Betsy DeVos‘ appointment as education secretary was a controversial one, with the wealthy Gop donor confirmed to the position by the Senate on Tuesday in a 51-50 vote — pushed in her favor by Vice President Mike Pence, who cast the historic, tie-breaking ballot.
But despite outrage from celebrities and Democratic politicians, DeVos is ready to get to work.
The 59-year-old mother of four tweeted a photo of herself in her office late Tuesday night, writing, “Day 1 on the job is done, but we’re only getting started.”
“Now where do I find the pencils?” she added, with a smile face.
But despite outrage from celebrities and Democratic politicians, DeVos is ready to get to work.
The 59-year-old mother of four tweeted a photo of herself in her office late Tuesday night, writing, “Day 1 on the job is done, but we’re only getting started.”
“Now where do I find the pencils?” she added, with a smile face.
- 2/9/2017
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Fadi Kassar waited anxiously for hours in a terminal at JFK International Airport on Thursday.
At 4 p.m., the plane from Jordan carrying his wife and two young daughters had landed. Would they be allowed in? Or would they be sent back again, like they had on Saturday?
It had been over two years since Kassar, 40, originally from Syria, had last seen wife Razan Alghandour, 27, and their daughters, Hnan, 8, and Lian, 5.
But at 7:22 p.m. his family emerged from the glass sliding doors of the Customs and Border Patrol area at Terminal 8, and Kassar ran to embrace his family...
At 4 p.m., the plane from Jordan carrying his wife and two young daughters had landed. Would they be allowed in? Or would they be sent back again, like they had on Saturday?
It had been over two years since Kassar, 40, originally from Syria, had last seen wife Razan Alghandour, 27, and their daughters, Hnan, 8, and Lian, 5.
But at 7:22 p.m. his family emerged from the glass sliding doors of the Customs and Border Patrol area at Terminal 8, and Kassar ran to embrace his family...
- 2/3/2017
- by Diane Herbst
- PEOPLE.com
Late Tuesday night, the confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald Trump‘s Education Secretary nominee, Betsy DeVos, got underway after significant back-and-forth in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
DeVos, the billionaire former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, struggled through tough questioning by the committee’s Democratic members and gave responses that ignited Internet uproar over her readiness for the position as the nation’s top education policy-maker and policy-enforcer.
Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the committee’s Republican chairman, pushed the hearing to an atypical 5 p.m. start time, and allowed each member only one round of five-minute questions.
DeVos, the billionaire former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, struggled through tough questioning by the committee’s Democratic members and gave responses that ignited Internet uproar over her readiness for the position as the nation’s top education policy-maker and policy-enforcer.
Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the committee’s Republican chairman, pushed the hearing to an atypical 5 p.m. start time, and allowed each member only one round of five-minute questions.
- 1/18/2017
- by Lindsay Kimble
- PEOPLE.com
It has been four years since a gunman walked into an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut and opened fire, killing 20 first-graders and six educators before turning the gun on himself.
The Sandy Hook school massacre — its violence and wrenching loss, its heartbreak — still looms large for the survivors, whose lives were irreparably changed.
But their lives did not stop. In the years since the shooting, the survivors have continued on: raising children, giving back and thinking, sometimes, of the future.
On the yearly anniversary of the shooting, on Wednesday, People spoke with three parents whose children were killed at Sandy Hook.
The Sandy Hook school massacre — its violence and wrenching loss, its heartbreak — still looms large for the survivors, whose lives were irreparably changed.
But their lives did not stop. In the years since the shooting, the survivors have continued on: raising children, giving back and thinking, sometimes, of the future.
On the yearly anniversary of the shooting, on Wednesday, People spoke with three parents whose children were killed at Sandy Hook.
- 12/14/2016
- by kcbakerpeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
An advocacy group founded by families of the Sandy Hook massacre victims is celebrating the passing of a new bill that will overhaul the nation’s mental health system.
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy’s Mental Health Reform Act of 2016. The bi-partisan legislation aims to help the estimated more than half of all American adults and children with mental health problems who end up going untreated.
