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Evangelicals investigating GOP candidates on gay marriage, abortion

Evangelicals investigating GOP candidates on gay marriage, abortion

04/20/15 09:35 AM

Tired of being duped by conservative-sounding Republican presidential candidates who secretly harbored support for gay marriage, abortion and other socially liberal issues, evangelical pastors plan to investigate the backgrounds of White House hopefuls and their top aides. "Personnel is policy," said David Lane, whose American Renewal Project is working with 100,000 pastors to push 80 million...

Grassley, Lee press for Justice probe of Moonlight Fire evidence tampering

Grassley, Lee press for Justice probe of Moonlight Fire evidence tampering

By Sarah Westwood

04/03/15 07:16 PM

A California wildfire that sparked allegations of corruption and evidence-tampering among federal agencies has caught the attention of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, are pressing the Department of Justice on whether it has launched a probe of the U.S. attorneys or U.S. Forest Service officials involved in an alleged cover-up of a botched...

Post office's contractor gas credit card program is 'not manageable,' IG says

Post office's contractor gas credit card program is 'not manageable,' IG says

By Mark Tapscott

10/05/14 11:43 AM

A $5.1 billion United States Postal Service credit card program for fuel purchases made by more than 400 mail-carrying contractors is "not manageable" and lacks needed protections against "fraud, waste and abuse," according to a government watchdog.

New fears terrorists will take over Ebola-ravaged countries, plot attacks on U.S.

New fears terrorists will take over Ebola-ravaged countries, plot attacks on U.S.

10/02/14 10:47 AM

With a growing Ebola death rate causing chaos in some countries devastated by the virus, there are rising concerns in Washington that terrorists and terror groups will take advantage and move in to establish new beachheads plot attacks on the United States.

Scots vote against independence, but controversy continues in Britain

Scots vote against independence, but controversy continues in Britain

By Michael Barone

09/24/14 06:23 PM

Last week the voters of Scotland, in a heavy turnout and from age 16 up, decided not to disunite what has been arguably one of the most successful and beneficial nations over the last 307 years, the necessarily clunkily named United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

U.S. Housing secretary to tour Salt Lake facilities

U.S. Housing secretary to tour Salt Lake facilities

By Associated Press

09/24/14 08:26 AM

SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro on Wednesday will help open a new Salt Lake County apartment complex for low-income residents. Utah officials say in a statement that Castro will join Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams at a ribbon cutting for the new housing complex. The 136-unit Bud Bailey Apartments in the Millcreek area will include housing for...

CHART: As presidents continue to promise great things, faith in the federal government slips

CHART: As presidents continue to promise great things, faith in the federal government slips

By Becket Adams

09/20/14 11:52 AM

As the Obama administration slouches onward with its bungled response to the rise of the Islamic State and as Russia continues its expansion westward, Americans' faith in the federal government's ability to handle international problems has fallen to an all-time low, according to recent Gallup polling data.

Veterans Affairs IG couldn't see records that didn't exist for dead vets

Veterans Affairs IG couldn't see records that didn't exist for dead vets

By Mark Flatten

09/17/14 04:59 PM

A government watchdog's claim that delays in care did not "conclusively" cause patients' deaths at a Phoenix veterans hospital is based on medical records that cannot be trusted, the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee said during a heated hearing Wednesday.

Whistleblower calls IG report clearing VA of deaths a 'whitewash' or cover up

Whistleblower calls IG report clearing VA of deaths a 'whitewash' or cover up

By Mark Flatten

09/16/14 06:52 PM

Attempts by the inspector general at the Department of Veterans Affairs to absolve the agency of blame in patient deaths are either a whitewash or a cover up, the whistleblower who first revealed falsified appointment lists in Phoenix said in written testimony released Tuesday.

IG let Veterans Affairs officials alter report to absolve agency in Phoenix deaths

IG let Veterans Affairs officials alter report to absolve agency in Phoenix deaths

By Mark Flatten

09/08/14 06:32 PM

Crucial language that the VA inspector general could not "conclusively" prove that delays in care caused patient deaths at a Phoenix hospital was added to its final report after a draft version was sent to agency administrators for comment.

Half of complaints about tax preparers gather dust at IRS for months, IG says

Half of complaints about tax preparers gather dust at IRS for months, IG says

By Mark Tapscott

09/04/14 04:20 PM

Nothing was done for months on end with nearly half of the taxpayer complaints submitted to the IRS about private tax preparers during 2012 and most of 2013, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. "Complaints against tax return preparers are not timely processed," TIGTA said in a report made public Thursday. "TIGTA’s review of the 8,354 complaints received in...

Justice Dept. to investigate racial profiling, excessive force in Ferguson

Justice Dept. to investigate racial profiling, excessive force in Ferguson

By Brian Hughes

09/04/14 04:14 PM

The Justice Department's civil rights division will explore accusations of racial profiling and excessive force against the police department in the St. Louis suburb. Ferguson protesters claim the shooting of Brown was just the latest example of hostility towards minorities by an overwhelmingly white police force.

Pentagon pressed on why there's no strategy to defeat ISIS

Pentagon pressed on why there's no strategy to defeat ISIS

By Charles Hoskinson

08/29/14 05:06 PM

President Obama's gaffe Thursday that "we don't have a strategy" for a broader fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is putting pressure on the Pentagon as reporters ask: Why not? "The question presumes that we're not doing anything, that there's no sense of urgency in the Pentagon. And you and I both know that's not true," Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said Friday after...

Veterans Affairs IG finds no direct links between patient deaths and scheduling scams at Phoenix hospital

Veterans Affairs IG finds no direct links between patient deaths and scheduling scams at Phoenix hospital

By Mark Flatten

08/26/14 07:20 PM

Ethical lapses and scheduling tricks were widespread at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix, but there is no hard evidence that the failures led directly to patient deaths, the agency's inspector general said in a report released Tuesday.

If Congress is so bad, why won't Americans throw the bums out?

If Congress is so bad, why won't Americans throw the bums out?

By Mark Tapscott

08/14/14 10:04 AM

For reasons that remain inexplicable to this day -- if only because they are rarely, if ever, discussed -- Congress was transformed from an assembly of private citizens devoting a few years to serving their fellow citizens to a host of career politicians critics see as mostly serving themselves.

Inspectors general say Obama aides obstruct investigations: Examiner Editorial

Inspectors general say Obama aides obstruct investigations: Examiner Editorial

By Washington Examiner

08/07/14 05:38 PM

Billions of tax dollars are being lost every day to waste, fraud and corruption in the federal government, but President Obama's administration is blocking inspectors general -- the officials who are most likely to find and expose such wrongdoing -- from doing their jobs.

Mary Burke comment suggests rift continues between Wisconsin Democrats and Big Labor

Mary Burke comment suggests rift continues between Wisconsin Democrats and Big Labor

By Sean Higgins

08/06/14 06:04 PM

Mary Burke, the top Democratic candidate to face Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker in November's election, said that the reason why Democrats failed to unseat Walker during 2012's recall election was because they focused too much on attacking his public sector union reforms.Â

Bad policies are their own worst enemy

Bad policies are their own worst enemy

By Steve Chapman

07/31/14 11:38 AM

Newspaper editorials rarely make news — I've been writing them for a long time, and, believe me, I know — but one did the other day, when the New York Times came out for legalization of marijuana. It was an agreeable development for anyone who, like me, believes in letting people live their own lives, even if they do it badly. But its significance is much bigger than that. The Times is not...

Wisconsin Supreme Court upholds law that ended collective bargaining for public workers

Wisconsin Supreme Court upholds law that ended collective bargaining for public workers

By Associated Press

07/31/14 08:39 AM

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has upheld the 2011 law that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers, sparked massive protests and led to Republican Gov. Scott Walker's recall election and rise to national prominence.

GOP Senate candidate Milton Wolf faces ethics investigation in final stretch before Kansas primary

GOP Senate candidate Milton Wolf faces ethics investigation in final stretch before Kansas primary

By Spencer Brown

07/23/14 04:42 PM

When the Topeka Capital-Journal first reported that Milton Wolf, a radiologist, had posted "gruesome" X-ray Images of dead or severely injured patients in February, many thought it would fatally wound his Tea Party primary challenge to Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. But his battle has continued through the controversy, despite confirmation of the Images and accompanying crass commentary. Now, just...

Obama: Vladimir Putin must compel separatists to cooperate with crash investigation

Obama: Vladimir Putin must compel separatists to cooperate with crash investigation

By Susan Crabtree

07/21/14 01:10 PM

President Obama delivered a stern message to Putin on Monday, accusing him of failing to live up to his promises to intervene to protect the crash site of the downed Malaysian jetliner in Ukraine and stop the fighting by the Russian-backed separatists to allow for a credible international investigation.

Obama continues midterm money chase amid challenges in Ukraine, Gaza

Obama continues midterm money chase amid challenges in Ukraine, Gaza

By Susan Crabtree

07/21/14 09:30 AM

President Obama will continue his fundraising push this week with a West Coast swing through three major cities, juggling his midterm money chase with two major immediate foreign policy challenges and the ongoing immigration crisis on our own southern border.

Tom Corbett seeks to change view of education record

Tom Corbett seeks to change view of education record

By Associated Press

07/20/14 02:55 PM

Since 2011, Pennsylvania Democrats have pointed to the budget-balancing cuts in education aid that GOP Gov. Tom Corbett signed six months into office. And there's evidence voters are listening: A recent independent voter poll found that the single biggest factor behind voter disapproval of Corbett's job performance is his record on education.

More than 18,500 petitioners tell Veterans Affairs IG to drop demand for POGO records

More than 18,500 petitioners tell Veterans Affairs IG to drop demand for POGO records

07/16/14 05:59 PM

Eighteen thousand, five hundred twenty-two. That's how many people have signed a petition asking the Veterans Affairs inspector general to halt its demand for the names of whistleblowers who have reached out to the Project on Government Oversight.

HUD program, meant to help, actually hurts, IG reports

HUD program, meant to help, actually hurts, IG reports

07/13/14 02:32 PM

A $353 million effort to help federal officials better manage public housing assistance instead "created further opportunity for fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars," according to a government watchdog. Created in 2007, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Public Housing Operating Fund was meant to help public housing projects manage their assets more effectively, according...

An independent Kurdistan: World War I continues

An independent Kurdistan: World War I continues

07/09/14 04:09 PM

As the militant Islamic State of Iraq and Syria â€" which now wants to be called the Islamic State â€" threatens to shatter Iraq's central government, the leaders of Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government have called for the creation of Independent Kurdistan. In June, KRG President Massoud Barzani said, "the time is here for the Kurdistan people to determine their future."

Unshackled from White House decorum, Jay Carney takes veiled shot at the press

Unshackled from White House decorum, Jay Carney takes veiled shot at the press

By Becket Adams

07/03/14 06:04 PM

In a New York Times Magazine interview published Thursday, Carney complained that reporters have a habit of "chasing the same soccer ball down the field," meaning asking the same questions over and over again, that "reinforces a shallow approach."

