January 31, 2017

Bath Iron Works hosts ceremony for final stealth destroyer to be named for LBJ

BATH (AP) — A Navy shipbuilder in Maine is marking a milestone in construction of the last of three stealthy destroyers.

The daughters of Lyndon B. Johnson are going to be on hand Monday at Bath Iron Works for the keel-laying ceremony of the warship bearing the late president's name.

Keel-laying ceremonies date to the days when construction began with a keel upon which the ship is built. In this case, it's going to mark the joining of two hull units, the first of many that will comprise the 610-foot-long destroyer.

The Lyndon B. Johnson is the last of three stealthy destroyers in the Zumwalt class.

Read more: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/2017/01/30/biw-hosts-ceremony-final-stealth-destroyer-be-named-lbj/2068701

January 31, 2017

Collins, King blast Trump's decision to put Steve Bannon in security meetings

One of the signature legislative accomplishments of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ time in office was the 2004 passage of a sweeping overhaul of the country’s intelligence community that included creation of a director of national intelligence to serve as one of the president’s principal advisers.

Among the wide-ranging duties assigned to the position was to serve on the National Security Council’s principals committee that deals with critical foreign policy questions that include terrorism and war.

But not anymore.

Collins, a Maine Republican, said Monday she’s “very concerned” about a decision by President Donald Trump to restructure the panel to downgrade the status of the national intelligence director and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from full members attending all meetings to attendance when appropriate.

At the same time, Trump gave seats to Steve Bannon, his controversial chief strategist, and Tom Bossert, the White House assistant dealing with homeland security and counterterrorism.

Read more: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/2017/01/30/susan-collins-angus-king-blast-trumps-decision-put-steve-bannon-security-meetings/2069124

January 31, 2017

KKK fliers distributed in Freeport and Augusta neighborhoods

FREEPORT — Residents of South Freeport Road awoke Monday morning to find Ku Klux Klan brochures littering their driveways.

Augusta Police Chief Robert Gregoire told the Kennebec Journal that similar Ku Klux Klan fliers were found in driveways and on building porches in an Augusta neighborhood Monday morning

Jack May, who has lived near the center of South Freeport village for six years, went for a run at 6:30 a.m. and saw the flyers, folded and enclosed with pebbles in Ziploc bags, in a number of driveways along his route. He went home and called the police.

The single-page, multi-colored flyer announces a Ku Klux Klan neighborhood watch and encourages people to call a “24-hour Klanline.”

Read more: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/0001/11/30/kkk-fliers-distributed-freeport-and-augusta-neighborhoods/2068881

January 31, 2017

Gov. Paul LePage pressures Legislature to provide money to regulate marijuana

AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage on Monday ordered the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations to take over rule-making authority for marijuana regulation and told bureaucrats not to spend any money on it.

LePage said in his order that “no employee or department of the Executive Branch may use funds for the purpose of implementing the Marijuana Legalization Act until an appropriation is made by the Legislature for that purpose.”

Lawmakers are looking into what regulations are necessary for the purchase and sale of marijuana in Maine, something that probably won’t happen until 2018 or later. Possession of recreational marijuana became legal Monday.

Sen. Roger Katz, R-Kennebec, chairman of the Special Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee, said that "even though it is now legal for possession of certain amounts of marijuana for those 21 and over, many questions remain — from emerging public safety issues, to licensing and oversight of commercial growers and retail outlets, to packaging and labeling, to keeping edibles and other products out of the hands of our kids. And the list doesn’t end there."

Read more: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/0001/11/30/gov-paul-lepage-pressures-legislature-provide-money-regulate-marijuana/2069052

January 31, 2017

Sen. Susan Collins defends demonstrators, criticizes Trump immigration policy

The demonstrations roiling the country in the wake of Donald Trump’s ascendancy to the White House show “the beauty of America” in the way its people speak up, Maine’s senior senator said Monday.

There’s nothing like it in places such as North Korea, Russia and Iran, said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican.

But Collins still feels unsettled that “our country seems to be really divided right now in a way I have not seen before.”

She said part of it is that many people are unwilling to accept the results of the Nov. 8 election that put Trump in the presidency, a natural consequence of a tight contest in which nearly 3 million more votes went to his opponent than he racked up.

Read more: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/0001/11/30/sen-susan-collins-defends-demonstrators-criticizes-trump-immigration-policy/2069140

January 31, 2017

Dallas court halts pay to prosecutors building case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

AUSTIN — Collin County must immediately stop paying the three lawyers prosecuting Ken Paxton's criminal fraud case, a Dallas court has said.