Mark Barden, whose son Daniel was one of the 20 first-graders killed in the 2012 shooting at an elementary school in Newtown,...
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy’s Mental Health Reform Act of 2016. The bi-partisan legislation aims to help the estimated more than half of all American adults and children with mental health problems who end up going untreated.
Mark Barden, whose son Daniel was one of the 20 first-graders killed in the 2012 shooting at an elementary school in Newtown,...
- 12/13/2016
- by Tierney McAfee
- PEOPLE.com
Donald Trump is under fire for his comment that "Second Amendment people" can stop Hillary Clinton.
The controversial remark came at Trump's Wilmington, North Carolina, rally on Tuesday, when he appeared to suggest that gun rights supporters should take up arms against the Democratic presidential nominee.
"If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks," Trump told the crowd, adding, "Although the Second Amendment people – maybe there is, I don't know."
The remark, which some are calling an assassination threat, sparked many to speak out against the business mogul.
Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather posted...
The controversial remark came at Trump's Wilmington, North Carolina, rally on Tuesday, when he appeared to suggest that gun rights supporters should take up arms against the Democratic presidential nominee.
"If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks," Trump told the crowd, adding, "Although the Second Amendment people – maybe there is, I don't know."
The remark, which some are calling an assassination threat, sparked many to speak out against the business mogul.
Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather posted...
- 8/10/2016
- by Stephanie Petit, @stephpetit_
- People.com - TV Watch
Donald Trump is under fire for his comment that "Second Amendment people" can stop Hillary Clinton. The controversial remark came at Trump's Wilmington, North Carolina, rally on Tuesday, when he appeared to suggest that gun rights supporters should take up arms against the Democratic presidential nominee. "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks," Trump told the crowd, adding, "Although the Second Amendment people - maybe there is, I don't know." The remark, which some are calling an assassination threat, sparked many to speak out against the business mogul. Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather...
- 8/10/2016
- by Stephanie Petit, @stephpetit_
- PEOPLE.com
Donald Trump is under fire for his comment that "Second Amendment people" can stop Hillary Clinton. The controversial remark came at Trump's Wilmington, North Carolina, rally on Tuesday, when he appeared to suggest that gun rights supporters should take up arms against the Democratic presidential nominee. "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks," Trump told the crowd, adding, "Although the Second Amendment people - maybe there is, I don't know." The remark, which some are calling an assassination threat, sparked many to speak out against the business mogul. Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather...
- 8/10/2016
- by Stephanie Petit, @stephpetit_
- PEOPLE.com
For “Modern Family” executive producer Steve Levitan, the topic of guns in America is personal.
Levitan, who has lost two friends to gun violence, gathered a group of A-list showrunners Wednesday on the 20th Century Fox lot to discuss the issue. Levitan is involved with Everytown.org, and invited co-founder John Feinblatt to address around 50 TV writers and producers at the Daryl Zanuck Theatre.
Showrunners and writers in the audience included “Homeland” executive producers Alex Gansa and Chip Johannessen, “24: Legacy” executive producer Howard Gordon, “New Girl” creator Liz Meriwether and “Scream Queens” executive producer Brad Falchuk. Fox TV Group chairman Gary Newman and 20th Century Fox TV president of creative affairs Jonathan Davis were also in attendance.
Read More: Katie Couric Documentary Aims to Reignite the Gun Debate
“We want to educate, make people aware, maybe get them involved in any way, financially or via social media — and maybe content,...
Levitan, who has lost two friends to gun violence, gathered a group of A-list showrunners Wednesday on the 20th Century Fox lot to discuss the issue. Levitan is involved with Everytown.org, and invited co-founder John Feinblatt to address around 50 TV writers and producers at the Daryl Zanuck Theatre.
