Trump said he would send the National Guard to Toronto and impose 50% tariffs on all Los Angeles products. AllGov reporter Sidney Finster suggested that perhaps Trump had confused the two cities. Because Toronto is in Canada, not the United States, Trump can’t send the National Guard there. And because Los Angeles is in the United States, Trump can’t impose tariffs on a U.S. city. Trump defended his position by saying, “I’m always right.”   read more

The CDC has repeatedly expressed concern that use of antibiotics in animal husbandry is contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. CDC's Dr. Robert Tauxe said that research had demonstrated that antibiotic use in animals that produce food has a negative impact on public health. Five large U.S. poultry producers are reducing their reliance on antibiotics. But not Sanderson, which calls its competitors’ efforts a “marketing gimmick” aimed at charging higher prices.   read more

The call for paid family leave on the Democratic party platform is the most ambitious attempt by a major party in years to reverse the U.S.'s status as the only industrialized nation without any standard for paid time off for new parents. But recently a handful of states and industries have been increasing this benefit. "It's taken on an inevitability," said Ellen Bravo. Some states and several competitive industries have slowly been bolstering paid parental leave laws and policies.   read more

The proposal is controversial within the biking community and opposed by conservationists who say bikes would erode trails and upset the five-decade notion of wilderness as primitive spaces. While mountain biking wasn't a popular sport when the law was passed, they will alter the character of those spaces and are tough on trails, said Alan Rowsome of The Wilderness Society. Rowsome said that only about 10 to 12% of all U.S. public lands are protected under the Wilderness Act.   read more

Like other voter-ID laws that have been challenged, the North Dakota statute was passed by a Republican-led legislature that asserted stronger measures were needed to curb voter fraud. Democratic legislators said it was intended solely to suppress voting among traditionally Democratic constituencies. “The record is replete with concrete evidence of significant burdens imposed on Native American voters attempting to exercise their right to vote,” Hovland wrote.   read more

Rudo's boss, state public health director Dr. Randall Williams, in March reversed earlier warnings that had told hundreds of affected residents not to drink their water. The water is contaminated with cancer-causing hexavalent chromium at levels many times higher than Rudo had determined is safe. "The state health director's job is to protect public health," testified Rudo. "He knowingly told people that their water was safe when we knew it wasn't."   read more

The plight of today's refugees is so politically contentious that after days of intense negotiations, the nations of the world have come up with virtually no concrete commitments to make their journeys any better or safer. Western European countries, along with Russia, resisted a pledge to resettle 10% of all the people fleeing war and persecution. And the U.S. balked at language that would have committed all countries to not detaining unauthorized children who arrive at their borders.   read more

"The Wisconsin experience demonstrates that a preoccupation with mostly phantom election fraud leads to real incidents of disenfranchisement, which undermine rather than enhance confidence in elections, particularly in minority communities," Judge Peterson said. "To put it bluntly, Wisconsin's strict version of voter ID law is a cure worse than the disease." The judge said the law's restriction for absentee voting discriminates on the basis of race.   read more

"Fraudulently altering engineering reports undermines the integrity of the entire FEMA claims process, which homeowners and families rely upon in a time of crisis," said Schneiderman. "Today's charges reveal a flagrant disregard for the well-being and safety of New Yorkers, and my office will not tolerate it." Pappalardo posted bail of $20,000 cash over a $40,000 bond. The 38-year-old faces up to seven years in prison if convicted on all charges.   read more

The VA does not offer Agent Orange benefits to vets who served on ships offshore or never set foot on Vietnamese soil. Instead, these vets must prove exposure on a case-by-case basis. The vets noted that the presence of Agent Orange in the waters off the coast of Vietnam was unmistakable. After churning up Agent Orange while traversing and anchoring offshore, unsophisticated methods of turning saltwater into potable water intensified the chemical, furthering their exposure, the veterans said.   read more

In 2014, NTSB urged FAA Administrator Michael Huerta to make balloon operators subject to FAA safety inspections. "The potential for a high number of fatalities in a single air tour balloon accident is of particular concern if air tour balloon operators continue to conduct operations under less stringent regulations and oversight," NTSB wrote. Huerta said it was unnecessary because the risks were too low. A hot air balloon carrying 16 people crashed Saturday in Central Texas, killing all aboard.   read more

"With surgical precision, North Carolina tried to eliminate voting practices disproportionately used by African-Americans. This ruling is a stinging rebuke of the state's attempt to undermine African-American voter participation, which had surged over the last decade," Ho said. Added attorney Riggs: "We applaud the appeals court for recognizing the discriminatory intent behind and effect wrought by the 2013 monster law." Attorney General Loretta Lynch said she was pleased with the ruling.   read more

A farmer discovered 22 plants in an unplanted field, and the wheat was developed to be resistant to the herbicide known as Roundup, created by seed giant Monsanto. Federal officials said they were working with the farmer to ensure that none of the modified wheat is sold. South Korea said Friday that it will inspect U.S. wheat imports for genetically modified wheat. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it has asked the USDA for information on the unapproved wheat and inspection methods.   read more

New Jersey has the largest state-based student loan program in the country, with stringent terms that can lead to financial ruin. The agency says it has a policy to help families if the children who received the loans die. But internal emails show that staffers at HESAA have been instructed not to tell families that they may qualify for help unless they ask. In one case, HESAA insisted that a mother continue to pay off loans she cosigned with her son even after he was murdered.   read more

On one hand, the government was broadening a program for children fleeing three violence-racked countries there, allowing for more applicants to come to the U.S. as refugees. At the same time, it continued to deport young people from Central America who crossed the border and asked for protection — sending some of them back to those same countries. “Government is a big and complicated beast, and it can do contradictory things at the same time,” said Eve Stotland, legal director of The Door.   read more

Billionaire industrialist and conservative benefactor Charles Koch's expansive political network will not help Donald Trump win the presidency. That's the message from one of the Koch network's chief lieutenants. Koch has put the network's budget at roughly $750 million through the end of 2016. A significant portion was supposed to be directed at electing a Republican to the White House. It will instead go to helping Republican Senate candidates in at least five states.   read more

A study by the Department of Health and Human Services found that improper billing still appears to be “relatively commonplace” because “some Medicare providers unlawfully bill enrollees” after receiving payments from Medicare and Medicaid. In some cases, the study said, beneficiaries “curtail their use of needed services due to concerns about their ability to pay.” Federal officials have warned doctors that they may be fined or excluded from Medicare if they persist in these practices.   read more