Democrats Stall a Sessions Vote After Trump Fires Yates

Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions in meetings with President Elect Donald Trump (Jerusalem Post photo)

Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions in meetings with President Elect Donald Trump (Jerusalem Post photo)

WASHINGTON, DC (Bloomberg, Please Click to read the entire story. Here is an excerpt.) Senate Democrats renewed an assault on Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, questioning his independence after the president fired the acting attorney general for refusing to enforce his executive order on immigration. & “Many people have doubts about whether Jeff Sessions can be that person, and the full Senate and the American people should at the very least know exactly how independent he plans to be before voting on him,” the Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, said in a statement Monday night. & Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters Tuesday that after President Barack Obama’s “hyperpoliticized Department of Justice,” Americans want “somebody as attorney general who will enforce the law against anyone who breaks the law, and Jeff Sessions will do that.” & The anger over Trump’s handling of Yates intensified Democratic opposition to other Trump nominees. Only five have been confirmed so far, with more than a dozen nominations still awaiting votes. & Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to demand that Congress quickly approve his nominees. “When will the Democrats give us our Attorney General and rest of Cabinet! They should be ashamed of themselves! No wonder D.C. doesn’t work!” Trump said.

Tigers fall to Carrier Mills last Thursday night at the GEC Tournament

abv-jackHARRISBURG IL- (Jack Bullock abaselineview.com from his story A Cats’ night out. Click on link to read the full story and stay on the site while you are there -Here is an excerpt) Although it wasn’t an awesome execution of basketball prowess on Thursday night at the Greater Egyptian Conference tournament, head coach Keil Peebles

Carrier Mills' Brody Walker pulls a jumper over Jared Payne -Jack Bullock Photo

Carrier Mills’ Brody Walker pulls a jumper over Jared Payne -Jack Bullock Photo

and his Carrier Mills Wildcats will take the 46-44 victory in the consolation bracket semifinals & However head coach Pete Gordon’s Tigers rallied to make things very interesting in the final minutes and had a shot at a 3-pointer that would have won the game just before the buzzer. The shot attempt from long range on the left wing by freshman Cordon Fitch fell way short as the buzzer as the Wildcats survived and moved to the consy title tilt on Saturday night. & “Walker is a tough kid to guard and he hurt us tonight,” said Coach Gordon. “We need to collectively minimize our errors. Our youth really shows at times tonight and we made mistakes. But I’m proud of the effort tonight and he (Fitch) had an open look but it was just short.” & The Tigers were pretty good offensively as well, hitting 50 percent overall (17-of-34) and 2-of-7 from the 3-point arc.

Fire danger elevated today- Chance of Snow Saturday night

The fire danger is elevated today because of WNW winds today around 10 mph, dry air (the humidity is currently 47%), and dry

vegetation.  The fire danger graphic above and the reasoning was taken from KFVS-12 meteorologist Grant Dade’s Facebook page.

The high today will be in the mid 50’s with lows in the upper 30’s.  A cooling trend will start tomorrow, with highs in the mid 40’s and

Graphic by KFVS 12 meteorologist Grant Dade

Graphic by KFVS 12 meteorologist Grant Dade

lows in the mid 20’s.  Highs Thursday and Friday should be in the mid 30’s.

The snow chance on Saturday will start as rain changing to snow around 4 p.m.  It should change to all snow on Saturday night tapering off after midnight.  There is a slight chance of rain/snow on Sunday.

It is way to far out to determine how much snow we will receive.  At this time there is not ice in the forecast.

We will keep you updated on any changes in the forecast that will take place-sd

Thompsonville banker attends Trump innaguration

Steve Dunford-  franklincounty-news.com

Travis Clem, President of South Porte Bank in Marion attended the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington, on Friday, January 20.  You might be familiar with him from the bank ads, as they advertise heavily on WPSD-TV.

Clem is a lifelong resident of Thompsonville.  He also is the president of the Thompsonville CUSD #174 Board of Education.

Travis Clem at the inauguration with the US Capitol building in the background.

Travis Clem at the inauguration, with the US Capitol building in the background.

