KENNER, La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared his candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination Wednesday, June 24, and set about trying to distinguish himself in a field with better known rivals. It’s a long-shot effort for an accomplished but overshadowed governor, and his prospects will depend in large measure on his continued … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is giving seven more states and the District of Columbia continued flexibility from the requirements of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind education law. Besides the nation’s capital, Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Tuesday, June 23, announced the renewal of waivers for Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New … Continue reading
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton is putting America’s struggle with race relations at the forefront of her presidential campaign, joining with church members near the epicenter of violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri, as the nation grapples with the deadly shootings of nine black church members in South Carolina. The leading Democratic presidential … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — No actor or actress can match Meryl Streep’s 19 Academy Award nominations, and only Katharine Hepburn has bested her three Oscars for acting. So maybe it’s conceivable that Streep’s letter Tuesday, June 23, to each member of Congress can somehow revive the Equal Rights Amendment, politically dormant since its high-water mark four decades … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans with presidential aspirations rushed Monday, June 22, to embrace South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s call to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capitol, eager to move past a vexing issue that challenges the GOP’s effort to win over the diverse coalition of voters it likely needs … Continue reading
ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Eight years ago, Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in New Hampshire as a presidential candidate with something to prove. “We have to pick a president who is ready on day one to do the job — the tough, difficult job that will await,” she told a cheering audience at a Democratic … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The leader of a white supremacist group cited by Charleston church murder suspect Dylann Roof made $65,000 in donations to Republicans, including several to Republican presidential candidates, The Guardian newspaper reported Sunday, June 21, night. The paper reported that one of the candidates, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, will return the $8,500 … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Mike Huckabee and other GOP presidential contenders are staying clear of the Confederate flag debate in South Carolina, saying it’s an issue that should be decided by the state, not the federal government. The flag is a symbol of racism to some, of Southern pride to others. The flag remains on … Continue reading
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Barack Obama said Friday, June 19, he refuses to accept the idea that regular mass shooting are “the new normal” in America but doesn’t expect Congress to respond because of the influence of the National Rifle Association. Obama said his first comments on the church shootings in South Carolina, in … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump has no regrets. The bombastic real estate mogul and reality television star said Wednesday, June 17, he has no second thoughts about anything he said in his blustering — and oft lampooned — 45-minute campaign kickoff speech. That includes a remark that portrayed immigrants from Mexico as “bringing drugs, … Continue reading
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Taking aim at unemployment among younger Americans, Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday, June 17, proposed using tax credits to encourage businesses to train young people. Speaking at a technical college in South Carolina, Clinton proposed giving businesses a tax credit of $1,500 for each apprentice they hire. The program, … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush says there’s “not a reason in the world” why the U.S. economy can’t grow at 4 percent annually. Actually, there are a bunch of reasons it probably can’t. Many economists say the U.S. economy is ill equipped to grow consistently at even close to 4 percent. … Continue reading
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — While Scott Walker’s fellow Republicans were grousing about his budget plan and part of his proposal to overhaul higher education, the governor was more than 1,000 miles away, gripping the wheel of the Mt. Washington cruise boat on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee. And when lawmakers met Monday night, June 15, to … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rachel Dolezal, born to white parents, self-identifies as black — a decision that illustrates how fluid identity can be in a diversifying America, as the rigid racial structures that have defined most of this country’s history seem, for some, to be softening. Dolezal resigned as the leader of the NAACP’s Spokane, Washington, … Continue reading
DERRY, N.H. (AP) — Newly declared Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush is fast out of the gate when it comes to criticizing Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner. In his New Hampshire debut as an official candidate, Bush commended Clinton as tough and smart Tuesday, June 16, but labelled her record as secretary of state … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 