President Donald Trump invited the Dodgers to the White House. Many of their fans feared that the team, by accepting, would humiliate themselves and betray the team’s large Latino, Asian and African-American fan base. Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter, along with co-owner Magic Johnson, have proposed a solution. Trump has promised that if he can keep the championship trophy, the Commissioner’s Trophy, he will end all seizures and deportations of immigrants.   read more

"People believe when they go to the grocery store or the hardware store (and) get a product, that that product has been tested and it's been determined to be safe. That isn't the case," said Sen. Tom Udall, a lead sponsor of the bill. "Today we are stepping forward and we are putting a law in place that will protect American families and protect children from chemicals." The legislation is named after the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who pushed for chemical reform before his death in 2013.   read more

The court is not deadlocked so much as diminished. Many of the justices' decisions will be modest and ephemeral. Opinions vary about whether a Supreme Court that does little is good for the nation. Roberts has said he favors narrow decisions endorsed by large majorities, and it turns out that goal is easier to achieve on an eight-member court. The next term is thus shaping up to be a thin and quiet one. For now, the Supreme Court will remain on the sideline of American life.   read more

Mohib was responsible for the creation of community service programming to recognize the achievements of Afghan women, and to support special-needs orphans living in Kabul. He worked for the American University of Afghanistan, both as its IT director and a teacher of IT classes. He also served in President Ghani’s campaign as his social media “guru” and subsequently as his deputy chief of staff. Mohib and his wife Lael have written articles together on Afghan political issues.   read more

Dr. Doolittle is only in the movies. A recent episode in which a bison calf at Yellowstone Park was euthanized after being placed in the back of an SUV is one example of the dire consequences of a widespread and common occurrence: humans interacting inappropriately with wild animals. Such encounters are fueled by the culture of selfies and an ignorance about nature, and they lead to encounters that are dangerous to both people and animals, say officials.   read more

These difficulties span all incomes, according to the poll. Three-quarters of people in households making less than $50,000 a year and two-thirds of those making between $50,000 and $100,000 would have difficulty coming up with $1,000 to cover an unexpected bill. Even for the country's wealthiest 20% — households making more than $100,000 a year — 38% say they would have at least some difficulty coming up with $1,000.   read more

Trace amounts of PFOA and PFOS can be detected in the blood of almost every American as the result of exposure through food and consumer products. But of specific concern is the risk posed to residents in the relatively small number of communities where higher levels of PFOA and PFOS have been found in public drinking water. EPA now says long-term exposure to either chemical at concentrations above 70 parts per trillion could have adverse health impacts.   read more

The findings further resonate in a state that continues to lead the nation in the number of uninsured. Texas remains one of 19 states that has chosen not to expand Medicaid under the ACA. In Texas, 63% of those polled said they support an expanded Medicaid program. Similarly, 68% in Florida also favored a Medicaid expansion. These numbers are significant because of the states surveyed, only Florida and Texas did not expand the safety-net program.   read more

Part of Lose’s duties since arriving in the U.S. includes explaining Danish policies mentioned in the course of the U.S. presidential campaign. He commented on Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders’ statement that he would like to see the U.S. economy be more like Denmark’s. “It goes without saying, of course without interfering in the U.S. political debate, that we welcome any positive mention of Denmark,” Lose said. “Denmark has a lot to offer in terms of how we organize our society.”   read more

Gov. Fallin, who has signed several anti-abortion bills that were later blocked by the courts, will not comment on the new bill “until she and her staff have had a chance to review it,” said her office. But some legislators called the measure an ill-considered diversion. “I’m pro-life and a Roman Catholic, but I don’t think we should waste our time on legislation that someone will declare unconstitutional,” said Sen. Yen, an anesthesiologist and one of the few Republicans to oppose the bill.   read more

Many mines already operate at a loss, and there's not enough money in the fuel anymore to enable their owners to keep their promises to clean up the land. This reclamation crisis looms because of a practice called self-bonding, which allows coal companies to promise to eventually cover the cost of cleaning up abandoned mines without first setting aside the necessary money. Nationwide, self-bonding in the coal-mining industry tops $3.3 billion.   read more

Democrats shouted "Shame! Shame!," but seven Republicans switched their votes under pressure from House leaders Thursday and defeated a measure to protect gay rights. Maloney and other Democrats were incensed. "They literally snatched discrimination from the jaws of equality," Maloney said. Democrats loudly chanted as their leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, yelled up from near the well of the House at her members, shouting at them to vote down the underlying bill.   read more

Federal courts don't have authority to decide if the government has an obligation to evacuate 26 U.S. citizens stranded in war-torn Yemen, a judge ruled Tuesday. Those citizens sued Secretary of State Kerry and Secretary of Defense Carter, saying the government ignored them while ordering diplomats and military personnel to flee the war-ravaged country. While the State Dept issued a travel warning and acknowledged danger to Americans, it did nothing to evacuate U.S. citizens, the group claimed.   read more

Judge Richard J. Leon’s ruling reopens the district’s long fight over how much room the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right to bear arms leaves for local regulation — and whether it applies only to firearms in the home, or to guns carried outside as well. The law gave the police the discretion to grant concealed-carry licenses only to those with “good reason to fear injury” or other specific reasons, such as having a job in which they carried large amounts of cash or valuables.   read more

“For the sake of the families, I want to make clear beyond the shadow of a doubt that every entity, including foreign states, will be held accountable if they are found to be sponsors of the heinous act of 9/11,” said Sen Schumer. “If the Saudis did not participate in this terrorism, they have nothing to fear about going to court. If they did, they should be held accountable.” Schumer said he believed Democrats would override a veto from President Obama.   read more

Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria's remarks are the strongest yet in a fight with the world's biggest drugmaker. The Colombian Embassy described intense lobbying pressure on Colombia, a staunch U.S. ally, from the pharma industry and its allies in the U.S. Congress. Gaviria said the pressure shows the forceful steps that big pharma is willing to take to protect its commercial interests. "They're very afraid that Colombia could become an example that spreads across the region," he said.   read more

Including women in a potential mass mobilization has roiled social conservatives. They see such a mandate as another step toward blurring gender lines similar to allowing transgender people to use public lavatories of their choosing. But proponents see the requirement as a sensible step toward gender equality. They point to the Pentagon's decision late last year to open all front-line combat jobs to women as removing any justification for gender restrictions on draft registration.   read more