Obama's supporters said 'Go gangsta' -- too bad he listened

Obama's supporters said 'Go gangsta' -- too bad he listened

07/02/14 04:21 PM

In practically anointing Obama, our "watchdog" media ignored a thin resume full of red flags. So in four years, Obama shot from unknown state lawmaker, with little private sector and no executive experience, to president -- all in a nanosecond by political standards.

CFPB's renovation costs skyrocket to $216 million; IG sees 'no sound basis' for it

CFPB's renovation costs skyrocket to $216 million; IG sees 'no sound basis' for it

By Richard Pollock

07/01/14 08:10 PM

Renovation costs for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Washington headquarters have gone up another $65 million in the past six months, and there's no "sound basis" for the renovations, an internal government watchdog says. Â

Government is why drilling permit approvals are slower than molasses, IG says

Government is why drilling permit approvals are slower than molasses, IG says

07/01/14 04:52 PM

In other shocking news: The federal government is impeding productivity. The Bureau of Land Management is taking its time to approve oil and gas drilling permits on federal and Indian lands, according to new report from the Department of the Interior's inspector general. Though federal law says the government must approve or disapprove these types of permits within 30 days, BLM takes an average...

That bad, huh? Newspaper so disappointed in Obama it apologizes for 2008 endorsement

That bad, huh? Newspaper so disappointed in Obama it apologizes for 2008 endorsement

By Becket Adams

07/01/14 10:01 AM

President Obama has so far been a major disappointment to even his most ardent supporters, his approval numbers steadily falling to fresh lows. And the president is apparently such a disappointment, that the Billings Gazette in Montana felt compelled last week to apologize to its readers for endorsing him in 2008 over Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Top OPM officials routinely use set-aside contracting to circumvent rules, IG says

Top OPM officials routinely use set-aside contracting to circumvent rules, IG says

06/25/14 02:06 PM

High-ranking officials in the Office of Personnel Management steered half a million dollars to a politically connected management consultant by pressuring existing contractors to hire him as a subcontractor, the agency's inspector general found.

From bad to worse: Official testifies IRS did not follow law when handling Lois Lerner's emails

From bad to worse: Official testifies IRS did not follow law when handling Lois Lerner's emails

By Becket Adams

06/24/14 05:52 PM

A federal official testified Tuesday during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing that the Internal Revenue Service did not act lawfully when it failed to report the loss of emails belonging disgraced former official Lois Lerner.

Investigator says Veterans Affairs officials ignored whistleblowers at facilities nationwide

Investigator says Veterans Affairs officials ignored whistleblowers at facilities nationwide

By Sean Lengell

06/23/14 06:58 PM

A federal investigator has described a “troubling pattern” of Veterans Affairs Department officials downplaying or ignoring whistleblowers at facilities nationwide, resulting in patients receiving deficient, delayed and in some cases no needed medical attention. In a letter Monday to President Obama, Carolyn Lerner of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel said that “too frequently, the VA has...

Thanks to the Associated Press, we now have the frontrunner for most embarrassing correction of the year

Thanks to the Associated Press, we now have the frontrunner for most embarrassing correction of the year

By Becket Adams

06/22/14 08:27 PM

The Associated Press reported this year that a mass grave containing the remains of some 800 orphans had been discovered in Ireland near a former Catholic-owned home for children of unwed mothers, raising serious questions about the Church and child neglect in that country. The report alleged mismanagement, abuse and a careful coverup. However, it turns out that much of the AP story, with its...

Poll is bad for President Obama, but worse for liberalism

Poll is bad for President Obama, but worse for liberalism

By Philip Klein

06/20/14 04:49 PM

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC poll showing Americans with shattered confidence in President Obama's ability to lead may be bad news for him, but it's worse news for liberalism. In his 2008 campaign, Obama sought to make the election about more than merely voting for another Democrat. He spoke in terms of transforming the country, obliterating the cynicism that Americans had about the federal...

Four things you should know about the Army general who will investigate Bowe Bergdahl's capture

Four things you should know about the Army general who will investigate Bowe Bergdahl's capture

By Becket Adams

06/17/14 09:08 AM

The Pentagon has launched an investigation into the events surrounding the capture by the Taliban of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the 28-year-old Idahoan who spent nearly five years in the hands of Islamist militants. Top military leaders are eager to learn of the circumstances that led to Bergdahl's disappearance and whether he deserted his post in 2009, as many of his former platoon members now...

'Chilling message' against whistleblowers feared as Veterans Affairs IG presses subpoena against watchdog

'Chilling message' against whistleblowers feared as Veterans Affairs IG presses subpoena against watchdog

By Mark Flatten

06/13/14 07:56 PM

Whistleblowers’ names will not be disclosed by a private watchdog group that set up its own hotline for insiders to help expose wrongdoing at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the head of the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight said Friday. POGO let the deadline pass Friday morning without turning over the detailed records sought by the VA's inspector general, which is investigating...

GOP presses Obama: Urgent action needed in Iraq

GOP presses Obama: Urgent action needed in Iraq

By Susan Crabtree

06/13/14 03:30 PM

Republicans on Friday blamed President Obama for the country's unraveling over the last week and pressed him to move more quickly to make a decision about military action or assistance in Iraq. Sen. John Boehner, R-Ohio, who earlier accused Obama of “taking a nap” while conditions spiraled, said Congress and the Pentagon have been warning the White House about the deteriorating security...

Obama presses GOP on immigration reform after Cantor's defeat

By

06/12/14 09:45 PM

President Obama dismissed the conclusion that immigration reform is dead this year after Majority Leader Eric Cantor's stunning primary defeat. “I fundamentally reject that,” he told supporters at a fundraiser in Massachusetts. “And I will tell the speaker of the House that he needs to reject that.” Campaign outcomes, he said, shouldn't dictate whether lawmakers are willing to tackle tough...

Revenge beheadings have begun in Iraq as Islamic terrorist forces press toward Baghdad; Obama rejects pleas for U.S. air strikes

Revenge beheadings have begun in Iraq as Islamic terrorist forces press toward Baghdad; Obama rejects pleas for U.S. air strikes

By Mark Tapscott

06/12/14 10:35 AM

Iraqi President Nouri al-Maliki has urgently requested U.S. air strikes against the jihadist insurgents taking city after city on the road to Baghdad. "But Iraq's appeals for a military response have so far been rebuffed by the White House, which has been reluctant to open a new chapter in a conflict that President Obama has insisted was over when the United States withdrew the last of its...

Prosecutions, firings needed to root out corruption at Department of Veterans Affairs, IG testifies

Prosecutions, firings needed to root out corruption at Department of Veterans Affairs, IG testifies

By Mark Flatten

06/09/14 10:47 PM

Prosecuting Department of Veterans Affairs officials who broke the law and firing those who deliberately manipulated reported wait times to hide long backlogs is the surest way of ending fraudulent practices, the agency's interim inspector general told a House committee Monday. “It comes down to accountability of the senior leadership out at these facilities,” Richard Griffin said when asked...

The Obamacare nightmare continues amid other scandals

The Obamacare nightmare continues amid other scandals

By David Limbaugh

06/09/14 05:16 PM

While President Obama diverts the nation's attention with his other myriad scandals, the Obamacare Express continues to careen off the rails, leaving a wide path of destruction and rendering its supporters defenseless. The latest outrage, in a yearslong string, is that at least 4 million of the 8 million total Obamacare sign-ups contain flawed applications, according to a report by House...

Impeachment off, GOP fears it will rally Obama Democrats

Impeachment off, GOP fears it will rally Obama Democrats

06/06/14 11:30 AM

Despite anger in many quarters of the nation over the president's prisoner swap, Republicans are backing off impeachment threats because they fear it would rally President Obama's Democratic base and kill the GOP's chances to win the Senate, according to congressional insiders and sources. “150 days out from a general election is not a realistic time to begin such a solemn and Constitutionally...

Key Republican Saxby Chambliss presses Pentagon for Bowe Bergdahl file

Key Republican Saxby Chambliss presses Pentagon for Bowe Bergdahl file

By Susan Crabtree

06/06/14 10:47 AM

Despite the outpouring of information about Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's physical condition before his release over the last 24 hours, the Pentagon is remaining mum about a 2010 investigation that concluded that he walked away from his unit. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has pressed the Obama administration and the military for information about...

Ethics investigation against Florida-run insurer underway

Ethics investigation against Florida-run insurer underway

06/05/14 07:24 PM

An ethics investigation has been opened into a Florida insurer. Bruce Meeks, the inspector general at the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., is investigating employees who leave to go work for companies to whom the insurer gives its contracts, according to the Miami Herald. Meeks was asked by the chief executive officer of Citizens to conduct the investigation. The request comes in...

EPA administrator answers questions on reddit, has a bad time

EPA administrator answers questions on reddit, has a bad time

06/05/14 06:53 PM

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy put herself at the mercy of the Internet on Wednesday by taking part in a question-and-answer session on the popular forum reddit. "Ask Me Anything," McCarthy wrote. reddit's users obliged. The account Gina_EPA, endorsed by McCarthy's Twitter account and the EPA website as authentic, answered 15 questions over the span of two hours....

How former press secretaries could influence Jay Carney's next move

How former press secretaries could influence Jay Carney's next move

By Brian Hughes

06/04/14 06:47 PM

Outgoing White House press secretary Jay Carney endured one of the toughest jobs in Washington during the roughest stretch of President Obama's time in office. And he has seemingly built some currency for a variety of jobs that could offer the president's top spokesman influence and yes, money -- lots of it. But just who is the model for how to handle such a departure from the White House?...

Top military officials: We will definitely investigate Bowe Bergdahl, and act if necessary

Top military officials: We will definitely investigate Bowe Bergdahl, and act if necessary

By Becket Adams

06/04/14 06:16 PM

While top military officials have welcomed the return of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from Taliban captivity, they've also been careful to note that the circumstances surrounding his 2009 capture will be the subject of a thorough investigation. "It was always a high priority that every soldier deployed to Afghanistan would return home. We will never leave a fallen comrade behind,” Army Chief of...

Massachusetts state vehicles have phony license plates, investigation finds

Massachusetts state vehicles have phony license plates, investigation finds

06/04/14 01:45 PM

Employees of MassDot, Massachusetts' transportation agency, simply remake missing state-issued license plates. State employees make about 15,000 pieces of signage yearly, including road signs and state license plates, according to CBS Boston. Yet, when a state license plate goes missing from a truck, trailer, passenger car or police cruiser, the employees simply make an identical one without...

Group calls on Senate Ethics Committee to investigate nine senators amid IRS scandal

Group calls on Senate Ethics Committee to investigate nine senators amid IRS scandal

By Spencer Brown

06/03/14 04:35 PM

The Center for Competitive Politics has lodged a formal complaint with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, urging the committee to investigate nine senators for "improperly interfering with the administrative proceedings of the Internal Revenue Service." Monday's request more specifically asks the committee to look into whether the senators used the IRS to suppress First Amendment speech...

