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A deadly airport shooting in Florida has helped spur a bill in Alaska that would allow authorities to temporarily take away guns from people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.

The proposal, from Rep. Geran Tarr, an Anchorage Democrat, was introduced after the Jan. 6 attack at a Florida airport that killed five and wounded six others. The alleged gunman, Esteban Santiago, is from Anchorage.

"I want family members to feel empowered to speak up and say something and hopefully, maybe, we can prevent the next violent thing from happening," Tarr told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Tarr said she had been looking for ways to address violence in her district when the Florida shooting happened. The bill was introduced Monday.

Authorities said that in November, Santiago went to the FBI office in Anchorage and made disjointed comments about mind control. He was taken in for a mental health evaluation and released after several days. The gun he'd had in his vehicle when he went to the FBI office was later returned to him. Authorities said it was the same gun used in the airport shooting spree.

The bill would let immediate family members or police seek protective orders against those believed to be a danger to themselves or others by having access to a gun. Depending on the type of order, a person could be barred from having or attempting to buy a gun or ammunition from three days to as long as six months, though it could be dissolved earlier.

Under the bill, once an order is issued, the person would have to surrender any guns and ammunition the person has or sell them to a gun dealer. Surrendered items would be returned once an order expires.

It's unclear whether the bill will gain traction. House Minority Leader Charisse Millett, an Anchorage Republican, wanted to learn more about the bill before commenting, minority spokeswoman Mallory Walser said by text message.

The National Rifle Association and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday.

California and Connecticut have gun violence protection order laws, said Jon Griffin, a program principal with the National Conference of State Legislatures. In an email Tuesday, he said bills on the topic were proposed or carried over in at least six states last year but none passed.

Tarr, whose brother killed himself, said high standards would have to be met to prove someone was a danger to themselves or others and she doesn't see the potential for abuse.

But along with efforts like this, she said there needs to be attention on expanding mental health services and access to counseling. The state doesn't have enough treatment beds, she said.

She credits expanded Medicaid coverage with helping people with behavioral health issues receive access to services.

"You definitely have to come at this from all angles," she said.

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Alaska Democrat Proposes Gun Bill After Airport Shooting - ABC News

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate's No. 2 Democrat has backed calls for an independent investigation into allegations that Russian hackers interfered in the U.S. presidential election last year.

Dick Durbin (Democrat-Illinois) was the latest in a growing number of lawmakers pushing for a broader inquiry into intelligence conclusions that Russia sought to manipulate the vote and help Republican Donald Trump win the presidency.

"Election Day 2016 is a day that will live in cyberinfamy. A foreign adversary intentionally manipulated Americas presidential election. It is an act of cyberwar and it cannot go unanswered," Durbin said in a January 24 speech.

Three different Senate committees are conducting their own investigations, but Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell has rejected calls to convene a special select committee.

U.S. intelligence officials said there was no evidence that Russia tampered with the vote tally, but it was unclear how much possible Russian influence affected the overall election.

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Top Senate Democrat Backs Independent Probe Of Alleged Russian Election Hack - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

Chelsea Handler no longer considers herself a Democrat.

Divisiveness is not the answer, and I think to get that message, we have to reach across party lines, Handler recently told Variety. Forget your party. Im registering as an independent. Im not going to be a Democrat anymore because its too divisive. This isnt working, this two-party system.

When asked about speaking with the first lady, Handler said, To talk about what? She can barely speak English?

Handler said that Donald Trumps victory influenced her immensely, causing her to want to educate herself and other people about politics, voting, and human rights.

The television hosts biggest concern under Trumps administration? Racism.

Related: 10 Worst Celebrity Reactions to Trumps Inauguration

While it may seem like the comedian is turning over a new leaf and attempting to reach across party lines by leaving the Democratic Party, she contradicts herself in the very same interview by declaring she would never want President Trump or first lady Melania Trump to be guests on her show, Chelsea.

She called Trump the grossest. Physically, emotionally, mentally. Then when asked about possibly speaking with the first lady on her program, she said, To talk about what? She can barely speak English? Melania Trump is fluent in five languages.

