talking points during appearance.] Due by March 7th, at 11:59 PM EST.

Armed Militia Protestors Occupy Wildlife Refuge in Oregon - Q1, 2016 Burns, Oregon - Anti-government armed militia protestors have occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon near the small town of Burns. Led by Ammon Bundy, son of rancher Cliven Bundy famous for a standoff with the federal government over unpaid grazing fees on federal land in 2014, the militias occupying the wildlife refuge are armed and considered dangerous. Militias present have cited as a catalyst of the event the treatment of two area ranchers convicted of federal land arson, who they believed were wrongly convicted, despite the men in question, Dwight and Steven Dwight Hammond, a father and son duo, has publicly stated that they do not want their assistance. The occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge began when Bundy led an armed group of militia members and protestors to the refuge following a peaceful public rally in the nearby city of Burns. The militia has also emphasized an overall view that the federal government has encroached on the rights of farmers and ranchers by controlling federal land that should be left to the states. Anti-government militias and far-right organizations are among those represented by the occupiers at the refuge. Prominent members of militant right-wing organizations like the 3 Percenters and Oath Keepers have formed a significant portion of the wider group. Online chatter in anti-government circles has seen an uptick following the start of the occupation. "It's very concerning," said Southern Poverty Law Center head Morris Dees. "We have seen a rise in far-right militancy since the 2008 election and the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is yet another escalation of an emerging problem." State and local law enforcement have been in communication with occupiers for days following the initial occupation. Oregon Governor Kate Brown (D-OR) and other state officials have called on the occupiers to cooperate with law enforcement and bring the confrontation to a close. The White House has announced that the President has been briefed on the ongoing situation and the FBI is currently coordinating with local and state authorities. Some experts have indicated that the administration's more cautious approach may be a intentional effort to avoid a volatile situation with anti-government protestors and federal agents, with allusions to the infamous Ruby Ridge incident and Waco siege being made on mainstream news networks. The citizens and local government of Burns and Harney County have expressed opposition to the actions of the occupiers. Many local leaders have cited the tactics of the occupiers as counter-productive and dangerous. Despite opposition to the methods of the occupiers, many have also acknowledged that they share similar grievances with the federal government over land rights. "I've lived in Barns all my life and I've seen the feds encroach on our ability to use the land time and time again," said Burns resident Mark Jamison. "What I don't like is these out-of-state bums coming to our community and stoking an armed confrontation. It's damn foolish and puts our community in a bad light. Many in our community have our issues with the government's policies towards federal land but we don't gotta resort to this kind of nonsense to make that point known."

Q1, 2016 (RL - 03/02/2024) DNC Floated 2016 Primary Loyalty Pledge @CNN Politics - LOYALTY PLEDGE?: DNC members are actively considering a loyalty pledge for all 2016 Democratic presidential primary candidates. (1/2) @CNN Politics - This comes after Senator Heather James (D-WA) made a public appeal to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) that would ask candidates to pledge to support the nominee and run as a Democrat. (2/2) @Donna Brazile - If you’re going to run for the Democratic nomination for President, you best run as a Democrat. @Robert Reich - Democrats have been a big-tent party for decades. A loyalty pledge is arbitrary at best and anti-democratic at the worst! @RealClearPolitics - Talk of Loyalty Pledge Within Democratic Primary Field Divides Opinion: ARTICLE @James Carville - If any of these Democratic candidates decide to be a bonehead and not support the eventual nominee, they can kiss their career goodbye! @Donna Brazile - Democratic voters have the right to vote for a Democrat in November. That shouldn't be crazy to say in 2016 but apparently it is. @Kyle Kulinski - We can all see what the DNC is trying to do. Camilo deSonido is the only candidate impacted by the loyalty pledge and its because he has a progressive vision out of step with the DNC! @Larry Sabato - A loyalty pledge's impact on the Democratic primary could be interesting. It's clear voters want to make sure the eventual nominee isn't hampered by a nasty primary. @Charles Krauthammer - I think the RNC would be making a miscalculation not considering a loyalty pledge of their own. McCain and Romney were both hampered by nasty primaries and its a proposal that should be taken seriously. @Jon Meacham - The last time Democrats ran a non-Democrat for President was 1872 when Liberal Republican newspaper editor Horace Greeley was nominated to face President Ulysses S. Grant. Greeley died roughly two weeks following the election. @Jake Tapper - Little doubt the loyalty pledge floated by Senator Heather James could have an impact on the state of the race if the DNC decides to propose it. David Rollins (R-NE) 2016 Republican Primary Campaign Launch @Omaha World-Herald - BREAKING: Senator David Rollins of Nebraska announces 2016 Republican Presidential Campaign. @Congressman Adrian Smith - David Rollins understands rural America better than anyone. After eight years of destruction under Barack Obama, it’s time for real change. Proud to support my good friend! President Obama Authorizes Federal Emergency For Flint, MI @MSNBC - BREAKING: President Obama declares a federal emergency in Flint, freeing up to $5 million in federal aid to immediately assist with the public health crisis following lead contamination of the city water supply. @NBC News - Governor Rick Snyder's request for a disaster declaration has been rejected as the White House argues that federal law mandates only natural disasters as eligible for disaster declarations. The crisis in Flint is viewed as a manmade catastrophe. @Governor Rick Snyder - I appreciate the President taking action to help the people of Flint. I have pledged to use all state resources possible to help heal Flint, and these additional resources will greatly assist in efforts under way. @Congressman Dan Kildee - I welcome the president’s quick action in support of the people of Flint after months of inaction by the governor. We must help Flint recover from this terrible manmade disaster created by the state. @Al Sharpton - Rick Snyder and the other white men running the state of Michigan sat on their butts as Flint suffered for months before finally requesting federal aid. Shameful! Shameful! Shameful! @Jesse Watters - Liberals can't help themselves making everything about race! Flint is getting the help it needs and they still make it about politics. @Cenk Uygur - President Obama should have sent aid months ago. We all knew Snyder would drop the ball, so why did it take Obama so long to pick it up! @CNN Politics - The crisis in Flint, Michigan could become a talking point for 2016 campaigns up and down the ballot as the nation grapples more stories of a a broken infrastructure system, placing communities all across the nation at risk. @Detroit Free Press - Michigan Senator Alex Fakhouri calls for a national response to the Flint water crisis following declaration of federal emergency.

