Jennifer Harper

Inside the Beltway: Obama’s Hawaii countdown now underway

Maybe the rest of the nation can't believe that the Christmas season is well underway, but not so the White House. President Obama has four days until he says "aloha" and departs for sunny skies and balmy breezes for a while. Gleaned from his official schedule for the week:

Geminid meteor shower predicted to be a mighty big show on Sunday

Those who find wonder and good cheer in the prospect of a major meteor shower are in luck this weekend. The Geminid meteor shower peaks on Sunday and into the wee hours of Monday; under ideal circumstances, viewers could see 100 shooting stars an hour. Some glow white, others appear yellow, green, or blue. Geminid meteoroids hit earth's atmosphere traveling 78,000 mph, this according to NASA, which has called the Geminids the "900-lb gorilla of meteor showers" in years past.

Inside the Beltway: Ted Cruz closes in on the conservative crown, soars to big lead in Iowa poll

The traditional conservative crowd is in search of an unwavering standard bearer as 2016 barrels down on the nation -- now a mere three weeks away, give or take an hour or two. That standard bearer could be Sen. Ted Cruz, who this week won the support from longtime conservative stalwart Richard Viguerie.

Not just the GOP: Almost half of the public supports Trump’s ban on Muslim immigration

More research now finds that Republicans side with Donald Trump's immigration proposals for Muslims. A new Rasmussen Reports survey released Thursday finds that 66 percent of likely Republican voters favor a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the United States until the federal government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists from coming here.

Inside the Beltway: Jeb Bush gets some showbiz

A little something to watch as the 2016 presidential campaigns get shrill: "The Jeb Story," a 14-minute video biography of Republican hopeful Jeb Bush, which has some stirring moments and maybe one too many predictable images of grass-roots America and Iowa cornfields.

Inside the Beltway WEEKLY, Dec. 14, 2015

Inside the Beltway: Art of the presidenital deal: Donald Trump outmaneuvers everybody

Press, pundits and politicians are still dithering over Donald Trump's proposal, which would close the doors of America to Muslims for the time being. Most condemn Mr. Trump, but at least one image expert lauds his unapologetic candor.

Inside the Beltway: Hillary Clinton holds 18 fundraisers in 5 days

It could be a record: Between Monday and Friday this week, there will be 18 fundraisers in a dozen states for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's campaign. Sometimes she appears in person, sometimes former President Bill Clinton is there on her behalf; even former Clinton adviser James Carville is joining in the effort.

Engineers design super ‘band-aid of the future’ loaded with medication, sensors, lights

It's got temperature sensors, LED lights, electronics, medication and it stretches. Behold, it's the "band-aid of the future," according to the mechanical engineers who designed it. The "smart wound dressing" contains temperature sensors, semiconductor chips and tiny reservoirs of medicine embedded in a flexible, almost rubbery hydrogel which stretches over even tricky areas like elbows or knees.

Inside the Beltway: Pearl Harbor remembrance more important than ever

Monday marks the 74th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, to be recognized from coast to coast at myriad events both big and small, from a chapel service at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington to commemorative aircraft flyovers in Texas to a rifle salute aboard a World War II-era destroyer docked in Boston.

The Right Side Forum with Armstrong Williams looks at District of Columbia gun laws this week

The Right Side Forum, an hour-long conservative live news and talk show hosted by columnist Armstrong Williams, this week will address District of Columbia gun laws. His guests will be Leon Spears, president, and owner, DC Conceal Carry; Brian Bucksell, private investigator, the Bucksell Group, LLC; Clinton Gates, a private security specialist, and Charles Yarbaugh, president, Precision Tactical Training & Consultants, LLC.

Inside the Beltway: Prayer shaming and the media assault on faith

The moment the New York Daily News proclaimed "God Isn't Fixing It" following the San Bernardino shootings, other news organizations raced to belittle Republicans whose first reaction was to pray for the victims rather than launch into a policy speech.

Inside the Beltway: Donald Trump, the Kevlar candidate

Even the pollsters now wonder if Republican front-runner Donald Trump is made of Kevlar, Teflon or maybe tempered steel. Despite the efforts of an unfriendly news media and hostile political operatives, Mr. Trump continues to best the competition on both sides of the aisle. Trump is Trump; he is a candidate who ignores polls and embraces candor, humor, nerve, verve and occasional bombastic insults. Republican voters stand by him. Why is this?

Inside the Beltway: Republican Jewish Coalition stages a mighty presidential forum

It's not a debate, but it's mighty close. Every single GOP hopeful arrives in the nation's capital Thursday for the Republican Jewish Coalition's daylong presidential forum. Staged in the venerable Ronald Reagan Building just two blocks from the White House, the sold-out event has drawn all the heavy hitters.

Chicago police probe by Justice Department needed, says Illinois state AG

Illinois state Attorney General Lisa Madigan requested late Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the Chicago Police Department on potential violations of the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

Greenwashing, hot air and 300,000 tons of CO2 are byproducts of the Paris climate talks

That pesky carbon footprint. No matter how they spin it, the 190 global leaders now gathered in Paris to talk about climate change can't escape their own carbon footprints left by their aircraft and ground transportation. The United Nation's' own Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change itself says that such transport accounts for 23 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and the percentage is expected to increase.

Only 6% of Syrian refugees cite America or Canada as their top choice for a new home

American and Canada are not the destinations of choice for Syrian refugees looking to escape the violence within their nation. Only 6 percent, in fact, cited North America as the place they would prefer to live in, this according to a new Gallup poll of Syrians released Monday.

Inside the Beltway: Donald Trump: Pro-gun, or not really?

Is Donald Trump "really pro-gun?" asks Tom McHale, author of several consumer gun guides, and a contributor to OudoorHub, a sports news site. He notes that while Mr. Trump has a concealed carry permit in New York, he also donated $584,850 to Democrats, the Clinton Global Initiative and Rahm Emanuel's campaign for Chicago mayor. The candidate also publicly supported a ban on assault weapons at one point.

Poll numbers confirm the GOP remains the party of climate skeptics

Over 150 heads of state have gathered in Paris before an exceptionally friendly news media to discuss the horrors of climate change. President Obama and Al Gore are among the throng, and alarmism is in the air. Not among Republicans, who remain confirmed skeptics about global warming, and the role humanity plays in it all.

Inside the Beltway: Deaths from terrorism up 80 percent

NO CONTAINMENT: DEATHS FROM TERRORISM UP 80%