David Sherfinski
Articles by David Sherfinski
Attorney General Eric Holder to Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback: New state gun law unconstitutional
A new law in Kansas that criminalizes the enforcement of federal gun controls in the state is unconstitutional, according to Attorney General Eric H. Holder. Published May 2, 2013
Obama to tap Pritzker for Commerce, Froman as Trade Rep.
President Obama will tap Penny S. Pritzker, a businesswoman from Chicago, to be the next Secretary of Commerce and Michael Froman as the next U.S. Trade Representative on Thursday morning, a White House official said. Published May 2, 2013
Markey’s GOP opponent touts his ‘real world’ experience
Massachusetts has a deep blue tint when it comes to politics, but the GOP vowed Wednesday to make the most of the special election to fill the state's Senate seat previously held by Secretary of State John F. Kerry. Published May 1, 2013
Three charged with trying to thwart Boston bomb investigation, were pals of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
Authorities arrested three more suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing case on charges that they removed suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's backpack and laptop from his dorm room three days after the April 15 attack in a bid to frustrate the investigation. Published May 1, 2013
Markey, Gomez to square off for Kerry’s Mass. Senate seat
U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey easily defeated fellow Rep. Stephen F. Lynch in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry and will be the favorite against Republican Gabriel Gomez in a special election to take place June 25. Published May 1, 2013
NRA loses court fight on law banning under-21 sales
A federal appeals court on Tuesday narrowly rejected a request from the National Rifle Association to rehear a case challenging the constitutionality of federal laws banning licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to people younger than 21. Published April 30, 2013
Bill Clinton: Immigration bill should get 70 votes in the Senate
Former President Bill Clinton said Tuesday he believes that an immigration reform bill will pass overwhelmingly in the Democratic-controlled Senate and faces a more uphill climb in the Republican-led House, but that it would ultimately get through Congress. Published April 30, 2013
Bill Clinton channels Joe Biden: Shotgun better for self-defense
Former President Bill Clinton said Tuesday that people are much better off buying a shotgun than a so-called assault weapon if they're trying to protect themselves in their homes — channeling a line repeated emphatically by Vice President Joseph R. Biden earlier this year. Published April 30, 2013
Unabomber lawyer to defend Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on taxpayers’ dime
The Boston marathon bombing suspect has added to his legal defense team a prominent death penalty lawyer who has worked on high-profile cases such as the Unabomber and the gunman who killed six and wounded 13, including former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, in Tucson in 2011. Published April 30, 2013
Skepticism rises about bombing suspects acting alone; little evidence to help divided lawmakers
Two weeks after the Boston Marathon bombings, the debate still rages as to whether the two men accused of orchestrating the attack acted alone, particularly among members of Congress who say they see too much evidence of planning for an isolated operation. Published April 29, 2013
Jason Collins becomes first active openly gay NBA player
Jason Collins, an NBA center who ended this season with the Washington Wizards, says he's gay, becoming the first openly gay athlete playing in one of the leagues considered to be the "Big Four" of major North American professional sports. Published April 29, 2013
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to be tapped as Transportation Secretary, reports say
Anthony Foxx, the mayor of Charlotte, N.C., since 2009, will be tapped as President Obama's new Secretary of Transportation, according to multiple reports. Published April 29, 2013
Report: 6 in 10 federal firearms licensees escape inspection; more than 170K guns lost or stolen
Congress has been looking to increase inspections on some types of private gun purchases, but federally licensed firearms dealers — whose sales already are subject to background checks — may need more scrutiny themselves, according to a Justice Department audit. Published April 26, 2013
Lautenberg pushing explosives restrictions
With new gun controls unlikely, Democrats have turned their attention to explosives, saying the Boston Marathon bombings should prompt Congress to require background checks for buying explosive materials. Published April 25, 2013
Disconnect over expanded checks doomed gun bill; poll shows public deeply divided
Polling suggests many voters viewed last week's Senate gun votes through the lens of Second Amendment rights — findings that show why gun control advocates fell short in their bid to expand background checks on firearms sales despite overwhelming public support. Published April 24, 2013
Democrats try to shift budget onus to GOP
After several years of complaining that Congress didn't have a budget, Republicans are now the ones holding up the 2014 budget process. Published April 23, 2013
Reid shelves expanded gun-purchase background check legislation
Senate Democrats shelved their gun control bill Thursday, saying that despite passionate pleas from families whose children died in December's Connecticut rampage, they cannot muster enough votes to pass any of the major new restrictions they had hoped for. Published April 18, 2013
Senate shoots down background checks for guns, angers Obama
Senators dealt a devastating blow to gun control efforts Wednesday, defeating the background check compromise that was the centerpiece of President Obama's post-Newtown push for stiffer laws and leaving advocates struggling to figure out what to do now. Published April 17, 2013
Background check setback: ‘We will not get the votes today,’ Manchin reveals
Sen. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat and one of the co-sponsors of a measure to expand gun-purchase background checks to sales online and at gun shows, said that proponents do not have the votes to pass it Wednesday. Published April 17, 2013
Flake is pulled between Giffords friendship, pro-gun Arizona
As senators struggle with how to vote on new gun control bills, few have the kind of pressure that Sen. Jeff Flake is facing. Published April 16, 2013
