NSA LEAKER EDWARD SNOWDEN SAYS IN AN ONLINE FORUM THAT HE CAN'T GET A FAIR TRIAL IN THE U.S. *

SNOWDEN SAYS ON THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER WEBSITE THAT THE U.S. GOVT "IMMEDIATELY AND PREDICTABLY" DESTROYED ANY POSSIBILITY OF A FAIR TRIAL AND OPENLY DECLARED HIM GUILTY OF TREASON *

SNOWDEN SAYS HE DIDN'T REVEAL ANY U.S. OPS AGAINST LEGITIMATE MILITARY TARGETS AND MAINTAINS HE ONLY POINTED OUT WHERE THE NSA HACKED CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE *

RUSSIAN PRES VLADIMIR PUTIN TELLS PRES OBAMA THAT THE TWO DON'T SEE EYE-TO-EYE ON SYRIA *

PUTIN REMAINS ONE OF SYRIAN PRES BASHAR ASSAD'S STRONGEST POLITICAL ALLIES, WHILE THE U.S. IS GEARING UP TO ARM OPPOSITION GROUPS *

BOTH LDRS SAY THEY AGREE ON THE NEED TO PUSH FOR NEGOTIATIONS TO END THE COUNTRY'S TWO-YEAR CIVIL WAR *

OBAMA SAYS THE MEN ALSO SHARE AN INTEREST IN STOPPING VIOLENCE AND SECURING CHEMICAL WEAPONS *

PUTIN AND OBAMA MET AT THE G-8 SUMMIT IN N IRELAND MON *

SYRIAN PRES BASHAR ASSAD WARNS EUROPE "WILL PAY A PRICE" IF IT DECIDES TO ARM OPPOSITION GROUPS *

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A GERMAN NEWSPAPER, ASSAD SAYS DOING SO WOULD BE TANTAMOUNT TO ARMING TERRORISTS *

ASSAD ALSO DISMISSED U.S. FINDINGS THAT REGIME FORCES USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS ON REBELS *

STATE DEPT SAYS IT SEES NOTHING NEW IN N KOREA'S OFFERS OF HIGH-LEVEL TALKS WITH THE U.S. *

THE NORTH OFFERED UNCONDITIONAL TALKS THIS WEEK AFTER MONTHS OF TENSIONS SINCE A NUCLEAR TEST IN FEB DREW UN SANCTIONS *

BUT STATE DEPT SPOX SAYS THE FIRST STEP TO MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE WOULD HAVE TO BEGIN WITH THE NORTH TAKING CREDIBLE STEPS TO GIVING UP ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS *

WHITE HOUSE THREATENING TO VETO HOUSE'S FIVE-YR FARM BILL BECAUSE OF FOOD STAMP CUTS INCLUDED IN THE LEGISLATION *

THE BILL WOULD SAVE A TOTAL OF $4 BIL ANNUALLY *

BUT $2 BIL OF THOSE CUTS WOULD COME FROM FOOD STAMPS *

WHILE THE HOUSE PREPARES TO CONSIDER THE BILL THIS WEEK, WHITE HOUSE IS ARGUING THOSE CUTS SHOULD BE MADE TO SUBSIDIES LIKE CROP INSURANCE *

U.S. IDENTIFIES 48 GUANTANAMO BAY PRISONERS SLATED FOR INDEFINITE DETENTION *

THE MEN ARE CONSIDERED TOO DANGEROUS TO RELEASE, BUT THE U.S. LACKS THE EVIDENCE TO PROSECUTE THEM *

PENTAGON SPOX SAYS THEY ARE BEING HELD UNDER THE ACT OF WAR AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS IN 2001 *

THE GOVT RELEASED THE NAMES AFTER BEING SUED UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT *

CO INVESTIGATORS TREATING REMAINS OF MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE IN THE STATE'S HISTORY AS A CRIME SCENE *

RESIDENTS NEAR BLACK FOREST IN THE COLORADO SPRINGS AREA AREN'T BEING ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES AS INVESTIGATORS DETERMINE THE CAUSE *

WET WEATHER HELPED SUBDUE MOST OF THE FIRE MON, AND IT STANDS AT 75% CONTAINED *

THE FLAMES TORCHED 22 SQUARE MILES OF FOREST SINCE ERUPTING A WEEK AGO, DESTROYING MORE THAN 500 HOMES AND KILLING TWO PEOPLE *

TURKISH DEPUTY PM SUGGESTS THE ARMY COULD BE BROUGHT IN TO SETTLE HIS NATION'S CIVIL UNREST *

A POLICE CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTERS WHO LED AN 18-DAY PROTEST IN ISTANBUL'S CENTRAL SQUARE LEFT FIVE PEOPLE DEAD AND MORE THAN 5,000 INJURED *

LABOR UNIONS AND ANTI-GOVT PROTESTERS ARE NOW RALLYING ACROSS THE COUNTRY *


 

More on Senator Inouye’s dying wish – click to read FNC’s Chad Pergram report

Urgent: Abercrombie ignores Inouye deathbed wish, picks Lt. Gov. Schatz over Rep. Hanabusa

 

Per Pergram-Capitol Hill

 

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) overrode the death-bed wishes of late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D) today and appointed Hawaii Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz (D) as the immediate successor to the open Senate seat.

 

Only hours before he died of respiratory failure last week, the 88-year-old Inouye penned a missive to Abercrombie, urging him to appoint Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) to his seat.

 

A native of Ann Arbor, MI, the 40-year-old Schatz is slated to become just the sixth senator in Hawaii history. He formerly served in the Hawaii House of Representatives and chaired the Hawaii Democratic Party. He became the state’s Lieutenant Governor in 2010, running on the same ticket as Abercrombie. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress against now-Rep. and Sen.-elect Mazie Hirono (D-HI) in 2006 after Rep. Ed Case (R-HI) ran for Senate. Voters elected Hirono to the Senate in November to succeed the retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI).

 

Late last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) wrote to Abercrombie, asking him to appoint a successor “with due haste” to make sure Hawaii “is fully represented in the pivotal decisions” the Senate will make at the end of the year.

 

A total of 14 candidates emerged to succeed Inouye. They made their cases to the Hawaii Democratic party. Interestingly, Rep.-elect Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) also appealed for the seat. Gabbard was just elected to succeed Hirono in the House after her move to the Senate. Gabbard won’t be formally seated in the House until January 3rd.

 

Of the 14, the Democratic party tapped three finalists: Schatz, Hanabusa and Hawaii’s Deputy Director of Land and Natural Resources Esther Kiaaina.

 

It is not clear when the Senate will formally swear-in Schatz. But it could come as early as Thursday. The Senate meets for legislative business at 10 am et Thursday with votes scheduled for 5:30 pm. There has also been speculation that Schatz could catch a ride to Washington aboard Air Force One with President Obama as he returns to Washington after spending Christmas with his family in his home state.

 

Hawaii’s four-person Congressional delegation dropped dramatically in seniority over the past few days. Inouye’s death, coupled with the retirement of Akaka and the move by Hirono to succeed him in the Senate, stripped the Aloha state of 95 years of Congressional service. The appointment of Schatz, combined with Hirono’s move to the Senate, the election of Gabbard and the re-election of Hanabusa to the House means Hawaii now has eight years of Congressional service among its four members.

 

Interestingly, Schatz will have Senate seniority to Hirono since he will presumably be swornin before she assumes her Senate seat next week.

 

Chad Pergram

FOX News

Senior Producer for Capitol Hill









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