Showrunners and writers in the audience included “Homeland” executive producers Alex Gansa and Chip Johannessen, “24: Legacy” executive producer Howard Gordon, “New Girl” creator Liz Meriwether and “Scream Queens” executive producer Brad Falchuk. Fox TV Group chairman Gary Newman and 20th Century Fox TV president of creative affairs Jonathan Davis were also in attendance.
Read More: Katie Couric Documentary Aims to Reignite the Gun Debate
“We want to educate, make people aware, maybe get them involved in any way, financially or via social media — and maybe content,...
- 6/29/2016
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
The revolution will be televised — but via smart phone. C-span once again became the unlikely home of Must-See TV on Wednesday night, as Democrats staged a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives to push for a debate on gun legislation.
Republican leaders — led by Speaker Paul Ryan — shut off the cameras in the House, serving as a reminder that the government controls the official feeds serviced by Congress to C-span and other media outlets. That’s when several members – including Rep. Scott Peters (D-s.D.), Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-tx) and Eric Swalwell (D-ca) – pulled out their smartphones and began broadcasting the protest via Facebook Live and Periscope.
That’s despite rules against photo taking inside the House. The video was at times shaky, and the audio was weak, but it was good enough for C-span, which soon took advantage of feeds being provided by several different members.
Republican leaders — led by Speaker Paul Ryan — shut off the cameras in the House, serving as a reminder that the government controls the official feeds serviced by Congress to C-span and other media outlets. That’s when several members – including Rep. Scott Peters (D-s.D.), Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-tx) and Eric Swalwell (D-ca) – pulled out their smartphones and began broadcasting the protest via Facebook Live and Periscope.
That’s despite rules against photo taking inside the House. The video was at times shaky, and the audio was weak, but it was good enough for C-span, which soon took advantage of feeds being provided by several different members.
- 6/23/2016
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
House Democrats are sitting down on the job - for what they see as a worthy cause. Rep. John Lewis, of Georgia's fifth Congressional district, led a sit-in on the chamber floor with dozens of his fellow party members during a recess on Wednesday to demand that House Republicans allow a vote on legislation to address gun violence. "My colleagues & I have had enough," Lewis tweeted during the sit-in, which is still underway. "We are sitting-in on the House Floor until we get a vote to address gun violence." Other sitters included Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky and Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut,...
- 6/22/2016
- by Lindsay Kimble, @lekimble
- PEOPLE.com
The U.S. Senate rejected four new gun control proposals on Monday evening, one week after the shooting attack in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people. All four of the measures required 60 votes for passage. The first amendment, proposed by Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, would have increased funding for and sought to improve the background check system. Democratic critics argued that language in the bill would have rolled back current protections, according to The Associated Press. The Senate blocked the first measure on a 53-47 vote. The Senate also rejected a measure proposed by Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, and backed by Senate Democrats,...
- 6/21/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
The U.S. Senate rejected four new gun control proposals on Monday evening, one week after the shooting attack in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people. All four of the measures required 60 votes for passage. The first amendment, proposed by Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, would have increased funding for and sought to improve the background check system. Democratic critics argued that language in the bill would have rolled back current protections, according to The Associated Press. The Senate blocked the first measure on a 53-47 vote. The Senate also rejected a measure proposed by Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, and backed by Senate Democrats,...
- 6/21/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy moved many last week when he concluded his 15-hour gun-control filibuster with an emotional tribute to 6-year-old Dylan Hockley, who was found in the arms of his teacher, Anne Marie Murphy, after they were both killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. No one was more touched than Dylan's mother, Nicole Hockley, who tells People that although she's spoken with the senator several times over the years about her son's tragic story, she was surprised when Murphy chose to share it on the Senate floor last Wednesday, in a call to action motivated in part...
- 6/20/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
The Boston Globe used an image of an Ar-15 with the message “Make It Stop” on the newspaper’s cover Thursday, publishing a searing front-page editorial on gun control and tweeting the names of mass shooting victims. Gun control has been revived as a topic this week following the deadly terror attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando that left 49 people dead on Sunday morning. The Globe cover hit newsstands hours after Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy wrapped up a 15-hour filibuster on gun control, calling for congressional action. On the paper’s cover, a single bullet hole is shown at actual size just below the.
