President Dissolves Election Integrity Commission

Source: The White House



Despite substantial evidence of voter fraud, many states have refused to provide the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity with basic information relevant to its inquiry. Rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, today President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to dissolve the Commission, and he has asked the Department of Homeland Security to review its initial findings and determine next courses of action.

Read more about this from The White House

Turkish Banker Convicted of Conspiring to Evade U.S. Sanctions Against Iran and Other Offenses

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

Mehmet Hakan Atilla was found guilty of conspiring with others, including Reza Zarrab, aka Riza Sarraf, who previously pleaded guilty to evading U.S. sanctions among other offenses, to use the U.S. financial system to conduct transactions on behalf of the Government of Iran and other Iranian entities, which were barred by U.S. sanctions, and to defraud U.S. financial institutions by concealing these transactions’ true nature.

Read more about this at U.S. Department of Justice

USCIS Clarifies Proxy Vote Use for Certain Intracompany Transferee Visa Petitions

Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services



A U.S. or foreign employer may file an L-1 visa petition to temporarily transfer a foreign employee to the U.S. from one of its operations outside the country. The employer must prove that a qualifying relationship exists between the foreign employer and the U.S. company at the time they file their petition by showing that either the two companies are the same employer or the companies are related as a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate company.

Read more about this from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Air Force saves Airmen time, no longer requires first year evaluations

Source: U.S. Airforce



Air Force officials announced Jan. 4, 2018, Enlisted Performance Reports are no longer required for regular Air Force Airmen in the grade of airman first class and below with less than 36 months’ Time-In-Service or Air Reserve Component Airmen below the grade of senior airman.

Read more about this at the U.S. Airforce

Secretary-General Deplores Loss of Life during Protests in Iran, Urges Respect for Right to Peaceful Assembly, Free Expression

Source: United Nations



The Secretary-General is following with concern recent developments in Iran. He deplores the loss of life in the protests. He urges respect for the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, and that any demonstrations take place in a peaceful manner. Further violence must be avoided.

Read more about this from the United Nations

Chairman James White Thanks HHSC for Negotiating Extension of 1115 Medicaid Waiver

Source: Texas House of Representatives



State Representative James White is thankful to Commissioner Smith and Health and Human Services Commission for successfully negotiating the extension of 1115 Demonstration Waiver. This is an extremely important part of the state’s Medicaid program that provides funding to hospitals that treat and serve Texans who are in need of quality healthcare.

Read more about this at the Texas House of Representatives

Governor Abbott And AG Paxton Announce Approval Of Request To Authorize FEMA Assistance For Houses Of Worship Affected By Harvey

Source: Texas Governor's Office



Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved their request to allow churches and religious organizations to receive the same public assistance available to other nonprofits aiding in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide, which was revised during the Obama era, previously only offered assistance to private non-profit organizations, including zoos, performing arts centers and museums, and until now excluded facilities established or primarily used for religious activities.

Read more about this from the Texas Governor

Advocates are fighting to outlaw adult marriages to minors

Source: ABA Journal



On her TV show last summer, comedian Samantha Bee told the story of a teenage girl, Cassandra Levesque, who learned about child marriage laws at a Girl Scouts conference. Cassandra was upset after discovering that most states allow girls as young as 13—and boys as young as 14—to be married with the simple consent of a judge.

Read more about this at the ABA Journal

Retirement Savings Left Largely Untouched by Tax Reform

Source: Tax Foundation



While rumors flew around Washington in the fall that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would dramatically impact retirement accounts, the plan has made only a few minor modifications. Under the current system, retirement plans are rightly subject to only a single layer of taxation, but they are governed by numerous confusing rules and restrictions. Though some of the new changes ease restrictions, the need to reform the disorganized structure of retirement savings remains.

Read more about this at The Tax Foundation

Trump’s Attorneys Make Solid Case For Freeing Julian Assange in Legal Filing

Source: Gateway Pundit



President Donald Trump’s attorneys made a solid case for preemptively pardoning Julian Assange in a motion to dismiss a WikiLeaks-related lawsuit against the Trump campaign.

Read more about this at The Gateway Pundit

Trump attorney sends Bannon cease and desist letter over 'disparaging' comments

Source: ABC News



Lawyers on behalf of President Donald Trump sent a letter Wednesday night to former White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon demanding he refrain from making disparaging comments against the president and his family.

Read more about this at ABC News

Text of President Donald Trump’s statement on Steve Bannon

Source: Market Watch



Market Watch has the full text of President Donald Trump’s statement about his former strategist Steve Bannon, who is cited extensively in a forthcoming book by Michael Wolff. The statement was released by the White House.

Read more about this at Market Watch

Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end policy that allowed legal pot to thrive

Source: Daily News



Sessions is expected Thursday to announce his intentions to repeal a 2013 Obama-era policy that's protected legalized marijuana from federal intervention, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the decision.

Read more about this at The Daily News

Doug Lamborn (R-CO, 5th)

“The federal government has the right and responsibility to uphold federal laws. I am encouraged by Attorney General Sessions’ revision of the Cole Memo. The Cole Memo was an effort by the Obama Administration to create laws by executive action through the Department of Justice, as it did with immigration, rather than to enforce laws duly passed by the legislative branch.

The social costs of legalizing marijuana in Colorado have been steep, and the negative effects on children are particularly concerning. Since legalization, the number of calls to emergency poison control for children eight years and younger has tripled, thanks to the potency, attractiveness and availability of edibles. Youth arrests, particularly among minorities, have sharply increased. Homelessness is a rapidly growing concern. Rather than lessening criminal activity associated with marijuana, cartels have rushed into Colorado, resulting in 19 cartel operation busts in the last 18 months.

If we’re honest with ourselves, legalizing marijuana has been bad for the state of Colorado. I applaud Attorney General Sessions for upholding the law and recognizing the serious and proven harms associated with marijuana.”