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[ad_1] The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says its decision to omit any mention of climate change from the agency’s strategic plan was essentially an oversight. Lawmakers want to know if any experts were consulted in drawing up the document itself, which is meant to guide the agency’s work over the next four years. In a letter sent Wednesday  to FEMA Director Brock Long, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) asked for more information regarding the agency’s  2018-2022 Strategic Plan . FEMA has come under fire for the document, which did not contain a single reference to climate change despite the agency being responsible for overseeing recovery from hurricanes and wildfires, both of which are being affected more and more by rising temperatures. “What statistical, scientific, or mathematical analyses were used in formulating the plan?” asked Ellison. “What scientific frameworks were used to identify the strategic goals and strategic objectives?” “What individuals or offices within...

[ad_1] Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed a portion of the budget bill that helps fund teacher raises on Thursday morning, after House lawmakers debated the bill into the early morning hours. Teachers watched the session all of Wednesday night and camped out outside the Capitol building. Teachers will get an average raise of 9 percent and then 5 percent for the next two years. Teachers also won $400 million in education funding to partially make up for recession-era cuts, according to the Associated Press. Although the raises were lower than what teachers wanted, they are an improvement over the 1 percent raises Ducey originally proposed. Candles and glow sticks coming out at the AZ state capitol #RedforEd #abc15 pic.twitter.com/R53V6nTG5J — Kim Tobin (@KimABC15) May 3, 2018 Thursday is the sixth day teachers have been out of school. Although teachers said they would end the walkout on Wednesday if the budget passed, the session stretched into the night and morning, which meant...

[ad_1] Weeks after tens of thousands of Oklahoma teachers ended their nine-day strike after securing major wins, including teacher raises and additional education funding, legislators introduced a bill that aims to hamper membership in the teachers unions that helped organized the walkouts. The measure, Senate Bill 1150 , began as a bill tackling child abuse, but was completely rewritten this week thanks to an amendment by state Rep. Todd Russ (R). The current version of the bill would require a majority vote by teachers every five years in order to keep their collective bargaining unit. It would also prohibit school districts from automatically subtracting union dues from teacher paychecks, leaving teachers to make their own plans with the union to make the payments. “There’s teachers that have been there for 20, 30 years and never had the opportunity to retain their union or change representation, or quit paying the dues and not have representation,” said Russ, according to Th...

[ad_1] A group of Republican lawmakers has sent a formal letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, officially nominating President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize , for his “work to end the Korean War.” The letter was signed by 18 members of Congress, including Reps. Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, and  Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee, as well as Reps.  Steve King (R-IA), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa), Mark Meadows (R-NC), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Jim Renacci (R-OH), and Evan Jenkins (R-WV).  Texas Reps. Michael C. Burgess, Pete Olson, and  Brian Babin also signed the letter. Screenshot of the letter sent to the Nobel Committee “Since taking office, President Trump has worked tirelessly to apply maximum pressure to North Korea to end its illicit weapons programs and bring peace to the region,” the letter read. “His Administration successfully united the international community, includin...