What journalist has the most influence over Valley congressman Devin Nunes? Excuse me for saying so, but I have to be near the top of the list. Let me present my case. Who can cause temporary deafness on the ranking member of the House intelligence committee? Who can dictate the...
'Serious Discussions' About DNC Changes, Top Democrat Says
WASHINGTON — A top Democrat in Congress said Friday the party's future under Tom Perez is under scrutiny amid fallout from the Iowa caucuses and the winnowing of the presidential primary field to the exclusion of candidates of color. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the third-ranking House Democrat, stopped short of...
Extra $11M Coming for Friant-Kern Canal Repairs
Repair work on the Friant-Kern Canal is getting $11 million in new federal funding, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday. The funds are coming from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. They are in addition to $2.35 million that Congress designated to fix the canal's sinking and leaking sections. "Restoring...
Nunes, Costa Have Big Fundraising Edges. Cox vs. Valadao Is Tight.
Incumbents in two of the three congressional races in the central San Joaquin Valley have substantial fundraising advantages. The third race, meanwhile, is a virtual tie. Congressional campaign fundraising figures are in for 2019 from the Federal Election Commission. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) are up big in...
Nunes Going Super. Buys TV Time for Sunday's Game.
Devin Nunes will join Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg at the Super Bowl. At least on the tube. The Republican congressman from Tulare County won't necessarily be in Miami Gardens on Sunday. But, he will be on TV. Like the presidential candidates, Nunes bought a 30-second ad that will air...
Trump: New Trade Deal With Canada, Mexico to Boost US Growth
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law a major rewrite of the rules of trade with Canada and Mexico that he said replaces the “nightmare" of a Clinton-era agreement and will keep jobs, wealth and growth in America. Trump made renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement a priority during his 2016 campaign,...
Trump Administration Picks a New Leader for US Border Patrol
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has named a new head of the U.S. Border Patrol. Rodney Scott will take over for Carla Provost, who is retiring, according to an announcement obtained Friday by The Associated Press from Mark Morgan, acting head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Scott has been...
Feds Allow Use of Opioid Funds to Stem Meth, Cocaine Surge
WASHINGTON — Alarmed by a deadly new twist in the nation's drug addiction crisis, the government will allow states to use federal money earmarked for the opioid epidemic to help growing numbers of people struggling with meth and cocaine. The little-noticed change is buried in a massive spending bill passed...
Buckle Up: What to Watch as Impeachment Trial Takes off
WASHINGTON — Senators like to float above messy politics in what's known by some as the dignified “upper chamber," home of Congress' cooler heads and lofty rhetoric. But as a court of President Donald Trump's impeachment, the Senate beginning Tuesday might seem more like the economy cabin of an oversold flight...
Watchdog: White House Violated Law in Freezing Ukraine Aid
WASHINGTON — The White House violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine, an action at the center of President Donald Trump's impeachment, a federal watchdog agency said Thursday. The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Office of Management and Budget violated the law in holding up...