Is Torrance changing its tune on refinery safety?
With each passing Torrance refinery blast, fire, hydrofluoric acid leak, crane collapse, power outage or smoke-belching emergency flare, calls have grown for measures to make the plant safer.
March 2017
Trump's spying fixation gives surveillance critics unexpected boon
A flurry of leaks, President Donald Trump's unproven wiretapping allegations and WikiLeaks' disclosure of CIA hacking tools are breathing new life into civil libertarians' hopes of reining in the government's spying powers when they come due for congressional renewal this year.
Critics of laws allowing federal agencies to eavesdrop on digital communications had faced daunting odds in their push to water down those authorities, which the Trump administration wants to keep as a tool against terrorists.
REP. JEFFRIES AND REP. LIEU TO TRUMP: COME CLEAN ON TIES TO RUSSIA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON – In the aftermath of misleading information put forth by Attorney General Jeff Sessions concerning his interaction with Russian operatives, and following a steady stream of troubling revelations related to possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during last year’s presidential election, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Ted W. Lieu have introduced a resolution of inquiry that could compel the Administration to publicly disclose information to Congress and the American people.
House Dems seek to force vote on Trump campaign’s Russia ties
Democrats introduced a measure on Thursday that could force the House to vote on demanding documents from President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions outlining campaign contacts with Russian officials.
Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) unveiled a resolution of inquiry, a procedure rarely used Democrats began reviving it this year under the Trump administration.
House Dems plot new attempt to shake loose Trump-Russia documents
House Democrats are trying again to force President Donald Trump to turn over documents about his campaign’s ties to Russia, after a first “resolution of inquiry” was killed by Republicans last week.
Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Ted Lieu of California sent out a “Dear colleague” letter on Thursday asking lawmakers to co-sponsor a resolution pushing Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions “to come clean with the American people about their ties to Russia.”
REP. TED LIEU STATEMENT ON DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. GROUND TROOPS IN SYRIA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) issued the following statement regarding news that U.S. ground troops are being deployed to fight in Syria.
“The deployment of conventional U.S. ground troops to fight in Syria is a highly disturbing escalation of our military entanglement in a faraway country. While President Trump says stuff that makes you think he may be isolationist, his actions in Syria resemble those of a war monger.”
L.A. County Considers Letting More Arrestees Go Free
It costs the taxpayers of L.A. County $177 a day to keep someone in the "largest and most costly local jail system in the United States," according to a motion by county supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis. About half the people in those cells are presumed innocent and awaiting trial, and according to Sheriff Jim McDonnell, most in that group can't afford bail.
Trump administration looks to resume Saudi arms sale criticized as endangering civilians in Yemen
The State Department has approved a resumption of weapons sales that critics have linked to Saudi Arabia’s bombing of civilians in Yemen, a potential sign of reinvigorated U.S. support for the kingdom’s involvement in its neighbor’s ongoing civil war.
The proposal from the State Department would reverse a decision made late in the Obama administration to suspend the sale of precision guided munitions to Riyadh, which leads a mostly Arab coalition conducting airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
REP. TED LIEU INTRODUCES THE NO MONEY BAIL ACT OF 2017
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) issued a statement upon introduction of the No Money Bail Act of 2017, a bail reform bill that seeks to eliminate the use of money bail. No one should be held in jail solely because of the inability to pay bail. More than 2.3 million people are incarcerated in America, of which 450,000 individuals have never been convicted of a crime and are often detained because they cannot afford to pay bail. Mr.
VIDEO: Rep. Lieu on Cybersecurity, Connected Cars, IoT
There is a need for more technical expertise by lawmakers in Congress to address increasing privacy and security issues raised by internet-connected devices, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) told Bloomberg BNA in a video interview.
As one of only four members of Congress with a computer science degree, Lieu said he is working to make “cybersecurity one of the top priorities” for the U.S.