The 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas on Monday temporarily halted the payments — the result of a lawsuit filed against the county and prosecutors by a local taxpayer — and will consider a more permanent block probably within the next few weeks. The court's decision could determine the immediate future of the case against Paxton, the first-term attorney general who faces three felony charges of violating state securities laws.

The Collin County Commissioners Court handles the local budget. Its five Republican members were scheduled to vote Monday on the prosecutors' latest bill, which tops $205,000 for a year's worth of work.

Instead, they delayed the vote and any future payments to the prosecutors until the court weighs in. The prosecutors will not stop working in the meantime, their lawyer David Feldman said.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-politics/2017/01/30/dallas-court-halts-payments-prosecutors-building-case-texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton

January 31, 2017

Hundreds protest Trump travel ban at Dallas vigil

Dallas County officials and faith leaders on Monday night strongly opposed President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, calling for support for immigrants and refugees in a vigil at Thanksgiving Square downtown.

“We’re better than this,” said Imam Omar Suleiman, a scholar at the Valley Ranch Islamic Center in Irving. “We will show the president that this will not happen on our watch. It will not happen.”

The order led to 13 travelers being detained at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport over the weekend, prompting large protests Saturday and Sunday in the international terminal. All 13 had been released by late Sunday afternoon.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins called the order a “direct contradiction of our American values.”

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article129724354.html

January 31, 2017

Supporters turn out in solidarity with Bryan-College Station Muslims

Dozens of community members gathered outside the Islamic Community Center of Bryan-College Station on Sunday evening in a show of support for their Muslim neighbors.

Organizers said the event was a response to President Donald Trump's executive orders banning immigrants and visa holders from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. and the Saturday fire that destroyed a mosque in Victoria.

Michael Green and Nick Wilson, the organizers of the event, said it was important to them that the local Muslim community knew the policy did not reflect the views of everyone.

"With what has been going on recently, there is just so much division and singling out of groups with labels," Green said. "When people are singled out because of what they believe or the way they look, they need to know that not everyone feels that way. The people who can speak out against these kind of actions should. Especially when leadership says one thing, you need to make it clear that not everyone agrees with what's going on."

Read more: http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/supporters-turn-out-in-solidarity-with-bryan-college-station-muslims/article_8d4a9d63-277c-5f6f-a373-3708560477dd.html

January 31, 2017

San Antonio pub faces social media backlash over 'Trump shot' marquee

Ticket Sports Pub was on the receiving end of complaints after they began selling "Trump shots," as advertised on the marquee outside the downtown business Jan. 29, 2017.

Ticket Sports Pub found itself on the receiving end of complaints this weekend after they began selling "Trump shots," as advertised on the marquee outside the downtown business.

"Hey Dems (and) celebs, protest less, drink more," their marquee read. "Now serving Trump shots."

A photo of the marquee was posted by a Facebook user Sunday and has since caused the bar, which could not be reached for comment, to pull down the drink special. The Facebook post amassed dozens of disapproving comments from those who felt the advertisement was insensitive toward citizens protesting in recent days. Many vowed to never give the bar their business again.

"Thanks for outing yourself as idiots," one commenter said. "One less place for people to acknowledge.

Another suggested the bar did not understand its audience as Bexar County largely voted for Hillary Clinton in the general election.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Downtown-bar-Ticket-Sports-Pub-receives-social-10894552.php

January 31, 2017

Fire Marshal, FBI task force still investigating Islamic Center fire

Travis County Fire Marshal Tony Callaway said he’s unaware that the Victoria mosque fire investigation would impact the release of information on the Lake Travis Islamic Center fire, and said he was unaware of any reports from federal agency Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to be released. Callaway said local investigators are coordinating with a regional Joint Terrorism Task Force on the Islamic Center investigation.

“As far as the ATF local office here, they came to our scene on the second and third day and haven’t been involved in the investigation,” Callaway said. “We’ve got a meeting with the JTTF Thursday morning to go over findings with them.”

Callaway also said it appears the Victoria fire this weekend and the Lake Travis fire Jan. 7 are unconnected.

Callaway said he’s been in contact with the State Fire Marshal’s Office this morning and with the JTTF on a regular basis throughout the investigation of the Islamic Center fire, and investigators have “information they’re currently working on.”

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/crime--law/fire-marshal-fbi-task-force-still-investigating-islamic-center-fire/5RGSmhzF2ho2enphpzGudP/