WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was backing off a budget request to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics, reversing course after his administration weathered days of criticism for the proposed cut. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for a rally in Michigan, Trump...
California Sells Another $600M in Bonds for High-Speed Rail
SACRAMENTO — California sold $600 million in bonds Tuesday to help pay for building high-speed rail even as lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledge challenges to completing the project. The bond money is a key source of funding for the troubled rail system, which has been beset by cost overruns...
Trump Border Emergency Survives as House Veto Override Fails
WASHINGTON — The Democratic-led House failed Tuesday to override President Donald Trump's first veto, salvaging his effort to steer billions of extra dollars to erecting border barriers and delivering a victory to the White House in a constitutional and political clash that's raged for months. Lawmakers voted 248-181 to overturn...
Dems Not Giving up on Russia Probe; Trump Visits Republicans
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump headed to Capitol Hill for a victory lap Tuesday, emboldened by the end of the government's Russia probe, even as Democrats continued to battle for release of special counsel Robert Mueller's full report and intensified their focus on other issues including efforts to save the...
Where the Investigations Related to President Trump Stand
WASHINGTON — A look at where investigations related to President Donald Trump stand and what may lie ahead for him: What Do I Need to Know Right Now? The Justice Department says that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation did not find evidence that Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia...
Key Facts in the Federal Cases Against Michael Avenatti
NEW YORK — Key facts in the federal case against celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti: Who Is Michael Avenatti? Avenatti, 48, became a household name last year through his representation of Stormy Daniels, the porn actress who claims she had an affair with President Donald Trump years before he took office....
Michael Avenatti Charged With Extortion and Wire, Bank Fraud
LOS ANGELES — U.S. prosecutors on two coasts have charged President Donald Trump critic and attorney Michael Avenatti with extortion and bank and wire fraud. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles said Avenatti was arrested Monday in New York. Spokesman Ciaran McEvoy says the lawyer best known...
Nunes Calls Mueller Report Needless, Terrible 2-Year Crisis
Following the conclusion of the Mueller Report, here is reaction from four Valley congressmen: Rep. TJ Cox (D-Fresno) “Our country is stronger when we are united behind common values — fighting for middle-class families, higher wages, and affordable healthcare for all. That’s where my focus has been ever since I...
Mueller Finds No Trump Collusion, Leaves Obstruction Open
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence President Donald Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. That brought a hearty claim of vindication from Trump but set the stage for new rounds of...
White Nationalism, Born in the USA, Is Now a Global Terror Threat
The recent massacre of 50 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand is the latest confirmation that white supremacy is a danger to democratic societies across the globe. Despite President Donald Trump’s suggestion that white nationalist terrorism is not a major problem, recent data from the United Nations,...