White House press secretary: The most nonessential job in government

White House press secretary: The most nonessential job in government

06/02/14 07:02 PM

Back in January 2011, the Obama administration looked to its new press secretary to “smooth over relations” with reporters. “With Jay Carney at the podium, Obama hopes to reset press relationship,” the Hill reported. Over three years and 10,000 dodged questions later, it's clear that scheme worked out about as well as the "reset" with Vladimir Putin's Russia. Slate's Dave Weigel asks an...

Jay Carney out as White House press secretary

Jay Carney out as White House press secretary

05/30/14 03:17 PM

President Obama announced that White House press secretary Jay Carney is stepping down and will be replaced by deputy press secretary Josh Earnest. "Jay has become one of my closest friends and is a great blessing to me and a great adviser," Obama said, explaining that Carney wants to spend more time with his family. "I'm going to miss him a lot." "I will continue to rely on him as a friend and...

White House starts investigation into outing of CIA spy

By

05/29/14 08:09 PM

INTELLIGENCE White House starts investigation into outing of CIA spy The White House began an investigation into who was responsible for mistakenly outing the top U.S. spy in Afghanistan. Chief of Staff Denis McDonough has asked White House counsel Neil Eggleston to look into what happened and report back with recommendations on "how the administration can improve processes and make sure...

Nancy Pelosi: Justice Department should investigate Veterans Affairs scandal

Nancy Pelosi: Justice Department should investigate Veterans Affairs scandal

By Sean Lengell

05/29/14 02:41 PM

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called on Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the Department of Veterans Affairs over reports of widespread mismanagement at its hospitals, but stopped short of demanding that embattled VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resign.

Eat genetically modified food without fear

Eat genetically modified food without fear

By John Stossel

05/28/14 12:13 PM

It's easy to scare people about what's in their food, but the danger is almost never real. And the fear itself kills. Take the panic over genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Ninety percent of all corn grown in America is genetically modified now. That means it grew from a seed that scientists altered by playing with its genes. The new genes may make corn grow faster, or they may make it...

White House launches investigation into outing of CIA spy

White House launches investigation into outing of CIA spy

By Susan Crabtree

05/27/14 06:46 PM

The White House has launched an investigation into who is responsible for mistakenly outing the top U.S. spy in Afghanistan over the weekend. Chief of Staff Denis McDonough has asked the White House counsel Neil Eggleston to look into what happened and report back to him with recommendations on "how the administration can improve processes and make sure something like this does not happen...

President Obama to promote math, tech aid at science fair

President Obama to promote math, tech aid at science fair

By Associated Press

05/27/14 09:53 AM

Aiming to diversify and strengthen the nation's technological workforce, President Barack Obama is hosting the White House's annual science fair with an emphasis on the achievements of girls and women and with new initiatives to improve science, technology, engineering and math education.

DC school buses run red lights and speed, investigation finds

DC school buses run red lights and speed, investigation finds

05/26/14 03:53 PM

School bus drivers in the District of Columbia are often caught speeding and running red lights by traffic cameras, according an investigation by the Washington Post. D.C. school bus drivers racked up 327 traffic camera tickets from January 2009 to March 2013, costing nearly $35,000 in fines, district records show. Of the almost 330 tickets, only about a dozen of the ticketed bus drivers paid...

Examiner Editorial: Vulnerable Senate Democrats fear impact of new EPA rule

Examiner Editorial: Vulnerable Senate Democrats fear impact of new EPA rule

By Washington Examiner

05/26/14 02:47 PM

At first glance, it may seem remarkable that 15 Senate Democrats -- including three considered most vulnerable to losing their re-election campaigns in November -- signed a letter last week encouraging the Environmental Protection Agency to delay its planned issuance of a controversial new regulation. That regulation would limit carbon emissions by power plants that burn coal, which generate...

Medicaid surge triggers cost concerns for states

Medicaid surge triggers cost concerns for states

By Associated Press

05/26/14 01:11 PM

From California to Rhode Island, states are confronting new concerns that their Medicaid costs will rise as a result of the federal health care law. That's likely to revive the debate about how federal decisions can saddle states with unanticipated expenses. Before President Obama's law expanded Medicaid eligibility, millions of people who were already entitled to its safety-net coverage were...

Obama Interior Department reviving a truly bad policy Congress has rejected

Obama Interior Department reviving a truly bad policy Congress has rejected

By Michael Barone

05/24/14 04:31 PM

Some bad ideas are hard to kill. An example is the proposal to treat Native Hawaiians like an Indian tribe. Former Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) advanced legislation to do that for years, but it did not pass even when Democrats had supermajorities in Congress. But, as Barack Obama has said, he is not going to be stymied by the old superstition that only Congress can pass a law. The Interior...

Students 'blast off' after space program saved

Students 'blast off' after space program saved

By Associated Press

05/23/14 09:47 AM

In recent years, students at Northeast High School have virtually saved mankind from a meteor, discovered water on Mars and repaired the International Space Station. But their current mission to establish a habitat on the moon was nearly aborted because of education budget cuts. The Space Research Center, started 52 years ago as the first NASA-recognized high school space program, was saved by...

Book: Secret Service fears 'death or serious injury' with impromptu presidential walks

Book: Secret Service fears 'death or serious injury' with impromptu presidential walks

05/23/14 09:44 AM

The Secret Service, fearing an assassin’s bullet is around every corner, has a “grave concern” with impromptu presidential trips outside White House gates like President Obama’s stroll Wednesday to the Interior Department several blocks away, according to a new book from a former presidential agent

Polls show growing public support for gay marriage

Polls show growing public support for gay marriage

By Associated Press

05/23/14 09:30 AM

Over the last decade, public opinion on whether gay couples should be allowed to marry legally has reversed, with more now in favor of legal same-sex marriage than opposed to it. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll shows that the share of Americans who favor legal gay marriage in their state outweighs that opposed — 46 percent to 39 percent.

Good news harder to see, but far exceeds the bad

Good news harder to see, but far exceeds the bad

By John Stossel

05/21/14 12:54 PM

Are you worried about the future? It's hard not to be. If you watch the news, you mostly see violence, disasters, danger. Some in my business call it "fear porn" or "pessimism porn." People like the stuff; it makes them feel alive and informed. Of course, it's our job to tell you about problems. If a plane crashes -- or disappears -- that's news. The fact that millions of planes arrive safely...

Hurricane Sandy recovery money recipient didn't need the funds, IG finds

Hurricane Sandy recovery money recipient didn't need the funds, IG finds

05/20/14 05:50 PM

A recipient of Hurricane Sandy relief funds misused the money, a new report has found. Acting on a 2013 tip from a whistleblower, the Department of Commerce's inspector general began investigating if a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration program that received Hurricane Sandy recovery funds even withstood damage from the October 2012 storm. The funds in question — $1.1 million — came...

Veterans Affairs staff in Alabama clinic not properly trained to schedule appointments, IG finds

Veterans Affairs staff in Alabama clinic not properly trained to schedule appointments, IG finds

05/19/14 05:16 PM

Alabama is the newest state with Department of Veterans Affairs issues. The podiatry clinic at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., didn't have properly trained staff for about 18 months, resulting in delays for processing new cases and scheduling appointments, a new agency inspector general's report reveals.

Veterans Affairs pays out millions to settle 'delay in treatment' claims, Dayton investigation finds

Veterans Affairs pays out millions to settle 'delay in treatment' claims, Dayton investigation finds

05/19/14 12:00 PM

Scandals at the Department of Veterans Affairs continue to build up. Since 2001, the agency has paid more than $36 million to cover claims of delays in treatment, according to an investigation by the Dayton Daily News in Ohio. The investigation used a database of paid claims to search the words "delay in treatment." Since 2001, the database search found 167 instances in which the words "delay...

Obama considering Shaun Donovan for budget chief, San Antonio mayor for housing secretary

Obama considering Shaun Donovan for budget chief, San Antonio mayor for housing secretary

By Associated Press

05/17/14 05:48 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's a second-term Cabinet shuffle for President Obama. Obama plans to nominate Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan to be White House budget director. And the president is considering naming San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as Donovan's successor. That's according to people familiar with the selection process. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized...

Obama shifts weekend golf game to elite Virginia course

Obama shifts weekend golf game to elite Virginia course

By Associated Press

05/17/14 05:40 PM

GAINESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- President Barack Obama departed from his usual golf routine on Saturday by taking his clubs to an exclusive course in Northern Virginia. Obama usually plays his standard weekend golf game at Andrews Air Force Base or at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. But on Saturday the president and his three companions teed off instead at the elite Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on the...

Hedge funders draw 2 Republican stars to Las Vegas

Hedge funders draw 2 Republican stars to Las Vegas

By Associated Press

05/17/14 01:03 PM

Las Vegas -- Two high-profile Republicans on Friday courted hedge fund executives at an election-year conference in a glitzy hotel, drawing criticism from Democrats eager to link the GOP to Wall Street as they try to defend their Senate majority. Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan and former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, now a New Hampshire Senate candidate, were the only current or former elected...

House Republicans want Wednesday vote on firing Veterans Affairs officials

By Associated Press

05/17/14 11:41 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration and Congress are moving quickly to respond to a growing political firestorm over allegations of treatment delays and falsified records at veterans hospitals nationwide. The top official for veterans' health care resigned Friday, and House Republicans scheduled a vote for Wednesday on legislation that would give Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki...

Jury acquits ex-New York state Senate leader Joe Bruno of fraud

Jury acquits ex-New York state Senate leader Joe Bruno of fraud

By Associated Press

05/17/14 10:55 AM

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The former leader of the New York state Senate was acquitted Friday of federal fraud charges, ending a nearly nine-year corruption investigation after four hours of jury deliberations. Retired Sen. Joe Bruno, 85, quietly thanked his lawyers, family and friends, who surrounded him with hugs and handshakes. When the verdicts were read, their initial claps and cheers caused Judge...

Fringe contenders send Idaho governor debate viral

Fringe contenders send Idaho governor debate viral

By Associated Press

05/16/14 09:50 AM

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho residents are used to politics that track from conservative to extreme, but a primary debate involving four candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor was over the top even by Gem State standards. A pair of fringe contenders stole the show from Gov. Butch Otter and state Sen. Russ Fulcher, using their time to discuss Armageddon, discrimination against...

9/11 ceremony scraps 'Bridge' song after Chris Christie

9/11 ceremony scraps 'Bridge' song after Chris Christie

By Associated Press

05/16/14 09:47 AM

A last-minute change avoided what could have been an uncomfortable moment in the Sept. 11 museum dedication ceremony Thursday: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie followed by "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The original program for the ceremony had Christie's remarks followed by Idina Menzel's performance of the song. That sent social media aflutter with speculation that the scheduling was a jab at...