Q1, 2016 (RL - 03/01/2024) Julius Tuck (D-IN) 2016 Democratic Primary Campaign Launch @Indianapolis Star - BREAKING: Former Democratic Governor and Ambassador to Kenya Julius Tuck announces 2016 presidential campaign. @Congressman Andre Carson - Julius Tuck is the real deal with the administrative and foreign policy experience we need. Proud to support my friend JT! John Carlsen (D-IN) 2016 Democratic Primary Campaign Launch @Indianapolis Star - BREAKING: Indiana Democratic Senator John Carlsen has announced a bid for the presidency in 2016. @Congressman Pete Visclosky - John Carlsen understands that we need a leader who can deliver results on day one. John has my vote and I hope he has yours. Doug Murphy (D-WI) 2016 Democratic Primary Campaign Launch @Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - BREAKING: Wisconsin Senator Doug Murphy announces campaign for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. @Congressman Ron Kind - Doug gets what working people in America need. The choice to me isn’t even close. Glad to support my friend and fellow Wisconsinite! Diego Everhart (D-PA) 2016 Democratic Primary Campaign Launch @Pittburgh Post Gazette - BREAKING: Diego Everhart, Senator from Pennsylvania, announces bid for the Democratic nomination in 2016. @Congressman Brendan Boyle - Diego Everhart has been a tireless champion for the commonwealth and will bring a bold and progressive vision to the White House! George Kuykendall (R-CO) 2016 Republican Primary Campaign Launch @Denver Post - BREAKING: Republican Senator George Kuykendall announces 2016 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Senator Kuykendall was recently elected in 2014. @Congressman Ken Buck - George Kuykendall tells it like it is and holds true to conservative values. Let’s get George to the White House. Elizabeth McCord (R-SC) 2016 Republican Primary Campaign Launch @The Post & Courier - BREAKING: South Carolina Senator Katherine McCord announces campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. @Congressman Tom Rice - If you want a dedicated conservative patriot who will defend our Constitution, look no further than Katherine McCord. Nolan Stokes (D-MD) Endorses Camilo deSonido (I-CA) for President @Baltimore Sun - Maryland Senator Nolan Stokes announces endorsement of Independent California Senator Camilo deSonido for the 2016 Democratic nomination. @Congresswoman Donna Edwards - Senator deSonido has doubters out there but he’s the real deal! Progressives have a champion in deSonido in 2016!

Q1, 2016 (RL - 02/29/2024) North Carolina HB2 @The News & Observer - North Carolina Republicans are expected to move forward later this month with the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act. HB2 would, among other things, require that transgender individuals use the bathroom of their birth gender in public accommodations. @Governor PatMcCrory - I called on the North Carolina Legislature to enter a special session because the Charlotte City Council changed basic long-established values and norms and put women and children at risk. HB2 is necessary to keep North Carolinians safe. @Rosie O'Donnell - Fascist clowns like Pat McCrory are more interested in your genitalia than improving your life! Talk about a schmuck! HB2 is hateful and must be rejected in North Carolina and states around the country. @Franklin Graham - America turned away from Christ’s message in 2015 when it made same sex marriage the law of the land. We must protect our women and children. I applaud Governor McCrory and call on all believers to stand in support of HB2. @Human Rights Campaign - Pat McCrory and North Carolina Republicans have declared open war on transgender Americans over where they can go to the bathroom. It’s wrong and the country knows it. We encourage our partners to stand in solidarity with the LGBT community and demand North Carolina rejected HB2. @Family Research Council - The next Republican presidential nominee must oppose transgenderism and the harm it can cause to our children. Stand with our kids. Stand with HB2. @Caitlyn Jenner - I’ve been a card-carrying member of the Republican Party all my life. 2015 was a turning point for America on LGBT rights. HB2 is misguided and wrong. My party is better than this. @The News & Observer - North Carolina Republicans Set to Consider Transgender Bathroom Ban in Upcoming Special Session: ARTICLE Trans-Pacific Partnership @U.S. Chamber of Commerce - The TPP is critical to the United States as economic growth and job creation at home depends on our ability to sell American goods globally. We urge Congress to support the TPP. @AFL-CIO - American workers have been on the short end of the stick time and time again when it comes to free trade. TPP poses yet another risk to jobs right here in the USA. @Jeb Bush - Republicans have always stood as defenders of free trade. The benefits of free trade and global engagement cannot be understated. TPP will benefit America, our allies, and take the fight to China’s backyard. @Robert Reich - TPP is a betrayal of the American Worker. The Obama Administration should have never pursued policy that would disproportionately impact our struggling working class for the sake of transnational corporations. This deal must be rejected. @NLRB - The NLRB does not participate in trade negotiations. @Candace Owens - I love seeing libs own other libs for the disaster we call TPP. @Governor Mike Pence - Republicans have stood strongly for free trade since the days of Reagan/Bush. We cannot turn our back on our party values. Free trade means more jobs and more growth. Nebraska Death Penalty Amendment @Omaha World-Herald - Nebraskans will vote in the fall on a ballot measure that, if passed, would reinstate the death penalty in the Cornhusker State. Governor Pete Ricketts has reportedly donated significant funding to make the ballot measure possible. @Governor Pete Ricketts - I stand by my overridden veto of the death penalty abolition legislation passed by the Nebraska Legislature. This issue is best settled by Nebraskans themselves, not politicians in Lincoln. @Innocence Project - The death penalty is broken. Our work is a testament to the fact that innocent people are being condemned to death by the state. We oppose efforts to reinstate the death penalty in Nebraska. U.S. Border Security @Texas Tribune - Senator Benjamin Pinnacle sets his sights on border security as he meet with immigration officials to discuss numerous topics dealing with illegal immigration, pushing for "the President and Congress" to "get together to protect our souther border." Camilo deSonido (I-CA) 2016 Democratic Primary Campaign Launch @LA Times - BREAKING: Independent Senator Camilo Jabari deSonido announces campaign for 2016 Democratic Presidential Nomination. @Marianne Williamson - I've had the fortune of meeting Senator deSonido from time to time and have always been impressed by his candor and vision. We need an independent voice! I'm proud to support his campaign for President! @Donna Brazile - I prefer my party nominee actually be a Democrat. Charles Walker (R-CA) 2016 Republican Primary Campaign Launch @LA Times - BREAKING: Retired General Charles Walker announced 2016 Republican primary campaign. @General Jack Keane - Charles Walker is a true American patriot. I’m proud to support my friend and former fellow Fox contributor. Less hope, more results! Diane Delorean (R-NE) 2016 Republican Primary Campaign Launch @Omaha World-Herald - BREAKING: Nebraska Senator Diane Delorean announced Republican presidential campaign in Omaha. @Congressman Jeff Fortenberry - I’ve known Senator Delorean and I can say with certainty that she’s one tough cookie ready to take on Washington! Republican Party Twitter Feud @George Will - Republicans as of late would do well to remember Reagan’s 11th Commandment. @Steve Bannon - We’ve been following Reagan’s 11th Commandment and what did that get us? Barack Obama and socialized healthcare. It’s time to call the posers out for what they are!

