Politics
Dems Propose Surcharge on Wealthy to Pay for Vets’ Benefits
WASHINGTON House Democrats are proposing a tax surcharge on millionaires to pay for a big increase in education benefits for veterans of the war in Iraq, lawmakers said Tuesday.
The plan, if accepted by rank-and-file Democrats, would clear the way for a vote Thursday on a long-stalled war funding bill that would pay for military and […]
Rep. Jefferson’s Bribery Trial Delayed Following Appeal
McLEAN, Va. The trial of a Louisiana congressman charged with bribery will be delayed so an appeals court can hear arguments on whether his status as a congressman protects him from prosecution.
The trial of Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat, had been scheduled to start next Monday. His defense attorneys filed an appeal Wednesday in U.
Baucus, Grassley Join Forces in Televangelist Spending Probe
DENVER The Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee has thrown his weight behind an investigation of allegedly lavish spending and lax oversight at a half-dozen “prosperity gospel” ministries.
Sen. Max Baucus of Montana joined with Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley in urging cooperation from four ministries.
Breyer, Court Master of the ‘What If?’
WASHINGTON The nine justices in black robes file into the Supreme Court consumed with thoughts about the great legal issues of the day. Only one of them is likely to ask questions involving raccoons, an unruly son, pet oysters or even the dreaded “tomato children.”
When Justice Stephen Breyer leans toward his microphone at the end […]
State Department Renews Blackwater Contract
WASHINGTON Amid investigations into fatal shootings of civilians and allegations of tax violations, Blackwater USA’s multimillion-dollar contract to protect diplomats in Baghdad has been renewed, the State Department said Friday.
A final decision about whether the private security company will keep the job is pending, the department said.
Air Force’s European Tanker Deal Irks Lawmakers
WASHINGTON Outrage is brewing in Congress as members take stock of a USD 40 000 000 contract awarded to Europe-based Northrop Grumman/EADS
by the U.S. Air Force to build a new generation of in-flight refueling tankers.
Lawmakers in the House and Senate are again raising the specter of foreign intervention in U.
Homebuilders, Loan Industry Would Win in Foreclosure Bill
WASHINGTON Homebuilders and the mortgage industry are emerging as big victors in a bipartisan agreement reached by Senate leaders on legislation designed to limit the housing crisis.
The USD 15 000 000 000 Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008, expected to be debated Thursday afternoon on the Senate floor, is drawing fire from critics who say it […]
Bush Admin. Targets 9 Nations for Copyright Problems
The administration on Friday placed the nine countries on a “priority watch list” that will subject them to extra scrutiny and could eventually lead to economic sanctions — if the administration decides to pursue complaints before the World Trade Organization.
In addition to China and Russia, the other seven countries targeted were Argentina, Chile, India, Israel, […]
Appeals Court: Gitmo Detainee Not Enemy Combatant
WASHINGTON A federal appeals court announced Monday that it has overturned the Pentagon’s classification of a Guantanamo Bay detainee as an enemy combatant.
In the first Guantanamo Bay case to be reviewed, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of Huzaifa Parhat, a Chinese Muslim known as a Uighur, […]
Bush: Retreat From Iraq Would Embolden Iran, Fund Terrorists
WASHINGTON Five months after launching the U.S. invasion of Iraq, President Bush is making some of his most expansive claims of success in the fighting there. Bush said last year’s troop buildup has turned Iraq around and produced “the first large-scale Arab uprising against Usama bin Laden.”
Massive anti-war demonstrations were planned in downtown Washington Wednesday […]