Money meant for convention security mishandled, IG finds

Money meant for convention security mishandled, IG finds

05/14/14 08:10 PM

The federal Justice Department handed out nearly $100 million in grant money to the host cities for the 2012 Democratic and Republican national conventions -- but not all of it was used correctly, two new audits show. Charlotte and Tampa each received roughly $50 million each to help with security for the DNC and RNC, respectively. However, the Justice Department's inspector general found...

Rick Weiland takes issue with Mike Rounds' Medicare ad

By Associated Press

05/14/14 04:44 PM

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rick Weiland is taking issue with former Gov. Mike Rounds' wording in a television advertisement about the nation's new health care law. Rounds is seeking the GOP nomination for the seat. He says in the ad that President Barack Obama "is taking over $700 billion from Medicare to fund Obamacare." The number refers to cuts to Medicare...

Committee head wants Obama to name special commission to investigate Veterans Affairs patient deaths, care delays

Committee head wants Obama to name special commission to investigate Veterans Affairs patient deaths, care delays

By Mark Flatten

05/13/14 07:36 PM

An independent commission is needed to investigate whether patients are dying because of botched care by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee said in a letter sent Tuesday to President Obama. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., asked Obama to create a special, bipartisan commission to probe near-daily revelations about botched care, long delays,...

Lawmakers OK new Vermont welfare-to-work program

By Associated Press

05/13/14 06:46 PM

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- Participants in Vermont's Reach Up welfare-to-work program will see longer-term child care subsidies and an increase in the amount of income the program will disregard when calculating benefits, under a bill passed in the final hours of the legislative session. Supporters say the legislation will help address a so-called "benefit cliff," in which people sometimes go to...

Spokesman: Chris Christie was unaware of traffic scheme in New Jersey bridge scandal

Spokesman: Chris Christie was unaware of traffic scheme in New Jersey bridge scandal

By Associated Press

05/13/14 04:37 PM

TRENTON, N.J. -- Gov. Chris Christie's longtime press secretary told New Jersey lawmakers Tuesday that he is confident that his boss had no knowledge of or involvement in the scheme that shut traffic near the George Washington Bridge in a political payback plot. Michael Drewniak, who has served as a spokesman for Christie since he became U.S. attorney in 2001, called the plot reckless and...

History shades Arkansas' gay marriage debate

History shades Arkansas' gay marriage debate

By Associated Press

05/13/14 04:34 PM

Fifty-seven years after federal troops escorted nine black students into Little Rock's Central High School as a white mob jeered, Arkansas again finds itself in the center of a debate over civil rights. This time, the issue is gay marriage, but the 1957 desegregation crisis still casts a shadow.

Scorn, icy stares follow Sept. 11 terrorism suspects' lawyers

Scorn, icy stares follow Sept. 11 terrorism suspects' lawyers

By Associated Press

05/13/14 02:03 PM

People in the courthouse sometimes shun them. Friends, and even family, sometimes question their principles. For the small band of lawyers who defend the most despised terrorism suspects -- the ones accused of hatching al Qaeda plots to kill Americans around the world -- this is the highly uncomfortable life they chose.

Insurgents in eastern Ukraine declare independence, ask to join Russia

Insurgents in eastern Ukraine declare independence, ask to join Russia

By Associated Press

05/12/14 02:43 PM

Pro-Russia insurgents declared independence Monday for Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions and those in Donetsk even asked to join Russia — a day after they held a vote that Ukraine's government and the West said violated international law.

Chuck Hagel: Military's transgender ban 'continually should be reviewed'

Chuck Hagel: Military's transgender ban 'continually should be reviewed'

By Charles Hoskinson

05/12/14 02:37 PM

The Pentagon is facing tough budget choices that could reduce the nation's fighting force so badly military leaders are begging Congress to cut pay and benefits instead, but it's good to see Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has his priorities straight.

Jim Clyburn on Benghazi investigation: 'An evil tree can't bear good fruit'

Jim Clyburn on Benghazi investigation: 'An evil tree can't bear good fruit'

05/08/14 06:34 PM

House Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn doesn't have a bad thing to say about his fellow South Carolinian appointed by Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to lead the select committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attacks, but the committee is "an evil tree" that can't bear good fruit, he said. Clyburn doesn't have a problem with GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy, though. "I know Gowdy very...

Sierra Club noodle scratcher: Shale gas is bad, but airplane fuel is okay?

Sierra Club noodle scratcher: Shale gas is bad, but airplane fuel is okay?

05/07/14 12:10 PM

Apparently the ends justify the means for the environmental group Sierra Club, which posted a photo of an airplane flying over a rally with a sign that said “shale gas = dirty energy.” United Shale Awareness flew this plane over astroturf pro-drilling rally in PA Tuesday: Shale gas = dirty energy! pic.twitter.com/iRWkdBusGN— Sierra Club (@sierraclub) May 7, 2014 Can they not see the...

North Carolina lawmaker Thom Tillis wins GOP Senate nomination

North Carolina lawmaker Thom Tillis wins GOP Senate nomination

By Associated Press

05/06/14 11:32 PM

North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis captured the Republican nomination to oppose imperiled Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan Tuesday night, overcoming anti-establishment rivals by a comfortable margin in the first of a springtime spate of primaries testing the strength of a Tea Party movement that first rocked the GOP four years ago. In Ohio, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald won the...

Examiner Editorial: Obama White House peddling climate fear instead of facts

Examiner Editorial: Obama White House peddling climate fear instead of facts

By Washington Examiner

05/06/14 04:59 PM

President Obama and Big Green environmentalists have failed in recent years to convince the American people that global warming is a serious problem requiring draconian regulation, skyrocketing electricity costs for consumers, and lowered expectations of future prosperity and economic opportunity. So now they are now trying to use scare tactics to get their way. It's not a pretty sight, at...

New Mitch McConnell ad looks to November

By Associated Press

05/05/14 09:37 PM

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell faces a primary challenger in just a few weeks. To watch the television ad his campaign will begin running Tuesday, voters would never know it. McConnell's campaign said Monday it was spending more than $100,000 on a new TV ad set to begin airing statewide on Tuesday. Gone is the anxiety that political newcomer Matt Bevin could deny...

Amid new investigations into Benghazi, don't forget the unfinished business of 9/11

Amid new investigations into Benghazi, don't forget the unfinished business of 9/11

05/05/14 07:35 PM

This time three years ago, the country was celebrating the killing of Osama bin Laden. "The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda," President Obama said in a May 2, 2011, address to the nation. "We will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed," Obama said. “Frustration...

Mainstream Media Scream: 'Meet the Press' ratings boost with will.i.am

Mainstream Media Scream: 'Meet the Press' ratings boost with will.i.am

05/05/14 02:56 PM

This week's Mainstream Media Scream features efforts by the slumping NBC Sunday public affairs show "Meet the Press" to get a ratings boost by featuring William Adams, founder and frontman for Black Eyed Peas, better known by the stage name will.i.am. During the regular media roundtable hosted by host David Gregory, the singer sounded a bit confused by Washington, at one point saying, “I don't...

Obama blows off deals with GOP, creating era of bad feelings

Obama blows off deals with GOP, creating era of bad feelings

By Michael Barone

05/04/14 05:59 PM

Second-term presidencies are an opportunity for bipartisan compromise. The institutional stars are in alignment to address long-range problems not amenable in other circumstances. The president is barred from running for a third term and thus does not have to worry about his next campaign. In Congress, members of the president's party, with some reason to fear losses in the off-year election,...

Housing and Urban Development Department will be investigated for involvement in Obamacare promotion

Housing and Urban Development Department will be investigated for involvement in Obamacare promotion

05/03/14 08:18 PM

An investigation into whether the Department of Housing and Urban Development improperly promoted and implemented Obamacare will take place, according to the government accountability group Cause of Action, which requested the investigation in April, the Hill reported.

GOP senators press Obama on whereabouts during Benghazi attack

GOP senators press Obama on whereabouts during Benghazi attack

By Susan Crabtree

05/02/14 06:30 PM

Sens. Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Kelly Ayotte are pressing the White House for more information about President Obama's handling of the Benghazi attacks and his whereabouts as the deadly assaults on the U.S. compounds were unfolding. The three GOP senators, the most vocal in the Senate on the Benghazi attack, want Obama to confirm a statement National Security Council spokesman Tommy...

John Boehner to establish select committee to investigate Benghazi

John Boehner to establish select committee to investigate Benghazi

By David M. Drucker

05/02/14 03:56 PM

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has decided to establish a special select committee to investigate the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Boehner had resisted creating the committee, fearing that it might hamper the investigation into the assault and the Obama administration's...

Teachers unions get Discovery Communications to cancel 'Bad Teacher' show

Teachers unions get Discovery Communications to cancel 'Bad Teacher' show

By Sean Higgins

05/02/14 12:59 PM

After a pressure campaign by teachers unions, Discovery Communications has knuckled under and canceled the program "Bad Teacher." The true-crime series, which examined cases where teachers became sexually involved with their students, aired its only episode on the company's Investigation Discovery network last week. Steve Dembo, director of social media for the company's Discovery Education...

Half of EPA office's passports are missing, IG finds

Half of EPA office's passports are missing, IG finds

05/01/14 07:40 PM

Almost half of the passports issued to the Environmental Protection Agency's employees are missing, according to the EPA's inspector general. Official and diplomatic passports issued to EPA employees, as well as other sensitive personal identifiable information, could be compromised as a result, the inspector general said in a report. Of 417 passports issued to Office of International and...

Thomas Piketty book on inequality bad news for Hillary Clinton

Thomas Piketty book on inequality bad news for Hillary Clinton

By Scott Rasmussen

05/01/14 05:18 PM

A book by a French economist on income inequality has become a pop sensation among Democratic liberal elites. Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century, initially released in France, has an English translation, which has received rave reviews from pundits like Paul Krugman of The New York Times.

Federal Reserve continues tapering, cuts bond purchases to $45 billion a month in expected move

Federal Reserve continues tapering, cuts bond purchases to $45 billion a month in expected move

By Joseph Lawler

04/30/14 03:52 PM

The Federal Reserve announced no major changes to its monetary policy following the end of a two-day meeting on Wednesday, continuing its gradual slowing of its quantitative easing program and signaling confidence in its plans to return to normalcy despite hints of weakness in the U.S. economy. For the fourth straight meeting, the central bank reduced the size of its monthly Treasury and...

White House: Oklahoma execution not done humanely

White House: Oklahoma execution not done humanely

By Associated Press

04/30/14 01:45 PM

The White House says a botched execution of a death row inmate in Oklahoma fell short of the humane standards required when the death penalty is carried out. Officials halted Clayton Lockett's execution Tuesday when he convulsed violently and tried to lift his head after a doctor declared him unconscious. He later died of an apparent heart attack.