The trip to Washington DC came about in an indirect, way from an invite from Paul Miller, who him and his wife Phyllis, were invited to be the guests of Congressman Mike Bost.  Phyllis had to cancel at the last minute, so Travis had the opportunity.

The first question I asked was if this was a hoax.  Yes I have seen the pictures online from that day, but Paul, Travis, and another one I can throw in there, Jody Kilburn and I have been known to play some pranks in the day.  I had to make sure the pics from the inauguration wasn’t Photoshopped.

He said because it was a last minute arraignment, the only event they attended was the inauguration itself.  The news media has tried to convince the American people the crowd was way down.  He said it was packed on that rainy day in the nation’s capitol.

The story of the day were the protesters.  I asked him about them. He said, There were lots of protesters the morning of the inauguration. They had pretty much clogged the entrances along the north side of the Mall area, thousands of them.

It was a thrill for him, as Clem has been in the Trump camp in the beginning.  He helped covert this Never Trumpper shortly after the Illinois Primary.

It was an awesome opportunity and experience he had the privilege in participating.  Honestly, as I was preparing this there was a little jealousy of the guy who was the best man in my wedding.  Seriously, I think it is awesome he was able to be there for this once in a lifetime experience.

 

 

Trump order targeting business rules leaves key regulations untouched

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order cutting regulations, accompanied by small business leaders at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington U.S., January 30, 2017.  REUTERS/Carlos Barria

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order cutting regulations, accompanied by small business leaders at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington U.S., January 30, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

WASHINGTON, DC (Ayesha Rascoe and Amanda Becker, Reuter’s News Service. Please click to read the entire story. Here is an excerpt.) President Donald Trump signed an order on Monday that will seek to dramatically reduce federal regulations, but the policy will not apply to most of the financial reform rules introduced by the Obama administration. Trump’s latest executive action will require that agencies cut two existing regulations for every new rule introduced and it will set an annual cap on the cost of new regulations. For the rest of fiscal 2017, the cap will require that the cost of any additional regulations be completely offset by undoing existing rules. But, the move does not cover independent agencies that crafted many of the rules required by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the White House said.

Donald Trump: I will announce Supreme Court pick Tuesday evening

AP file photo

AP file photo

WASHINGTON, DC – (David Sheferinski -Washington Times) Click to read the Full Story – Here is an excerpt – ) President Trump said Monday that he plans to announce his pick to fill the current vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court at 8 p.m. Tuesday from the White House. Mr. Trump said at the White House that his pick is “unbelievably highly respected.” & Several names that have been mentioned as possible picks are Judge Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, Judge William Pryor of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.

MLB hammers Cardinals — first two draft picks, $2 million go to Astros

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfield (left) and Cardinal CEO Bill DeWitt (right) at an MLB press conference in 2014 (AP file photo)

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfield (left) and Cardinal CEO Bill DeWitt (right) at an MLB press conference in 2014 (AP file photo)

ST. LOUIS, MO (Derek Goold – St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Click to read the entire story. Here is an excerpt.) The illegal actions of a former Cardinals executive that put him in prison will also cost the team draft picks and a punitive fine in one of the harshest penalties enforced by Major League Baseball in recent memory. & And the Houston Astros will directly benefit. & In a decision issued Monday afternoon by commissioner Rob Manfred, the Cardinals have been fined $2 million in damages — possibly the largest ever for one team — and their first two picks in the coming draft have been taken away as a result of an illegal hack into Houston’s database. The two picks, Nos. 56 and 75, will go to the Astros, as will the slot money assigned to those picks. The $2-million fine will also be paid to the Cardinals’ former division rivals.

Rend Lake College Fall 2016 honors list

rend-lake-college-clocktowerINA, Ill. (Jan. 30, 2017) – Rend Lake College is pleased to announce 362 students have made the President’s and Vice Presidents’ lists of academic honors for the Fall 2016 semester.

The lists include 149 individuals named to the President’s List. Those students earned a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) during the semester. Another 213 students were named to the Vice Presidents’ List. Students on the Vice Presidents’ List earned a 3.50 – 3.99 GPA during the semester.

