NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL: … In Canada, the newly sworn in prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has said he intends to change the law so people can use the drug recreationally; medicinal use is already legal in that country. And in the United States, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for […]
Kane refuses Senate committee request for documents; panel plans to issue subpoena
Kane’s office Friday issued a statement saying she will not comply with the committee’s request because she contends that it has no lawful authority to take such actions under the state constitution.
U.S. Job Growth Surged Last Month
HUFFINGTON POST: …The unemployment rate fell to 5.0 percent, the lowest level since April 2008, from 5.1 percent the prior month. The jobless rate is now at a level many Fed officials see as consistent with full employment. Payrolls data for August and September were revised to show 12,000 more jobs created than previously reported. […]
Time to end gerrymanders
If ever there is an opportunity to reform gerrymandering in Pennsylvania, it is now with the Democrats having swept all five state supreme court elections, given them a solid majority through 2021 when redistricting of congressional districts will occur. Due to ‘creative’ drawing of district lines, Republicans have been able to obtain a 13 to […]
Obama administration concedes that Mideast peace is beyond reach on his watch
WASHINGTON POST: …The issue has taken on greater importance with the recent wave of stabbings carried out by Palestinians against Israelis, senior administration members said during a conference call with reporters about Netanyahu’s visit next week. They said that the administration has become “realistic” that there might not even be negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian […]
Rubio Hits Trump: 4 Bankruptcies and He Attacks Me?
NEWSMAX: …”I find it ironic that the only person who’s running for president that’s ever declared a bankruptcy — four times in the last 25 years — is attacking anyone on finances,” Rubio said, referring to corporate bankruptcies filed by Trump’s businesses… Rubio insists his credit card history while in Florida is “not a big […]
In Pacific Trade Deal, Vietnam Agrees to U.S. Terms on Labor Rights
NEW YORK TIMES: The Communist government in Vietnam has agreed to American terms to grant potentially far-reaching labor rights to the country’s workers, including the freedom to unionize and to strike, in return for expanded trade between the former adversaries, according to the newly released text of a vast Pacific trade agreement. Those terms were […]
LETTER: Early draft of House medical cannabis bill has major flaws
Call your state representative today to urge improvements Dear Robert: Patients were promised the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would vote on compassionate medical cannabis legislation this fall. It is now November, and while no language has been made public, reports about the House draft raise several serious concerns — including a 10% THC cap, an […]
A hint as to why the Scranton Times-Leader has helped lead the pack against A. G. Kane
“Those charged included former Democratic State Sen. Robert J. Mellow, a political power broker from the Scranton area..”
Former President George H.W. Bush raps Cheney, Rumsfeld in biography
AOL: …In “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey Of George Herbert Walker Bush,” author Jon Meacham quotes Bush as saying that Cheney and Rumsfeld were too hawkish and that their harsh stance damaged the reputation of the United States, the cable news network said. Speaking of Cheney, who was vice president under President George W. […]
The Sharing Economy Is Booming In Helsinki: Here’s Why
POPULAR RESISTANCE: …The catalyst for the most recent wave of collaborative innovations in Helsinki wasRestaurant Day. Now an international event, Restaurant Day launched in 2011 as a quarterly “food carnival.” The model is simple: would-be restaurateurs dream up a concept for a pop-up cafe, establish a location and menu, issue a public invitation through the […]
Mexico’s Supreme Court Opens Door to Legalizing Marijuana Use
NEW YORK TIMES: The Mexican Supreme Court opened the door to legalizing marijuana on Wednesday, delivering a pointed challenge to the nation’s strict substance abuse laws and adding its weight to the growing debate in Latin America over the costs and consequences of the war against drugs. The vote by the court’s criminal chamber declared […]
Judge hearing Sandusky’s appeal orders information on grand jury leaks
POST GAZETTE: …A hearing on a routine appeal by the former Penn State University assistant football coach grew into something else when a judge ordered Ms. Kane’s office to provide emails and other information about the Sandusky investigation, which the former coach contends was tainted and unfair… The order came a day after Ms. Kane […]
Capitolwire: Democrats take all statewide judicial races
Pennsylvania voters, enduring a multi-million dollar advertising onslaught of stuffed mailboxes and mostly negative TV ads, headed to the polls to pick Philadelphia Judge Kevin Dougherty and Superior Court judges David Wecht and Christine Donohue to fill three vacancies for at least the next eight years, unofficial results show.