STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Fifty-two percent of Americans say things are going well in the nation
One-third of Americans say the economy is improving, an 8-point increase from last year
The mood of the nation breaks down on geographic and gender lines
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/28/politics/poll-national-mood-economy/index.html?hpt=po_c2Washington (CNN) -- For the first time since 2007, a majority of Americans think things are going well in the nation, a new CNN/ORC International poll found.
CNN Poll: Majority of Americans say things are going well
CNN Poll: Majority of Americans say things are going well
By Alexandra Jaffe, CNN
updated 6:59 PM EST, Fri November 28, 2014By Alexandra Jaffe, CNN
VIDEOS
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/28/politics/poll-national-mood-economy/index.html?hpt=po_c2
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/supreme-court-could-determine-future-working-womenThe U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to hear a case on Dec. 3 that will have a monumental impact on working women, their families and the financial health of our nation. The case, Young v. UPS, involves Peggy Young, a former UPS worker who was forced into unpaid leave after she told her employer that she was pregnant.
Every American should hope the U.S. Supreme Court acts affirmatively in the upcoming Young v. UPS case to protect the jobs, earnings and healthcare of pregnant workers. The outcome of this decision will profoundly impact the financial future for all of us. The decision on Young v. UPS will not only speak to the rights and value of women workers in todays workforce; the outcome will have a profound impact on the continued growth and prosperity of the American economy.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/crucial-pieces-evidence-ferguson-grand-jury/story?id=27163048Evidence released by the Saint Louis County Police Department gave crucial insight into why the Ferguson grand jury decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown, a black unarmed teenager.
Here are some key pieces of evidence presented to the grand jury:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/225533-lawyer-browns-family-may-sue-darren-wilsonDaryl Parks, the attorney representing the family of Michael Brown, says they may sue Darren Wilson, the former Ferguson police officer who shot and killed the black teenager in August.
Parks suggested on Fox News Sunday that Browns family would pursue a legal settlement or, failing to reach one, file a lawsuit.
The boy, 13, was found early this morning at the Clayton County home of his father, Gregory Jean, 37. The boy was found hidden behind a secret panel in a closet tucked away in an insulation area in the house's garage. His mother reported him missing four years ago.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/georgia-police-find-boy-missing-years/story?id=27252614Jean and Davis were charged with false imprisonment, cruelty to children, and obstruction of justice, according to ABC News' Atlanta affiliate WSB-TV.
WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama tried to draw attention to independently owned businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, a day that is increasingly being marketed as one for deal-hungry consumers to remember to patronize these mom-and-pop outlets while doing their holiday shopping.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/pol...port-small-business-buys-books-5924440.php#/0In recent years, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has been advertised as "Small Business Saturday." It's designed to drive foot traffic to independent businesses in between the frenzy of Black Friday sales at mass retailers and the Cyber Monday deals available online.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/28/southern-democrats_n_6234976.html?ir=PoliticsATLANTA (AP) Southern Democrats are joining others in the party who say that a return to advocating to lift people out of economic hardship and emphasizing spending on education and public works will re-energize black voters and attract whites as well.
"It's time to draw a line in the sand and not surrender our brand," Rickey Cole, the party chairman in Mississippi, said. He believes candidates have distanced themselves from the past half-century of Democratic principles.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-11-30-17-40-53WASHINGTON (AP) -- Like a student who waited until the night before a deadline, lawmakers resuming work Monday will try to cram two years of leftover business into two weeks, while also seeking to avoid a government shutdown.
Their to-do list includes keeping the government running into the new year, renewing expired tax breaks for individuals and businesses and approving a defense policy measure that has passed for more than 50 years in a row.
There is no severance agreement with Officer Wilson and the city of Ferguson and the city of Ferguson will not be making a severance payment to Officer Wilson, Knowles declared. Now is the time for the city of Ferguson to begin its healing process.
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ferguson-mayor-darren-wilson-will-not-receive-severance-payAt the press conference, the mayor also said that the city will create a citizen review board to provide oversight of the police force. It will include residents, representatives from the business community, and law enforcement officials who will make suggestions for reforms on a rolling basis.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/goper-resigns-muslims-parasites-fragJack Whitley told the Associated Press on Friday that he was asked to resign from his position by GOP board members. Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Keith Downey had previously condemned Whitley's comments.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
A new CNN/ORC poll finds 50 percent of Americans think GOP control of Congress will be bad for America
Sixty-eight percent of Americans believe the GOP isn't cooperating enough with the President
The GOP brand has begun to rebound, now only slightly lagging Democrats in terms of popularity
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/01/politics/poll-americans-gop-congress-control/index.html?hpt=po_c1Washington (CNN) -- Half of Americans believe Republican control of both chambers of Congress will be bad for the country, and a majority say it will in fact cause more gridlock in Washington, according to a new CNN/ORC nationwide poll.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/obama-ferguson-white-house-meetings-113226.html#ixzz3KfCpK0ZQPresident Barack Obama is holding three meetings on Monday to discuss issues relating to unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.
