Nation
American flags should be born in the USA now, too, Congress says
Soon, Old Glory will have to be born in the land of the free and not merely flying over it.
Congress has passed a proposal to require the federal government to purchase only American flags that have been completely manufactured in the U.S. The U.S. imports millions of American flags from overseas, mostly from China, and the sponsors of the proposal said it’s time for American flags to originate in the country they represent.
Supporters of the proposal, led by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, said the change is more than just symbolic — they believe it will support American jobs and manufacturers while preserving the nation’s most recognized banner.
“The American flag serves as a symbol of our identity, resolve, and values as one people. To honor its significance, the federal government should only use flags entirely manufactured in the United States,” Collins said.
Supporters of the proposal said Monday that they expect the measure to be signed into law soon. It was sent to President Joe Biden on Thursday.
Federal rules currently require the government to buy flags that contain half U.S.-made materials, supporters of the proposal said. The rule change, called the “All American Flag Act,” requires government-purchased flags to be produced entirely with American-made materials as well as manufactured in the U.S.
The value of U.S. flag imports in 2015 was well over $4 million, according to federal data. The vast majority of those imports came from China, supporters of the rule change said.
In 2017, the U.S. imported some 10 million American flags, and 99.5% of them came from China, supporters of the proposal said. Those figures include all American flags imported into the country and not just those purchased by the federal government.
Collins and Brown have been pushing for American flags to be manufactured in the U.S. for several years. Previous efforts to change the rules to require U.S.-made flags found success in the U.S. Senate but stalled when they reached the House of Representatives.
Washington
Two former FBI officials settle lawsuits with Justice Department over leaked text messages
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two former FBI officials settled lawsuits with the Justice Department on Friday, resolving claims that their privacy rights were violated when the department leaked to the news media text messages that they had sent one another that disparaged former President Donald Trump.
Peter Strzok, a former top counterintelligence agent who played a crucial role in the investigation into Russian election interference in 2016, settled his case for $1.2 million. Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer who exchanged text messages with Strzok, also reached a separate settlement. Court records reviewed by The Associated Press show she is to be paid $800,000.
The two had sued the Justice Department over a 2017 episode in which officials shared copies with reporters of text messages that they had sent each other, including ones that described Trump as an “idiot” and a “loathsome human” and that called the prospect of a Trump victory “terrifying.”
Strzok, who also investigated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, was fired after the text messages came to light. Page resigned. They later sued, alleging that department officials leaked the texts to promote a false narrative of anti-Trump bias within the FBI and to elevate the department’s status with Trump after his relentless attacks on then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Justice Department inspector general reports examining the handling of the Clinton email and Trump-Russia investigations did not find evidence that partisan bias within the FBI influenced investigative decisions.
Strzok has also sued the department over his termination, alleging that the FBI caved to “unrelenting pressure” from Trump when it fired him and that his First Amendment rights were violated.
Those constitutional claims remain pending.
“This outcome is a critical step forward in addressing the government’s unfair and highly politicized treatment of Pete,” Strzok’s lawyer, Aitan Goelman, said in a statement Friday announcing the settlement.
“As important as it is for him, it also vindicates the privacy interests of all government employees. We will continue to litigate Pete’s constitutional claims to ensure that, in the future, public servants are protected from adverse employment actions motivated by partisan politics,” he added.
A spokesman for the Justice Department declined to comment Friday.
“While I have been vindicated by this result, my fervent hope remains that our institutions of justice will never again play politics with the lives of their employees,” Page said in a statement.
Her attorneys said in a statement that “the evidence was overwhelming that the release of text messages to the press in December 2017 was for partisan political purposes and was against the law.”
Vermont
Man is charged with aggravated murder in an 82-year-old neighbor’s death
ST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont man accused of killing an 82-year-old neighbor in Enosburg pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder of the woman, who went missing earlier in the month.
Darren Martell, 23, appeared in court on Friday after he was charged at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, where he was already jailed on an unrelated charge.
He’s charged in the death of Roberta Martin, who was reported missing after her daughter asked neighbors to check on her. A search was launched after Vermont State Police found signs of a break-in. Her remains were found on July 21.
Franklin County State’s Attorney Bram Kranichfeld called it a “terrible tragedy for our community.”
Martell, of St. Albans, was living with residents in a home next door to Martin’s home in Enosburgh, police say.
He had been arrested for lewd and lascivious misconduct on the unrelated charge and was already jailed when police charged him in Martin’s death. Martell remained at the Northwest State Correctional Facility on Saturday; it was unclear if he had a lawyer.
American flags should be born in the USA now, too, Congress says
Soon, Old Glory will have to be born in the land of the free and not merely flying over it.
Congress has passed a proposal to require the federal government to purchase only American flags that have been completely manufactured in the U.S. The U.S. imports millions of American flags from overseas, mostly from China, and the sponsors of the proposal said it’s time for American flags to originate in the country they represent.
Supporters of the proposal, led by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, said the change is more than just symbolic — they believe it will support American jobs and manufacturers while preserving the nation’s most recognized banner.
“The American flag serves as a symbol of our identity, resolve, and values as one people. To honor its significance, the federal government should only use flags entirely manufactured in the United States,” Collins said.
Supporters of the proposal said Monday that they expect the measure to be signed into law soon. It was sent to President Joe Biden on Thursday.
Federal rules currently require the government to buy flags that contain half U.S.-made materials, supporters of the proposal said. The rule change, called the “All American Flag Act,” requires government-purchased flags to be produced entirely with American-made materials as well as manufactured in the U.S.
The value of U.S. flag imports in 2015 was well over $4 million, according to federal data. The vast majority of those imports came from China, supporters of the rule change said.
In 2017, the U.S. imported some 10 million American flags, and 99.5% of them came from China, supporters of the proposal said. Those figures include all American flags imported into the country and not just those purchased by the federal government.
Collins and Brown have been pushing for American flags to be manufactured in the U.S. for several years. Previous efforts to change the rules to require U.S.-made flags found success in the U.S. Senate but stalled when they reached the House of Representatives.
Washington
Two former FBI officials settle lawsuits with Justice Department over leaked text messages
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two former FBI officials settled lawsuits with the Justice Department on Friday, resolving claims that their privacy rights were violated when the department leaked to the news media text messages that they had sent one another that disparaged former President Donald Trump.
Peter Strzok, a former top counterintelligence agent who played a crucial role in the investigation into Russian election interference in 2016, settled his case for $1.2 million. Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer who exchanged text messages with Strzok, also reached a separate settlement. Court records reviewed by The Associated Press show she is to be paid $800,000.
The two had sued the Justice Department over a 2017 episode in which officials shared copies with reporters of text messages that they had sent each other, including ones that described Trump as an “idiot” and a “loathsome human” and that called the prospect of a Trump victory “terrifying.”
Strzok, who also investigated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, was fired after the text messages came to light. Page resigned. They later sued, alleging that department officials leaked the texts to promote a false narrative of anti-Trump bias within the FBI and to elevate the department’s status with Trump after his relentless attacks on then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Justice Department inspector general reports examining the handling of the Clinton email and Trump-Russia investigations did not find evidence that partisan bias within the FBI influenced investigative decisions.
Strzok has also sued the department over his termination, alleging that the FBI caved to “unrelenting pressure” from Trump when it fired him and that his First Amendment rights were violated.
Those constitutional claims remain pending.
“This outcome is a critical step forward in addressing the government’s unfair and highly politicized treatment of Pete,” Strzok’s lawyer, Aitan Goelman, said in a statement Friday announcing the settlement.
“As important as it is for him, it also vindicates the privacy interests of all government employees. We will continue to litigate Pete’s constitutional claims to ensure that, in the future, public servants are protected from adverse employment actions motivated by partisan politics,” he added.
A spokesman for the Justice Department declined to comment Friday.
“While I have been vindicated by this result, my fervent hope remains that our institutions of justice will never again play politics with the lives of their employees,” Page said in a statement.
Her attorneys said in a statement that “the evidence was overwhelming that the release of text messages to the press in December 2017 was for partisan political purposes and was against the law.”
Vermont
Man is charged with aggravated murder in an 82-year-old neighbor’s death
ST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont man accused of killing an 82-year-old neighbor in Enosburg pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder of the woman, who went missing earlier in the month.
Darren Martell, 23, appeared in court on Friday after he was charged at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, where he was already jailed on an unrelated charge.
He’s charged in the death of Roberta Martin, who was reported missing after her daughter asked neighbors to check on her. A search was launched after Vermont State Police found signs of a break-in. Her remains were found on July 21.
Franklin County State’s Attorney Bram Kranichfeld called it a “terrible tragedy for our community.”
Martell, of St. Albans, was living with residents in a home next door to Martin’s home in Enosburgh, police say.
He had been arrested for lewd and lascivious misconduct on the unrelated charge and was already jailed when police charged him in Martin’s death. Martell remained at the Northwest State Correctional Facility on Saturday; it was unclear if he had a lawyer.
