In the News
Parade participants, early risers and those seeking a green pancake breakfast awoke Saturday to thick fog in many parts of Dublin. By the time the parade was signaled to start, promptly at 9:30am, the fog had lifted and the streets of downtown Dublin lined with families. The parade featured entries from schools across Dublin, marching bands, color guards, cheer teams, dance troupes, martial arts demonstrations, dogs, motorcycles, Shriner clowns scooting across the street, horses, bagpipers, veterans, local businesses, boy scouts, girl scouts, and more.
Almost 60 House members so far from both sides of the aisle have signed a letter co-authored by an East Bay lawmaker expressing concern about the new Transportation Security Administration policy allowing knives on planes. TSA revised their prohibited items policy to allow certain knives and sports equipment in airplane cabins; the new policy is set to take effect on April 25. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Pleasanton, and Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite a backlash from the air travel community and the pleas of Democratic lawmakers during a hearing in Washington today, the chief of the Transportation Security Administration said he will not voluntarily reverse his decision allowing small knives on airliners.
"Somebody's got to make the decision," TSA Administrator John Pistole told reporters following a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee's transportation subcommittee.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) honored a former San Ramon resident on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Marine Sergeant Zachary George, who grew up in San Ramon, was wounded while serving his third tour of duty in February. Last week, President Barack Obama awarded George the Purple Heart.
Here is Swalwell's full speech:
"Rare earth elements." Does that term mean anything to you? It should.
That's because these elements, 17 obscure little metallic miracles with names like scandium and promethium, make much of our modern life possible. They're used in phones, computers, cancer treatments, flat-screen TVs, hybrid cars, wind turbines, oil refining - and military hardware like missiles and night-vision goggles.
The problem is, we don't own enough of the world's supply of these vital chunks of the Earth.
Guess who does: China.
Three members of the House homeland security committee formally objected on Monday to the Transportation Security Administration's controversial decision to lift a ban on small knives and certain sports equipment on board airplanes.
Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) announced a new economic development bill Friday afternoon that would help businesses in distressed neighborhoods.
With an empty downtown Hayward storefront as his backdrop, Swalwell, who was joined by local business and community leaders, laid out plans for his Main Street Revival Act. The bill stems from the congressman's pledge to voters that his first bill in Congress once elected would focus on stimulating small businesses and local economies.
Freshman California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell is jumping into the debate over the availability of minerals and materials necessary for clean energy innovations. Swalwell introduced legislation,
H.R. 1022, calling on the federal Office of Science and Technology Policy to coordinate government actions meant to ensure the supply, including through recycling, of rare earth elements and other "energy critical" materials.
Murphy and other freshmen plan to form a bipartisan caucus to work toward solutions.
If the tea party class of 2010 was elected to stand athwart trillion-dollar deficits, yelling "Stop!," the 2012 class seems to think it was elected to give peace a chance.
"This freshman class is going to work in a bipartisan manner. We're not the last Congress — that was the ‘my way or the highway' mentality. We want to work together," said freshman Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla.