Republican Susan Collins of Maine says she is staying out of governor's race,

chooses to remain in divided US Senate.

https://twitter.com/AP/status/918816798853574657

Gun rights advocate who declared firing range 'Muslim-free

exploring bid for Governor

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A gun rights advocate who once declared her firing range "Muslim-free" says she's exploring challenging Arkansas' governor in the state's Republican primary next year.

Jan Morgan said Tuesday she's forming an exploratory committee and will travel around Arkansas as she considers whether to run against Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson next year. Hutchinson announced in May that he was seeking a second term.

Morgan owns the Gun Cave Indoor Shooting Range in Hot Springs and frequently appears on cable television as a commentator. In 2014, she announced she would ban Muslims from her gun range. Earlier this year, she criticized legislation Hutchinson approved that exempted college sporting events from laws expanding where concealed guns are allowed.

No Democrats have announced a bid yet to unseat Hutchinson.

http://www.thv11.com/news/local/gun-range-owner-exploring-bid-for-arkansas-governor/482308879

Secret Service paid Mar-a-Lago at least $63,000

he U.S. Secret Service paid tens of thousands of dollars to President Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in the span of a few months, according to documents obtained by CNN.

The expense forms show that taxpayer dollars have flowed into Trump's private club as a result of his repeated visits to the so-called Winter White House, which pulls in millions a year from members who pay a premium for its oceanside amenities and bedroom suites.

Most of the $63,700 in payments from the Secret Service to Mar-a-Lago were made between February and April, and were categorized as hotel costs on government expense forms. The payments are detailed in forms and more than a dozen invoices on Mar-a-Lago letterhead ranging from $1,300 to $11,050.

The purposes of the expenses were not spelled out in the documents, which were redacted before CNN reviewed them. The redactions make it unclear whether there were additional payments to Mar-a-Lago.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/12/news/secret-service-mar-a-lago/index.html

Trump Official for Pipeline Safety Profits from Selling Oil Spill Equipment

A newly appointed federal regulator charged with overseeing pipeline safety personally profits from oil spill responses, a DeSmog investigation has found.

Drue Pearce is the acting administrator for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), an agency in the Department of Transportation responsible for ensuring oil and gas pipeline integrity. However, she is also associated with a company specializing in the sale of oil spill equipment.

Pearce, a Republican from Alaska, was appointed on August 7 by the Trump administration to serve as PHMSA’s deputy administrator, a position that does not require U.S. Senate confirmation. However, since at the time the administration had yet to nominate an administrator for the agency, Pearce stepped into the role as acting administrator.

In early September, Trump finally nominated, and last Friday the Senate confirmed rail transport executive Howard Elliot as PHMSA administrator. Once Elliot formally takes the helm at PHMSA, Pearce will serve as his deputy.

https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/10/11/top-trump-official-pipeline-safety-profits-selling-oil-spill-equipment

cover of this week's TheWeek

Domestic Terrorist leaves jar filled with explosive chemicals at NC airport

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A man planted a Mason jar filled with explosive chemicals and nails at a western North Carolina airport last week and vowed to "fight a war on U.S. soil," according to court documents released Tuesday.

The criminal complaint written by an FBI agent said investigators found the improvised explosive device Friday morning at the Asheville airport near a terminal entrance. Asheville police bomb technicians then rendered it safe.

The complaint accuses Michael Christopher Estes of attempted malicious use of explosive materials and unlawful possession of explosives at an airport.

Estes was arrested Saturday, and the complaint says he admitted leaving the explosive device at the airport. The complaint states that Estes "claimed he was getting ready to 'fight a war on U.S. soil,'" but didn't elaborate on this alleged motive.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-man-left-jar-filled-with-explosive-chemicals-nails-at-north-carolina-airport/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=43331558

Ben Sasse: Are you recanting your Oath Mr. President?

Are you recanting of the Oath you took on Jan. 20 to preserve, protect, and defend the 1st Amendment?

https://twitter.com/BenSasse/status/918296123269189632

Reps. Conaway and Schiff say their committee will release the Russia ads

likely not before Nov 1 hrng

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/918182861861253121

Trump Can Destroy Records Without Judicial Review

Justice Department Tells Court

Deleted tweets? Purges of phone records? The erasing of secretly recorded conversations? The Trump Administration tells a D.C. judge that courts can't review compliance with preservation laws.

It's a question that pops up pretty much every time that Donald Trump deletes a tweet: Is he violating the Presidential Records Act?

In a court filing Friday, not only do attorneys at the Justice Department say that courts can't review this, but they also argue that when it comes to laws pertaining to government record-keeping, judicial review would be inappropriate even if Trump deleted secret recordings with administration officials or even if his staff purged phone records because they expected to be subpoenaed in connection with various investigations.

The arguments come in response to a lawsuit from the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, D.C.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/donald-trump-can-destroy-records-judicial-review-justice-department-tells-court-1046929

Las Vegas Shooting Victims Sue Bump Stock Makers

Victims of the Las Vegas shooting sued manufacturers of bump fire stocks, accusing them of negligence. A dozen bump stocks, which allow a semi-automatic weapon to fire with the rapidity of an automatic weapon, were found in gunman Stephen Paddock’s 32nd-floor Mandalay Bay Resort hotel room. The attack targeted the Route 91 Harvest festival and left nearly 60 dead and some 500 wounded.

Filed in Clark County District Court, the complaint, which seeks class action status, alleges that Slide Fire Solutions Inc, a bump stock manufacturer, and other unidentified manufacturers and retailers behaved negligently in selling and producing these devices.

“This horrific assault did not occur, could not occur, and would not have occurred with a conventional handgun, rifle, or shotgun, of the sort used by law-abiding responsible gun owners for hunting or self-defense,” the complaint states.




https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-10/las-vegas-shooting-victims-sue-bump-stock-maker