If Handler's reset moment in the Variety interview wasn't enough for you, don't forget about her "open letter" following the election, wherein she lamented:

"Ninety-four percent of black women voted for Hillary Clinton, because unlike white women, black women don't take their rights, liberties, or justice for granted."

She's also called Trump a "predator-in-chief" and said Hillary Clinton lost the election because "we have a problem with women supporting women."

In true irony, Handler has long critiqued third-party voters and blamed them for Hillary Clinton's loss.

While it may seem on the surface that Handler is opening herself up to more than just the echo chamber of the Left, she seems to bring out her usual, tired insults in the same breath.

The interview was not the only time Handler got political over the weekend. She also helped lead the Sundance women's march in Park City, Utah, where she told the crowd: "If you're feeling helpless or feeling dejected, take a look around. You're not alone. Don't lose hope. Get your hope. I'll give you hope. Let's all give each other hope and stick together."

At least she didn't cop to desiresof blowing up the White House.

See the article here:
Chelsea Handler: 'I'm Not a Democrat Anymore' - LifeZette

In a little less than two years, the make up of the Howard County Council will change as at least four term-limited legislators leave the legislative body, a turnover that has local Democrats and Republicans preparing for competitive races throughout the Democrat-majority county.

As rumor mills churn with dozens of candidates mulling the possibility of vying for vacant seats, only one candidate has officially launched his campaign ahead of the February filing deadline next year. ElkridgeDemocrat Opel Jones is running for the District 2 seat, an area that covers east Columbia and parts of Jessup, Elkridge and Ellicott City. The seat has been held by current Councilman Calvin Ball, a Columbia Democrat, since 2006.

For Jones, who has a background in academic and math and is involved in the local political scene as second vice president of the Howard County Democratic Central Committee, the launch of his campaign is hardly early.

At a private launch party intentionally timed with former President Barack Obama's last day in office, Jones, an African American and lifetime member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, said he wanted to put rumors to rest.

"I want people to know that not only am I running, but that this is serious. We're not just going to talk about this and have rumors float for about a year," Jones, 39, said.

Vernon Gray, a Democratic community fixture who became the first African American to serve on the Howard County Council in 1982, called Jones "the man of the hour" at Jones's launch party last week. "Opel is the change that we seek," Gray said.

Jones is pursuing a doctorate in math at Howard University after receiving bachelor's and master's degrees in the same subject. After being appointed by former Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, Jones serves on the county's Human Rights Commission, an 11-member body established in 1969 to review human rights issues and file complaints concerning patterns of discrimination.

His campaign is staked on three broad principles: education, public safety and community vibrancy. The Democrat said he is committed to ensuring village centers in Columbia like Long Reach, which is struggling with low vacancy rates, are revitalized. Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman, a Republican, is courting development plans from developers for the blighted village center.

"Many people in District 2 feel the areas close to Route 1 are like the dumping ground for the county. Some people are also concerned about public safety around the village centers and being able to go out at night," Jones said. "This is all based on word-of-mouth and I look forward to finding out more of the issues from the people."

Jones said Democrats must be more aggressive in campaigning to get the community engaged locally.

"In a very blue county, sometimes we rest on our laurels, knowing that unless it's a very red district, that we'll be ok," he said.

No other candidates have publicly launched their campaigns, but plenty are considering running. The silence is unusual ahead of the local race, said David Yungmann, a local county Republican who is seriously considering a run for District 5, a seat held by current Councilman Greg Fox, also a Republican.

"You'd think people would have come forward officially by now. Names are circulating, but no one is out campaigning," Yungmann said.

In a politician environment where local candidates must gin up campaign dollars and endorsements far ahead of filing deadlines, the 2018 race is either a world away or happened yesterday.

Byron Macfarlane, the county's Register of Wills, a local elected office, says he's seriously considering a run for District 4, an area that covers west Columbia and has been represented by current Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, a Democrat, since 2006. McFarlane expects to announce his decision next month.

"After losing the presidential election, local Democrats are looking for an outlet for our energy, and naturally, that's going to lead us to start looking forward to 2018," McFarlane said. "It's not too early."

Christiana Rigby, a Columbia Democrat who served on the Oakland Mills Village Board and is co-founder of a local club for Democratic women, is also weighing her options for District 3, which covers parts of Columbia, North Laurel, Savage and Jessup and has been represented by Democrat Councilwoman Jen Terrasa..

