By Miriam Raftery

October 31, 2017 (Sacramento) – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has filed opposition to the Trump Administration’s attempt to repeal the 2015 Clean Water Rule, which protect California’s lakes, rivers, and streams from pollution discharges.

After President Donald Trump drew criticism for not calling families of U.S. soldiers killed in Niger, he accused former presidents of not calling fallen soldiers’ families to offer condolences, though all other presidents did so. Trump then insulted the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, saying he “knew what he was signing up for," failed to praise Johnson as a hero, and left her crying after his call. Trump called the Congresswoman who reported his remarks a liar, even after the slain soldier’s mother confirmed the Congresswoman told the truth. Other families of soldiers killed confirm Trump never called them. Now Gold Star mother Candie Glisson has penned this open letter to the President, originally published by Common Defense PAC:

October 19, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- My son was killed in Iraq. Here’s my message to Trump: On October 4th, 2017, four of our troops were killed in an ambush in Niger. For twelve long days, we didn’t hear a word from this Commander in Chief. Twelve days. Total silence.

By Miriam Raftery

October 9, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President Donald Trump has rolled out a tax reform plan that would slash the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20% and cap at 25% the rate for “pass through” entities from small businesses to large pass-through entities such as hedge funds.  It eliminates inheritance taxes on large estates and changes tax brackets from seven to just three—12%, 25% and 35%.  So, the poorest taxpayers now paying 10% would pay more, while the wealthiest now paying 39.6% would pay less.

By Liz Alper

Cover photo:  several New England Patriots players kneel during the national anthem at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on Sunday.  Courtesy u/MAINEiac4434 on Reddit

September 26, 2017 (San Diego) - With Puerto Rico walloped by a hurricane and North Korea threatening nuclear war, President Donald Trump has taken time to lob criticisms at NFL players for kneeling during the national anthem, ratcheting up controversy that has now enveloped multiple professional sports.

Changes to cost California retirement savers $1.2 billion

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service, California

September 5, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- Just days before Labor Day, the Trump administration announced two policies that consumer advocates say hurt the average worker and favor Wall Street and big business.

On Wednesday, the Labor Department announced it is delaying by 18 months’ enforcement of key parts of the Obama-era Fiduciary Rule, which requires financial advisers to put clients' interests above their own when recommending investments.

By Chris Jennewein

Originally published by Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo: An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer escorts a suspected undocumented immigrant. Courtesy ICE

September 4, 2017 (San Diego) -- A new report that President Trump plans to end protection from deportation for 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to America as children drew sharp criticism from San Diego elected officials.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, NASA: Consequences of climate change

August 23, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President Donald Trump’s administration is eliminating its climate change advisory committee, which made recommendations to federal state and local governments as well as businesses based on scientific findings.

Update August 17, 2017 -- President Trump has backed off his words from Monday  in an angry speech to reporters  yesteraday, where he claimed counterprotesters were "very violent" and that there were "good people" on both sides. His appeasement and excusing of those in a march with Nazi flags prominently displayed has appalled many, prompting resignation of numerous CEOs off his business advisory panel which Trump dissolved as more and more quit in protest over his racial views. Watch video on CNN.

By Miriam Raftery

Rally organizer tells HBO Vice reporter on video, "A lot more people are going to die."

August 15, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President  Donald Trump on Monday issued a strong statement denouncing groups by name  that participated in the Charlottesville, Virginia gathering of radical racist hate organizations, at which a Nazi sympathizer plowed a vehicle into a crowd of protesters, killing a woman and injuring 19 others.

the president's announced came two days after the attack – and following a barrage of criticism including leaders in both parties who faulted Trump for not specifically denouncing white supremacism earlier.

"Racism is evil -- and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans," Trump said Monday."Those who spread violence in the name of bigotry strike at the very core of America," he added.  View the President’s full statement: http://www.10news.com/news/national/trump-expected-to-condemn-hate-group... .

By Miriam Raftery

August 13, 2017 (Charlottesville, VA)—Unite the Right, the largest white supremacist gathering in decades, was declared an unlawful assembly by the city of Charlottesville, Virginia,  where three people are dead and at least 35 injured. Governor Terry McAuliff declared a state of emergency and politicians across the country have spoken out to denounce the hate groups participating and a Nazi sympathizer who rammed his vehicle into a crowd has been charged with murder.

Former Ku Klux Klan (KKK) mperial Wizard David Duke had earlier credited Donald Trump with inspiring the rally.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Screenshot, the Washington Post

July 30, 2017 (San Diego) -- Law enforcement leaders across the nation are denouncing remarks made by President Donald Trump that critics say encourages police brutality. View video of Trump’s remarks.

Here is what President Trump said while speaking to law enforcement officers at Suffolk County Community College in New York:

By Jordan Damond

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

Photo:  Former Seal Team Six hero Kristin Beck, who transitioned to become a transgender woman after her military service, as challenged President Trump, stating, “I was defending individual liberty.”

July 27, 2017 (San Diego) -- On Twitter yesterday President Donald Trump announced that he was reinstating a ban prohibiting transgender personnel from working in any capacity in the U.S. armed forces. This was the reversal of a policy that Barack Obama implemented, which allowed transgenders to serve openly and gave the Defense Department until July 1, 2017 to craft plans for full implementation, a deadline Trump’s administration delayed before the President’s announcement today of cancelling the Obama policy.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: UK Independent Twitter feed

July 24, 2017 (Raqqa, Syria) -- Women in Raqqa, Syria are burning their burqas and men are shaving off their beards in celebration of being liberated from the Islamic State, or ISIS, by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish fighting group. British media reports photos and interviews of joyful, freed Syrians who had been forced to endure ISIS occupation of their city.

By Miriam Raftery

July 12, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Is Twitter a public forum?  The Knight First Amendment Institution says yes—and has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump and White House officials seeking to halt the President from blocking Twitter users with whom he disagrees.

Source: National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP)

Photo: Donald Trump, by Gage Skidmore

July 4, 2017 (San Diego) -- The National Association of Rail Passengers denounced the budget outline released by the Trump Administration, which slashes investment in transportation infrastructure. These cuts to Amtrak, transit, and commuter rail programs, and even air service to rural towns, would not only cost construction and manufacturing jobs, but place a disproportionate amount of pain on rural and working class communities.