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) speaks to the press regarding a possible loyalty pledge. Talk of Loyalty Pledge Within Democratic Primary Field Divides Opinion - Q1, 2016 Washington D.C. - Following a public statement following a meeting of the DNC Executive Committee, DNC Chairwoman and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) has confirmed that the DNC is looking into the possibility of putting forward a loyalty pledge. This comes following a public call for a loyalty pledge from Washington Senator Heather James (D-WA) and concerns among voters that the crowded Democratic field could weaken the eventual nominee if supporters of former candidates stay home or vote third party. A potential loyalty pledge would require all Democratic presidential candidates to rally behind the eventual nominee. Supporters of such a pledge point to the divisive 1992 and 2008 Democratic presidential primaries as examples of concerns at the time that voters would not show up to the polls after their own candidate failed to win the nomination. This concern was prevalent in 2008 in particular with various polling showing a significant number of then-Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) supporters would not back then-Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) after it became clear he would be the nominee. This concern eventually did not materialize as the former rivals reconciled. "I think it's a no-brainer," said veteran Democratic strategist James Carville when asked about a pledge on MSNBC. "I think you gotta be a damn idiot to not support the eventual nominee." A potential loyalty pledge would also require all Democratic presidential candidates, should they win the nomination, run and serve as a registered Democrat. Not since the election of 1872 has the Democratic Party nominee not been a registered Democrat. "Democratic voters expect their nominee to be a Democrat," said former DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile. "Why we are even talking about this is beyond me. The Democratic Party should be led by a Democrat." Current polling of likely Democratic primary voters does indicate that a majority of voters prefer their nominee be a registered Democrat, but support for a registered Independent has seen an uptick in favorable opinion when compared to previous cycles. Experts have identified the shifting dynamics within the Democratic Party during the Obama Administration, particular a rise in growing progressive voices. Progressive Democratic party officials have been quick to express opposition to this aspect of the pledge, pointing to the campaign of Independent Senator Camilo deSonido (I-CA) as the candidate most impacted by such a move. Online leftist forums have seen an increase in discourse theorizing that a loyalty pledge is a ploy to derail the campaign of Senator deSonido by the DNC. On his popular podcast, leftist commentator Kyle Kulinski told his listeners, "We all can see what the DNC is trying to do. I don't believe for one second that the DNC out of the blue wants all candidates to sign a loyalty pledge! If I was the deSonido Campaign, I would call this out!" Other progressive voices have been more moderate in their approach, calling for more debate within the DNC to allow them to emphasize the negative perception such a pledge could have with left-wing voters to undecided DNC members. "I am certainly curious to see how a possible loyalty pledge by the DNC impacts the 2016 race," said Professor Larry Sabato when asked about how a loyalty pledge could shake up the Democratic primary. "It's clear that Democrats are at a turning point after eight years of Barack Obama. Holding the White House is naturally the top priority of the DNC. Could this primary get nasty, it's too early to tell but with such a crowded field, it becomes difficult to assume things won't get ugly in the coming weeks as candidates set themselves apart from one another." Some pundits of the media have turned to the RNC following loyalty pledge talk and have openly questioned whether or not they should also consider a loyalty pledge. "Look, the current 2016 field is impressive but so was the field in 2012 and 2008 when candidates left the general election nominee undoubtedly damaged," said conservative Fox News commentator and Pulitzer Price winning writer Charles Krauthammer. "John McCain and Mitt Romney may have benefitted from a loyalty pledge instead of the bloodbath that was their primaries. With such a crowded field, Republican voters are rightfully concerned that another brutal primary could leave their nominee in a weaker position than the Democrats for the third time in a row."

RealClearPolitics coverage of the 2016 election cycle.

Q1, 2016 (RL - 02/28/2024) Gun Violence in America @ABC News - Nation Under Fire: The Rise of Gun Violence in 2015 The most searched topic of the year: shootings in America. 2015 was marked by an alarming frequency of gun violence incidents, capturing the nation's attention and igniting debates across political and social spectrums. LINK @Joy Ann Reid - A white man with a gun is more dangerous to black Americans than anything else. Period. @Ben Shapiro - What’s worse is that we have left ideologues who will completely ignore illegal immigrants and terrorists killing Americans. @Rachel Maddow - The Planned Parenthood attack in Colorado Springs was an attack on women's rights. We must protect access to healthcare and stand against violence. @Chris Hayes - Each shooting in 2015, from Charleston to San Bernardino, was a tragedy that could have been prevented. It's time for action on gun control, hate crime legislation, and mental health support. @Charlie Kirk - San Bernardino and Chattanooga, underscore the need for strong national security and immigration controls. We must protect our citizens. @Rand Paul - San Bernardino was a wake-up call to the threat of homegrown terrorism. We need policies that prioritize the safety of Americans and vetting processes that work. @Sean Hannity - A lack of border security is UNAMERICAN! National Transgender Bathroom Debate @POLITICO - The Year People Fought Over Bathrooms: The landscape of transgender care and awareness in 2015 highlighted a shift towards greater understanding and support for transgender individuals, amidst a broader cultural recognition of the complexity of gender identity. ARTICLE