Wendy Davis' terrible, horrible, no good, very bad month

Wendy Davis' terrible, horrible, no good, very bad month

04/30/14 01:15 PM

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis can’t seem to catch a break. First, Public Policy Polling found Davis trailing her opponent, Republican Greg Abbott, by double digits. Even women preferred Abbott to Davis, 49 percent to 41 percent. Next, the FBI included Davis in its investigation of the North Texas Tollway Authority. While working for NTTA, Davis voted on bills that...

Putin's creeping war of aggression will continue unless the West responds

Putin's creeping war of aggression will continue unless the West responds

04/30/14 12:05 PM

On April 28, around noon, according to one report, Mr. Gennady Kernes, mayor of the eastern Ukraine city of Kharkiv, went for a cross-training jog in a city park. En route, an assassin shot the mayor in the back. According to his bodyguards, a sniper fired at Kernes from long range. Hitting the back of a running man at a distance -- the upper body mass, to use the lingo -- indicates a crack...

Pennsylvania tax collections down, sending state into deeper shortfall

Pennsylvania tax collections down, sending state into deeper shortfall

By Associated Press

04/30/14 09:22 AM

Pennsylvania's tax collections during the all-important month of April were badly lagging projections Tuesday, and House and Senate Appropriations Committee officials said the only question was how much deeper the state government's shortfall will plunge.

Oklahoma inmate dies after execution is botched; second execution postponed

Oklahoma inmate dies after execution is botched; second execution postponed

By Associated Press

04/29/14 10:15 PM

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- An Oklahoma inmate whose execution was halted Tuesday because the delivery of a new drug combination was botched died of a heart attack, the head of the state Department of Corrections said. A second execution originally scheduled for Tuesday was postponed. Director Robert Patton said inmate Clayton Lockett died Tuesday after all three drugs were administered. Patton...

Congressmen want Phoenix Veterans Affairs health chief removed

Congressmen want Phoenix Veterans Affairs health chief removed

By Associated Press

04/29/14 10:08 PM

A trio of Arizona congressmen on Tuesday called for the head of the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care Center to step down amid allegations of gross mismanagement and neglect at the facility, the latest in a string of issues at VA hospitals across the nation.

Georgia governor signs $42.4 billion budget

Georgia governor signs $42.4 billion budget

By Associated Press

04/28/14 10:20 AM

Gov. Nathan Deal has signed a $42.4 billion state operating budget, with improving revenues allowing the state to increase public education spending by hundreds of millions of dollars. Deal signed the fiscal 2015 budget Monday, touting it as the largest single year increase in K-12 funding in seven years.

Oregon to investigate the burning of aborted babies for electricity

Oregon to investigate the burning of aborted babies for electricity

04/24/14 07:08 PM

Update below: Lila Rose, president of Live Action, responds. Earlier this week, news broke of an energy plant in Marion County, Ore., receiving aborted babies from British Columbia to burn for electricity. Thursday, county officials said they were seeking an investigation into how such a horrific practice was able to continue unnoticed for five to seven years. Yesterday, the county ordered the...

Examiner Editorial: Bad actors and deadbeats at IRS get holidays and cash bonuses

Examiner Editorial: Bad actors and deadbeats at IRS get holidays and cash bonuses

By Washington Examiner

04/24/14 06:47 PM

A culture of impunity has taken hold at the IRS, one that should outrage taxpayers who fork over their hard-earned money every year knowing that if they don't the agency will make their lives miserable. It would be bad enough if the IRS were only still trying to put itself in the role of regulating First Amendment freedom of speech and association after being caught illegally targeting...

The press never calls over role in 'vast right-wing conspiracy'

The press never calls over role in 'vast right-wing conspiracy'

By R. Emmett Tyrrell

04/24/14 12:36 PM

My telephone is not ringing off the hook. No intriguing or inquiring emails have arrived on my computer. Yet, on Friday, a document drop from the Clinton Library revealed that years ago, in the 1990s, I was at the very heart of the "vast right-wing conspiracy." Now here we are almost a week later, and still no journalist, much less a historian, has called to ask me if I really was actively...

More deaths from bad care at Veterans Affairs health facilities

More deaths from bad care at Veterans Affairs health facilities

By Charles Hoskinson

04/24/14 10:21 AM

CNN's report late Wednesday that at least 40 veterans died waiting for care at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in Phoenix is the latest in a way-too-long string of reports of how that agency continues to fail those who have fought for the nation.

White House 'closely' watching North Korea amid nuclear test fears

White House 'closely' watching North Korea amid nuclear test fears

By Meghashyam Mali

04/22/14 06:37 PM

The White House on Tuesday said that it would “closely monitor” North Korea amid reports that Pyongyang is increasing activity at a nuclear test site. “We closely monitor actions such as that,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney aboard Air Force One, en route to Oso, Wash., with President Obama. “North Korea has a history of taking provocative actions, and we are always mindful of the...

Misbehaving IRS employees still got bonuses, agency IG finds

Misbehaving IRS employees still got bonuses, agency IG finds

04/22/14 04:55 PM

According to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, more than 2,800 employees with "conduct issues" received more than $2.8 million in monetary awards, more than 27,000 hours in time-off awards and 175 quality step — or pay grade — increases.

Poor security policies put national security at risk at defense intelligence agencies, IG says

Poor security policies put national security at risk at defense intelligence agencies, IG says

By Michal Conger

04/22/14 06:32 AM

Defense intelligence agencies have allowed contract employees fired for misconduct to regain access to classified information, posing a threat to national security, according to a new report by the Defense Department's inspector general.

South Carolina Veterans Affairs employees misused government purchasing cards, IG finds

South Carolina Veterans Affairs employees misused government purchasing cards, IG finds

04/21/14 11:40 PM

Employees at a Veterans Affairs hospital in South Carolina split up purchases to dodge oversight, the department's watchdog has found. After receiving a tip in April 2013, the VA's inspector general audited the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, S.C., to determine if its engineering service employees were splitting purchases on government purchase cards to avoid a $3,000 limit....

Obamacare's healthcare.gov flagged in Heartbleed review

Obamacare's healthcare.gov flagged in Heartbleed review

By Associated Press

04/21/14 06:16 PM

People who have accounts on the enrollment website for President Obama's signature health care law are being told to change their passwords following an administration-wide review of the government's vulnerability to the confounding Heartbleed Internet security flaw. Senior administration officials said there is no indication that the healthcare.gov site has been compromised and the action is...

Obama heads to Asia as tensions in Ukraine continue to flare

Obama heads to Asia as tensions in Ukraine continue to flare

By Susan Crabtree

04/21/14 11:11 AM

President Obama is moving forward with his seven-day trip to Asia this week as clashes between Ukraine and Russia continue and tensions in the region continue to simmer. The president will leave Tuesday evening for Tokyo, Japan, where he will begin his four-country tour through Asia. After Japan, he will head to South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines on a make-up trip that was originally...

NYC comptroller questions oil company's NRA giving

NYC comptroller questions oil company's NRA giving

By Associated Press

04/21/14 10:02 AM

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The New York City comptroller has asked a Texas oil company to explain its chairman's reported donations of $1 million each to the National Rifle Association and conservative political action committee American Crossroads. Comptroller Scott Stringer, investment adviser and trustee to the $150 billion city pension funds, is questioning "both the magnitude and the corporate...

White House on deport Justin Bieber petition: No comment

White House on deport Justin Bieber petition: No comment

By Associated Press

04/19/14 11:07 AM

The White House has two words for those who want President Obama to deport Justin Bieber: No comment. Nearly 275,000 people signed an Internet petition calling the Canadian-born teen idol reckless and asking Obama to revoke his green card. That's far more than required to merit an official response through the White House's "We the People" program. The White House says it's sorry to disappoint,...

From Bill Clinton to President Obama, many parallels

From Bill Clinton to President Obama, many parallels

By Associated Press

04/19/14 09:21 AM

Thousands of pages of documents from President Bill Clinton's White House affirm a longtime adage: The more things change, the more they stay the same. As Clinton prepared for an August 1994 news conference in which he hoped to build public support for his struggling — and ultimately unsuccessful — health care overhaul, he told his advisers: "A lot of them want to know they can keep their own...

Treasury Department investigating U.S. mystery plane in Iran

Treasury Department investigating U.S. mystery plane in Iran

04/18/14 02:09 PM

A mysterious American plane seen at an airport in Iran may have violated U.S. law by landing in Tehran, which the Treasury Department will investigate. U.S. law "would generally prohibit U.S. registered aircraft from flying to Iran," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Friday.

Poll: More union members, 52%, fear the government than gun owners, 42%

Poll: More union members, 52%, fear the government than gun owners, 42%

04/18/14 02:05 PM

More than half of the nation’s union members, most of whose Washington-based executives support President Obama and use dues to support Democrats, fear the government, a remarkably high number that even tops the 42 percent of gun owners who fear Uncle Sam, according to a new poll. Overall, Rasmussen Reports said on Friday that 37 percent of likely voters fear the government. They didn't poll...

Fox News Sunday beats Meet the Press in D.C.; Chris Wallace gets new contract

Fox News Sunday beats Meet the Press in D.C.; Chris Wallace gets new contract

04/17/14 07:07 PM

Winning matters in TV. Just ask Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace. He has built up the show’s audience since taking the reins in 2003 and last weekend it hit No. 1 in the critical Washington market among the key 25-54 demographic, a huge victory over slumping Meet the Press. And now he has a new multi-year contract with the cable network. According to Nielsen Media Research, Wallace pulled in...

John McCain: Obama lets 'bad people' fill U.S. void, says Jimmy Carter was better

John McCain: Obama lets 'bad people' fill U.S. void, says Jimmy Carter was better

04/17/14 11:48 AM

In some of his harshest comments about the administration's lackluster foreign policy to date, Sen. John McCain said that former President Jimmy Carter was tougher with U.S. foes than President Obama has been, and that America's credibility as world power has crumbled under Obama. McCain, the top foreign policy expert in Congress, said that U.S. credibility to lead the war against terrorist...

Bobby Jindal to deliver commencement address at Liberty University

Bobby Jindal to deliver commencement address at Liberty University

By Associated Press

04/17/14 09:40 AM

LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Another early Republican presidential prospect is heading to Liberty University. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will deliver the keynote commencement address May 10 at the Virginia university founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. The Lynchburg school announced his appearance on Wednesday. Earlier this month, another possible Republican presidential hopeful, Ted Cruz, spoke...

Vladimir Putin to Edward Snowden: Russia's surveillance not on such a massive scale as the U.S.

Vladimir Putin to Edward Snowden: Russia's surveillance not on such a massive scale as the U.S.

By Associated Press

04/17/14 08:21 AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking in a televised call-in show, took a video question from NSA leaker Edward Snowden, whom Russia granted asylum last year. Asked by Snowden about Russia's surveillance programs, Putin said that Russian special services also tap on communications in their fight against terrorism, but don't do it on such a massive scale as the U.S.

