The Associated Press reported yesterday that “cabinet secretaries, top congressional leaders and an exclusive group of senior U.S. officials are exempt from toughened new airport screening procedures when they fly commercially with government-approved federal security details.” The article goes on to report that while the rest of the public is still subject to either a […]
Washington (AP) – The economy grew a little faster over the summer than the government first thought. That modest pickup wasn’t nearly enough to significantly lower the nation’s high unemployment rate, and the Federal Reserve doesn’t expect the economy to improve much over the next couple of years. The economy expanded at a 2.5 percent […]
On the way to a defense ministerial in Bolivia, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was asked about Iran’s growing presence in South America, particularly in Bolivia and Venezuela. He answered most cautiously: Bolivia, obviously, can have relationships with any country in the world that it wishes to. … But I think Bolivia needs to be […]
Stories of corruption in India have filled the news in recent days. First there’s the corrupt Communications and Information Technology Minister, whose scam to pocket money from telecommunications firms may have topped $37 billion. Then there were accusations that politicians, officials, and contractors had pocketed more than 70% of $2.5 billion meant for flood relief […]
Legislation to vastly expand the regulatory powers of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) failed to advance in the Senate last week as proponents had expected. A vote may be rescheduled when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving recess. But if lawmakers are truly vested in optimizing food safety, they will look beyond bureaucratic tinkering and […]
Washington (AP) – The head of the Transportation Security Administration is asking travelers for their cooperation as the government tightens security during the busy holiday travel season. Passengers traveling through U.S. airports this week could hear a message or see a new video from TSA chief John Pistole reminding them about security measures. Airport screeners […]
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar traveled to Louisiana on Monday to meet with oil and gas executives whose industry has been suffering from a “de facto” drilling ban since the government’s moratorium was lifted. Both of the state’s senators said Salazar failed to adequately address the core issues causing the logjam. Salazar’s trip to Houma to […]
Three weeks ago, Democrats took what President Obama dubbed a “shellacking” at the polls: Republicans picked up 62 seats in the House, enough to gain a majority, and six in the Senate. The next day, the post-election analysis and finger-pointing began. Defeated Democrats blamed the President. Defeated Republicans blamed the media and the Washington establishment. […]
The U.S. defense budget is currently inadequate to meet the nation’s security needs. Yet, a panel led by retired U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, the former Republican chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and Alice Rivlin, budget director under President Clinton, has proposed to reduce the federal debt by making drastic cuts to the Pentagon’s budget. […]
Baghdad (AP) – Lawyers for Tariq Aziz, the longtime international face of Saddam Hussein’s regime, said Monday they will seek a presidential pardon to spare him from execution. Attorney Giovanni Di Stefano said Aziz’s defense team would ask for the pardon instead of appealing his death sentence last month for Saddam-era persecution of Shiite Muslim […]