The Tweetdeck of 2016

North Carolina Republicans Set to Consider Transgender Bathroom Ban in Upcoming Special Session - Q1, 2016 Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Republicans have signaled their intention to move forward with the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, also known as HB2, that would require transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their birth gender in public accommodations. The bill would amend state law to preempt any anti-discrimination ordinances passed by local communities as well as giving the state government sole authority over the minimum wage in North Carolina. Sparked by localities passing anti-discrimination ordinances, such as Charlotte, HB2 has already caused national controversy as North Carolina becomes the epicenter of the newest battle in the fight for LGBT rights. Governor Pat McCrory (R-NC) called for a special election to consider HB2, citing protecting women and children as a primary reason for taking up the legislation. North Carolina Republicans have generally come out in favor of the legislation, with the notable exception of Senator Beau Goodwin (R-NC) who indicated on social media that the legislature should seek consensus before passing HB2. Some Democrats in the legislature have indicated that they are also supportive of HB2, predominantly representing more rural areas of the state. The wider political world has been quick to criticize HB2. LGBT organizations, such as the Human Rights Campaign, have already labeled HB2 as the most anti-LGBT legislation in a state legislature currently being considered by the United States. HRC has called on nationwide allies and partners to openly condemn HB2 and demand that the legislation be voted down in March. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D-NC) has already indicated he would not defend HB2 in court should it be passed by the North Carolina Legislature. Social conservative interest groups like the Family Research Council and prominent social conservative leaders like Pastor Franklin Graham have come out in favor of HB2 and have called on Republicans to unify behind Governor McCrory and North Carolina Republicans in the wake of growing national condemnation. It has been notable that some national Republican figures, such as former General Charles Walker (R-CA) and Senator David Williams (R-IL), have publicly expressed opposition to HB2 for reasons such as commitment to small government principles and lack of cohesion with business and community leaders. Experts have noted that the impact of HB2 passing could have implications for North Carolina's economy. Companies like PayPal and Deutsche Bank, despite being set to expand operation in the state, have expressed hesitation in the wake of HB2's possible passage. The NBA and NCAA have both publicly expressed opposition to HB2's potential passage after pressure from LGBT interest groups and allies. Various musicians have indicated they may consider cancelling tour dates in North Carolina and various localities across the United States have already signaled they may establish travel advisories for employees to avoid North Carolina. HB2 could become a major issue in the upcoming 2016 Presidential Election and the North Carolina Gubernatorial Election. Republicans in the state were quick to condemn Attorney General Cooper for announcing he would not defend the legislation, citing rumors of a potential gubernatorial campaign against Governor McCrory in the fall. Social conservative interest groups have called on potential Republican presidential candidates to speak out in favor of the legislation, despite growing backlash nationally. Early polling indicates that voters in North Carolina are conflicted regarding HB2. The legislation itself currently has 50% disapproval, 38% approval, and 12% unsure from North Carolinians with white men more likely to be supportive and women and minorities more likely to be opposed. Polling becomes murkier when voters are asked about the bathroom provisions at the center of the national controversy. 56% of voters in the state have expressed some level of support for transgender individuals only being allowed to use the bathroom of their birth gender and 34% have expressed that they should be allowed to use the bathroom of choice. 56% of voters also stated that allowing a transgender person to use a women's bathroom poses a security risk to women and children, while 35 percent disagreed with that stance.

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TIME, amongst other things, provide profiles of prominent American leaders.

Top Cases of 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges - In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5-to-4 vote on Friday that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. “No longer may this liberty be denied,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority in the historic decision. “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.” Marriage is a “keystone of our social order,” Justice Kennedy said, adding that the plaintiffs in the case were seeking “equal dignity in the eyes of the law.” The decision, which was the culmination of decades of litigation and activism, set off jubilation and tearful embraces across the country, the first same-sex marriages in several states, and resistance — or at least stalling — in others. It came against the backdrop of fast-moving changes in public opinion, with polls indicating that most Americans now approve of the unions. The court’s four more liberal justices joined Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion. Each member of the court’s conservative wing filed a separate dissent, in tones ranging from resigned dismay to bitter scorn. In dissent, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the Constitution had nothing to say on the subject of same-sex marriage. “If you are among the many Americans — of whatever sexual orientation — who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote. “Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal. Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it.” In a second dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia mocked the soaring language of Justice Kennedy, who has become the nation’s most important judicial champion of gay rights. King v. Burwell - The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that President Obama’s health care law allows the federal government to provide nationwide tax subsidies to help poor and middle-class people buy health insurance, a sweeping vindication that endorsed the larger purpose of Mr. Obama’s signature legislative achievement. The 6-to-3 ruling means that it is all but certain that the Affordable Care Act will survive after Mr. Obama leaves office in 2017. For the second time in three years, the law survived an encounter with the Supreme Court. But the court’s tone was different this time. The first decision, in 2012, was fractured and grudging, while Thursday’s ruling was more assertive. “Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for a united six-justice majority. In 2012’s closely divided decision, Chief Justice Roberts also wrote the controlling opinion, but that time no other justice joined it in full. In dissent on Thursday, Justice Antonin Scalia called the majority’s reasoning “quite absurd” and “interpretive jiggery-pokery.” He announced his dissent from the bench, a sign of bitter disagreement. His summary was laced with notes of incredulity and sarcasm, sometimes drawing amused murmurs in the courtroom as he described the “interpretive somersaults” he said the majority had performed to reach the decision. In a hastily arranged appearance in the Rose Garden on Thursday morning, a triumphant Mr. Obama praised the ruling. “After multiple challenges to this law before the Supreme Court, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay,” he said, adding: “What we’re not going to do is unravel what has now been woven into the fabric of America.” The ruling was a blow to Republicans, who have been trying to gut the law since it was enacted. But House Republicans vowed that the political fight against it would continue. Elonis v. United States - The Supreme Court on Monday made it harderto prosecute people for threats made on Facebook and other social media, reversing the conviction of a Pennsylvania man who directed brutally violent language against his estranged wife. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the majority, said prosecutors must do more than prove that reasonable people would view statements as threats. The defendant’s state of mind matters, the chief justice wrote, though he declined to say just where the legal line is drawn. Chief Justice Roberts wrote for seven justices, grounding his opinion in criminal-law principles concerning intent rather than the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. The majority opinion was modest, even cryptic. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. voted with the majority, though he said a defendant’s recklessness in making threatening statements should suffice to require a conviction. The majority opinion took no position on that possibility. “Attorneys and judges are left to guess,” Justice Alito wrote. Justice Clarence Thomas issued a similar criticism in his dissent. “Our job is to decide questions, not create them,” he wrote. “Given the majority’s ostensible concern for protecting innocent actors, one would have expected it to announce a clear rule — any clear rule. Its failure to do so reveals the fractured foundation upon which today’s decision rests.” Justice Thomas, who would have upheld Mr. Elonis’s conviction, said the majority’s approach was unsatisfactory. “This failure to decide,” he wrote, “throws everyone from appellate judges to everyday Facebook users into a state of uncertainty.” Glossip v. Gross - The Supreme Court ruled against three death row inmates who had sought to bar the use of an execution drug they said risked causing excruciating pain. In the process, two dissenting members of the court — Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg — came very close to announcing that they were ready to rule the death penalty unconstitutional. This gave rise to slashing debate with Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas about the reliability and effectiveness of the punishment, a dispute that overshadowed the core issue in the case. The 5-to-4 decision on the execution drug broke along familiar lines, with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy joining the court’s more conservative members to allow its use. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., writing for the majority, said the inmates had failed to identify an available and preferable method of execution and failed to make the case that the challenged drug entailed a substantial risk of severe pain. In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who joined the other three members of the court’s liberal wing, said, “The court’s available-alternative requirement leads to patently absurd consequences.” “Petitioners contend that Oklahoma’s current protocol is a barbarous method of punishment — the chemical equivalent of being burned alive,” Justice Sotomayor wrote. “But under the court’s new rule, it would not matter whether the state intended to use midazolam, or instead to have petitioners drawn and quartered, slowly tortured to death or actually burned at the stake.” Justices Breyer, Ginsburg and Elena Kagan joined Justice Sotomayor’s dissent. Michigan v. EPA - The Supreme Court on Monday blocked one of the Obama administration’s most ambitious environmental initiatives, an Environmental Protection Agency regulation meant to limit emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants. Industry groups and about 20 states had challenged the E.P.A.’s decision to regulate the emissions, saying the agency had failed to take into account the punishing costs its rule would impose. The Clean Air Act required the regulation to be “appropriate and necessary.” The challengers said the agency had run afoul of that law by deciding to regulate the emissions without first undertaking a cost-benefit analysis. Writing for the majority, in the 5-to-4 decision, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote: “It is not rational, never mind ‘appropriate,’ to impose billions of dollars in economic costs in return for a few dollars in health or environmental benefits. Statutory context supports this reading.” The E.P.A. had argued that it was not required to take costs into account when it made the initial determination to regulate. But the agency added that it had done so later in setting emissions standards and that, in any event, the benefits far outweighed the costs. The two sides had very different understandings of the costs and benefits involved. Industry groups said the government had imposed annual costs of $9.6 billion to achieve about $6 million in benefits. The agency said the costs yielded tens of billions of dollars in benefits. In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote: “The agency acted well within its authority in declining to consider costs at the opening bell of the regulatory process given that it would do so in every round thereafter — and given that the emissions limits finally issued would depend crucially on those accountings.” The decision, Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency, No. 14-46, does not strike down the rule, but it means the E.P.A. will have to review and rewrite it, taking costs into consideration. (credit to various 2015 RL news articles)

