State and National

With little fanfare and nearly no national media attention, the National Popular Vote effort is now 61 percent of the way toward its goal of legally bypassing the Electoral College established in the U.S. Constitution.

Last month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the National Popular Vote, or NPV, bill, making his state the 11th jurisdiction to enact the plan. With the passage of the bill, the interstate compact now has 61 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to put it into effect.

June 14, 2014

Miss USA Contestant Says She Is a ‘Product of Rape’

Lawmakers Ask Obama to Save Persecuted Mom in Sudan

In the shadow of the White House, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., joined prominent Christian groups in calling for President Obama to rescue a mother sentenced to death in Sudan for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.

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WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee sent a letter to Senator Mary Landrieu, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, urging the Committee to promptly schedule oversight hearings to review federal wildland fire management activities and address the threat of catastrophic wildland fire in the West. Senator Lee expressed grave concerns about the ability of the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to protect public safety during what is projected to be a severe and destructive wildfire season.
 

USDA Designates 4 Counties in Idaho as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

With Assistance to Producers in Surrounding States

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, June 11, 2014 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Bonneville, Cassia, Payette and Power counties in Idaho as primary natural disaster areas due to a recent drought.

United States Congresswoman Jackie Speier, a Democrat Representative from California, publicly supported the Taliban on MSNBC by saying that they were not "necessarily" terrorists. Her outrageous comments came during a discussion about the prisoner swap where President Obama freed 5 top level Taliban commanders in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

According to a Rep. Speier, the Taliban had legitimacy when they ruled over Afghanistan by enforcing Sharia law, persecuting women, helping Al Qaeda plot 9/11 and killing anyone who dissented against them.

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin accepting applications June 16 from energy facilities interested in receiving forest or agricultural residues to generate clean energy. The support comes through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), which was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that farmers, ranchers and landowners committed to protecting and conserving environmentally sensitive land may now sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The Secretary also announced that retiring farmers enrolled in CRP could receive incentives to transfer a portion of their land to beginning, disadvantaged or veteran farmers through the Transition Incentives Program (TIP). 

WASHINGTON – Why is the first family buying a home in Asheville, North Carolina? Do they like the weather there more than Hawaii?

Or could there be a post-presidency political motivation for the Obamas similar to the one that saw Bill and Hillary Clinton relocate to New York?

At least one well-placed source – and all kinds of scuttlebutt – suggest the latter. Residency in North Carolina is a prerequisite to the launch of Michelle Obama’s political career.

Marco Rubio’s Message for Obama: Don’t ‘Pretend’ Taliban Done Fighting Us

President Obama’s decision to exchange five captured terrorists for a soldier who left his base in Afghanistan “endangers national security,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tells The Daily Signal.

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