“Congratulations to all the Rend Lake College students who earned spots on last fall’s honor lists,” said RLC President Terry Wilkerson. “Their efforts in the classroom will prepare these individuals well for life after college. To those students, we thank you and encourage you to continue the hard work this spring.”

RLC students receiving academic honors for Fall 2016, listed by communities, are:

President’s List

(All hometowns Ill. unless noted otherwise)

ASHLEY – Alexandria Kubiak

BEACH PARK – Zachary Zarifian

BELLE RIVE – Jacob Schlag

BELLEVILLE – Joshua Kern

BENTON – Jonathon Batts, Emily Darnell, Emeri-Jean Farnam, Dakota Head, Sarah Hubbard, Aubrey Hunter, Amy Kovarik, Matthew Krug, Brette Mahan, Lindell Minor, Virginia Morgan, Presley Robbins, Charles Schram, Sydnie Watkins, Anna Weaver, Jacob Young, Lauren Zinzilieta

BLUFORD – Shelby Collins, Brenna Collins, Jakob Felty, Connor Jackson, Kylie Jackson, Emily Lusby, Tori Pasley, Alexis Scrivner, Karlee Skelton, Kimber Withrow

BONNIE – Taylor Coggins, Isaac McPhail, Kylie Newell, Danielle Seidel, Mollie Strain

BROUGHTON – James Chapman

CARTERVILLE – Taylor Davie

CHRISTOPHER – Julie Faling, Phillip Smith

CISNE – Danielle Sitzes

COELLO – Carrie Shaw

CREAL SPRINGS – Olivia McDannel, Randy Moore

DAHLGREN – Tyler Kelly, Dana Rubenacker, Michaela Scott

DU QUOIN – Hannah Hill, Nicholas Kirsch

DUPO – Janel Meier

ELDORADO – Taylor Aldridge

ELLIS GROVE – Zachary Sternberg

ENFIELD – Drake Carter

EWING – Jaylyn Cozart, Ike Hutchcraft, Cole Hutchens, Wade Hutchens

FAIRFIELD – Eric Spitzner, Bradley Yeager

HENDERSON, Ky. – Breya Cooper

HETTICK – Glenn Roemer

INA – Jay Benard, Jake Wills

JOHNSTON CITY – Jennifer Webster

KELL – Ashley West

MAKANDA – Lucas Roney

MARION – Alexis Hadley, Amber Hadley, Taylor Sloop

MCLEANSBORO – Jimmy Anderson, Falisha Biggerstaff, Ralph Billington, Sydney Comstock, Kaitlyn Flannigan, Kristen Hart, Hillary Ingram, Sarah Mead, Sheila Overturf, Mary Walker, Kristen Watkins

MT. VERNON – Shelbi Ballard, Heather Barkau, Ashtyn Cornett, Kaleb Cox, Jacey Donoho, Melissa Dutton, Grady Graham, Fabian Jerves, Christopher Johnson, Lindsay Johnson, Keith Kinney, Jennifer Kuhn, Kayla Kulinski, Brooke Lacey, Autumn Long, Kathryn Marlow, Bret McCarty, Megan McKinley, Blake McPherson, Peyton Osborne, Nikolos Palmer, Cole Pierce, Sydni Powell, Curtis Prichard, Heather Simpson, Kalen Soger, Mary Strain, Hysley Tucker, Rachel Wright

MULKEYTOWN – Amber Dublo, Sandra Eversole, Ariel Mays, Christopher Richard

NASHVILLE – Kyler Spencer

NORRIS CITY – Kyle Sell

PINCKNEYVILLE – Callie Bigham, Jayne Collins, Trenton Fisk, Jonathan Harris, Mary Kopshever, Craig Kuhnert, Kara Lacy, Ashley Wild