Dry cleaners press Obama over 'gender-gap' rhetoric

Dry cleaners press Obama over 'gender-gap' rhetoric

04/16/14 05:17 PM

America's dry cleaners aren't happy that President Obama used them as an example in remarks last week about the economic gap between the sexes. They say the disparity in dry cleaning bills is more complex than the systemized discrimination Obama hinted at in his April 8 remarks about the so-called "pay gap" between the sexes. The truth is that, as should be obvious to anyone with working eyes...

Bloomberg plans $50M gun control network

By Associated Press

04/16/14 10:55 AM

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans to spend $50 million this year to build a grass-roots network to challenge the National Rifle Association and seek stricter gun control laws. Bloomberg tells The New York Times he wants to absorb the groups he funds — Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America — under an umbrella group called Everytown for Gun...

Monica Wehby airs first ads of Oregon GOP Senate primary

Monica Wehby airs first ads of Oregon GOP Senate primary

By Associated Press

04/16/14 10:37 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Monica Wehby is launching the first television ads in the Republican primary campaign for U.S. Senate. Wehby's campaign says the ads will begin airing statewide on Tuesday. They tout her opposition to President Obama's health care law, declaring "Obamacare is bad for Oregon." Wehby is a pediatric neurosurgeon from Portland. She faces state Rep. Jason Conger from Bend and...

Questionable Medicare claims cost HHS billions, IG finds

Questionable Medicare claims cost HHS billions, IG finds

04/15/14 01:12 PM

Questionable Medicare claims cost the Health and Human Services billions, the agency's watchdog has found. Under Obamacare, physicians or other medical practitioners have to certify any beneficiaries who receive home health services and then document the encounter to receive Medicare reimbursements. This is to prevent fraud, according to the inspector general's report.

Inflation rebounds in March to 1.5 percent annually, quieting fears of disinflation

Inflation rebounds in March to 1.5 percent annually, quieting fears of disinflation

By Joseph Lawler

04/15/14 10:31 AM

Inflation rebounded in March to 1.5 percent year-over-year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday, in a development that will help allay fears that the economy is too weak to prevent ongoing disinflation despite the Federal Reserve's stimulus efforts. Headline inflation had slowed to 1.1 percent in February. The increase, measured by the BLS' monthly update to the Consumer Price...

2 congressmen have questions in Jill Kelley leak

2 congressmen have questions in Jill Kelley leak

By Associated Press

04/14/14 10:38 AM

Two Republican congressmen, Spencer Bachus and Walter Jones, say the Justice Department inspector general's office is declining to look into a complaint by a businesswoman whose identity was leaked to the news media after she reported to the FBI that she was the victim of a cyberstalker.

GOP leaders vow continued scrutiny of Obamacare

GOP leaders vow continued scrutiny of Obamacare

04/12/14 01:45 PM

House Republicans want a true measurement of Obamacare's performance. How many Americans have genuinely enrolled? How many were previously uninsured? What about Medicaid? But it turns out that even though lawmakers have demanded information from the administration and passed legislation to get it -- the Exchange Information Disclosure Act being one such bill, passed by the House in January --...

UN climate report balances science and politics

UN climate report balances science and politics

By Associated Press

04/12/14 01:39 PM

After racing against the clock in an all-night session, the U.N.'s expert panel on climate change was putting the final touches Saturday on a scientific guide to help governments, industries and regular people take action to stop global warming from reaching dangerous levels.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius resigning after rocky health care law rollout

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius resigning after rocky health care law rollout

By Associated Press

04/10/14 06:35 PM

A White House official says Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning from the Obama administration. Sebelius' resignation could set the stage for a contentious election-year confirmation hearing for whomever Obama nominates to replace her. Sebelius has served as HHS secretary since the start of the Obama administration.

'Ban Bossy' creator Sheryl Sandberg continues to push debunked claims

'Ban Bossy' creator Sheryl Sandberg continues to push debunked claims

04/10/14 05:54 PM

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg continued to push debunked statistics regarding her Ban Bossy' campaign Wednesday night. Sandberg, speaking with Fox News host Megyn Kelly, not only failed to note that women's choices were the main reason behind issues like the supposed wage gap, but also furthered demonstrably false claims about women and leadership. Sandberg recounted the...

Applications for U.S. jobless aid dip 32k to lowest level since 2007

Applications for U.S. jobless aid dip 32k to lowest level since 2007

By Associated Press

04/10/14 08:39 AM

The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level in almost seven years, falling 32,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 300,000. The Labor Department said Thursday that the four-week average of applications, a less volatile measure, fell 4,750 to 316,250.

House Ways and Means Committee: Lois Lerner targeted conservatives while at IRS, then misled investigators

House Ways and Means Committee: Lois Lerner targeted conservatives while at IRS, then misled investigators

By Charles Hoskinson

04/09/14 05:42 PM

IRS official Lois Lerner used her power to ensure Right-leaning groups were targeted for extra scrutiny by the agency, then gave misleading information during a probe of the matter by the Treasury Department's inspector general, according to a criminal referral approved Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee. The panel said its investigation also found evidence Lerner used her personal...

Two charged in $70 million Florida 'virtual concierge' fraud

Two charged in $70 million Florida 'virtual concierge' fraud

By Associated Press

04/09/14 09:49 AM

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Two South Florida men are facing fraud charges in an alleged $70 million scheme using investments in so-called "virtual concierge" machines that operate in retail stores. Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that 49-year-old Joseph Signore and 56-year-old Paul Schumack were arrested. Both are charged with several conspiracy and fraud charges. Their attorneys did not...

Lawmakers investigate second EPA official's role in 'CIA' spy scam

Lawmakers investigate second EPA official's role in 'CIA' spy scam

04/08/14 09:59 AM

Former Environmental Protection Agency official John Beale is in prison for defrauding the government of almost $900,000 by pretending to be a CIA spy, and now congressional investigators are turning their attention to a colleague suspected of helping him.

If Jeb Bush fears 'mudfight,' he's not ready for 2016

If Jeb Bush fears 'mudfight,' he's not ready for 2016

04/08/14 07:08 AM

Does Jeb Bush sound like a man who wants to run for president? In an extended interview with Fox News' Shannon Bream, the former Florida governor gave the impression of someone who would like to be president but has been out of the game for a while and isn't particularly eager to jump in the trenches and fight for it. The only problem is, whoever wins the 2016 Republican nomination -- and there...

Bryan Cranston of 'Breaking Bad' urges Obama to use executive orders to build 'legacy'

Bryan Cranston of 'Breaking Bad' urges Obama to use executive orders to build 'legacy'

04/07/14 01:19 PM

Add Bryan Cranston, the star of TV's recent hit "Breaking Bad" and a new Broadway play about former President Lyndon B. Johnson, to Team Obamacare. In an interview with Yahoo News “global anchor” Katie Couric, the actor called Obamacare the highlight of President Obama's legacy. “Now’s the time to stake a claim to leave your legacy,” he encouraged Obama. “I personally believe that his health...

Illinois' next pension issue: Police, fire funds

Illinois' next pension issue: Police, fire funds

By Associated Press

04/07/14 10:12 AM

After addressing Illinois' own employee pension crisis, lawmakers now face an equally challenging task with the state's cities, as mayors demand help with underfunded police and firefighter pensions before the growing cost "chokes" budgets and forces local tax increases.

Missouri lawmakers want to limit out-of-state welfare

Missouri lawmakers want to limit out-of-state welfare

By Associated Press

04/07/14 09:59 AM

State lawmakers are moving to tighten rules on a cash assistance program for the poor in response to an audit that raised questions about whether hundreds of Missouri welfare recipients are living out of state. While strengthening some standards, however, lawmakers are proposing to loosen other restrictions on where welfare money can be spent and who can qualify for help. The same bill that...

New Hampshire senators press for more heating funds

New Hampshire senators press for more heating funds

By Associated Press

04/07/14 09:46 AM

New Hampshire's U.S. senators want more money to go toward the Low Income Home Heating Assistance Program for Fiscal Year 2015. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte say the administration's budget proposal requests $2.8 billion for the program. That's a $600 million decrease from Fiscal Year 2014.

U.S. stocks slip, but hold close to an all-time high

By Associated Press

04/03/14 06:27 PM

NEW YORK — The stock market held close to its all-time high on Thursday amid optimism that the economy is set to strengthen. Stocks are on course for their best weekly gain in seven weeks after investors got more encouraging news on the economy. A survey showed that U.S. service firms increased their business more quickly last month as new orders rose. Separate reports earlier in the week had...

EPA stores agency paper the expensive way, IG finds

EPA stores agency paper the expensive way, IG finds

04/03/14 03:01 PM

The way the Environmental Protection Agency stores extra agency publications is costing an extra $1.5 million annually, according to a new watchdog report. At a warehouse in Blue Ash, Ohio, the EPA is "tying up funds by storing and caring for excess stock," according to the report. Despite sending out an average of around 2.9 million copies of its publications yearly, the warehouse has 18.4...

Defense Department struggles to track its 'revolving door,' IG finds

Defense Department struggles to track its 'revolving door,' IG finds

04/03/14 02:49 PM

"Revolving door" statistics within the Department of Defense are not being properly tracked, the agency's watchdog has found. In 2008, Congress passed laws trying to prevent Pentagon officials who take jobs with government contractors from later influencing the military contracting process in their favor. The law requires officials going through the "revolving door" to the private sector to get...

Officials: 4 dead, 16 injured in Fort Hood shooting

Officials: 4 dead, 16 injured in Fort Hood shooting

By Associated Press

04/02/14 08:59 PM

At least three military personnel remain in critical condition after a gunman at Fort Hood killed three people and wounded 16 others before committing suicide. A spokesman for Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple on Thursday said three patients are critical and six are listed as serious.

Underreporting of injuries in mines needs to be fixed, Labor Department IG says

Underreporting of injuries in mines needs to be fixed, Labor Department IG says

04/02/14 01:51 PM

By underreporting mine injuries and accidents, coal operators are dodging penalties from the Department of Labor, a new watchdog report has found. The Labor Department's Mine Safety and Health Administration lacks sufficient "knowledge of the occurrence of underreporting" on the data of injuries, illnesses and accidents in mines to prevent it, according to the report. From 2000-12, MSHA found...

Poll: Nationwide marijuana legalization inevitable

Poll: Nationwide marijuana legalization inevitable

By Associated Press

04/02/14 12:13 PM

Nationwide marijuana legalization seems inevitable to three-fourths of Americans, whether they support it or not, according to a new poll out Wednesday. The Pew Research Center survey on the nation's shifting attitudes about drug policy also showed increased support for moving away from mandatory sentences for non-violent drug offenders.

Carl Levin says Caterpillar avoided billions in taxes

Carl Levin says Caterpillar avoided billions in taxes

By Associated Press

04/01/14 10:15 AM

Executives from manufacturing giant Caterpillar Inc. are heading to Capitol Hill to explain what one senator calls an aggressive strategy to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes. Caterpillar has avoided paying $2.4 billion in U.S. taxes since 2000 by shifting profits to a wholly-controlled affiliate in Switzerland, according to a report released by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. Levin...