According to the White House schedule, the first afternoon meeting will be a talk with members of Obamas Cabinet to discuss federal programs and funding that provide equipment to the state and local enforcement agencies. Vice President Joe Biden will also be in attendance.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The nine officers allege racial discrimination
They are seeking an unspecified amount of damages
The suit comes on the heels of another high-profile police shooting in Cleveland
http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/30/us/cleveland-police-lawsuit/index.html?hpt=hp_t2They claim the defendants have a pattern of treating non-African American officers harsher than African American officers, when it comes to officer-involved shootings of African Americans. The plaintiffs in the federal suit are not African American.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...fer-resigns-after-criticizing-obama-daughtersLauten later apologized to the Obama teenagers, saying in a subsequent post: I quickly judged the two young ladies in a way that I would never have wanted to be judged myself as a teenager.
But the damage was done, and Lauten came under a torrent of online criticism, including from top-ranking Republicans. Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer said on Twitter that children, especially the first daughters, are off limits.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Obama is planning an executive order on police militarization
Concerns have been expressed about level of response to Ferguson protests
Obama won't call for end to flow of equipment to police department
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/01/politics/obama-police-militarization/index.html?hpt=po_c2Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama, responding to concerns over the use of military-style equipment during protests in Ferguson, Missouri over the summer, is asking aides to prepare an executive order that would better track the weapons and gear flowing from the federal government to local police departments around the nation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/29/u...t_tnt_20141129&nlid=40272740&tntemail0=y&_r=1WASHINGTON Months before President Obama took executive action last week to reshape the nations immigration system, Jeh C. Johnson, the secretary of Homeland Security, quietly convened a small group of advisers to explore the legal limits of the presidents powers.
Working in secrecy, Mr. Johnsons team huddled for hours daily under orders to use our legal authorities to the fullest extent on a new deportations policy, a senior administration official said. In five White House meetings over the summer, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Obama, both lawyers, pored over proposed changes, eventually concluding that the president had the authority to enact changes that could affect millions of people and significantly alter the way immigration laws are enforced.
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ferguson-commission-meets-first-timeA high-level commission formed to address the underlying causes of the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, met Monday for the first time a week after news that a grand jury would not indict Officer Darren Wilson for the killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed local teen.
The Ferguson Commissions first formal sit-down reflects a shift in focus, as attention moves away from the legal process involving Wilson and toward addressing the economic, social, and educational issues that the controversy has brought out.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-12-01-18-24-17PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Bill Cosby stepped down as a trustee of his beloved Temple University following renewed accusations that he had drugged and sexually assaulted a string of women over many years.
The 77-year-old entertainer has been a high-profile booster for his alma mater in Philadelphia and a board member since 1982.
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/225646-lawmakers-reach-breakthrough-on-defense-billHouse and Senate lawmakers have reached a compromise on a joint fiscal year 2015 defense policy bill and hope to unveil the measure Monday night or early Tuesday morning, according to one of the chief negotiators.
Well have a statement on it. If its not out already, well have a statement tomorrow morning, Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) told reporters late Monday.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/obama-ferguson-community-policing-113230.html#ixzz3KhvczIOlThe White House debated sending President Barack Obama directly into riot-torn Ferguson, Missouri, to address the racially charged aftermath of the decision not to prosecute a police officer who killed an unarmed black man.
But, according to three White House officials, the idea was dropped for now after a series of meetings, including one in the Oval Office last Tuesday with Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. A visit to Ferguson would be too messy at the moment, the officials said, with concerns about everything from choosing who would stand with the president and the neighborhood where he would speak to the police resources that would be
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Sources said Tuesday that DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson is no longer considered
The White House has struggled to find a successor for Chuck Hagel as Defense Secretary
The new frontrunner is Ashton Carter, a former Pentagon official with years of DOD experience
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/01/polit...steam-as-defense-nominee/index.html?hpt=po_c2Washington (CNN) -- Ashton Carter, the former second-in-command at the Pentagon, appears to be the top choice to replace outgoing Secretary Chuck Hagel.
Story Highlights
•Index reaches -8, nearing previous high of -7
•Upper-income Americans reach new high in confidence
•Democrats continue to be more confident than Republicans
http://www.gallup.com/poll/179810/e...utm_content=morelink&utm_campaign=syndicationWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index climbed to -8 in November, the highest monthly reading in nearly a year and a half. The index in November essentially matches the post-recession high of -7 in May 2013.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/225699-mcconnell-obama-making-dramatic-move-to-the-leftIncoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says he is perplexed by President Obamas defiant attitude after a butt-kicking for Democrats in the midterm elections.
By any objective standard, the president got crushed in this election, so Ive been perplexed by the reaction since the election, the sort of in-your-face dramatic move to the left, McConnell said Tuesday at an event sponsored by The Wall Street Journal CEO Council.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/...ns-recess-christmas-113233.html#ixzz3KlDjSBnjSenate Democratic leader Harry Reid is using his final weeks as majority leader to threaten one of lawmakers most valuable assets: Recess.
Facing down a daunting list of tasks, ranging from funding the government past Dec. 11 to approving a number of new ambassadors, and less than two weeks to do it before Congresss target adjournment at the end of next week, the Nevada Democrat said that the lame duck Congresss work may require senators to stay in Washington for an extra week and may even threaten Christmas.