SCOTUSblog covers judicial news and SCOTUS updates in the United States.

2015 Year in Review California - California on Tuesday became the largest state in the country to require schoolchildren to receive vaccinationsunless there are medical reasons not to do so, as Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that ended exemptions for personal or religious reasons. Mr. Brown, a Democrat, signed the bill after it was passed by significant margins in the State Legislature. The new law was the subject of a long and heated debate in reaction to a strong movement among some parents who refuse to vaccinate their children against infectious diseases like measles. “The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases,” Mr. Brown said in a statement. “While it is true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community.” Two other states, West Virginia and Mississippi, have similar vaccination requirements. Despite overwhelming evidence that vaccines are an essential public health measure, the number of unvaccinated children in California has been rising, partly because personal and religious exemptions have been easy to obtain. Doctors say that parents who decline vaccines for their children, taking heart from the fact that most other children are immunized and unlikely to spread diseases like measles, have helped create pockets of dangerously low immunity levels in particular schools and communities. An outbreak of measles in California this year, which began at Disneyland, was attributed in part to diseases being spread by children who had not been vaccinated. Colorado - A gun battle erupted inside a Planned Parenthood center here on Friday when a man armed with an assault-style rifle opened fire and began shooting at officers as they rushed to the scene. The authorities reported that three people were killed, a police officer and two civilians, and nine were wounded before the suspect finally surrendered more than five hours after the first shots were fired. A police official in Colorado Springs identified the man in custody as Robert Lewis Dear. The police did not describe the motives of the 57-year-old gunman. For hours on Friday, officers traded gunfire with him inside the clinic before they were able to shout to the man and persuade him to give up, according to Lt. Catherine Buckley, a police spokeswoman. “The perpetrator is in custody,” Mayor John Suthers said at an evening news conference. “There is a huge crime scene that has to be processed,” he said, “and we have to determine how many victims there are.” Lieutenant Buckley said the gunman had brought several suspicious items to the clinic, and investigators were trying to determine whether they were explosives. The shooting came at a time when Planned Parenthood has been criticized because of surreptitious videos made by anti-abortion groups of officials discussing using fetal organs for research. It transformed a shopping area near the clinic into chaos as snow fell and gunshots rang through the parking lot. Black-clad tactical officers stood guard with guns in hand, ambulances lined up and dozens of shoppers and employees were ordered to stay away from windows and lock their businesses’ doors. Delaware - Delaware governor Jack Markell has signed into law a bill decriminalising possession and private use of small amounts of marijuana. The move follows the lead of nearly 20 states that have eased penalties for personal consumption, state media reported on Thursday. Individuals in Delware will be allowed to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, and to use it privately without facing criminal sanctions. Police could still confiscate the drug, according to Delaware Online, the News Journal. The statute also will reduce the penalty for using marijuana in a public place to a $100 civil fine. Under previous Delaware law, simple marijuana possession was a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of $1,150. The law will take effect in six months’ time. Markell, a Democrat, signed the measure almost immediately after the state senate, voting along party lines, gave it final legislative approval. According to the Journal, the Democratic-backed bill cleared the state legislature without a single Republican vote in either the house or senate. Not counting Delaware, 17 states have passed laws to decriminalize personal marijuana use and possession in small amounts, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a lobbying group. Delaware is one of 23 states, along with the District of Columbia, that allow the use of pot for medical reasons. Voters in Colorado, Washington state, Oregon, Alaska and Washington DC have approved ballot measures legalising cannabis for adult recreational use. Illinois - Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff whose cutting personality and centrist policies earned him the nickname “Mayor 1 Percent” among his critics, was re-elected mayor of Chicago on Tuesday, surviving a challenge from Jesus G. Garcia, a county commissioner who was seeking to become the city’s first Latino mayor. With 98 percent of precincts counted, Mr. Emanuel led Mr. Garcia 56 percent to 44 percent. For Mr. Emanuel, 55, it was a narrow escape from what could have been an embarrassing loss to Mr. Garcia, a feisty former alderman and community organizer who for months hammered Mr. Emanuel for closing dozens of public schools and claimed the mayor ignored the working class and poor in the nation’s third-largest city. But Mr. Emanuel fought back by asserting that Mr. Garcia was unqualified for the job and its immense responsibilities, including confronting Chicago’s staggering debt, stubbornly high crime rate and unfunded pension liabilities. The race was closely watched nationally as a test of Democratic centrists by the party’s liberal wing, which has been resurgent with the victory of Mayor Bill de Blasio in New York City and the national prominence of Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. At his campaign celebration, surrounded by his wife, Amy Rule; his daughters and son; and his brothers, Ariel and Ezekiel, Mr. Emanuel praised Mr. Garcia as “a good man” who loves Chicago, then thanked voters for giving him “a second term and a second chance.” “I have had the good fortune to serve two presidents. I’ve had the fortune of being elected to Congress,” he said. “Being mayor of the city of Chicago is the greatest job I’ve ever had and the greatest job in the world.” “To all the voters, I want to thank you for putting me through my paces,” Mr. Emanuel continued. “I will be a better mayor because of that.” Indiana - In Indiana, legislators passed a series of changes on Thursday that, while not outlawing anti-gay discrimination, clarified that the religious freedom law does not authorize such discrimination. Lawmakers in Arkansas, acting at the urging of the governor, passed a measure that is nearly identical to the federal Religious Freedom and Restoration Act — and thus narrower in scope than the initial bill — but does not directly address discrimination. While liberal critics said the new versions did not go far enough to prevent discrimination, and some social conservatives saw the measures as needlessly watered down, many lawmakers considered the changes to be acceptable compromises. After the Indiana legislature approved its legislation last week, an array of major companies and associations, as well as political and entertainment figures around the country, offered harsh criticism. Some state governments said they would curtail travel to Indiana, and some boycott efforts began, prompting state business leaders to demand changes. After long, anguished debates Thursday, the Indiana House of Representative voted, 66 to 30, and the Senate by 34 to 16, to amend the law, and Gov. Mike Pence signed the revision. Kentucky - A Kentucky county clerk who has become a symbol of religious opposition to same-sex marriage was jailed Thursday after defying a federal court order to issue licenses to gay couples. The clerk, Kim Davis of Rowan County, Ky., was ordered detained for contempt of court and later rejected a proposal to allow her deputies to process same-sex marriage licenses that could have prompted her release. Instead, on a day when one of Ms. Davis’s lawyers said she would not retreat from or modify her stand despite a Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, Judge David L. Bunning of United States District Court secured commitments from five of Ms. Davis’s deputies to begin providing the licenses. At least two couples