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An operator of DTE’s Fermi 2 nuclear plant in Monroe has been relieved of duty after testing positive for illegal drugs. “A licensed operator had a confirmed positive for an illegal drug during a random fitness-for-duty test,” plant officials said in a report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “The employee’s access to the plant has been terminated.” The incident is said to have occurred at 1:30pm on May 5

MSNBC host Chris Matthews this week asked Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, head of the congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, about how the anti-abortion bills introduced as a top priority in the Republican-controlled House might affect Americans should they become law. DeGette said that, from the perspective of women’s health care, the bills are “riddled with little land mines.” Matthews zeroed in on Rep

I’m a little late to Stephen Colbert’s parody of Glenn Beck’s 2012 doomsday show — something I’d thought was beyond parody. Colbert delivers the goods, as

When the Supreme Court ruled last week in a controversial 5-4 decision that prisoners have no constitutional right to obtain available DNA evidence that could

The Lowe’s logo (Pic via melissabargains.com ) Petitions containing over 200,000 signatures were delivered to Lowe’s corporate headquarters today, protesting the company’s recent decision to pull its ads from the TLC reality series All-American Muslim . More than 42,000 signatures came from supporters of People for the American Way, which recently called on Lowe’s CEO Robert Niblock to “reject the bigotry of right-wing extremists and reinstate its ads on the show.” Earlier this month, Lowe’s (and several other companies) pulled ads from the program in response to pressure from the Florida Family Association, a group that objected to the show’s portrayal of American Muslims as “ordinary folks just like you and me.” Michael Keegan, president of People For the American Way, issued the following statement earlier today: Lowe’s set a dangerous precedent by caving in to a fringe group that preaches intolerance toward fellow Americans. The TLC program portrays Muslim Americans as the everyday people they are – people who go to work, go to school and pay taxes.

When reporters walked up to the ballroom of the Omni Shoreham Hotel to see Bill O’Reilly’s Friday night speech -- he was receiving the Media Courage Award --

Manu Raju talks to Senate Democrats about the Glenn Beck-driven, almost entirely hysterical campaign against czars. The fuel: a letter written by Sen. Russ

Well, of course it’s Tax Day, and while we’ve been a bit preoccupied with all the wacky Tea Party hijinks, it also means that we get to take a look at the

The list of Arizona S.B. 1070-style immigration-enforcement laws challenged in court keeps growing. Now it’s Georgia’s turn

Between late afternoon Tuesday and early Wednesday morning, the Minnesota Legislature passed budget bills that will fund more than $35 billion in state government and end the 19-day shutdown.

Republican Sen. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge) and Rep.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) is digging in on the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s claims that the administration is hiding the true cost of a climate bill,

President Obama rolled out his budget proposal this morning, calling for a wide range of new spending measures, but also for deficit reduction through higher

The Hill reports that Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has declined to sign a letter circulated by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the minority leader, asking

After campaigning over the last month on social media, Rep. Michele Bachmann secured enough votes from followers to be included in TIME magazine’s list of the top 100 most influential people of 2011.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wants to put the brakes on the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to curb climate change by barring the agency from

An interesting review of the scientific literature from The Associated Press: People’s emotional well-being -- happiness -- increases along with their income

Support from libertarians and the Wall Street Journal editorial board hasn’t saved Cass Sunstein from the wrath of Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.), a conservative Blue