ROCKFIELD, Ky. – Joshua Floyd

ROYALTON – Kassandra Jones

SCHELLER – Brooklin Frisch, Emily Vandeveer

SESSER – Ashton Lappin, Nicholas Marlo, Skylyn Simpson, Mackayla Tindall

TAMAROA – Taylor Geary, Ryan Harris, Caleb Logan

TEXICO – Jordan Hoffman

THOMPSONVILLE – Jeana Anderson, Maleissa Baney, Ivan Wysong

VALIER – Alexandra Boner

WALTONVILLE – Courtnee Bradham, Morgan Massie, Grace Pytlinski

WAYNE CITY – Lacey Johnson

WEST FRANKFORT – Alexa Beavers, Jared Eastwood

WHITTINGTON – Tabitha Hopkins, Morgan Wilson

WOODLAWN – Sarah Conner, Ryan Richardson

Vice President’s List

(All hometowns Ill. unless noted otherwise)

BELLE RIVE – Mackenzie Kemp, Todd Tapp, Cynthia White

BELLEVILLE – William Huhman, Jordan Krug

BELLOY-EN-FRANCE – Marion Debove

BENTON – Jared Allison, Alison Anthis, Troy Boner, Mackenzi Dollins, Samantha Franklin, David Garrett, Kevin Gibbs, Caleb Kearney, Kimberly Lass, Logan Maxey, Devon Morris, Micah Neal, Tyler Price, Matthew Pulliam, Kara Ramsay, Macey Roach, Matthew Robertson, Naylin Ronchetto, Benjamin Schilli, Raymond Smothers, Dylan Snyder, Kassie Spencer, Mariah Thiele, Noah Thomason, Nathan Watkins, Allee Wellen, Aaron Willis

BLOOMINGTON – Michaela O’Neal

BLUFORD – Danny Brown, Courtney Cohoon, Lindsey Cohoon, Tegan Gray, Mikaela Matthews, Trevor Pasley

BONNIE – Kaylie Bicanich

BUCKNER – Morgan Wirtes

CARBONDALE – Ryan Bushur

CARLYLE – Alexis Robert

CARTERVILLE – Alicia Dawson, Ashley Sheffler, Austin Swalls

CENTRALIA – Jason Hoffman, Devin Sides

CHANDERVILLE – Alexandra Brue

CHRISTOPHER – Jacob Jablonski, Kailey Kerkemeyer, Jacob Underwood

COULTERVILLE – Gabrielle Bartnicki

DAHLGREN – Haeley Peters, Adam Pryer, Emily Wellen, Michael Wells

DIX – Carl Gaebe, Cassidy Patterson

DU BOIS – Austin Grabowski, Hannah Zyk

DU QUOIN – Cassie Fisher

ELDORADO – Corrina Poole

ENFIELD – Ana Carter

FAIRFIELD – Kyle Leegaard

GLENN CARBON – Jordan Yenne

GRANITE CITY – Kenneth Berry

INA – Anthony Amato, Kathleen Dekriek, Brooklyn Fowler, Jeffrey Houseworth, Audrey Schoenbachler, Mason Shumate, Ciara Story, Ian Walters

IUKA – Cheyenne Goodwin

JOHNSON CITY – Michael Warren

KEENES – Beth Moats

KELL – Blake Hayes

MACEDONIA – Zane Clark, David Motsinger, Anthony Page, Tyler Smith

MARION – Nicole Johnson, Mitchell Rushing, Ashley Walker

MASCOUTAH – Jordan Eidman, Megan Rudolphi

MCLEANSBORO – Colton Bond, Charlene Boyd, Tucker Braden, Mathew Bryson, Morgan Donelson, Celeste Ellis, Rebecca Heil, Lindsey Hutchcraft, Hayley Kaufman, Sawyer Lueke, Mary Morgan, Tyler Morrison, Jared Rexing, Jayci Reyling, Bethaney Sutton, Maude Wheeler, Amanda Wolfe