planned to seek marriage licenses Friday. “The court cannot condone the willful disobedience of its lawfully issued order,” Judge Bunning said. “If you give people the opportunity to choose which orders they follow, that’s what potentially causes problems.” The judge’s decision to jail Ms. Davis, a 49-year-old Democrat who was elected last year, immediately intensified the attention focused on her, a longtime government worker who is one of three of Kentucky’s 120 county clerks who contend that their religious beliefs keep them from recognizing same-sex nuptials. Within hours of Ms. Davis’s imprisonment, prominent Republicans declared their support for her, a sign that her case was becoming an increasingly charged cause for Christian conservatives. Massachusetts - Two years after bombs in two backpacks transformed the Boston Marathon from a sunny rite of spring to a smoky battlefield with bodies dismembered, a federal jury on Friday condemned Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for his role in the 2013 attack. In a sweeping rejection of the defense case, the jury found that death was the appropriate punishment for six of 17 capital counts — all six related to Mr. Tsarnaev’s planting of a pressure-cooker bomb on Boylston Street, which his lawyers never disputed. Mr. Tsarnaev, 21, stood stone-faced in court, his hands folded in front of him, as the verdict was read, his lawyers standing grimly at his side. Immediate reaction was mostly subdued.“Happy is not the word I would use,” said Karen Brassard, who suffered grievous leg injuries in the bombing. “There’s nothing happy about having to take somebody’s life. I’m satisfied, I’m grateful that they came to that conclusion, because for me I think it was the just conclusion.” The bombings two years ago turned one of this city’s most cherished athletic events into a grim tragedy — the worst terrorist attack on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001. Three people were killed, and 17 people lost at least one leg. More than 240 others sustained serious injuries. Last month, after deliberating for 11 hours, the jury found Mr. Tsarnaev guilty of all 30 charges against him in connection with the bombings and the death a few days later of a fourth person, an M.I.T. police officer. The same jury spent 14 hours over three days deliberating the sentence. Maryland - When a young black man named Freddie Gray died of a spinal cord injury in April, after a widely circulated cellphone video showing him being dragged screaming into a police transport van, a theory emerged: He was brutalized by officers, who gave him an intentional “rough ride” that left him with a broken neck. Now a jury is considering the fate of William G. Porter, the first of six Baltimore officers charged in Mr. Gray’s death. On Monday, lawyers delivered closing arguments; a prosecutor, dangling a bloodstained seatbelt, called the van a “casket on wheels,” while a defense lawyer urged jurors to put “cold hard facts” before emotion. It is Baltimore’s highest-profile trial in years, playing out against the backdrop of an intense national debate over race and policing. But the Gray case is murkier than those in Chicago and South Carolina where video showed a white officer shooting an unarmed black man. While prosecution and defense lawyers agree that Mr. Gray suffered a debilitating injury inside the van, there is no recording showing what happened. And the fact that six officers have been charged — and are being tried separately — has complicated matters because not all the evidence is coming out at once. As the city awaits a verdict, there is unease and fear of a repeat of the riots that erupted in April on the day of Mr. Gray’s funeral. Students left a high school en masse that day in response to a call on social media for a “purge,” a reference to a horror film in which laws are suspended for one day a year. The stakes are especially high for Marilyn Mosby, the state’s attorney for the City of Baltimore, who charged the six officers — an act that some say spared the city from further violence, but that defenders of the police characterized as the work of an overzealous prosecutor. On Monday, dressed in a pink coat, Ms. Mosby sat in the courtroom as Mr. Murtha took aim at her, though not by name. Missouri - Months of student and faculty protests over racial tensions and other issues that all but paralyzed the University of Missouri campus culminated Monday in an extraordinary coup for the demonstrators, as the president of the university system resigned and the chancellor of the flagship campus here said he would step down to a less prominent role at the end of the year. The threat of a boycott by the Missouri football team dealt the highest-profile blow to the president, Timothy M. Wolfe, and the chancellor, R. Bowen Loftin, but anger at the administration had been growing since August, when the university said it would stop paying for health insurance for graduate teaching and research assistants. It reversed course, but not before the graduate assistants held demonstrations, threatened a walkout, took the first steps toward forming a union and joined forces with students demonstrating against racism. Then the university came under fire from Republicans for ties its medical schools and medical center had to Planned Parenthood. The university severed those ties, drawing criticism from Democrats that it had caved in to political pressure. But it was charges of persistent racism, particularly complaints of racial epithets hurled at the student body president, who is black, that sparked the strongest reactions, along with complaints that the administration did not take the problem seriously enough. Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, said, “Tim Wolfe’s resignation was a necessary step toward healing and reconciliation on the University of Missouri campus, and I appreciate his decision to do so.” Many of the students and faculty members who took part in demonstrations had also been inspired by the protest movement sparked last year in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis, after a white police officer there killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black man, and they were experienced at using social media in organizing. They saw themselves as part of a continuum of activism linking Ferguson, other deaths at the hands of police, protests on campuses around the country and the Black Lives Matter movement. Nebraska - Nebraska on Wednesday became the first conservative state in more than 40 years to abolish the death penalty, with lawmakers defying their Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, a staunch supporter of capital punishment who had lobbied vigorously against banning it. After more than two hours of emotional speeches at the Capitol here, the Legislature, by a 30-to-19 vote that cut across party lines, overrode the governor’s veto of a bill repealing the state’s death penalty law. After the repeal measure passed, by just enough votes to overcome the veto, dozens of spectators in the balcony burst into celebration. The vote capped a monthslong battle that pitted most lawmakers in the unicameral Legislature against the governor, many law enforcement officials and some family members of murder victims whose killers are on death row. The Legislature approved the repeal bill three times this year, each time by a veto-proof majority, before sending it to Mr. Ricketts’s desk. Adding to the drama, two senators who had previously voted for repeal switched to support the governor at the last minute. Opponents of the death penalty here were able to build a coalition that spanned the ideological spectrum by winning the support of Republican legislators who said they believed capital punishment was inefficient, expensive and out of place with their party’s values, as well as that of lawmakers who cited religious or moral reasons for supporting the repeal. Nebraska joins 18 other states and Washington, D.C., in banning the death penalty. Though it is not clear that other Republican-dominated states will follow Nebraska’s example, Wednesday’s vote came at a time when liberals and conservatives have been finding common ground on a range of criminal justice issues in Washington and around the country. Oregon - Governor John Kitzhaber, long regarded as a wily survivor of Oregon politics, resigned Friday amid a spiraling crisis that included a criminal investigation of the role that his fiancée played in his administration and crumbling support from his Democratic Party colleagues. It