Like other local legislators, Fox hasn't made a decision about his political future.

"I'll be prepared for whatever the future has to hold, but it doesn't necessary have to involve me being in elected office," Fox said.

Terrasa, who is also bowing out of the council because of term limits, also said "it's too early" to make a decision but she has political ambitions, including but not limited to a seat in the General Assembly.

Similarly, Howard County Council Chairman Jon Weinstein, a Democrat who narrowly won a contentious race in 2014, said he hasn't finalized if he'll run again for council in 2018.

But the Ellicott City businessman, who in 2014 received 51 percent of the vote against Republican Kevin Schmidt, said he hopes to be on the ballot "in some form or another." Weinstein serves in District 1, which covers parts of Ellicott City and Elkridge and is one of the only true swing councilmanic districts.

In 2006, Courtney Watson, Terrasa, Fox and Sigaty were part of a new crop of local legislators who took office without having served on the council before. Council members are limited to three terms, a limit voters approved in 1992.

More:
As others mull options, local Democrat launches campaign for Howard County Council's 2018 race - Baltimore Sun

WASHINGTON Before he was sworn in, President Donald Trump disappointed ethics experts by refusing to sell his business empire. Instead, he presented stacks of manila folders that supposedlycontainedsome of the many documents hed signed to give control of his companies to his adult sons.

Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

Reporters werent allowed to see those documents. And according to Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), the Office of Government Ethics hasnt seen them, either.

Cummings met on Monday with Walter Shaub, director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, along with Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the Utah Republican who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, and other committee Democrats to discuss OGE operations and other issues.

Reports suggest that the meeting was amicable. But Shaub also told committee members that the OGE never received copies of the documents that then-President-Elect Trump brought to his press conference regarding his conflicts of interest, according to a Monday press release from Cummings office. The Office of Government Ethics has received no new information since this press conference.

Shaub nonetheless remained willing and ready to help Trump address his business conflicts, Cummings office noted. The OGE chief did not respond to a request for comment.

Norman Eisen, who served as the chief White House ethics lawyer under former President Barack Obama, told The Huffington Post that the president is subject to disclosure rules under federal law that are within OGEs jurisdiction. According to Eisen, ethics lawyers for president-elects and presidents have always worked closely with OGE on their finances during transitions and after assuming the presidency which includes sharing documents. That does not seem to have happened here, he said.

The Trump transition team did not respond to requests for comment.

Trump is the first president in the modern era to refuse to divest or separate himself from business holdings that may pose conflicts of interest. The Trump Organization released a letter on Monday dated the day before inauguration that said hed resigned from hundreds of corporate entities. But ethics experts sayTrumps move to stop managing his companies fails to alleviate problems that may stem from his continued ownership of his business empire.

For months, Shaub sought to connect with the Trump transition team. OGE even resorted to getting Trumps attentionover Twitter:Brilliant! Divestiture is good for you, good for America! the office wrote ina series of seemingly sarcastic tweets.

After Trump failed to divest, Shaub went public with his concerns. This is not a blind trust, its not even close, he said at the Brookings Institution on Jan. 11. His comments, as well as his offices tweets, prompted Republicans to go after OGE.

Chaffetz accused Shaub of refusing to come in and meet with his staff, going so far as to threaten a subpoena. But it was Chaffetz who missed a previously discussed meeting in early December, according to Office of Government Ethics emails The Huffington Post obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request. Cummings said that based on the HuffPost report, it seemed that Chaffetz owed Shaub an apology for these inaccurate public attacks against him.

Although lawmakers reportedly scolded Shaub on Monday about his offices tweets, the meeting which was closed to the public appears to have eased some of the tension. Chaffetz indicated that it went well. I think we understand each other better, he told reporters. His office did not respond to a request for comment.

Still,Cummings said the meeting left him more concerned than ever about President Trumps refusal to follow the advice of Republican and Democratic ethics experts.

How will Trumps first 100 days impact you?Sign upfor our weekly newsletter and get breaking updates on Trumps presidency by messaging us here.

Link:
Donald Trump Never Gave Business Documents To Ethics Office, Democrat Says - Huffington Post