MILLSTADT – Brett Pfingsten

MT. VERNON – Seth Arnold, Olivia Bailey, Lakenzie Blankenship, Rebecca Bumpus, Conner Buretz, Hannah Carbonaro, Aaron Cary, Savannah Estes, Seth Felty, Eric Field, Thierry Goulet Papazian, Dakota Heck, Rebekah Holt, Ryan Johnson, Morgan Jones, Megan Jordan, Luke Lemay, Jessica Llewellyn, Michael McDaniel, Joseph Michaud, Diana Minor, Melissa Morgan, Jonathan Padget, Arianna Reiss, Jessica Singleton, Daniel Southerd, Samuel Storment, Lucas Wilson, Hannah Witzel

MULKEYTOWN – Cameron Jones, Micah Motsinger, Jonathon Swisher, Hunter Tasky

NASHVILLE – Joseph Blumenstock

NEW ATHENS – Cole Dickerson

NORRIS CITY – Tyler Gray, Bailey Hopsick

OAKDALE – Brinna Thomas

OMAHA – Alisha Lamb

OPDYKE – Katelin Bravard, Zachary Brookman, Rebekah Cramer, Bobby Kirsch, Amanda Sager

PINCKNEYVILLE – Misty Bernhard, Nicholas Cannon, Erica Crews, Caleb Dahn, Amanda Frassato, Sasha Giacomo, Colin Hagene, Madison Hutchings, Walter King, Jordan Lodge, Sawyer Loos, Jayla Louis, Jayci Luke, Andrea Morgan, Michael O’Neal, Grace Patterson, Brianna Stehl, Emily Stueve, Cory Weinhoffer, Stephany Winter, Raygan Yates

POCAHONTAS – Cameron Modesitt

ROYALTON – Kalynn Myers

SALEM – Brennan Fitzwater

SESSER – Ashly Brown, Emily Bulla, Blaine Leslie, Chase Ragland, Gabrielle Reed

SPARTA – Olivia Oathout

SWANSEA – Brian Harvey

TAMAROA – Raven Alvis, Travis Craig, Jena Elder, Emily Green, Angela Watkins

THOMPSONVILLE – Casey Bowlin, Kayla Follmer, Allysa Fox, Hudson Garrison, Austin Kessler, George Styles, Rachel Sullivan

ULLIN – Kayla Reagan

VALIER – Sophi Johnson

WALNUT HILL – Nathan Edwards

WALTONVILLE – Sean Scott, Brittany Ward

WAYNE CITY – Everett Dulany, Keegan Haile, Kaylee Seymour, Jessika Slater, Sherri Smith, Brylan Stephenson

WEST FRANKFORT – Shannon Browning, Alan Elliott, Adam Wiggins

WHITTINGTON – Dylan Terry

WOODLAWN – Blair Hall, Elizabeth Riley, Alexis Shook

XENIA – Shelby Sharp

ZEIGLER – Richie Robinson

Wintry precipitation for the weekend?

Graphic from KFVS 12 Meterologist Bryan McCormick's FB page

Graphic from KFVS 12 Meterologist Bryan McCormick’s FB page

It is going to be a very mild first three days for the week  for late January. Today it is sunny for highs in the upper 40’s to around fifty.  Lows should be in the mid thirties.

There should be a cooling trend start on Thursday, with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid twenties.

There is a slight chance of snow on Thursday night, and a good chance of snow on Saturday night, into Sunday.

Franklin Graham’s Interview with the Huffington Post

Franklin Graham, head of international relief organization Samaritan's Purse, visits one of the organization's cholera treatment centers in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, January 8, 2011. REUTERS/Allison Shelley (HAITI - Tags: SOCIETY HEALTH)

Franklin Graham, head of international relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, visits one of the organization’s cholera treatment centers in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, January 8, 2011. REUTERS/Allison Shelley (HAITI – Tags: SOCIETY HEALTH)

NOTE – This interview has been talked about on social media as well has been a topic on debate shows over the last few days. Please click to read the entire interview for yourself from the Huffington Post. Here is an excerpt- “It’s not a biblical command for the country to let everyone in who wants to come, that’s not a Bible issue,” Graham told HuffPost. “We want to love people, we want to be kind to people, we want to be considerate, but we have a country and a country should have order and there are laws that relate to immigration and I think we should follow those laws. Because of the dangers we see today in this world, we need to be very careful.” …

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