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hue's JournalFederal judges allow gerrymandering lawsuit to proceed
A group of Wisconsin Democrats can proceed with a lawsuit that challenges the last legislative redistricting plan as an example of “extreme partisan gerrymandering,” after a panel of three federal judges found that the group has met legal standards to argue its case.
The judges on Thursday declined to dismiss the lawsuit, as sought by the Republican-led state Department of Justice.
“Although we believe that plaintiffs face significant challenges in prevailing on their claims, we conclude that plaintiffs’ complaint is sufficient to state a claim upon which relief may be granted,” wrote the panel, which includes U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb, federal Circuit Judge Kenneth Ripple and Chief Judge William Griesbach, of the U.S. District Court in Milwaukee.
Ripple and Griesbach were appointed to their posts by Republican presidents...
...Still, the court said that DOJ could re-raise the issue in a later motion. The case is set for a trial before the three-judge panel in May.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime-and-courts/federal-judges-allow-gerrymandering-lawsuit-to-proceed/article_eaa9d0bd-52bd-5f7c-8a79-25db0614835b.html
Gov. Walker Signs Political Corruption Bills In Private
Source: GREEN BAY Progressive
Intimidated by public opposition, Gov. Scott Walker retreated behind closed doors today to sign two controversial Republican bills that dismantle the Government Accountability Board and increase special interest campaign influence in our state elections.
MADISON – Two controversial Republican bills to dismantle the Government Accountability Board and increase special interest campaign influence were quietly signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker today. Rather than signing these bills in public, Gov. Walker attempted to hide his actions by blocking media access and signing these bills behind closed doors.
The new laws eliminate Wisconsin’s non-partisan campaign and ethics oversight structure and make extensive changes to campaign finance laws to allow for more special interest coordination with political candidates.
“With mass layoffs at a five-year high, we should be focused on helping Wisconsin families rather than corrupt politicians and special interests,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse). “It’s disappointing that Gov. Walker and Legislative Republicans continue to undermine our state’s proud tradition of clean, open and honest government instead of focusing on ways to move Wisconsin forward.”
Read more: http://www.newiprogressive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5845%3Agov-walker-signs-political-corruption-bills-in-private&catid=38%3Athe-state-news&Itemid=56
Chicago policeman faces murder charges in shooting of black teen:reports
Source: Reuters
The white Chicago police officer who shot a black teenager in an incident caught on video is expected to be charged with first-degree murder and appear in a bond hearing on Tuesday, city newspapers reported, citing unnamed sources.
Community leaders who met with Mayor Rahm Emanuel said they expected protests on Wednesday, when the city plans to release the video of the October 2014 fatal shooting. It shows Laquan McDonald, 17, being shot 16 times by police officer Jason Van Dyke, who is on administrative duty while state and federal prosecutors investigate.
The Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times both reported the murder charges are expected to be filed on Tuesday against Van Dyke. Citing unnamed sources, the papers said Van Dyke would turn himself in on Tuesday morning and be processed, fingerprinted and charged before his bond hearing at noon CST (1800 GMT).
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/24/us-usa-race-chicago-idUSKBN0TD1TC20151124#8kSB24IEuZct89hj.97
U.S. court finds EPA was wrong to approve Dow pesticide harmful to bees
Source: Reuters
A U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday that federal regulators erred in allowing an insecticide developed by Dow AgroSciences onto the market, canceling its approval and giving environmentalists a major victory.
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, is significant for commercial beekeepers and others who say a dramatic decline in bee colonies needed to pollinate key food crops is tied to widespread use of a class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids. Critics say the Environmental Protection Agency is failing to evaluate the risks thoroughly.
The lawsuit was filed in 2013 against the EPA by a number of organizations representing the honey and honey beekeeping industry. The groups specifically challenged EPA approval of insecticides containing sulfoxaflor, saying studies have shown they are highly toxic to honey bees.
The court said in its ruling that sulfoxaflor is a neonicotinoid subclass.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/10/us-epa-agriculture-honeybees-idUSKCN0RA2CQ20150910
Scott Walker Unable to Give Specifics on US Relationship with Pakistan
On MSNBC Published on Aug 28, 2015
Walker Stakes His Territory on Foreign Policy
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-08-27/scott-walker-stakes-his-territory-on-foreign-policyThere comes a time in every presidential campaign when the candidate must make his case to voters that he should be trusted to be the commander in chief of the U.S. military and the leader of the free world. That moment is now for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, and he is fighting for his own foreign policy identity against rivals like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio.
Walker is ready to roll out his foreign policy in a speech Friday at the Citadel in South Carolina, just a couple of weeks after Bush laid out his plan to defeat the Islamic State. Rubio plans to give his own foreign policy speech in South Carolina on Friday as well, focused on China.
In an interview Tuesday, Walker told me he would be demonstrably different from Bush on foreign policy by scuttling the Iran deal as soon as he took office.
“My view is, if you think it’s a bad deal now, you should be prepared to do it on Day One," he said. "I’m going to be a Day One president."
Bernie Takes on the Media
Published on Aug 17, 2015
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders takes questions from the press after speaking to 2,000 people in Dubuque, Iowa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=147&v=bGv2SPB8pNU
Scott Walker’s chief of staff quits amid plummeting poll numbers
Source: Wisconsin Gazette
Scott Walker’s longtime chief of staff Eric Schutt is stepping down, the governor’s office announced.
Schutt is leaving “to pursue other opportunities and to spend more time with family,” Walker’s office said in a statement. It did not say what those opportunities are.
Walker’s campaign has suffered from declining poll numbers, a weak performance in the first GOP presidential debate, ongoing scandals, and growing national awareness of his economic failures as governor. A recent Marquette University Law School poll found Walker losing to Hillary Clinton among Wisconsin voters in a theoretical matchup. The poll also showed Walker’s favorability rating falling below 40 percent for the first time. Schutt played a key role in helping pass Walker’s three state budgets and his legislation repealing collective bargaining for most public employees.
Schutt’s replacement effective Sept. 4 will be Rich Zipperer, who had been deputy chief of staff since 2012.
Read more: http://www.wisconsingazette.com/political/scott-walkers-chief-of-staff-quits-amid-plummeting-poll-numbers.html
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