was a steep and rapid fall for Mr. Kitzhaber, 67, a former emergency room doctor who won an unprecedented fourth term as governor in November. His resignation means that Kate Brown, the Oregon secretary of state and a fellow Democrat, will become governor, in accordance with the succession plan in the state Constitution. Even during the recent election, Mr. Kitzhaber had been plagued by questions about his fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, with whom he lives in the governor’s mansion, and whether she had violated ethics rules or criminal laws in advising him about clean energy issues while serving as a consultant on the topic. Before November’s election and after, he repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by Ms. Hayes, 47, or his office, and pledged cooperation in the various inquiries, including one initiated this month by the state’s attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, also a Democrat, which could result in criminal charges. But in the last few days, some senior Democrats in the heavily Democratic state abandoned him and called for his resignation, piling on with some Republicans, who had criticized him as an ineffective leader even before the scandals. Ms. Brown, 54, the secretary of state, was among those who distanced herself, releasing a statement on Thursday describing what she said was a “bizarre” meeting she had had with Mr. Kitzhaber — saying that he had asked her to rush back to Oregon from a conference in Washington, D.C., this week to speak privately with him. But once in the meeting, Ms. Brown said, she found him confused or uncertain about why she had come. South Carolina - They pooled by the thousands in the scorching July heat — white and black, old and young, civil rights veterans and everyday Southerners who grew up with the symbols and assumptions of the racial order of the South. They waited quietly at first, but eventually erupted into spontaneous chants of “Take it down!” And when the red and blue Confederate battle flag was finally, permanently lowered here from its place of honor on the grounds of the South Carolina State House, they chanted again: “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” The banishment of perhaps the most conspicuous and polarizing symbol of the Old South from the seat of South Carolina government Friday morning was the culmination of decades of racially charged political skirmishes. At issue were vexing questions about how a state that was first to secede from the Union — and then later raised the battle flag in 1962 when white Southerners were resisting calls for integration — should honor its Confederate past. It was a conversation that seemed like it might never end here, until it was hurried to a resolution by unspeakable horror: the massacre of nine black churchgoers in downtown Charleston last month, and a gathering sense of outrage and offense that was felt even by many white conservatives who had previously supported the flag. The arrest of the alleged gunman, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, who posed proudly with the flag and apparently posted a long racist manifesto online before the massacre, was the flag’s final undoing. Virginia - Bob McDonnell, the former governor of Virginia who was convicted in September on corruption charges, was sentenced to 24 months in prison on Tuesday in one of the most spectacular falls of a statewide official in the history of the commonwealth. Mr. McDonnell, 60, whose lawyers had argued for community service in lieu of prison time, was sentenced by Judge James R. Spencer of Federal District Court, who after a lengthy discourse on sentencing guidelines and the nature of guilt and remorse concluded that “a price must be paid.” Judge Spencer said he found the situation heartbreaking and the crimes confounding. But “unlike Pontius Pilate,” he said, “I can’t wash my hands of it all.” The sentence was more than Mr. McDonnell — whose name was once floated as a possible candidate for the White House — had hoped for. But it was far less than the 10 to 12 years recommended by the federal probation office and the six and a half years later sought by prosecutors. Mr. McDonnell will face two years of supervision upon release. Washington - When she moved into her uncle’s basement in the largely white town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 2004, Rachel A. Dolezal was still blond and pale-skinned and identified herself as a white woman — one who had left a black husband and had a biracial child. But within a few years, her already deep commitment to black causes and culture intensified. Co-workers and relatives began hearing from her or others that her background was mixed-race — and even that she had called herself black. Many of them questioned the way she described herself, while others accepted it at face value. No one seems to have made an issue of it, but most people saw in her a force of personality that made her a strong and passionate advocate at the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d’Alene, where she began working soon afterward. “It’s really impressive what she accomplished, bringing a lot of energy to these places,” her uncle, Daniel A. Dolezal, recalled in a telephone interview on Tuesday, speaking of the human rights group as well as the N.A.A.C.P. chapter in Spokane, which she later rose to lead. He recalled her journey from being a down-on-her-luck single mother who took part-time teaching jobs, tried to sell her artwork, and worked in the camera store he owns in Coeur d’Alene, in a part of the Idaho panhandle that was once the headquarters of Aryan Nations, the white supremacist group. Her story has set off a national debate about the very meaning of racial identity, with some people applauding her message and goals and many others deploring her methods and actions. It was one thing for Ms. Dolezal to identify with, appreciate and even partake in black culture, some critics said, but it was another thing for her to try to become black, going so far as to change her physical appearance. Wisconsin - The Supreme Court on Monday turned away a challenge to a Wisconsin law that requires prospective voters to provide photo identification before casting their ballots. Officials in Wisconsin said they would not enforce the law in the next election, on April 7, but would require compliance in later ones. The April election includes contests for judicial seats and local offices. “Absentee ballots are already in the hands of voters, therefore, the law cannot be implemented for the April 7 election,” Attorney General Brad Schimel said in a statement. “The voter ID law will be in place for future elections — this decision is final.” Dale Ho, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Voting Rights Project, said the group would continue to fight. “We’re pleased the state has agreed with the A.C.L.U.’s position that imposing a new restriction on voters in the midst of an election is a recipe for disaster,” he said in a statement. “For now, the voters of Wisconsin will be able to cast their ballots free from the burdens placed on them by this law. But this should be the case for voters permanently, not just for one election.” The Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the case was a surprise, as the court last year temporarily blocked the law for the November election, and voters were not required to show photo identifications in order to vote. The Wisconsin law, one of the strictest in the nation, was enacted in 2011 but had been mostly blocked by various courts. It requires prospective voters to show a current or recently expired Wisconsin driver’s license or a similar identification issued to people who do not drive, a military ID, a United States passport, a tribal ID, a recent naturalization certificate or some Wisconsin student IDs. 2015 Gubernatorial Elections - Kentucky Republicans saw themselves back in control of the governorship after eight years of Democrat Steve Beshear as businessman Matt Bevin defeated Democratic State Attorney General Jack Conway 52.5% - 43.8%. Mississippi Republicans held onto the governorship with a commanding 66.2% victory for incumbent Republican Governor Phil Bryant over truck driver Robert Grey's 32.4%. Not all was lost for Democrats as Louisiana became an improbable decisive 56.1% victory for Louisiana House Minority Leader John Bel Edwards over Senator David Vitter's 43.9%, who had previously been caught in an infamous D.C. prostitution scandal. (credit to various 2015 RL news articles)