Trial begins in Georgia ethics commission suit

Trial begins in Georgia ethics commission suit

By Associated Press

04/01/14 10:11 AM

ATLANTA — Allegations that the state ethics commission retaliated against top staffers in an effort to stifle an investigation of Gov. Nathan Deal's personal and campaign finance reports have been at the center of two lawsuits pending in Fulton County Superior Court. Now one of those lawsuits heads to trial this week, and a jury will decide whether they believe the claims brought by Stacey...

Address errors cost the USPS millions, IG finds

Address errors cost the USPS millions, IG finds

03/31/14 11:59 AM

A wrong mailing address is more than just headache -- it's costing the U.S. Postal Service millions annually, the agency's inspector general has found. A program used by the U.S. Postal Service called the Address Management System stores the information that allows for the delivery of mail to more than 127 million address across the country. A recent effort to reduce database errors in AMS data...

Senate torture report examines hunt for Osama bin Laden

Senate torture report examines hunt for Osama bin Laden

By Associated Press

03/31/14 10:46 AM

A hotly disputed Senate torture report concludes that waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods provided no key evidence in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, according to congressional aides and outside experts familiar with the investigation. The CIA still disputes that conclusion. From the moment of bin Laden's death almost three years ago in what was America's biggest counterterrorism...

Education, immigrant groups to debate tuition bill

By Associated Press

03/31/14 10:44 AM

DAVIE, Fla. — College officials and immigrant advocates are pushing for state legislation that would let undocumented students in Florida pay in-state college tuition rates. University administrators, students and lawmakers will discuss several tuition proposals Thursday at a Broward College forum. The event is sponsored by civic groups and the Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The state...

Many in West Virginia wary of water after chemical spill

Many in West Virginia wary of water after chemical spill

By Associated Press

03/29/14 01:23 PM

On Jan. 9, an industrial storage container spilled around 10,000 gallons of crude MCHM, a chemical used in coal production, a half mile above a drinking water intake in the river. The drinking ban was lifted Jan. 13, when authorities said levels of the chemical MCHM had dropped below a federal safety threshold of 1 part per million.

Health law legacy eludes President Obama as 'fixes' sink in

Health law legacy eludes President Obama as 'fixes' sink in

By Associated Press

03/29/14 11:32 AM

As a roller-coaster sign-up season winds down, President Obama's health care law has indeed managed to change the country. But Obama's overhaul needs major work of its own if it is to go down in history as a legacy achievement like Medicare or Social Security.

Colorado Senate race focuses on GOP challenger Cory Gardner

Colorado Senate race focuses on GOP challenger Cory Gardner

By Associated Press

03/29/14 11:29 AM

The Senate race in Colorado has shot toward the top of the nation's most competitive contests this midterm election year, giving the Democratic incumbent a tougher battle than he expected and Republicans a new pickup opportunity in their drive to win the chamber's majority.

Investigation commissioned by Chris Christie absolves governor of wrongdoing in Bridgegate

Investigation commissioned by Chris Christie absolves governor of wrongdoing in Bridgegate

By Rebecca Berg

03/27/14 05:01 PM

An investigation commissioned by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and carried out by attorneys close to the governor has absolved Christie of wrongdoing in the "Bridgegate" scandal, finding that he had no prior knowledge of lane closings ordered by one of his senior aides. A report published Thursday by the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, which summarizes findings from more than 250,000...

Medical tourism plan studied by lawmakers

Medical tourism plan studied by lawmakers

By Associated Press

03/27/14 10:17 AM

Alongside Walt Disney World, Kennedy Space Center, South Beach and the Florida Keys, Sen. Aaron Bean wants to give visitors another reason to come to the state: to get some doctoring. Bean has proposed legislation to require Visit Florida, the public-private partnership charged with attracting tourism to the state, to market Florida as a health care destination.

EPA's shredding system makes bad news about climate regulations disappear

EPA's shredding system makes bad news about climate regulations disappear

03/25/14 06:48 PM

Federal law mandates an independent scientific review of the possible effects -- both good and bad -- of proposed environmental regulations before decisionmakers act. The Environmental Protection Agency doesn't do that. The scofflaw EPA routinely and systematically kills any hint of bad effects from its rulemaking that might appear in its scientific reviews. That despicable tampering with the...

Key John Kerry adviser runs State Department's redundant, mission-less 'conflict' bureau, IG says

Key John Kerry adviser runs State Department's redundant, mission-less 'conflict' bureau, IG says

By Michal Conger

03/25/14 06:01 PM

A new diplomatic program dedicated to preventing conflicts and run by a key adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry is directionless and unstable, and few in government know what it actually does, an internal watchdog says.

House subpoenas Interior Department IG over proposed coal regulations

House subpoenas Interior Department IG over proposed coal regulations

By Susan Ferrechio

03/25/14 05:04 PM

The top Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee Tuesday issued a subpoena to the Interior Department’s inspector general, demanding a readable copy of a critical report on coal-mining reform. Committee Chairman Rep. Doc Hastings, of Washington state, said the panel has been unable to get an un-redacted copy of the report despite multiple requests. He believes the inspector general,...

Texas lawmakers to review juvenile justice policies

Texas lawmakers to review juvenile justice policies

By Associated Press

03/25/14 11:22 AM

Texas lawmakers are taking testimony on what changes may be necessary for the state's juvenile justice system. The Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence is meeting Tuesday morning to consider the rules for sentencing 17-year-olds as adults in criminal cases.

Jimmy Carter: Russian invasion of Crimea 'inevitable'

Jimmy Carter: Russian invasion of Crimea 'inevitable'

By Associated Press

03/25/14 10:12 AM

Former President Jimmy Carter says the Crimean annexation was "inevitable" because Russia considers the peninsula to be part of its country and so many Crimeans consider themselves Russian. But he says Russian President Vladimir Putin shouldn't be permitted to go any further.

House committee puts up website to track stonewalling by Veterans Affairs press office

House committee puts up website to track stonewalling by Veterans Affairs press office

By Mark Flatten

03/24/14 04:25 PM

The Department of Veterans Affairs' stonewalling of questions is being showcased by the House Committee on Veterans Affairs on a new web page that tracks a lengthy list of refusals by agency officials to answer inquiries from the media.

Rhode Island speaker to step down after FBI raids

Rhode Island speaker to step down after FBI raids

By Associated Press

03/22/14 05:47 PM

Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox is resigning from his leadership post and will not run for re-election, he said Saturday, a day after federal and state authorities raided his Statehouse office and home as part of a criminal investigation that they would not detail.

Report: NSA targeted Chinese tech giant Huawei

Report: NSA targeted Chinese tech giant Huawei

By Associated Press

03/22/14 02:24 PM

U.S. intelligence agencies hacked into the email servers of Chinese tech giant Huawei five years ago, around the time concerns were growing in Washington that the telecommunications equipment manufacturer was a threat to U.S. national security, German weekly Der Spiegel reported Saturday.

Democratic candidates for Pa. governor eye taxes to ease wealth gap

Democratic candidates for Pa. governor eye taxes to ease wealth gap

By Associated Press

03/22/14 02:14 PM

Under the banner of fairness and equality, the Democratic candidates for governor are proposing a grab bag of changes in Pennsylvania tax laws that would tap wealthy taxpayers and businesses to ease the economic pain of the middle class and the poor.

George P. Bush is GOP's lone Hispanic statewide candidate in Texas

George P. Bush is GOP's lone Hispanic statewide candidate in Texas

By Associated Press

03/22/14 02:12 PM

Even as Texas Republicans insist they've never been more committed to courting the state's booming Hispanic population, they can claim just one Hispanic candidate for statewide office — and he's a Bush, more famous for sharing a name with two former presidents than for having a mother originally from Mexico.

Some longtime Dems supporting Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner

Some longtime Dems supporting Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner

By Associated Press

03/20/14 02:47 PM

CHICAGO (AP) — Several well-known Democrats say they're backing Republican Bruce Rauner for governor. Rauner said Thursday that their support is emblematic of his nonpartisan leadership approach. The Winnetka venture capitalist spoke at a downtown Chicago hotel flanked by a group of supporters he's billing as "Democrats and Independents for Rauner." Backers include longtime Democrat and former...

CIA-Senate spat complicates spying oversight

CIA-Senate spat complicates spying oversight

By Associated Press

03/20/14 01:52 PM

The government's top intelligence lawyers on Wednesday renewed assurances that Congress is adequately monitoring U.S. surveillance programs. But it's suddenly an awkward argument for the Obama administration, since the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee publicly accused the CIA of illegally monitoring its investigators as they carried out their oversight duties. Since disclosures about...

Hawaii Rep. Colleen Hanabusa: Age should not be part of Senate race

Hawaii Rep. Colleen Hanabusa: Age should not be part of Senate race

By Associated Press

03/20/14 12:12 PM

HONOLULU -- Rep. Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii says the way her competitor's allies have made age an issue in her run for Senate is insulting to voters. Hanabusa is running against Sen. Brian Schatz for the seat that opened when Sen. Daniel Inouye died in 2012. Schatz was appointed to the seat by Gov. Neil Abercrombie, and the Democrats will face off in a primary in August. The election will...

Former Iowa felon says she believed she could vote

Former Iowa felon says she believed she could vote

By Associated Press

03/20/14 12:12 PM

KEOKUK, Iowa -- A former drug offender on trial for illegally voting in an Iowa municipal election last fall testified Wednesday that she believed her right to cast a ballot had been restored when she completed probation. Kelli Jo Griffin's case highlights Iowa's unusually harsh and confusing policies on voting rights for former offenders, which have changed three times over the last decade....

Sen. Elizabeth Warren raising money for New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

Sen. Elizabeth Warren raising money for New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

By Associated Press

03/20/14 12:01 PM

BOSTON (AP) — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is throwing her fundraising muscle behind fellow Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who's facing a challenge from former Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown as she seeks a second term in New Hampshire. Warren defeated Brown in a 2012 race that was the costliest in Massachusetts history. In a recent email, Warren thanked supporters for helping her raise...

Kansas plan to avoid Obamacare considered

Kansas plan to avoid Obamacare considered

By Associated Press

03/20/14 11:53 AM

The state House is preparing to debate whether Kansas should join a compact of states seeking to exempt themselves from the federal health care law. The bill on Thursday's agenda in the House would also let participating states remove themselves from other federal health regulations if Congress consents.

Rand Paul criticizes Obama, others on surveillance

Rand Paul criticizes Obama, others on surveillance

By Associated Press

03/20/14 11:34 AM

BERKELEY, Calif. -- In a university speech, Republican Sen. Rand Paul criticized President Obama and other government leaders over recent surveillance disclosures. "I find it ironic that the first African-American president has without compunction allowed this vast exercise of raw power by the NSA," said Paul on Wednesday, noting that other black heroes such as Martin Luther King Jr. were...

