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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) Lumber Liquidators Holding Inc. shares tumbled 12.6% Wednesday, after a Democratic senator called on the federal government to conduct independent testing of China-sourced laminate, alleged in a weekend report to contain higher-than-accepted levels of a known carcinogen.

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida also called on the government to investigate whether Lumber Liquidators has made false marketing claims about the safety of its products. Because this could affect millions of homeowners, its imperative we get some answers quickly, Nelson said.

Earlier, Lumber Liquidators canceled an appearance at a conference and said it would host a call with investors on March 12, as it continues to respond to the fallout from a damning report by 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday.

The U.S. retailer of hardwood flooring said it would not participate in the Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference scheduled for later Wednesday.

We regret that we are not attending the conference today and apologize to our investors that planned to attend, said Chief Executive Robert Lynch. We look forward to speaking with you next week regarding our business update.

The stock LL, -12.60% , which was up for much of the morning before turning lower, has been pummeled over the last week on fears related to the60 Minutes report, which alleged the company sold Chinese-made laminate flooring to many American homeowners that contained levels of formaldehyde that exceed California standards. Formaldehyde can cause myeloid leukemia and other cancers at high levels, as well as respiratory issues and eye, nose and throat irritation at low levels.

The 60 Minutes team said Chinese-sourced laminate carried by Lumber Liquidators bears a label indicating that it is CARB Phase 2compliant, referring to the California Air Resources Board, which sets standards for formaldehyde emissions in wood flooring. Those standards were adopted by Congress in 2010 in a law that is supposed to take effect across the U.S. this year.

The team broadcast interviews with employees of Chinese mills, who admitted the products they supply to the company weren't CARB Phase 2compliant, and were falsely labeled as such to save the company up to 15% on price.

Lumber Liquidators has already released one statement challenging the testing used by 60 Minutes and insisting its products are completely safe. The statement also questioned the on-camera accounts from the Chinese suppliers, saying the company didn't recognize any of the individuals interviewed.

The suppliers have confirmed that all products provided to Lumber Liquidators have been and are CARB compliant, it said.

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Lumber Liquidators shares fall as Senate Democrat calls for federal probe

Democrat Joe Sestak made it official Wednesday morning: He wants a rematch with Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey.

To kick off his second Senate bid, the retired Navy admiral who earned a reputation last time as a tireless campaigner is walking across Pennsylvania, from the Delaware River to the Ohio border.

Before beginning that trek, Sestak stood across from Independence Hall to formally declare his candidacy in the 2016 election. The two-term congressman from Delaware County told a crowd of about 60 gathered in a light rain that he wants to walk in the shoes of Pennsylvanians as he aims to restore their trust in government and their public officials.

"The largest deficit we have today in America is not the debt. It's trust deficit," Sestak said, wearing his signature flight jacket. "We just don't believe that our leaders would actually say something here in Pennsylvania and then do the same thing."

He extended that criticism to Toomey, the Lehigh County lawmaker who Sestak said has not kept his promises to support programs that aid veterans and the homeless.

After urging the crowd to join him as he travels the state, Sestak swapped out his high-top Reebok sneakers for a pair of tan combat boots and started walking.

Sestak, 63, is the only candidate to enter the Senate race thus far against Toomey, though a handful of other Democratic names have been floated as potential candidates.

Before facing off with Toomey in the 2010 general election, Sestak earned a major victory in the primary when he defeated longtime incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter. He later lost to Toomey by 2 percentage points.

Since then, Sestak has been teaching college courses and continuing to traverse the commonwealth, clocking 400 appearances during the last two years.

Even if the names on the general election ballot end up mirroring those in 2010, Sestak and Toomey would be competing in a different political climate. Unlike five years ago, Toomey will be trying to hold onto his seat in a year with a presidential battle at the top of the ticket, a dynamic expected to boost Democratic turnout, particularly in Philadelphia.

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Joe Sestak kicks off Senate bid against Pat Toomey

Democrat Veteran Takes On White House Over Islam
Video news report about Army Veteran and Democrat Representative Tulsi Gabbard and her views differing from her party on Radical Islam.

By: EdBoston.com

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Democrat Veteran Takes On White House Over Islam - Video

Cummings' request comes as Clinton and her advisers are facing questions about why the former secretary of state exclusively used a private email account during her four years as America's top diplomat and never had an official government email address.

Clinton's emails have also been at the center of debate around the House's select committee investigating the attack that resulted in four dead Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stephens. The State Department said Monday that they produced around 300 of Clinton's personal emails to the select committee.

"Last month, the Committee received Secretary Clinton's emails relating to Benghazi, and now that we have them, I believe Chairman Gowdy should join with me to make them available to the American public so they can read their contents for themselves," Cummings said in a statement Tuesday morning.

RELATED: Clinton had no official State Dept. email address

Cummings also defended Clinton against Republican attacks that her use of a personal email account broke federal guidelines.

"It has been public for several years that Secretary Clinton used her personal email account, apparently following the pattern of previous Secretaries of State," Cummings said in a statement . "Although Secretary Clinton has produced her emails to the State Department, it is unclear from press reports whether previous Secretaries have done the same."

Nick Merrill, Clinton's spokesman, said Tuesday that, "When the Department asked former Secretaries last year for help ensuring their emails were in fact retained, we immediately said yes."

Using personal email as a sole method of communication, however, does appear to break rules outlined by the National Archives and Records Administration. The government agency stipulates that personal email can only be used in "emergency situations," and when used, the emails "are captured and managed in accordance with agency record-keeping practices."

Republicans on the committee did not respond to CNN's questions about making the emails public.

Clinton agreed to testify to the committee late in 2014, according to Democrats on the panel, but Gowdy, the committee chairman, has said he would wait to call her until all the emails are received. In the past, committee aides have said Clinton could be called to testify around a month after the emails were received.

Originally posted here:
Democrat: Make Clinton's Benghazi emails public

By Kristina Scala

kscala@delcotimes.com @Scala_Kris on Twitter

Democrat Joe Sestak is looking for a rematch against Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey in 2016.

Sestak, the former Navy admiral and onetime Congressman from Edgmont, plans to kick off his campaign Wednesday on the front steps of Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

"I won't go into details right now, but let me just say this: I'm going to make it interesting," he wrote in an email announcement Monday.

Regardless of Sestak's marginal loss to Toomey five years ago, and his lengthy campaign, the odds of the Democrat winning the race are murky. Another Sestak campaign isn't attracting support from state party leaders, potentially pointing to another failed attempt for the Senate for the Democratic challenger.

"He has never stopped running since he lost to Toomey six years ago," said Terry Madonna, political pollster from Franklin and Marshall College. "The difference now is he's not exactly a lot of party leaders' first choice, to put it mildly."

There was a similar lack of party support when Sestak's Democratic primary opponent, Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter, won the Democratic endorsement to run against Toomey in 2010. Specter lost to Sestak in the primary election with 46 percent of the vote.

If the Democrats don't see Sestak as a fit opponent to beat Toomey, why not pull together better-suited candidates?

Madonna said it has to do with the party finding a candidate who's capable of raising tens of millions of dollars to run a Senate campaign. "It's not something you have to choose now, but you can't wait indefinitely because of funding."

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Democrat Joe Sestak to kick off 2016 campaign for U.S. Senate this week