- 6/16/2016
- by Brian Flood
- The Wrap
#HoldTheFloor.
That Game of Thrones-inspired hashtag became a Twitter trending topic on Wednesday, as Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), flanked by colleagues Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Cory Booker (D-n.J.), led a 15-hour filibuster on the Senate floor to force Republican leaders to allow votes on a pair of proposed gun-control bills.
VideosColbert, Fallon, Bee & Co. React to Orlando Tragedy in Disparate Ways
Regardless of your feelings on “no fly, no buy” and tighter background checks for those who want to make purchases at gun shows — the two measures which Senate leaders have agreed to consider — the final seven minutes...
That Game of Thrones-inspired hashtag became a Twitter trending topic on Wednesday, as Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), flanked by colleagues Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Cory Booker (D-n.J.), led a 15-hour filibuster on the Senate floor to force Republican leaders to allow votes on a pair of proposed gun-control bills.
VideosColbert, Fallon, Bee & Co. React to Orlando Tragedy in Disparate Ways
Regardless of your feelings on “no fly, no buy” and tighter background checks for those who want to make purchases at gun shows — the two measures which Senate leaders have agreed to consider — the final seven minutes...
- 6/16/2016
- TVLine.com
The Orlando killings sparked a surprise filibuster on gun control Wednesday that lasted over 14 hours and was aired live on Cspan. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, who had just been elected when a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, launched the filibuster to call for Congressional action on gun control. Murphy and his colleagues spoke well into the night about seeking to close the terrorist loophole and expand background checks at gun shows and online. While the filibuster was launched by Democrats, by midnight two Republicans had joined the protest, Ben Sasse (R-Neb) and Pat Toomey.
- 6/16/2016
- by Debbie Emery
- The Wrap
As 49 shattered families turned to planning funerals for the innocents lost in the Orlando massacre, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut launched a talking filibuster on the Senate floor on Wednesday, vowing to remain on the floor until Democratic and Republican senators alike "have figured out a way to come together" on legislation that would prohibit suspected terrorists from buying firearms and require universal background checks. "I'm going to remain on this floor until we get some signal, some sign that we can come together on these two measures, that we can get a path forward on addressing this epidemic in a meaningful,...
- 6/15/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
As 49 shattered families turned to planning funerals for the innocents lost in the Orlando massacre, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut launched a talking filibuster on the Senate floor on Wednesday, vowing to remain on the floor until Democratic and Republican senators alike "have figured out a way to come together" on legislation that would prohibit suspected terrorists from buying firearms and require universal background checks. "I'm going to remain on this floor until we get some signal, some sign that we can come together on these two measures, that we can get a path forward on addressing this epidemic in a meaningful,...
- 6/15/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
Bernie Sanders' campaign momentum has hit a snag following his comments indirectly opposing the attempts of families of the Sandy Hook shooting to bring suit against a gun manufacturer. Sanders told the New York Daily News on Friday that he doesn't think the victims of gun crime should be able to sue the weapon's manufacturer. "In the same sense that if you're a gun dealer and you sell me a gun and I go out and I kill him [gestures to someone in room] … Do I think that that gun dealer should be sued for selling me a legal product that he misused?" Sanders told the Daily News,...
- 4/6/2016
- by Lindsay Kimble, @lekimble
- PEOPLE.com
Bernie Sanders' campaign momentum has hit a snag following his comments indirectly opposing the attempts of families of the Sandy Hook shooting to bring suit against a gun manufacturer. Sanders told the New York Daily News on Friday that he doesn't think the victims of gun crime should be able to sue the weapon's manufacturer. "In the same sense that if you're a gun dealer and you sell me a gun and I go out and I kill him [gestures to someone in room] … Do I think that that gun dealer should be sued for selling me a legal product that he misused?" Sanders told the Daily News,...
- 4/6/2016
- by Lindsay Kimble, @lekimble
- PEOPLE.com
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