Unions, groups 'all-in' Illinois governor's race

Unions, groups 'all-in' Illinois governor's race

By Associated Press

03/20/14 11:09 AM

CHICAGO -- The candidates for Illinois governor laid out their vastly different visions Wednesday on how to revive the state's lagging economy, as national labor unions and other outside groups with much riding on the outcome began making their presence felt and promised to keep doing so through the November election. Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and wealthy Republican businessman Bruce Rauner won...

Texas GOP candidate Greg Abbott opposes easier equal pay suits

Texas GOP candidate Greg Abbott opposes easier equal pay suits

By Associated Press

03/20/14 10:58 AM

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott would not sign a measure to make it easier for women to bring pay discrimination lawsuits in state court, a spokesman said Wednesday in an apparent effort to get past an issue that has dogged the campaign for weeks. Abbott, the state's current attorney general, previously refused to take a position on the proposed law known...

Army general fined, reprimanded in sex case

Army general fined, reprimanded in sex case

By Associated Press

03/20/14 10:33 AM

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An Army general avoided jail time and was reprimanded and fined a total of $20,000 for inappropriate relationships with three subordinates in a closely watched court case. Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair smiled and hugged his two lawyers in the courtroom Thursday morning after the judge's sentencing. The final sentence could not exceed terms in a sealed agreement between defense...

Janet Yellen comes off as a monetary 'hawk' in first press conference at Federal Reserve

Janet Yellen comes off as a monetary 'hawk' in first press conference at Federal Reserve

By Joseph Lawler

03/19/14 06:46 PM

Janet Yellen sounded "hawkish" -- more inclined to raise rates and avoid inflation -- in her first press appearance as chairwoman of the Federal Reserve Wednesday. Or, at least, that was what investors took away from her comments. Stock markets fell after the Fed released its statement of monetary policy, and then fell again during the press conference, when Yellen suggested that the central...

Syria terror suspect seized in Detroit renews homegrown terror fears

Syria terror suspect seized in Detroit renews homegrown terror fears

03/19/14 05:30 PM

A Lebanese-American man nabbed in Detroit on charges that he was on his way to fight for Hezbollah and Syria is raising new concerns about trained jihadists hiding in the United States and the possibility they will turn their fire on America, according to officials and Hill leaders.

Federal Reserve continues the taper, abandons unemployment rate threshold

Federal Reserve continues the taper, abandons unemployment rate threshold

By Joseph Lawler

03/19/14 04:40 PM

The Federal Reserve revamped its stimulus program Wednesday in the first meeting run by new Chairwoman Janet Yellen, continuing the “taper” of its bond-buying program while abandoning a benchmark for its policy of zero-percent interest rates that had become obsolete. As expected, the central bank for the third meeting in a row reduced the size of its monthly bond purchases, from $65 billion to...

In one day, President Obama tackles multiple foreign policy tests

In one day, President Obama tackles multiple foreign policy tests

By Associated Press

03/18/14 10:18 AM

Seldom has one day captured the breadth, aspirations and limitations of American foreign policy. On Monday, President Obama imposed sanctions on members of officialdom in a resurgent Russia, tried his hand at an elusive Mideast peace deal and visited wounded soldiers at Walter Reed, a reminder of two wars ending under his watch.

On the media buffet, people still seek meaty news

On the media buffet, people still seek meaty news

By Associated Press

03/18/14 10:14 AM

Americans of all ages still pay heed to serious news even as they seek out the lighter stuff, choosing their own way across a media landscape that no longer relies on front pages and evening newscasts to dictate what's worth knowing, according to a new study from the Media Insight Project. The findings burst the myth of the media "bubble" — the idea that no one pays attention to anything beyond...

Illinois voters to pick GOP governor nominee

Illinois voters to pick GOP governor nominee

By Associated Press

03/18/14 09:46 AM

Illinois voters will choose a Republican on Tuesday to try to win back the governor's office in a race that already has drawn intense interest from labor unions worried that the leading candidate could weaken them in the same way GOP governors have in other states across the Midwest.

Jack Daniel's opposes changing Tennessee whiskey law

Jack Daniel's opposes changing Tennessee whiskey law

By Associated Press

03/17/14 10:15 AM

If it isn't fermented in Tennessee from mash of at least 51 percent corn, aged in new charred oak barrels, filtered through maple charcoal and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof, it isn't Tennessee whiskey. So says a year-old law that resembles almost to the letter the process used to make Jack Daniel's, the world's best-known Tennessee whiskey.

Leading GOP candidates in California are contrast in style, form

Leading GOP candidates in California are contrast in style, form

By Associated Press

03/17/14 10:14 AM

A conservative state assemblyman and gun rights enthusiast was the crowd favorite among the party faithful on Sunday as the Republican candidates seeking to challenge Gov. Jerry Brown for the governorship addressed delegates at the state party's convention in the San Francisco Bay Area and promised to get the government out of their way.

Arizona community college may freeze veteran enrollment

Arizona community college may freeze veteran enrollment

By Associated Press

03/17/14 10:14 AM

TUCSON, Ariz. — Pima Community College may have to halt enrollment for military veterans due to problems with its record-keeping systems. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs requested last week an examination of whether the college should continue serving veteran students, the Arizona Daily Star reported. The most recent audit shows PCC still is not complying with laws involving the use of...

White House backing off surgeon general, for now

White House backing off surgeon general, for now

By Associated Press

03/17/14 10:07 AM

The White House is backing off its push for quick confirmation of President Obama's pick to be surgeon general in the face of opposition from the National Rifle Association and concerns among Democrats up for re-election who don't want to take another tough vote on a controversial nominee.

Obama, Palestinian leader meet as peace deadline nears

Obama, Palestinian leader meet as peace deadline nears

By Associated Press

03/17/14 10:01 AM

A deadline fast approaching, President Obama is seeking to ease the logjam in elusive Mideast peace talks and keep Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from walking away, despite few signs that either Palestinians or Israelis are prepared to budge on key sticking points.

US lags as commercial drones take off around globe

US lags as commercial drones take off around globe

By Associated Press

03/17/14 10:00 AM

A small, four-rotor drone hovered over Washington Nationals players for a few days during spring training in Florida last month, taking publicity photos impossible for a human photographer to capture. But no one got the Federal Aviation Administration's permission first.

Groundbreaking set for physics research facility at Michigan State

Groundbreaking set for physics research facility at Michigan State

By Associated Press

03/17/14 09:38 AM

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A groundbreaking is scheduled for a $730 million physics research facility at Michigan State University. The school says an event celebrating the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams is planned for Monday morning on the university's East Lansing campus. U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan are among those expected to attend the event. The research facility...

App-based rideshares, taxis await Seattle vote

App-based rideshares, taxis await Seattle vote

By Associated Press

03/17/14 09:29 AM

SEATTLE (AP) — In a fight pitting upstart technology and traditional business, app-based ridesharing firms and taxi companies are dueling for supremacy in the Seattle market. But the next round will be shaped in part by the City Council, which is set to vote on ridesharing regulations Monday, and neither side is happy with the pending decision. At the heart of the debate are politicians...

Gov. Terry McAuliffe travels Virginia touting Medicaid expansion

Gov. Terry McAuliffe travels Virginia touting Medicaid expansion

By Associated Press

03/15/14 03:06 PM

In his first months on the job, Virginia Gov. Terry McAullife is trying to capitalize on Democrats' takeover of top state offices and the state Senate by pushing a key element of President Obama's health care law through a Republican-dominated House of Delegates.

Judge issues mixed ruling on Cape Wind project

Judge issues mixed ruling on Cape Wind project

By Associated Press

03/15/14 02:40 PM

A federal judge on Friday rejected several arguments brought by opponents of a proposed first-in-the-nation offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound but ordered the government to review claims that the Cape Wind project could pose risks to migratory birds and the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Connecticut utilities claim fraud in no-shut-off program

Connecticut utilities claim fraud in no-shut-off program

By Associated Press

03/15/14 02:05 PM

Municipal electric companies in Connecticut say a growing number of people are abusing a state law that protects those with serious or life-threatening illnesses from having their electricity shut off during the winter months because they can't afford to pay the bill.

U.S. goes high-tech to help oversee Afghan aid work

U.S. goes high-tech to help oversee Afghan aid work

By Associated Press

03/15/14 01:49 PM

Faced with the ongoing exit of American troops from Afghanistan, the top U.S. aid agency wants to step up its use of smartphones, satellite imagery and GPS cameras to oversee tax-funded development projects that aid workers no longer will be able to observe with their own eyes.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus: Primary changes will rebuild GOP

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus: Primary changes will rebuild GOP

By Associated Press

03/15/14 12:54 PM

Planned changes to the Republican Party's presidential selection process are part of a rebuilding process that will strengthen the GOP brand and hopefully make its presidential nominee more competitive in 2016, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told California Republicans on Friday, calling the GOP's current primary process "a complete disaster."

Kay Hagan presses Senate for climate action

Kay Hagan presses Senate for climate action

03/14/14 06:18 PM

Sen. Kay Hagan took to the Senate floor Thursday to call for congressional action on climate change. "This is a pressing problem that needs to be addressed and too often gets pushed to the backburner," the North Carolina Democrat said. The overture was of note because Hagan is in a tight re-election contest in a red-leaning state. She and other Democrats in a similar situation were absent from...

Harry Reid takes money from companies under investigation for bribery law violations

Harry Reid takes money from companies under investigation for bribery law violations

03/13/14 01:30 PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has received campaign contributions from people and political action committees linked to multiple companies suspected of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The FCPA "generally prohibits the payment of bribes to foreign officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business," according to the Securities and Exchange Commission....

Transgender troop ban faces scrutiny

Transgender troop ban faces scrutiny

By Associated Press

03/13/14 11:17 AM

An independent commission led by a former U.S. surgeon general has concluded there "is no compelling medical reason" for the U.S. armed forces to prohibit transgender Americans from serving and that President Obama could lift the decades-old ban without approval from Congress, according to a report being released Thursday.

California: Manager of Tim Donnelly's gubernatorial campaign departs

California: Manager of Tim Donnelly's gubernatorial campaign departs

By Associated Press

03/13/14 10:29 AM

The campaign manager for a Republican state lawmaker running for California governor announced that she had quit the campaign just days before the state Republican convention, although Assemblyman Tim Donnelly characterized the split as "a mutual thing," saying he was merely caught off guard by the timing.

My family's misadventures with Obamacare, continued

My family's misadventures with Obamacare, continued

By Michelle Malkin

03/12/14 01:26 PM

Back in September, our family received an Obamacare-induced health insurance death notice. We joined millions of other Americans whose individual market health plans died after Democrats lied about our ability to keep the plans and doctors we liked. President Obama tried to "fix" the mess he created. But as usual, the federal government's solutions have made things even worse.

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