Stateside covers local and state political news across the United States.

2015 Year in Review Music - The Grammy for Record of the Year went to Mark Robinson and Bruno Mars' 'Uptown Funk' and Album of the Year went to Taylor Swift's '1989'. The Grammy for Best New Artist went to Megan Trainor and Best Rap Album went to Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly'. The CMA's Entertainer of the Year was Luke Bryan and Album of the Year went to Christ Stapleton's 'Traveler' . The top two placements on the Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2015 was Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly' in the number 1 spot and Adele's '25' taking second. Television - 'NCIS' was the most-watched television series in 2015 with 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Empire' in the top five. The Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series was 'VEEP' and the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series was 'Game of Thrones'. The Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series was a milestone for television as Jeffrey Tambor won for his portrayal of a trans woman in 'Transparent' produced by Amazon. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series was Viola Davis for "How to Get Away with Murder' and Peter Dinklage won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in 'Game of Thrones'. Cinema - Leonardo DiCaprio finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor for "The Revenant' and Best Picture went to the masterful storytelling film on the journalists who exposed sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the form of 'Spotlight'. Best Actress was won by Brie Larson for 'Room' and Disney went home with another Academy Award with their Best Animated Picture Award for 'Inside Out'. The Best Foreign Language Picture stoking thought-provoking conversation about a Hungarian prisoner at Auschwitz went to 'Son of Saul' and Best Documentary sparked attention towards Pakistan's honor killings with 'A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness'. Sports - Super Bowl XLIX was played on February 1, 2015 and was won by the New England Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks by a vote of 28-24. The Super Bowl Halftime Show was Katy Perry, featuring Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliott, and the Arizona State University Sun Devil Marching Band at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. The 2014–15 NBA season was won by the Golden State Warriors over the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2 with Season MVP being Stephen Curry. The Kansas City Royals emerged as the World Series Champions of the MLB over the New York Mets for the 2014-2015 season. The Stanley Cup went to the Chicago Blackhawks for the NHL and the 2015 British Open was won by American Zach Johnson. Athletes around the world are gearing up for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pop Culture - 'Hotline Bling' by Drake was the defining song of the summer and the Lee Daniel's created 'Empire' quickly became one of the most-watched on television. Amy Schumer has found herself at the peak of her comedy career and 'Fifty Shades of Grey' sparked controversy from conservative family organizations. Taylor Swift's '1989' World Tour was a resounding success, with many wondering if she could achieve an even more successful tour in eight years, and 'Hamilton' depicting the life of Treasury Secretary and revolutionary Alexander Hamilton quickly became a Broadway sensation and boosted the stardom of Lin Manuel Miranda. The death of Jon Snow in 'Game of Thrones' shocked fans worldwide and Caitlyn Jenner introduced herself to the world as a transgender woman. Netflix is on the rise as streaming platforms become more popular and 'Star Wars The Force Awakes' brings fans to the theaters all around the globe in a resurgence for the franchise. TIME Magazine's Person of the Year was German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Nobel Peace Prize went to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet. Social Media - Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp continued to dominate as the three most used apps globally. Snapchat is in its infancy while Pinterest and Tumblr find strong followings. YouTube has continued to grow exponentially and both Vine and Instagram becomes hits with young people. GIFs, Emojis, and filters become available across various platforms. Social media usage is on the rise across all demographics. In Memoriam - Stuart Scott (age 49), Natalie Cole (age 65), Leonard Nimoy (age 83), Beau Biden (age 46), Fred Thompson (age 73), Bobbi Kristina Brown (age 22), Mario Cuomo (age 82), Alex Rocco (age 79), Omar Sharif (age 83), Bob Simon (age 73), Christopher Lee (age 93), B.B. King (age 89), Suzanne Crough (age 52), Ben E. King (age 76), Lesley Gore (age 68), 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper (age 61), Julian Bond (age 75), Yogi Berra (age 90), Scott Weiland (age 48), Helmut Schmidt (age 96), Denis Healy (age 98), Wes Craven (age 76), Saud al-Faisal (age 75), Lee Kuan Yew (age 91), King Abdullah (age 90).

Rolling Stone covers pop culture, sports, and entertainment in the United States and internationally,

The Character Tier & Groundwork Points System is back! I am glad to be reviving a tweaked GPs System for Reset 18. Part of being a Senator is being able to be a mover and shaker at the local level just as much as at the federal. The GPs System allows players to use points in order to influence their faction in states, propose legislation, intrigued statewide referendum, and other opportunities to shape the wider world around you. Engagement with this system will bring rewards to your characters and expand their notoriety and influence. Some of your potential decisions may even impact election season and beyond. Players will all begin at Tier II in the Character Tier System which awards you all with 25 GPs to spend in Q1 & Q2 of 2017 before you receive your next 25 GPs for Q3 and Q4. Players are allowed to save and spend as many GPs as they wish to as GPs do carry over if unused. Players can use the character tier system to grow their influence, bring in more cash, and build strong relations that could boost your statewide approval ratings. Players will post their GP spending in their respective party GP spending areas. These posts will be hidden until the AB has responded to the request. Spending points has the potential to be useful or detrimental depending on how much you are paying attention to the scenario you create as a result of your spending. You control the trajectory of your character and their impact on the IG world. Below I have linked the Character Tier & Groundwork Points System for R18: