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SZONE.US Forums http://www.szone.us/ We take photos, maintain websites, are active in community events, Kiwanis, and more at SZONE.US en Mon, 20 May 2013 07:32:01 GMT vBulletin 1 http://www.szone.us/images/misc/rss.jpg SZONE.US Forums http://www.szone.us/ <![CDATA[LAFD Supports "National EMS Week" May 19-25]]> http://www.szone.us/f79/lafd-supports-national-ems-week-may-19-25-a-91718/ Mon, 20 May 2013 04:50:33 GMT Many are surprised to learn the Los Angeles Fire Department commenced ambulance service in 1927. In the decades that have followed, the LAFD has remained a proud provider of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) across what is now a 470 square mile jurisdiction and home to nearly four million people that live, work and play in Los Angeles.

This year's theme, "EMS: One Mission. One Team", marks the 40th annual National Emergency Medical Services Week from May 19-25, 2013.This is not only an opportunity to affirm our long-standing commitment to EMS, but more importantly to applaud the less visible members of a national EMS system that seek to assure the comfort, recovery and survival of all who turn to them when afflicted with sudden illness or injury.

This week, we proudly recognize the around-the-clock devotion of 9-1-1 dispatchers, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, nurses, physicians, hospital technicians and support staff who work alongside us in a noble pursuit.

It is our hope that you will join us this week in reaching out to the providers of EMS in your community, not only to say thank you, but to allow them an ability to better understand your needs and concerns related to emergency health care.

Want to get involved?

Earlier this month your Los Angeles Firefighters instructed Hand's Only CPR to hundreds who visited seven LAFD Fire Stations. Due to the positive feedback from participants, the LAFD will host a free "Sidewalk CPR" event at various locations throughout Los Angeles on June 4th, 2013 where you will have an opportunity to practice this life saving skill on mannequins. We look forward to providing you with more details on this exciting upcoming event soon.
Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire DepartmentFollow @LAFD and @LAFDtalk on Twitter and find us on Facebook

More... ]]> Fire Departments LAFD http://www.szone.us/f79/lafd-supports-national-ems-week-may-19-25-a-91718/ Remarks by the President at Morehouse College Commencement Ceremony http://www.szone.us/f24/remarks-president-morehouse-college-commencement-ceremony-91717/ Mon, 20 May 2013 00:24:33 GMT 05.19.13 02:42 PM *Century Campus Morehouse College Atlanta, Georgia* 12:06 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Morehouse! (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. Please be seated. 05.19.13 02:42 PM

Century Campus
Morehouse College
Atlanta, Georgia

12:06 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Morehouse! (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. Please be seated.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love you!

THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Laughter.) That is why I am here.

I have to say that it is one of the great honors of my life to be able to address this gathering here today. I want to thank Dr. Wilson for his outstanding leadership, and the Board of Trustees. We have Congressman Cedric Richmond and Sanford Bishop -- both proud alumni of this school, as well as Congressman Hank Johnson. And one of my dear friends and a great inspiration to us all -- the great John Lewis is here. (Applause.) We have your outstanding Mayor, Mr. Kasim Reed, in the house. (Applause.)

To all the members of the Morehouse family. And most of all, congratulations to this distinguished group of Morehouse Men -- the Class of 2013. (Applause.)

I have to say that it’s a little hard to follow -- not Dr. Wilson, but a skinny guy with a funny name. (Laughter.) Betsegaw Tadele -- he’s going to be doing something.

I also have to say that you all are going to get wet. (Laughter.) And I'd be out there with you if I could. (Laughter.) But Secret Service gets nervous. (Laughter.) So I'm going to have to stay here, dry. (Laughter.) But know that I'm there with you in spirit. (Laughter.)

Some of you are graduating summa cum laude. (Applause.) Some of you are graduating magna cum laude. (Applause.) I know some of you are just graduating, “thank you, Lordy.” (Laughter and applause.) That's appropriate because it’s a Sunday. (Laughter.)

I see some moms and grandmas here, aunts, in their Sunday best -- although they are upset about their hair getting messed up. (Laughter.) Michelle would not be sitting in the rain. (Laughter.) She has taught me about hair. (Laughter.)

I want to congratulate all of you -- the parents, the grandparents, the brothers and sisters, the family and friends who supported these young men in so many ways. This is your day, as well. Just think about it -- your sons, your brothers, your nephews -- they spent the last four years far from home and close to Spelman, and yet they are still here today. (Applause.) So you’ve done something right. Graduates, give a big round of applause to your family for everything that they’ve done for you. (Applause.)

I know that some of you had to wait in long lines to get into today’s ceremony. And I would apologize, but it did not have anything to do with security. Those graduates just wanted you to know what it’s like to register for classes here. (Laughter and applause.) And this time of year brings a different kind of stress -- every senior stopping by Gloster Hall over the past week making sure your name was actually on the list of students who met all the graduation requirements. (Applause.) If it wasn't on the list, you had to figure out why. Was it that library book you lent to that trifling roommate who didn’t return it? (Laughter.) Was it Dr. Johnson’s policy class? (Applause.) Did you get enough Crown Forum credits? (Applause.)

On that last point, I’m going to exercise my power as President to declare this speech sufficient Crown Forum credits for any otherwise eligible student to graduate. That is my graduation gift to you. (Applause.) You have a special dispensation.

Now, graduates, I am humbled to stand here with all of you as an honorary Morehouse Man. (Applause.) I finally made it. (Laughter.) And as I do, I’m mindful of an old saying: “You can always tell a Morehouse Man -- (applause) -- but you can’t tell him much.” (Applause.) And that makes my task a little more difficult, I suppose. But I think it also reflects the sense of pride that’s always been part of this school’s tradition.

Benjamin Mays, who served as the president of Morehouse for almost 30 years, understood that tradition better than anybody. He said -- and I quote -- “It will not be sufficient for Morehouse College, for any college, for that matter, to produce clever graduates… but rather honest men, men who can be trusted in public and private life -- men who are sensitive to the wrongs, the sufferings, and the injustices of society and who are willing to accept responsibility for correcting [those] ills.”

It was that mission -- not just to educate men, but to cultivate good men, strong men, upright men -- that brought community leaders together just two years after the end of the Civil War. They assembled a list of 37 men, free blacks and freed slaves, who would make up the first prospective class of what later became Morehouse College. Most of those first students had a desire to become teachers and preachers -- to better themselves so they could help others do the same.

A century and a half later, times have changed. But the “Morehouse Mystique” still endures. Some of you probably came here from communities where everybody looked like you. Others may have come here in search of a community. And I suspect that some of you probably felt a little bit of culture shock the first time you came together as a class in King’s Chapel. All of a sudden, you weren’t the only high school sports captain, you weren’t the only student council president. You were suddenly in a group of high achievers, and that meant you were expected to do something more.

That’s the unique sense of purpose that this place has always infused -- the conviction that this is a training ground not only for individual success, but for leadership that can change the world.

Dr. King was just 15 years old when he enrolled here at Morehouse. He was an unknown, undersized, unassuming young freshman who lived at home with his parents. And I think it’s fair to say he wasn’t the coolest kid on campus -- for the suits he wore, his classmates called him “Tweed.” But his education at Morehouse helped to forge the intellect, the discipline, the compassion, the soul force that would transform America. It was here that he was introduced to the writings of Gandhi and Thoreau, and the theory of civil disobedience. It was here that professors encouraged him to look past the world as it was and fight for the world as it should be. And it was here, at Morehouse, as Dr. King later wrote, where “I realized that nobody…was afraid.”

Not even of some bad weather. I added on that part. (Laughter.) I know it’s wet out there. But Dr. Wilson told me you all had a choice and decided to do it out here anyway. (Applause.) That's a Morehouse Man talking.

Now, think about it. For black men in the ‘40s and the ‘50s, the threat of violence, the constant humiliations, large and small, the uncertainty that you could support a family, the gnawing doubts born of the Jim Crow culture that told you every day that somehow you were inferior, the temptation to shrink from the world, to accept your place, to avoid risks, to be afraid -- that temptation was necessarily strong.

And yet, here, under the tutelage of men like Dr. Mays, young Martin learned to be unafraid. And he, in turn, taught others to be unafraid. And over time, he taught a nation to be unafraid. And over the last 50 years, thanks to the moral force of Dr. King and a Moses generation that overcame their fear and their cynicism and their despair, barriers have come tumbling down, and new doors of opportunity have swung open, and laws and hearts and minds have been changed to the point where someone who looks just like you can somehow come to serve as President of these United States of America. (Applause.)

So the history we share should give you hope. The future we share should give you hope. You’re graduating into an improving job market. You’re living in a time when advances in technology and communication put the world at your fingertips. Your generation is uniquely poised for success unlike any generation of African Americans that came before it.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t have work -- because if we’re honest with ourselves, we know that too few of our brothers have the opportunities that you’ve had here at Morehouse. In troubled neighborhoods all across this country -- many of them heavily African American -- too few of our citizens have role models to guide them. Communities just a couple miles from my house in Chicago, communities just a couple miles from here -- they’re places where jobs are still too scarce and wages are still too low; where schools are underfunded and violence is pervasive; where too many of our men spend their youth not behind a desk in a classroom, but hanging out on the streets or brooding behind a jail cell.

My job, as President, is to advocate for policies that generate more opportunity for everybody -- policies that strengthen the middle class and give more people the chance to climb their way into the middle class. Policies that create more good jobs and reduce poverty, and educate more children, and give more families the security of health care, and protect more of our children from the horrors of gun violence. That's my job. Those are matters of public policy, and it is important for all of us -- black, white and brown -- to advocate for an America where everybody has got a fair shot in life. Not just some. Not just a few. (Applause.)

But along with collective responsibilities, we have individual responsibilities. There are some things, as black men, we can only do for ourselves. There are some things, as Morehouse Men, that you are obliged to do for those still left behind. As Morehouse Men, you now wield something even more powerful than the diploma you’re about to collect -- and that’s the power of your example.

So what I ask of you today is the same thing I ask of every graduating class I address: Use that power for something larger than yourself. Live up to President Mays’s challenge. Be “sensitive to the wrongs, the sufferings, and the injustices of society.” And be “willing to accept responsibility for correcting [those] ills.”

I know that some of you came to Morehouse from communities where life was about keeping your head down and looking out for yourself. Maybe you feel like you escaped, and now you can take your degree and get that fancy job and the nice house and the nice car -- and never look back. And don’t get me wrong -- with all those student loans you’ve had to take out, I know you’ve got to earn some money. With doors open to you that your parents and grandparents could not even imagine, no one expects you to take a vow of poverty. But I will say it betrays a poverty of ambition if all you think about is what goods you can buy instead of what good you can do. (Applause.)

So, yes, go get that law degree. But if you do, ask yourself if the only option is to defend the rich and the powerful, or if you can also find some time to defend the powerless. Sure, go get your MBA, or start that business. We need black businesses out there. But ask yourselves what broader purpose your business might serve, in putting people to work, or transforming a neighborhood. The most successful CEOs I know didn’t start out intent just on making money -- rather, they had a vision of how their product or service would change things, and the money followed. (Applause.)

Some of you may be headed to medical school to become doctors. But make sure you heal folks in underserved communities who really need it, too. For generations, certain groups in this country -- especially African Americans -- have been desperate in need of access to quality, affordable health care. And as a society, we’re finally beginning to change that. Those of you who are under the age of 26 already have the option to stay on your parent’s health care plan. But all of you are heading into an economy where many young people expect not only to have multiple jobs, but multiple careers.

So starting October 1st, because of the Affordable Care Act -- otherwise known as Obamacare -- (applause) -- you’ll be able to shop for a quality, affordable plan that’s yours and travels with you -- a plan that will insure not only your health, but your dreams if you are sick or get in an accident. But we're going to need some doctors to make sure it works, too. We've got to make sure everybody has good health in this country. It’s not just good for you, it’s good for this country. So you're going to have to spread the word to your fellow young people.

Which brings me to a second point: Just as Morehouse has taught you to expect more of yourselves, inspire those who look up to you to expect more of themselves. We know that too many young men in our community continue to make bad choices. And I have to say, growing up, I made quite a few myself. Sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another example of the world trying to keep a black man down. I had a tendency sometimes to make excuses for me not doing the right thing. But one of the things that all of you have learned over the last four years is there’s no longer any room for excuses. (Applause.)

I understand there’s a common fraternity creed here at Morehouse: “Excuses are tools of the incompetent used to build bridges to nowhere and monuments of nothingness.” Well, we’ve got no time for excuses. Not because the bitter legacy of slavery and segregation have vanished entirely; they have not. Not because racism and discrimination no longer exist; we know those are still out there. It’s just that in today’s hyperconnected, hypercompetitive world, with millions of young people from China and India and Brazil -- many of whom started with a whole lot less than all of you did -- all of them entering the global workforce alongside you, nobody is going to give you anything that you have not earned. (Applause.)

Nobody cares how tough your upbringing was. Nobody cares if you suffered some discrimination. And moreover, you have to remember that whatever you’ve gone through, it pales in comparison to the hardships previous generations endured -- and they overcame them. And if they overcame them, you can overcome them, too. (Applause.)

You now hail from a lineage and legacy of immeasurably strong men -- men who bore tremendous burdens and still laid the stones for the path on which we now walk. You wear the mantle of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, and Ralph Bunche and Langston Hughes, and George Washington Carver and Ralph Abernathy and Thurgood Marshall, and, yes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These men were many things to many people. And they knew full well the role that racism played in their lives. But when it came to their own accomplishments and sense of purpose, they had no time for excuses.

Every one of you have a grandma or an uncle or a parent who’s told you that at some point in life, as an African American, you have to work twice as hard as anyone else if you want to get by. I think President Mays put it even better: He said, “Whatever you do, strive to do it so well that no man living and no man dead, and no man yet to be born can do it any better.” (Applause.)

And I promise you, what was needed in Dr. Mays’s time, that spirit of excellence, and hard work, and dedication, and no excuses is needed now more than ever. If you think you can just get over in this economy just because you have a Morehouse degree, you’re in for a rude awakening. But if you stay hungry, if you keep hustling, if you keep on your grind and get other folks to do the same -- nobody can stop you. (Applause.)

And when I talk about pursuing excellence and setting an example, I’m not just talking about in your professional life. One of today’s graduates, Frederick Anderson -- where’s Frederick? Frederick, right here. (Applause.) I know it’s raining, but I'm going to tell about Frederick. Frederick started his college career in Ohio, only to find out that his high school sweetheart back in Georgia was pregnant. So he came back and enrolled in Morehouse to be closer to her. Pretty soon, helping raise a newborn and working night shifts became too much, so he started taking business classes at a technical college instead -- doing everything from delivering newspapers to buffing hospital floors to support his family.

And then he enrolled at Morehouse a second time. But even with a job, he couldn’t keep up with the cost of tuition. So after getting his degree from that technical school, this father of three decided to come back to Morehouse for a third time. (Applause.) As Frederick says, “God has a plan for my life, and He’s not done with me yet.”

And today, Frederick is a family man, and a working man, and a Morehouse Man. (Applause.) And that’s what I’m asking all of you to do: Keep setting an example for what it means to be a man. (Applause.) Be the best husband to your wife, or you’re your boyfriend, or your partner. Be the best father you can be to your children. Because nothing is more important.

I was raised by a heroic single mom, wonderful grandparents -- made incredible sacrifices for me. And I know there are moms and grandparents here today who did the same thing for all of you. But I sure wish I had had a father who was not only present, but involved. Didn’t know my dad. And so my whole life, I’ve tried to be for Michelle and my girls what my father was not for my mother and me. I want to break that cycle where a father is not at home -- (applause) -- where a father is not helping to raise that son or daughter. I want to be a better father, a better husband, a better man.

It’s hard work that demands your constant attention and frequent sacrifice. And I promise you, Michelle will tell you I’m not perfect. She’s got a long list of my imperfections. (Laughter.) Even now, I’m still practicing, I'm still learning, still getting corrected in terms of how to be a fine husband and a good father. But I will tell you this: Everything else is unfulfilled if we fail at family, if we fail at that responsibility. (Applause.)

I know that when I am on my deathbed someday, I will not be thinking about any particular legislation I passed; I will not be thinking about a policy I promoted; I will not be thinking about the speech I gave, I will not be thinking the Nobel Prize I received. I will be thinking about that walk I took with my daughters. I'll be thinking about a lazy afternoon with my wife. I'll be thinking about sitting around the dinner table and seeing them happy and healthy and knowing that they were loved. And I'll be thinking about whether I did right by all of them.

So be a good role model, set a good example for that young brother coming up. If you know somebody who’s not on point, go back and bring that brother along -- those who’ve been left behind, who haven’t had the same opportunities we have -- they need to hear from you. You’ve got to be engaged on the barbershops, on the basketball court, at church, spend time and energy and presence to give people opportunities and a chance. Pull them up, expose them, support their dreams. Don't put them down.

We’ve got to teach them just like what we have to learn, what it means to be a man -- to serve your city like Maynard Jackson; to shape the culture like Spike Lee; to be like Chester Davenport, one of the first people to integrate the University of Georgia Law School. When he got there, nobody would sit next to him in class. But Chester didn’t mind. Later on, he said, “It was the thing for me to do. Someone needed to be the first.” And today, Chester is here celebrating his 50th reunion. Where is Chester Davenport? He’s here. (Applause.)

So if you’ve had role models, fathers, brothers like that -- thank them today. And if you haven’t, commit yourself to being that man to somebody else.

And finally, as you do these things, do them not just for yourself, but don't even do them just for the African American community. I want you to set your sights higher. At the turn of the last century, W.E.B. DuBois spoke about the “talented tenth” -- a class of highly educated, socially conscious leaders in the black community. But it’s not just the African American community that needs you. The country needs you. The world needs you.

As Morehouse Men, many of you know what it’s like to be an outsider; know what it’s like to be marginalized; know what it’s like to feel the sting of discrimination. And that’s an experience that a lot of Americans share. Hispanic Americans know that feeling when somebody asks them where they come from or tell them to go back. Gay and lesbian Americans feel it when a stranger passes judgment on their parenting skills or the love that they share. Muslim Americans feel it when they’re stared at with suspicion because of their faith. Any woman who knows the injustice of earning less pay for doing the same work -- she knows what it’s like to be on the outside looking in.

So your experiences give you special insight that today’s leaders need. If you tap into that experience, it should endow you with empathy -- the understanding of what it’s like to walk in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, to know what it’s like when you're not born on 3rd base, thinking you hit a triple. It should give you the ability to connect. It should give you a sense of compassion and what it means to overcome barriers.

And I will tell you, Class of 2013, whatever success I have achieved, whatever positions of leadership I have held have depended less on Ivy League degrees or SAT scores or GPAs, and have instead been due to that sense of connection and empathy -- the special obligation I felt, as a black man like you, to help those who need it most, people who didn’t have the opportunities that I had -- because there but for the grace of God, go I -- I might have been in their shoes. I might have been in prison. I might have been unemployed. I might not have been able to support a family. And that motivates me. (Applause.)

So it’s up to you to widen your circle of concern -- to care about justice for everybody, white, black and brown. Everybody. Not just in your own community, but also across this country and around the world. To make sure everyone has a voice, and everybody gets a seat at the table; that everybody, no matter what you look like or where you come from, what your last name is -- it doesn’t matter, everybody gets a chance to walk through those doors of opportunity if they are willing to work hard enough.

When Leland Shelton was four years old -- where’s Leland? (Applause.) Stand up, Leland. When Leland Shelton was four years old, social services took him away from his mama, put him in the care of his grandparents. By age 14, he was in the foster care system. Three years after that, Leland enrolled in Morehouse. And today he is graduating Phi Beta Kappa on his way to Harvard Law School. (Applause.) But he’s not stopping there. As a member of the National Foster Care Youth and Alumni Policy Council, he plans to use his law degree to make sure kids like him don’t fall through the cracks. And it won’t matter whether they’re black kids or brown kids or white kids or Native American kids, because he’ll understand what they’re going through. And he'll be fighting for them. He'll be in their corner. That's leadership. That's a Morehouse Man right there. (Applause.)

That’s what we’ve come to expect from you, Morehouse -- a legacy of leaders -- not just in our black community, but for the entire American community. To recognize the burdens you carry with you, but to resist the temptation to use them as excuses. To transform the way we think about manhood, and set higher standards for ourselves and for others. To be successful, but also to understand that each of us has responsibilities not just to ourselves, but to one another and to future generations. Men who refuse to be afraid. Men who refuse to be afraid.

Members of the Class of 2013, you are heirs to a great legacy. You have within you that same courage and that same strength, the same resolve as the men who came before you. That’s what being a Morehouse Man is all about. That’s what being an American is all about.

Success may not come quickly or easily. But if you strive to do what’s right, if you work harder and dream bigger, if you set an example in your own lives and do your part to help meet the challenges of our time, then I’m confident that, together, we will continue the never-ending task of perfecting our union.

Congratulations, Class of 2013. God bless you. God bless Morehouse. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

END 12:39 P.M. EDT

White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/remarks-president-morehouse-college-commencement-ceremony-91717/ Cloakroom: May 20 – May 24 http://www.szone.us/f95/cloakroom-may-20-may-24-a-91716/ Sun, 19 May 2013 23:33:59 GMT On 05.19.13 11:30 AM posted by Josh Robbins *House Cloakroom: May 20 – May 24 * *Analysis: *This week, the House will take up the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and student loan rate reform. The Northern Route Approval Act does just what its name suggests—approves the Keystone pipeline. This pipeline will be source of jobs and energy for Americans, and approval is currently being held up by the Obama Administration. The Smarter Solutions for Students Act reforms the way the government charges interest on student loans. The current rate of 3.4 percent is going back up to 6.8 percent this summer. Instead of Congress picking an interest rate, this reform would tie the interest rate to the Treasury rate plus 2.5 percent, making it a variable rate. *Major Floor Action: * On 05.19.13 11:30 AM posted by Josh Robbins

House Cloakroom: May 20 – May 24

Analysis: This week, the House will take up the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and student loan rate reform. The Northern Route Approval Act does just what its name suggests—approves the Keystone pipeline. This pipeline will be source of jobs and energy for Americans, and approval is currently being held up by the Obama Administration. The Smarter Solutions for Students Act reforms the way the government charges interest on student loans. The current rate of 3.4 percent is going back up to 6.8 percent this summer. Instead of Congress picking an interest rate, this reform would tie the interest rate to the Treasury rate plus 2.5 percent, making it a variable rate.

Major Floor Action:

HR 3 – Northern Route Approval Act
HR 1911 – Smarter Solutions for Students Act

Major Committee Action:

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on the IRS scandal.
The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on immigration reform.
The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on Medicare reform.
The House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on the future of the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission.

Senate Cloakroom: May 20 – May 24

Analysis: This week, the Senate will consider S. 954. This nearly $1 trillion bill has initial 10-year cost estimates of $955 billion—80 percent of which is food stamps. The bill would lock in new entitlement programs with shallow loss crop insurance (ARC) and target price supports (AMP).

Major Floor Action:

S 954 – Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013

Major Committee Action:

The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on the IRS scandal.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to be Secretary of Transportation.

The post Cloakroom: May 20 – May 24 appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/19/...may-20-may-24/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/cloakroom-may-20-may-24-a-91716/ Washington Hits the $16.7 Trillion Debt Ceiling with $300 Billion in New Debt http://www.szone.us/f95/washington-hits-16-7-trillion-debt-ceiling-300-billion-new-debt-91715/ Sun, 19 May 2013 16:00:54 GMT On 05.19.13 01:30 AM posted by Romina Boccia Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/BL-debt-ceiling-2013-v3.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/BL-debt-ceiling-2013-v3.jpg) On May 19, the United States hit its debt ceiling after adding $300 billion in more debt since lawmakers suspended the ceiling in February. But the cash won’t run dry until at least Labor Day, according to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew (http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2013/05/10/treasurys-lew-pushes-debt-ceiling-fears-to-sept-but-tells-congress-to-hurry/), whose department can employ a variety of cash management tools to continue spending beyond the official debt deadline. Congress last hit the debt ceiling in January. The President and Congress then decided to “suspend” the debt limit through May 18. This is the first time that lawmakers adopted a debt ceiling date instead of a dollar amount. The Congressional Budget Office explains: On 05.19.13 01:30 AM posted by Romina Boccia

On May 19, the United States hit its debt ceiling after adding $300 billion in more debt since lawmakers suspended the ceiling in February.

But the cash won’t run dry until at least Labor Day, according to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, whose department can employ a variety of cash management tools to continue spending beyond the official debt deadline.

Congress last hit the debt ceiling in January. The President and Congress then decided to “suspend” the debt limit through May 18. This is the first time that lawmakers adopted a debt ceiling date instead of a dollar amount. The Congressional Budget Office explains:

On May 19, the debt limit will be raised to its previous value—$16.394 trillion—plus the amount of borrowing that occurred while the limit was suspended (that is, from early February to May 18).

In other words, the President and Congress decided in February that they would continue borrowing through May 18, with the new debt limit becoming the then-current limit of $16.394 trillion plus whatever was added on since then. Washington racked up $300 billion in more debt in less than four months, making the current limit $16.7 trillion.

This is the pattern of recurrent budget negotiation crises:

Spend;
Spend some more;
Run up against the debt ceiling;
Resort to “extraordinary measures” to ward off a possible default for a while; and finally,
Settle for inadequate measures that fail to curb soaring debt in the future.

We’ve entered stage 4, and hitting the debt ceiling should prod lawmakers to accelerate discussions over substantial spending reductions to improve the U.S. fiscal outlook. Despite lower deficits in the short term, the U.S. budget trajectory continues on a fiscal collision course as spending on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare is a ticking debt bomb. Stage 5 needs to become: Adopt substantial bipartisan policy reforms that significantly slow spending and put the budget on a path to balance in 10 years or less.

As the failed super committee negotiations (which resulted in the all-around-hated sequestration) demonstrated, lawmakers need to put in law real policy changes to the entitlement programs, and not push off tough decisions to a new committee that’s doomed to fail from the get-go. The threat of sequestration was not enough to gather lawmakers around bipartisan reforms. The savings and much more are necessary, though.

It’s overdue that lawmakers do their jobs and agree on a budget that focuses spending on federal priorities. The budget should fully fund national defense. It should reduce waste and duplication and eliminate inappropriate spending by privatizing functions better left to the private sector, leaving areas best managed on a more local level to states and localities. And it should make important changes to the entitlement programs so that they become more affordable and benefits are helping those with the greatest needs.

Our nation is on a dangerous fiscal course, and the debt ceiling is lawmakers’ opportunity to grab the oars and steer us out of the coming debt storm.

The post Washington Hits the $16.7 Trillion Debt Ceiling with $300 Billion in New Debt appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/19/...n-in-new-debt/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/washington-hits-16-7-trillion-debt-ceiling-300-billion-new-debt-91715/ Idaho’s Khan Academy Initiative: Embracing Educational Technology http://www.szone.us/f95/idaho-s-khan-academy-initiative-embracing-educational-technology-91714/ Sun, 19 May 2013 16:00:54 GMT On 05.19.13 04:00 AM posted by Brittany Corona Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/students-computers130516.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/students-computers130516.jpg)Newscom Today’s technology means that education can be tailored to the specific needs of each child. Idaho is leading the way in adopting these types of innovations with its statewide initiative to integrate Khan Academy videos into the classroom. (https://www.khanacademy.org/talks-and-interviews/other-features/v/khan-academy-in-idaho) The Khan Academy is an online-based learning tool that creates a self-paced environment. Students listen to lectures and engage in interactive activities geared toward content mastery—children must master concepts before moving on to future concepts. Students who have difficulty mastering a particular concept can re-watch lectures and move through content at a slower pace, and those who easily grasp a concept can move on quickly. On 05.19.13 04:00 AM posted by Brittany Corona

Newscom

Today’s technology means that education can be tailored to the specific needs of each child. Idaho is leading the way in adopting these types of innovations with its statewide initiative to integrate Khan Academy videos into the classroom.

The Khan Academy is an online-based learning tool that creates a self-paced environment. Students listen to lectures and engage in interactive activities geared toward content mastery—children must master concepts before moving on to future concepts. Students who have difficulty mastering a particular concept can re-watch lectures and move through content at a slower pace, and those who easily grasp a concept can move on quickly.

Khan Academy also uses a “flipped classroom” approach, which means students do homework in class, gaining from one-on-one guidance from the teacher, and watch lectures virtually at home.

Idaho has established the first statewide pilot of the Khan Academy. Thanks to donations from the J. A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation, nearly $1.5 million in grants will be awarded to 47 Idaho schools for technology, professional development, and research. With this private donation, 10,000 students in nearly four dozen schools across Idaho will be using the Khan Academy in the 2013–2014 school year.

The Khan Academy believes that the focus on mastery learning allows students to move at their own pace, creating ownership and responsibility in learning.

The Khan Academy began when Sal Khan, an MIT and Harvard graduate, began recording math lectures and delivering them to his cousin who was struggling with traditional learning techniques. He eventually began posting the lectures online—after getting over his initial concern that “YouTube is for cats playing pianos, not serious mathematics.”

But it soon became clear that it was more than just his cousins watching his videos on YouTube. As demand for the videos grew, Khan decided to create the nonprofit Khan Academy. Today, Khan Academy is used in 20,000 classrooms around the world. Over a billion exercises have been completed on the site.

“In a traditional classroom, you group kids by age,” Khan explained in March. “You push them through in a sort of assembly line, factory model.… At different points in time, usually state-mandated, you kind of try to apply information to them—some kids get the information, some kids don’t—and if a kid gets a ‘C’ on say, basic exponents…you move on to negative exponents or fractions or something more advanced, even though you know that they had weaknesses in something more basic.”

But the Khan Academy model changes all of that with competency-based, self-paced learning:

If you’re confused about something, if you want to review something…these videos are there for you.… The first time you learn something, it’s stressful to have someone say, “Do you understand this now?” Or a lot of times you might be in seventh or eighth or ninth grade, and you forgot some concept from fourth or fifth grade.… You can now review it at your own time and pace.

Idaho is embracing new technologies such as the Khan Academy, enabling parents to engage more with their children’s schoolwork and enabling teachers to work one-on-one with each individual student—where the student is in the learning process. In so doing, they’re moving away from the assembly-line model of education and toward more customized options for children in the state.

The post Idaho’s Khan Academy Initiative: Embracing Educational Technology appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/19/...al-technology/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/idaho-s-khan-academy-initiative-embracing-educational-technology-91714/ Don’t Hastily Change Military Justice Code http://www.szone.us/f95/don-t-hastily-change-military-justice-code-91713/ Sun, 19 May 2013 16:00:54 GMT On 05.19.13 08:00 AM posted by Genevieve Syverson

Andrew Burton/Reuters/Newscom

In light of a recently overturned guilty verdict in a sexual assault case, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has called on Congress to modify the military criminal justice system, specifically this authority to overturn a court-martial.

Appropriately, an independent review panel has been established to review the issue of sexual assault in the military. Congress should withhold any changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) until the panel releases its recommendations.

Article 60 of the UCMJ gives the adjudicating officer in a military case the authority to “approve, disapprove, commute, or suspend the sentence in whole or in part and may dismiss any charge or specification by setting aside a finding of guilty.” Hagel proposes “eliminating the discretion for a convening authority to change the findings of a court-martial, except for certain minor offenses that would not ordinarily warrant trial by court-martial.”

This, according to Heritage’s Cully Stimson and Steven Bucci, “could undermine the unique role given to the system’s convening authority” to ensure order and discipline in the armed forces.

The UCMJ does not and should not operate like the civilian criminal justice system. The civilian criminal justice system’s primary purpose is to protect the populace. The military justice system must do so while also supporting the unique military community and maintaining “good order and discipline within the armed forces,” explain Stimson and Bucci.

Just as there are wrongful convictions in civilian criminal courts, there are occasionally wrongful convictions in military courts. The power to overturn wrongful convictions helps to deliver justice in a swift manner that allows service members to return to duty. Stimson and Bucci continue, “Without the power granted by Article 60, a convening authority would have no choice but to force a wrongly convicted service member to endure the time and anxiety of the appeals process.”

However, transparency is an important part of any justice proceeding, which is why part of Secretary Hagel’s proposal, to require “a convening authority to explain in writing any changes made in court-martial sentences, as well as any changes in findings involving minor offenses,” should be strongly considered by Congress.

Congress should consider the unique role of the military justice system as well as the findings of the independent review panel before making hasty changes to a system that has served the military well for decades.

Genevieve Syverson is currently a member of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. For more information on interning at Heritage, pleaseclick here.

The post Don’t Hastily Change Military Justice Code appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/19/...-justice-code/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/don-t-hastily-change-military-justice-code-91713/ Top 5 Reports of the Week http://www.szone.us/f95/top-5-reports-week-91712/ Sun, 19 May 2013 00:59:04 GMT On 05.18.13 10:00 AM posted by Todd Thurman Image: http://links.heritage.org/cimages/b878bb3c4eae913925f7e2b8fca014f5/Top5.jpg *1.**The Ugly Facts About the Internet Sales Tax (http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/13/morning-bell-the-ugly-facts-about-the-internet-sales-tax/) *2.**Obamacare Is About Power (http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/16/morning-bell-obamacare-is-about-power/) *3.* The IRS Wants to Know If You’re a “Patriot” (http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/15/morning-bell-the-irs-wants-to-know-if-youre-a-patriot/) On 05.18.13 10:00 AM posted by Todd Thurman

1.*The Ugly Facts About the Internet Sales Tax

2.*Obamacare Is About Power

3. The IRS Wants to Know If You’re a “Patriot”

4. Looming Student Loan Interest Rate Hike: Prudent Next Steps

5. Serving Justice to Gosnell

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The post Top 5 Reports of the Week appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/18/...of-the-week-2/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/top-5-reports-week-91712/ Missouri: Self-Defense Bill Passes State House, Goes to Governor for his Signature http://www.szone.us/f81/missouri-self-defense-bill-passes-state-house-goes-governor-his-signature-91711/ Sun, 19 May 2013 00:59:04 GMT Posted: 05.17.13 10:00 AM Source: http://www.nraila.org/legislation/state-legislation/2013/5/missouri-self-defense-bill-passes-state-house,-goes-to-governor-for-his-signature.aspx Posted: 05.17.13 10:00 AM

Source: http://www.nraila.org/legislation/st...signature.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/missouri-self-defense-bill-passes-state-house-goes-governor-his-signature-91711/ Remarks by the First Lady at Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School Commencement http://www.szone.us/f24/remarks-first-lady-martin-luther-king-jr-magnet-high-school-commencement-91710/ Sun, 19 May 2013 00:59:04 GMT 05.18.13 04:34 PM

Tennessee State University Howard C. Gentry Complex
Nashville, Tennessee

1:24 P.M. CDT

MRS. OBAMA: Yes! (Applause.) Wow. Good afternoon, everyone! Yes. I am thrilled to be here. And go, Royals. You all are awesome. (Applause.) So proud of you. This is very touching. This is the only high school graduation I’m doing this year, and this is a special treat for me. (Applause.)

Let me start by thanking Mustapha for that very kind introduction -- and I would love to see his mom’s arms. (Laughter.) Where are they? Where is she? Oh, yes. Yes! (Laughter and applause.) I love that. And she’s showing them off, too. (Laughter.) Yes, indeed.

I also want to thank Dr. Turner for her leadership of this magnificent school. Absolutely. (Applause.) Especially for all the steps the school has taken to serve healthy food and to make sure you all -- yes, as Mustapha said -- get off the couch and move. (Laughter.) We are just pleased to see the wonderful example this school is setting for schools across the country, and you should be very proud of that.

I also want to recognize Congressman Cooper, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, President Glover from Tennessee State University. Thank you for hosting us here today. (Applause.) And all I can say about the MLK wind ensemble is, wow, you guys are really good. That was so good. Oh! (Applause.) Pose, all of you. Very good.

And of course, I just want to thank Rafat, Lauren and Busra for their wonderful remarks, great speeches. I will remember those speeches, so forget about your class. I will remember the valedictorian and salutatorian speeches here. (Laughter.) But congratulations on all your hard work.

And of course, I want to join in all of the thanks to the moms and the dads, and the brothers and sisters, and all the extended family members who are here with us today. You all have been there for these graduates every step of the way. And as a mom myself, I am not looking forward to this day. (Laughter.) I want to hold onto my babies as long as possible. So I know this is bittersweet, but thank you for loving these young people and encouraging them and keeping them in line. And so you all deserve, yes, another round of applause for the families. Indeed. (Applause.) Congratulations.

And most importantly, I want to congratulate these fine young men and women right in front of us: the MLK Class of 2013. Yes. Yes, indeed. (Applause.) You all look good, too. You look very good.

Now, it’s my understanding -- and one of the reasons why I wanted to come here is that I know that this is a very special school, and this is a wonderfully accomplished class, from your incredible band program to those three state track titles the girls won -- yes -- (applause) -- to all the volunteering you’ve done in your community to the three graduates who made the national semifinals in the Intel Science Talent Search. (Applause.) I could go on and on and on.

You all should be very proud of the great things that you have done in your lives so far. As a class, you have earned millions of dollars in college scholarships, and this fall you will be heading to schools all across this country -- UT, Vanderbilt, Columbia, Duke, Colorado, so many more.

So I think it is fair to say that you all have certainly lived up to your class slogan: “Act like a Royal, but think like a boss.” Yes. Yes. (Applause.)

And today, you become the latest in a long line of success stories that started here at MLK. Every single student in this class -- senior class has graduated. Every single one of you is going on to higher education or the military. So this school is truly the realization of the dream of educational empowerment for all, a dream that began 130 years ago, back when your Pearl building first opened its doors as a school for young African Americans.

And since that building became home to MLK, students from every background, every culture, every Zip Code throughout Nashville have walked through your halls each day to read and to write, and to think and to dream.

And I have to tell you, another reason why I wanted to come here is that all the things I’ve heard about this school, it is so familiar to me because I actually went to a school just like this one when I was your age. I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, and as I made my way through -- yes, South Side. (Laughter and applause.) South Side. South Side -- you can find them everywhere. (Laughter.)

But as I made my way through elementary school, because we didn’t have junior high, my number one goal was to go to a high school that would push me and challenge me. I wanted to go somewhere that would celebrate achievement; a place where academic success wouldn’t make me a target of teasing or bullying, but instead would be a badge of honor. And for me, Whitney Young Magnet High School was that place. And during my four years there, I made the most of all my experiences. I chose the classes that I thought would get me ahead. I signed up for every activity that I could fill up my applications with, and I focused my life around the singular goal of getting into the next school of my dreams, which was Princeton University. And I -- (applause) -- thank you.

But let me tell you, I still remember that time in my life so vividly, and you will, too. It seemed like every paper was life or death, every point on an exam was worth fighting for. Yes, a lot of head-shaking there, a lot of faculty. You’re sick of them lobbying you for some extra points, aren’t you? (Laughter.)

My whole identity was bound up in checking those boxes, winning every award I could. And I was good at it, too. (Laughter.) By the time I got to my high school graduation, I was at the top of my class, a member of the National Honor Society, student council treasurer, and my college dream had come true: I was heading to Princeton that fall. So I thought I had everything I needed to get ahead.

But graduates, I just want to share something with you that I learned. I learned that I had it all wrong. Yes. It wouldn’t be the first time. But everything I was so concerned about -- the grades, the test scores, the worries about which schools my friends were getting into -- all of that stuff was far less important than I’d always thought. Because when I got to college, it turned out that I needed an entirely new set of skills to earn my degree. Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that grades aren’t important. I’m just saying that they’re less important than what you learn and what you’re made of. And that’s what I want to talk with you about today. (Applause.)

Yes, I want to talk about what lies ahead for all of you and some of the things I wish I’d known when I was in your shoes. And the first thing I want to talk about is the importance of community.

Now, when I arrived at Princeton, the whole college experience was a mystery to me. I was sleeping in a room with strangers. And as I looked around at all the other students who had come from wealthy families and were third and fourth generation Princetonians, I didn’t always feel like I fit in. I was a little lonely at times, and so what I understood was that I needed to build a community of my own, right?

So I worked hard to make new friends in my classes and at the campus cultural center. I reached out to professors and administrators around campus. And soon enough, I had built a wonderful group of friends and supporters that became my family away from home, and I relied on that family probably as heavily as you rely on your family -- stopping by folks’ rooms when I was bored; calling up folks when I needed to vent; leaning on them when I was anxious, or down, or just plain tired. And what I know now is that I would not have made it through that college period without that group of people by my side.

So, graduates, first thing I want you to know, I want you to think about the importance of the community that you have here at MLK, because it seems like a very special bond that you all have. You’ve got your friends here at school. You’ve got great teachers. When you go home to your family, you’ve got parents and siblings who know you inside and out.

But just understand that when you get to college, that’s all gone. So you’re really going to have to work to recreate that community, that system of support, and you’re going to have to do it from the ground up. And there are so many ways to do that. You might try volunteering in a service group or joining a choir or a band. You might find your new community on your dorm floor or on an intramural soccer field.

It doesn’t matter where you find it, just be sure to find it. Because it is so much harder to get through college if you try to do this on your own, okay? And I know that some of you might be feeling a little anxious about that aspect of the college experience. Maybe you don’t know anybody at the school you’re heading to. Maybe you never felt like you quite fit in here at MLK. I don’t know.

But here is something that I want you to remember. The beautiful thing about college is that you get to start with a clean slate. And while it might take a little time, I guarantee you that you will find friends that will let you be the person you always wanted to be. You will find friends who will challenge you and inspire you, friends who will be there for you when something goes wrong -- because believe me, something inevitably will go wrong.

And that leads me to the second thing that I want to talk to you about, and that is failure. Yes, failure. It’s probably a concept that many of you aren’t very used to. I know I was like that. Or maybe you are, which is good. (Laughter.) Then you’re ready.

But when I got to college, that happened to me during my very first semester. I took a class on Greek mythology -- yes, Greek mythology -- that was way over my head. I found myself sitting in a lecture hall full of juniors and seniors -- how did I get there? -- struggling just to keep up, and by the time I took the midterm exam, all I could muster was a C -- and it was the very first C I’d ever gotten and I was devastated.

But instead of wilting, I found a way to fight through it: I poured my heart and soul into a paper. I spent a lot of time talking to the professor before and after class. And in the end, I ended up getting a good grade in that class. But what I learned was far more important than that letter grade from that experience. What I learned was that when something doesn’t go your way, you’ve just got to adjust. You’ve got to dig deep and work like crazy. And that’s when you’ll find out what you’re really made of, during those hard times.

But you can only do that if you’re willing to put yourself in a position where you might fail. And that’s why so often, failure is the key to success for so many great people. Take Steve Jobs, who was fired from Apple early in his career, and now his iPods and iPads and iPhones have revolutionized the entire world. Oprah was demoted from her first job as a news anchor, now she doesn’t even need a last name. (Laughter.) And then there’s this guy, Barack Obama, who lost -- (applause) -- I could take up a whole afternoon talking about his failures, but -- (laughter) -- he lost his first race for Congress, and now he gets to call himself my husband. (Laughter and applause.)

All jokes aside, the point is, is that resilience and grit, that ability to pick yourself up when you fall. Those are some of the most important skills you’ll need as you make your way through college and through life.

And here’s the thing, graduates: These qualities are not ones that you’re born with. They’re not like the color of your eyes or your height. They’re not qualities that are beyond your control. Instead, you can dictate whether you’ll have grit. You decide how hard you’ll work. So I want you to make those choices right now, today, if you haven’t already done so. Make those choices. I want you to tell yourself that no matter what challenges you face, that you will commit yourself to achieving your goals, no matter where life takes you.

And that brings me to my final point, and that’s finding your passion. And I’ll be honest. I didn’t find my passion until long after college; heck, until after law school. I mean, the truth is I spent -- still spent way too much of my time at Princeton continuing to chase grades and check boxes and climb higher and higher. I went on to law school, I did the same thing. By the time I was in my mid-20s, I had everything I was told I should want -– a fancy job at a prestigious law firm, a big office, a nice paycheck.

But on the inside, something was missing. And so after a few knocks, I finally asked myself some big questions -- simple questions: What did I want out of my life? What makes me happy? What do I care about? Yes, simple questions that I had never bothered to ask, too busy checking boxes. And soon, I realized that what I really wanted was pretty simple. I wanted to give back to the people around me, to the world around me. I wanted to live my life by the principle that to whom much is given, much is expected. (Applause.)

So for me, that led me to quit that fancy job, and since then I’ve dedicated my life to giving back. I’ve worked to train young people for careers in public service. I’ve started community outreach programs at a college and a hospital. And today, as First Lady, I’m working to honor our nation’s military families and help our children grow up healthy. But as I look back, I wish I’d asked myself what I really wanted when I was sitting right where you are.

So, graduates, my message to all of you today is this: Do not waste a minute living someone else’s dream. Each of us has unique gifts. (Applause.) But it takes a lot of work, a lot of real work to discover what brings you joy. It just doesn’t happen; it requires you spending some time. And you won’t find what you love simply by checking boxes or padding your GPA. You won’t figure it out only by listening to your guidance counselor, or your friends, or even your parents. You can only find your passion by looking inside yourself. And that’s hard work.

And if you don’t know what you want to do right now, that’s okay. In fact, that’s a good thing, because that means you just got the freedom to explore. So use it. I urge you to take classes in college like art history or astronomy or web design, something you’ve never tried before. And even if you feel like you do know what you want to do, the chances are you’re probably going to have a number of different careers throughout your life, just like me. Because the road to happiness is rarely a straight one -- just understand that. It rarely goes easily.

So I really want you guys to be curious, and take risks, and when you get stuck -- and you will; we all do, we still get stuck, right, parents? Still get stuck -- don’t be afraid to veer off course and take your life in another direction.

And when you get anxious -- and you will, because we still do, right, parents? -- (laughter) -- or have moments of doubt -- Amen -- (laughter) -- just remember this time, remember all of the things that you have already accomplished right here and now. You’ve got the tools for greatness right now. Think of all the challenges you have already overcome. Right here in front of us, we have students who have stood up to bullying. We have students who have dropped everything to help take care of ailing parents or grandparents. We have students right here who have overcome some of the most difficult family situations imaginable -- right here.

That’s the kind of grit and determination that defines all of you, each and every one of you. You all have worked so hard to make it to this day. And you have been so blessed. Understand how blessed you are to be at a place like MLK. Because unfortunately, schools like this don’t exist for every kid. You are blessed. (Applause.) A school that nurtures you and challenges you and inspires you, faculty who leave you with great stories and songs and poems for remembering math. (Laughter.)

But now we need you to make the most of these wonderful opportunities that you’ve been given, because it is not enough just to make it to college; we need you to complete college. We need you to finish hard and strong and be great leaders. (Applause.) That is your responsibility. That’s your next job. (Applause.)

And next year, you’re on your own in so many ways. No one is going to be checking on whether or not you make it to class. That’s over. No one is going to care if you cut corners on an assignment. No one is going to know whether you’re doing your absolute very best every single day. No one but you, that is. And that’s all that it takes: No one but you.

So you have to take charge of your lives right now. Today is the day. And I want you to start by figuring out how you’re going to create that new community for yourself. I want you to start with keeping that passion for learning burning strong. I want you to start with understanding that when challenges come your way, all you’ve got to do is dig deep like you’ve been doing, like you know how, and find a way to come out on the other end stronger.

As Dr. Martin Luther King himself once said, “You don’t get to the Promised Land without going through the Wilderness.” But, graduates, if you remember all of the wonderful lessons that you’ve learned here at MLK, if you keep acting like a Royal and thinking like a boss -- (applause) -- then believe me, I am confident that there is no promise you can’t realize and there is no telling how bright your futures will be.

So congratulations, again, graduates. We are all so proud of you. You have done it. Godspeed, we love you. Work hard. Stay true. God bless. (Applause.)

END 1:47 P.M. CDT

White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/remarks-first-lady-martin-luther-king-jr-magnet-high-school-commencement-91710/ If Obama Were a CEO, Government Would Hold Him Responsible for Scandals http://www.szone.us/f95/if-obama-were-ceo-government-would-hold-him-responsible-scandals-91709/ Sat, 18 May 2013 17:12:54 GMT On 05.18.13 04:00 AM posted by Daniel Dew Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/afplivefour966298.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/afplivefour966298.jpg)Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images Over the past week, the Obama Administration has been hit with scandal after scandal. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) apologized for targeting conservative organizations (http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/13/irs-gate/), the State Department covered up its reaction to Benghazi (http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/14/obama-dismisses-benghazi-investigations-as-side-show/), the Department of Justice (DOJ) secretly seized phone records of AP reporters (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/under-sweeping-subpoenas-justice-department-obtained-ap-phone-records-in-leak-investigation/2013/05/13/11d1bb82-bc11-11e2-89c9-3be8095fe767_print.html), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asked health industry officials for contributions to implement... On 05.18.13 04:00 AM posted by Daniel Dew

Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Over the past week, the Obama Administration has been hit with scandal after scandal. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) apologized for targeting conservative organizations, the State Department covered up its reaction to Benghazi, the Department of Justice (DOJ) secretly seized phone records of AP reporters, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asked health industry officials for contributions to implement the Affordable Care Act.

With these scandals arising, the question becomes, “Is President Obama responsible?” As of right now, there has been no link identified between the White House and these situations, nor is there evidence that Obama had any direct knowledge of the alleged wrongdoing. Does this mean that he is not responsible?

Nobody is remotely suggesting that, absent his direct involvement, the President should be prosecuted for the misdeeds of those who work in the executive branch. It is interesting to note, however — by way of analogy only — that under the DOJ’s standard of “responsibility,” if President Obama were the head of a corporation, he would be responsible and could be prosecuted.

The Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine allows federal prosecutors to criminally prosecute business owners and officers for the criminal activity of their businesses, regardless of whether they had knowledge of the illegal activity. The only requirement for criminal liability is “some relationship between the executive’s supervisory responsibilities and the underlying misconduct.” Put another way, in order to obtain a conviction, the government need only prove (1) illegal conduct occurred, and (2) the corporate officer had authority to exercise control over the activity.

The DOJ has used the Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine to make criminals out of many well-meaning business people. In United States v. Park, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prosecuted the president of a corporation under the theory that his subordinates committed violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that the president had the ability to prevent or correct. Park, the company president, had delegated responsibility to correct the violations to one of his employees, who, regrettably for Park, did not follow through on his responsibilities. Park was convicted for FDA violations that he did not commit, order committed, or conspire to commit.

Just to be clear, there is no evidence in the recent Obama Administration scandals that criminal behavior took place, but the executive branch should stick to one definition of “responsible.” The DOJ definition of “responsible” is especially troubling in the context of a criminal prosecution where a person’s individual liberty is at stake—not just news stories that make the President look bad.

As Paul J. Larkin Jr. has written:

The point is not that courts should be eager to hold senior federal officials vicariously liable for the criminal actions of subordinates.… Courts should refuse to adopt novel readings of criminal statutes which expand criminal liability to reach conduct that they find immoral or unethical and that they fear otherwise will go unpunished. Courts might be willing to hesitate before expanding the breadth of federal criminal laws, and to force Congress to define crimes with precision and specificity, if they looked at the issue from the perspective of the government officials’ own liability. After all, sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.

The Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine turns our notion of fairness on its head. People should be liable for crimes they commit—not crimes committed by others without their knowledge. The Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine and thousands of criminal statutes and regulations are turning ordinary citizens into criminals.

If the President is not responsible for the wrongdoings of executive branch employees because the federal government is “too vast” for him to know everything that goes on in the various agencies, business owners and officers should be afforded the same excuse in criminal prosecutions.

The post If Obama Were a CEO, Government Would Hold Him Responsible for Scandals appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/18/...-for-scandals/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/if-obama-were-ceo-government-would-hold-him-responsible-scandals-91709/ This Week’s Reasons to Repeal Obamacare http://www.szone.us/f95/week-s-reasons-repeal-obamacare-91708/ Sat, 18 May 2013 17:12:54 GMT On 05.18.13 08:00 AM posted by Alyene Senger Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/5978771497_04a35c5fcc_z.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/5978771497_04a35c5fcc_z.jpg)Newscom It has been over three years since Obamacare became law. This week, the House voted again to completely repeal it. There are plenty of reasons to repeal Obamacare, especially before its most egregious provisions begin next year, and just this week a few more were added to the list: On 05.18.13 08:00 AM posted by Alyene Senger

Newscom

It has been over three years since Obamacare became law. This week, the House voted again to completely repeal it.

There are plenty of reasons to repeal Obamacare, especially before its most egregious provisions begin next year, and just this week a few more were added to the list:

Small businesses really don’t like it. A Gallup poll showed that 48 percent of small business owners surveyed expect Obamacare to have a negative impact on their business, with only 9 percent expecting it to be good for business. Worse, a majority of respondents expect their health care quality to decrease and their costs to increase. The opinion of small businesses matters greatly, because as the White House website states, “[s]mall businesses are the engines of job creation and essential to strengthening our national economy.”
Huge premium increases projected. The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Monday released a report that cites analyses from the nation’s largest insurance companies showing significant premium increases for those who purchase coverage in the individual market and small group market next year. The report reveals, “One national insurer predicts a 96 percent average increase for new customers in the individual market; another predicts that small businesses in ‘nearly all states will see premium increases’ in the small group market.”
Parts of the law are already failing. Enrollment in Obamacare’s Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) remains at less than 30 percent of original projections, but costs for this population have been 2.5 times greater than the Administration anticipated. Because the PCIP program was allotted only $5 billion, the excessive costs have caused enrollment to be suspended for both federal and state-based PCIPs, not allowing any new enrollees to gain coverage. As funding continues to dwindle, the Administration has recently proposed a new contract with state-run plans, asking them to put a ceiling on their costs for the remainder of the year. As for now, it is unclear what will happen to the state-run plans.
Unrealistic funding promises. One of two primary ways Obamacare expands insurance coverage is through the failing Medicaid program. The federal government fully funds Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion for three years and at least 90 percent of the cost thereafter, costing the federal government $710 billion from 2014 to 2023. But as fiscal pressure from the nation’s budget deficits and $16 trillion in debt builds in Washington, those funding promises are unlikely to hold. This week, Republican Senators introduced a bill (similar to one introduced by Representative Matt Salmon [R–AZ] in the House) that would repeal Obamacare’s enhanced funding for Medicaid expansion. As Senator Tom Coburn (R–OK) said, “This bill sends a basic message to governors and state legislatures considering expansion: don’t count on the enhanced federal funding for Medicaid expansions, because Congress has overpromised what it cannot deliver. Realistically, the funding will not be there and the check will bounce.”

The post This Week’s Reasons to Repeal Obamacare appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/18/...eal-obamacare/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/week-s-reasons-repeal-obamacare-91708/ Kansas: Bill to Prevent Taxpayer Dollars from Funding Gun Control Advocacy Sent to St http://www.szone.us/f81/kansas-bill-prevent-taxpayer-dollars-funding-gun-control-advocacy-sent-st-91707/ Sat, 18 May 2013 17:12:54 GMT Posted: 05.18.13 04:00 AM As the state legislature’s veto session comes to a close, a vital pro-gun reform passed in the Kansas Senate yesterday by a 31 to 6 vote. House Bill 2162, which was recently amended to include the language in the NRA-supported Senate Bill 45, will now go to the state House of Representatives for a final vote which could be held as early as this Monday. Source: http://www.nraila.org/legislation/state-legislation/2013/5/kansas-bill-to-prevent-taxpayer-dollars-from-funding-gun-control-advocacy-sent-to-state-house-for-final-approval.aspx Posted: 05.18.13 04:00 AM

As the state legislature’s veto session comes to a close, a vital pro-gun reform passed in the Kansas Senate yesterday by a 31 to 6 vote. House Bill 2162, which was recently amended to include the language in the NRA-supported Senate Bill 45, will now go to the state House of Representatives for a final vote which could be held as early as this Monday.

Source: http://www.nraila.org/legislation/st...-approval.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/kansas-bill-prevent-taxpayer-dollars-funding-gun-control-advocacy-sent-st-91707/ Obama’s ‘Rain’ Of Terror http://www.szone.us/f86/obama-s-rain-terror-91706/ Sat, 18 May 2013 11:04:20 GMT 05.17.13 09:01 PM

Obama lays down the law. Sorry conservatives, but you brought this on yourselves. And Pelosi suffers the side effects. All this — plus — it’s curtains for Kermit. Presented in 1080 hi-def, FOR FREE!* It’s The Great Eight, from the Personal Liberty Digest™!

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...ain-of-terror/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/obama-s-rain-terror-91706/ Weekly Address: The President Talks About How to Build a Rising, Thriving Middle Clas http://www.szone.us/f24/weekly-address-president-talks-about-how-build-rising-thriving-middle-clas-91705/ Sat, 18 May 2013 11:04:20 GMT 05.18.13 02:00 AM

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama talked about his belief that a rising, thriving middle class is the true engine of economic growth, and that to reignite that engine and continue to build on the progress we’ve made over the last four years, we need to invest in three areas: jobs, skills and opportunity.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, May 18, 2013

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
The White House
May 17, 2013

Hi, everybody. Over the past few months, I’ve laid out a series of commonsense ideas to reignite the true engine of our economic growth: a rising, thriving middle class.

The way I see it, there are three areas where we need to focus. One: making America a magnet for good jobs. Two: making sure our workers have the education and skills they need to do those jobs. And three: making sure your hard work leads to a decent living.

I’ve also been visiting cities across the country that are doing some interesting and creative things along these lines.

On Friday, I stopped by a factory in Baltimore that’s creating good jobs here at home by exporting digging equipment abroad.

I read with young kids in a pre-K program, where kids are getting a head start learning the skills they’ll need to succeed in life.

And I stopped by a program that’s helping folks in tough circumstances – especially low-income dads – get the training and guidance they need to find work and support their families.

That’s why I like getting out of the Washington echo chamber whenever I can – because too often, our politics aren’t focused on the same things you are. Working hard. Supporting your family and your community. Making sure your kids have every chance in life.

More than anything, the American people make me optimistic about where we’re headed as a nation. Especially after all we’ve been through the past several years. And that should encourage us to work even harder on the issues that matter to you.

In a little over three years, our businesses have created more than 6.5 million new jobs. And while our unemployment rate is still too high, it’s the lowest it’s been since 2008. But now we need to create even more good, middle-class jobs, and we need to do it faster.

Corporate profits have skyrocketed to all-time highs. But now we need to get middle-class wages and incomes rising too.

Our housing market is healing. But we still need to help a lot more families stay in their homes, or refinance to take advantage of historically low rates.

And our deficits are shrinking at the fastest rate in decades. But now we need to budget in a smarter way that doesn’t hurt middle-class families or harm critical investments in our future.

So in a lot of sectors, things are looking up. The American auto industry is thriving. American energy is booming. And American ingenuity in our tech sector has the potential to change the way we do almost everything.

In the coming weeks, I’m going to visit more cities like Baltimore, and Austin, Texas – where I was two weeks ago; places where Americans are coming together to strengthen their own communities and economies – and in the process, making this country better for all of us.

And I’m going to keep trying to work with both parties in Washington to make progress on your priorities. Because I know that if we come together around creating more jobs, educating more of our kids, and building new ladders of opportunity for everyone who’s willing to climb them – we’ll all prosper, together.

Thanks. And have a great weekend.

White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/weekly-address-president-talks-about-how-build-rising-thriving-middle-clas-91705/ Obama Budget: CBO Shows $1 Trillion Tax Hike, Fake Spending Cuts http://www.szone.us/f95/obama-budget-cbo-shows-1-trillion-tax-hike-fake-spending-cuts-91704/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT On 05.17.13 01:35 PM posted by Romina Boccia The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) official score (http://www.cbo.gov/publication/44173) of President Obama’s budget shows in numbers a vision for economic decline in America (http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/05/president-obamas-2014-budget-a-second-term-vision-for-economic-decline). The President imposes a tax increase totaling $1.1 trillion (and a net increase of about $1 trillion (http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/05/net-tax-increase-in-obamas-budget-over-1-trillion)), some components of which would directly hit middle-class and lower-income Americans. On the spending side, the President would cancel sequestration and claims to offset the $1.1 trillion spending increase with equal spending reductions for a zero-spending effect. What this means in reality is that Americans would be left with a $1.1 trillion tax hike and $0 in additional spending reductions. This defines the President’s “balanced... On 05.17.13 01:35 PM posted by Romina Boccia

The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) official score of President Obama’s budget shows in numbers a vision for economic decline in America. The President imposes a tax increase totaling $1.1 trillion (and a net increase of about $1 trillion), some components of which would directly hit middle-class and lower-income Americans.

On the spending side, the President would cancel sequestration and claims to offset the $1.1 trillion spending increase with equal spending reductions for a zero-spending effect. What this means in reality is that Americans would be left with a $1.1 trillion tax hike and $0 in additional spending reductions. This defines the President’s “balanced approach.”

But it gets even worse. The President’s largest budget savings are fake!

$601 billion in fake war savings. The President employs an old budget gimmick, claiming savings from a troop drawdown in Afghanistan and related spending on overseas contingency operations. These are only phantom war savings, as it would save money Congress did not intend to spend in the first place.
$290 billion in fake emergency savings. Unless the President has the ultimate crystal ball predicting that there will be no hurricanes, floods, or other emergencies for which Congress will appropriate funding over the next 10 years, these savings are completely unrealistic. In 2013 alone, the President and Congress allocated over $40 billion in funding for Hurricane Sandy, even though much of the funding had nothing to do with the damage done by the storm. And of course this spending allowed lawmakers to bypass the Budget Control Act caps.

In the big picture, the CBO shows the President’s budget would do the following:

Increase spending immediately by $26 billion in 2013 and by a whopping $142 billion in 2014, for a total spending increase of nearly $170 billion by next year alone.
Increase the deficit by more than $200 billion in less than 3 years (2013 through 2015).
If one buys the President’s fake savings, he would still rack up a total deficit of $5.2 trillion in just 10 years, $1.1 trillion less than the CBO’s most recent baseline projects. That’s the same amount as the President’s tax increase. Very clearly, the President would impose real tax hikes, but mostly fake spending cuts. His actual deficit at the end of the period would most likely be higher—but what does he care? His term will be long over.

America’s budget is on a fiscal collision course that requires courageous leadership to pursue reforms to those programs causing the greatest fiscal strain: entitlements. Instead, the President has decided to kick off his second-term with a budget that’s deeply partisan, and proposes a vision for economic decline.

More details on what’s in the President’s Budget:

What policies are in the budget? Read: President Obama’s 2014 Budget: A Second-Term Vision for Economic Decline.
What taxes would the President raise and which would affect me? Read: Net Tax Increase in Obama’s Budget Over $1 Trillion.
How would Obama’s IRA Cap affect retirement savings? Obama’s IRA Cap: A Cap on Defined-Contribution Retirement Savings Plans.
Obama’s Fake Budget Marketing Exposed: Morning Bell: Obama’s Fake Budget Marketing Exposed.

The post Obama Budget: CBO Shows $1 Trillion Tax Hike, Fake Spending Cuts appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/17/...spending-cuts/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/obama-budget-cbo-shows-1-trillion-tax-hike-fake-spending-cuts-91704/ Obama’s “Lead from Behind” Efforts in Syria are Failing http://www.szone.us/f95/obama-s-lead-behind-efforts-syria-failing-91703/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT On 05.17.13 02:30 PM posted by Emil Maine Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Syrian-Flag130411.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Syrian-Flag130411.jpg)Massimo Pizzotti Stock Connection Worldwide/Newscom On Wednesday the United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution condemning the Syrian government’s forces while praising the opposition. Although the resolution passed (http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/un-urges-support-for-syria-opposition-russia-opposed-1.524155), the non-binding text received less support than last year’s resolution condemning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. With support for Syria’s rebels waning, it is clear that the Obama Administration’s “lead from behind” efforts have left the Syrian opposition behind (http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/05/syria-crisis-us-leadership-needed-to-coordinate-allies). When Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets... On 05.17.13 02:30 PM posted by Emil Maine

Massimo Pizzotti Stock Connection Worldwide/Newscom

On Wednesday the United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution condemning the Syrian government’s forces while praising the opposition. Although the resolution passed, the non-binding text received less support than last year’s resolution condemning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. With support for Syria’s rebels waning, it is clear that the Obama Administration’s “lead from behind” efforts have left the Syrian opposition behind.

When Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with President Obama at the White House on Thursday, he must be asking himself: What is Obama’s Syria policy? It is difficult to decipher, given the President’s various statements. But as Heritage’s Kim Holmes explains, unraveling the mystery of Obama’s Syria policy—in Sherlock Holmes’s famous words—is “elementary.”

Back in August 2011, Obama said the “time has come for [Mr. Assad] to step aside.” One year later, he declared, “We have been very clear to the Assad regime that a red line for us is [if] we start seeing a whole bunch of [chemical] weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my equation.”

More recently, Obama appeased the Russians by agreeing to another regional conference on Syria. Rather than leading to a peaceful settlement, it is more likely that another conference will simply prolong the brutal violence that has engulfed the nation and claimed already 80,000lives.

Simply put, Obama’s policy is muddled because he does not know what to do—he knows only that he does not want responsibility if things get worse. He seems to want to have his cake and eat it too.

But if Obama hopes to achieve a stable—nonsectarian—tolerant Syria, doing nothing is not an option.

The post Obama’s “Lead from Behind” Efforts in Syria are Failing appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/17/...a-are-failing/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/obama-s-lead-behind-efforts-syria-failing-91703/ Country Star Kevin Fowler is an NRA Supporter http://www.szone.us/f81/country-star-kevin-fowler-nra-supporter-91702/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT Posted: 05.16.13 04:00 PM

Rising country music star Kevin Fowler was the opening act for the "NRA Country Jam" at this year's NRA Annual Meetings in Houston.* Fowler is an unabashed supporter of NRA and the Second Amendment, and he'll gladly let you know that, graphically and in no uncertain terms.* Fowler recently weighed in on the gun control debate during an exclusive interview with TheBlaze.

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/ar...supporter.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/country-star-kevin-fowler-nra-supporter-91702/ Outrage of the Week http://www.szone.us/f81/outrage-week-91701/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT Posted: 05.16.13 04:00 PM

In March, we reported on the outrageous case of a seven-year-old Baltimore, Md. student who, according to a Daily Caller article, was suspended for two days for the "horrendous" act of shaping a breakfast pastry into what his teacher thought looked like a gun.

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/ar...-17,-2013.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/outrage-week-91701/ NRA Succeeds Because of its Human Resources http://www.szone.us/f81/nra-succeeds-because-its-human-resources-91700/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT Posted: 05.16.13 04:00 PM

Far too many ignorant and politically motivated observers wrongly attribute NRA's recent victories in Congress, as well as our past successes, to NRA's perceived financial might (which is dwarfed by that of billionaire anti-gun zealots like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg).* Of course, financial resources, when spent wisely, are certainly crucial to any organization's success.* However, what makes NRA successful is our extraordinary grassroots efforts--and more specifically, those of our members and volunteers who typically make the difference between legislative success or failure through their continued activism.

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/ar...resources.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/nra-succeeds-because-its-human-resources-91700/ Confiscate! Confiscate! Confiscate! http://www.szone.us/f81/confiscate-confiscate-confiscate-91699/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT Posted: 05.16.13 04:00 PM

Hell hath no fury like an anti-gunner who doesn't get her way on gun control.

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/ar...nfiscate!.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/confiscate-confiscate-confiscate-91699/ NRA Supports Lawsuit Against Gun Control in Colorado http://www.szone.us/f81/nra-supports-lawsuit-against-gun-control-colorado-91698/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT Posted: 05.16.13 04:00 PM

The NRA is proud to support a lawsuit filed today in federal court by 54 Colorado county sheriffs, the firearms industry trade association, several firearms retailers, individuals with disabilities and other parties, which challenges the State of Colorado's recently enacted gun control laws.

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/ar...-colorado.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/nra-supports-lawsuit-against-gun-control-colorado-91698/ <![CDATA[Obama Administration to Sign U.N. Arms Trade Treaty "In the Very Near Future"]]> http://www.szone.us/f81/obama-administration-sign-u-n-arms-trade-treaty-very-near-future-91697/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT Posted: 05.16.13 04:00 PM As we reported last month, on April 2, the United Nations General Assembly voted 153-4 to pass the Arms Trade Treaty, with the United States voting in favor and several countries abstaining. The vote in the General Assembly pushed the treaty process forward after negotiations twice failed to deliver on the goal of developing the treaty by consensus. The Obama Administration is expected to sign the treaty soon after it is opened for signature on June 3.* Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/articles/2013/4/obama-administration-to-sign-un-arms-trade-treaty-in-the-very-near-future.aspx Posted: 05.16.13 04:00 PM

As we reported last month, on April 2, the United Nations General Assembly voted 153-4 to pass the Arms Trade Treaty, with the United States voting in favor and several countries abstaining. The vote in the General Assembly pushed the treaty process forward after negotiations twice failed to deliver on the goal of developing the treaty by consensus. The Obama Administration is expected to sign the treaty soon after it is opened for signature on June 3.*

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/ar...ar-future.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/obama-administration-sign-u-n-arms-trade-treaty-very-near-future-91697/ New Jersey: Gun Control Package Advancing in Trenton http://www.szone.us/f81/new-jersey-gun-control-package-advancing-trenton-91696/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT Posted: 05.17.13 08:00 AM The state Senate approved several gun control measures on Monday, May 13, and the New Jersey Assembly has placed them on their calendar for consideration this Monday, May 20 at 1:00 pm.* The Assembly floor agenda is subject to change.* The remaining bills passed in the Senate on May 13 may require action in Assembly committees before they can be taken up on the Assembly floor.* As of today, the Assembly is currently scheduled to consider the following bills, among others: Source: http://www.nraila.org/legislation/state-legislation/2013/5/new-jersey-gun-control-package-advancing-in-trenton.aspx Posted: 05.17.13 08:00 AM

The state Senate approved several gun control measures on Monday, May 13, and the New Jersey Assembly has placed them on their calendar for consideration this Monday, May 20 at 1:00 pm.* The Assembly floor agenda is subject to change.* The remaining bills passed in the Senate on May 13 may require action in Assembly committees before they can be taken up on the Assembly floor.* As of today, the Assembly is currently scheduled to consider the following bills, among others:

Source: http://www.nraila.org/legislation/st...n-trenton.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/new-jersey-gun-control-package-advancing-trenton-91696/ Grassroots Alert: Vol. 20, No. 20 05/17/2013 http://www.szone.us/f81/grassroots-alert-vol-20-no-20-05-17-2013-a-91695/ Sat, 18 May 2013 04:43:49 GMT Posted: 05.17.13 11:36 AM Source: http://www.nraila.org/get-involved-locally/grassroots/grassroots-alerts/2013/vol-20,-no-20-05172013.aspx Posted: 05.17.13 11:36 AM

Source: http://www.nraila.org/get-involved-l...-05172013.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/grassroots-alert-vol-20-no-20-05-17-2013-a-91695/ Watchdog: Justice Department Let Ex-Terrorists Fly Over U.S. http://www.szone.us/f86/watchdog-justice-department-let-ex-terrorists-fly-over-u-s-91694/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 09:26 AM

WASHINGTON, (UPI) — Terrorists were able to take U.S. commercial flights because the Justice Department didn’t share they were in the witness protection program, a watchdog said.

In addition, the U.S. Marshals Service, which handles the relocation of witnesses through the program, lost track of two former terrorists last July, a public summary of the classified report by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said.

The public summary can be found online at tinyurl.com/Inspector-General.

The Justice Department told the inspector general’s independent investigators the number of known or suspected terrorists in the program amounted to less than 1 percent of the 18,300 people who have participated in the program since its inception 42 years ago, the 17-page summary said.

It said just two individuals had been terrorists over the past six years, the report summary said.

But “we found that the department did not definitively know how many known or suspected terrorists” were admitted into the program — and even if the number amounted less than 1 percent, that number, while small, is “significant,” the report said.

One percent of 18,300 is 183.

The Witness Security Program currently has about 700 active participants. Most were involved in organized crime, violent gangs or drug trafficking, the Justice Department said.

The watchdog report found “significant deficiencies” in the department’s overall handling of known or suspected terrorists admitted into the program.

Specifically, the department did not share the new identities with the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, the report said.

That repository is used to generate other U.S. counter-terrorism databases, including the “no-fly list” maintained by the Transportation Security Administration.

“Therefore, it was possible for known or suspected terrorists to fly on commercial airplanes in or over the United States and evade one of the government’s primary means of identifying and tracking terrorists’ movements and actions,” the report said.

In a briefing for reporters Thursday, the Justice Department declined to say how many cooperating-witness terrorists on the no-fly list actually flew under their new identities and authentic documentation.

It also said it had since fixed that problem by not letting people in the program who had no-fly status beforehand travel on commercial flights.

In a separate response, Armando Bonilla, a senior counsel to the deputy U.S. attorney general, said no “terrorism-linked witness ever has committed a single act of terrorism after entering the program.”

He added an FBI review of participants revealed none posed a threat to national security.

The inspector general also said the Marshals Service said last July it was unable to locate two former witness-protection participants. With the FBI’s help, it located one outside the United States and said the other was “believed” living outside the United States, the report said.

The summary provided no details about who the two people were, how long ago they had been in the program and when and why they dropped out of it.

The report — particularly the part that said terrorists with new identities were allowed to board commercial flights in the United States — prompted swift condemnation from Republican lawmakers.

“This is gross mismanagement — pure and simple — that jeopardizes American lives and cannot be tolerated,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said in a statement.

“This lack of interagency information sharing appears to be systemic,” he said. “We witnessed similar interagency sharing problems leading up to last month’s bombings in Boston.”

He said he would hold a hearing on this “outrageous problem,” while Senate Judiciary Committee member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking Republican, said the report raised “concerns” about prosecuting terrorists in civilian courts.

All but one of the inspector general’s 16 recommendations have been addressed, and the Justice Department is “in the process” of carrying out the last recommendation, the report said.

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...-fly-over-u-s/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/watchdog-justice-department-let-ex-terrorists-fly-over-u-s-91694/ CNN Says Libya Mission Attackers Targeted http://www.szone.us/f86/cnn-says-libya-mission-attackers-targeted-91693/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 09:28 AM

WASHINGTON, (UPI) — The U.S. military has updated its plan for capturing the reputed terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attack on the consulate in Benghazi, sources told CNN.

Details of the proposed strategy were not revealed but sources said the list of potential targets inside Libya was updated as recently as last week.

The Obama administration has been under increasing pressure to track down the attackers, believed to be linked to al-Qaida, who overran the compound last fall and killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

The current course of action includes a “capture or kill” operation that could involve U.S. troops entering Libya in some form, the sources said.

Other sources said there had been no orders given to commence an operation, and there were concerns among planners that a U.S. raid could damage the fledgling Libyan government that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi. It was unclear if the Libyans would be involved in any operation by the Americans.

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...kers-targeted/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/cnn-says-libya-mission-attackers-targeted-91693/ Taliban Leader Arrested In Afghanistan http://www.szone.us/f86/taliban-leader-arrested-afghanistan-91692/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 09:28 AM

PULI KHUMRI, Afghanistan, (UPI) — A top Taliban leader was seized during a military operation in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province Friday, officials said.

The operation was carried out jointly by Afghan and coalition security forces, Khaama Press reported.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, in a statement about the operation, said: “An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Taliban leader during an operation in Baghlan-e Jadid district, Baghlan province, May 17. The senior leader oversees the operations of multiple insurgent cells in Baghlan-e Jadid district. He and his subordinates are responsible for numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also collects illegal taxes from local civilians, facilitates the movement of weapons and military equipment for use in operations, and interfaces with senior insurgent leadership in order to pass operational information to his fighters. The security force also seized one pistol as a result of the operation.”

The ISAF said the operation followed a successful operation on Thursday in Helmand province, during which security forces arrested one insurgent, seized a weapons cache and about 5,511 pounds of wet and dry opium. In another operation Thursday, nine insurgents were arrested, the ISAF said.

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...n-afghanistan/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/taliban-leader-arrested-afghanistan-91692/ Former Head Of IRS Denies Political Motives In Dealing With Tea Party http://www.szone.us/f86/former-head-irs-denies-political-motives-dealing-tea-party-91691/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 09:29 AM

WASHINGTON, (UPI) — Steven Miller, ousted as acting head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service this week, denied Friday the IRS targeted the Tea Party for political reasons.

Miller appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee. He acknowledged “mistakes” and “poor service,” CBS News reported.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew requested Miller’s resignation Wednesday.

“I do not believe that partisanship motivated the people who engaged in the practices described in the treasury inspector general’s report,” Miller said. “I think that what happened here was that foolish mistakes were made by people trying to be more efficient in their workload selection. The listing described in the report, while intolerable, was a mistake and not an act of partisanship.”

Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., blasted the IRS, The Hill reported. He suggested the scandal at the agency is linked to other alleged misdeeds of the Obama administration in a “culture of cover-ups.”

Camp said Miller’s resignation, the retirement of Joseph Grant, head of the IRS’s tax-exempt division and other personnel changes will not solve the problem there. Camp said the IRS has become “too large, too powerful, too intrusive and too abusive.”

“Trimming a few branches will not solve the problem when the roots of the tree have gone rotten,” Camp said.

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...ith-tea-party/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/former-head-irs-denies-political-motives-dealing-tea-party-91691/ Texas Rep To IRS: Is This Still America? http://www.szone.us/f86/texas-rep-irs-still-america-91690/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 01:36 PM During Congressional questioning of Steven Miller, the former Internal Revenue Service acting*commissioner, Representative Kevin Brady (R-Texas) had a simple question for the taxman: Is this still America? “Is this still America?” asked Brady. “Is this government so drunk on power that it would turn its full force, full might, to harm, intimidate, and threat an average American that only wants her voice and their voices heard?” Here’s the video: 05.17.13 01:36 PM

During Congressional questioning of Steven Miller, the former Internal Revenue Service acting*commissioner, Representative Kevin Brady (R-Texas) had a simple question for the taxman: Is this still America?

“Is this still America?” asked Brady. “Is this government so drunk on power that it would turn its full force, full might, to harm, intimidate, and threat an average American that only wants her voice and their voices heard?”

Here’s the video:

The IRS hearings took a similar direction as hearings earlier in the week with high ranking officials involved in the scandals that have come to light deflecting blame and uttering “I don’t know” a number of times in response to lawmaker questions.

For his part, Miller denied any partisan motivation in the IRS actions on Friday.

“I do not believe that partisanship motivated the people who engaged in the practices described in the treasury inspector general’s report,” Miller said. “I think that what happened here was that foolish mistakes were made by people trying to be more efficient in their workload selection. The listing described in the report, while intolerable was a mistake and not an act of partisanship.”

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...still-america/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/texas-rep-irs-still-america-91690/ Mayor Gets Medieval In Plea To Residents To ‘Fight For Stockton’ http://www.szone.us/f86/mayor-gets-medieval-plea-residents-fight-stockton-91689/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 01:46 PM

Seeing the mayor of a California city of nearly 300,000 people don a studded warrior’s helmet and brandish a medieval-looking mace in order to make a point might have been bizarre for residents of beleaguered Stockton.

But at least Mayor Anthony Silva didn’t pull out a gun, or a model of a gun, or – God forbid – a pastry he’d bitten until it looked like a gun.

Perhaps his decision to wield a weapon people aren’t conditioned to be afraid of kept the audience gathered to hear his impassioned “State of the City” address Thursday from panicking. In fact, CBS Sacramento reports the crowd appeared to respond to the mayor’s histrionic stunt rather well.

“After his almost hour-long speech, Silva pulled out armor with a helmet and mace while asking the crowd to go to war for the broke and crime-ridden city… “If ever [there was] a time to stop rooting for your new mayor to fail, the time is now.”

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...-for-stockton/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/mayor-gets-medieval-plea-residents-fight-stockton-91689/ Feel Good Story: Robbers Shove Victim Into Gun Closet, He Comes Out Shooting http://www.szone.us/f86/feel-good-story-robbers-shove-victim-into-gun-closet-he-comes-out-shooting-91688/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 02:03 PM Earlier this week, three attackers kicked in the front door to a home in southwest Houston and proceeded to whoop up on a resident of the home before stuffing him into an upstairs closet. Lucky for him it’s where a gun was stored. According to KHOU (http://www.khou.com/news/cnn/Resident-shoots-robber-during-gunbattle-in-southwest-Houston-207431391.html), the man reportedly waited until it sounded quiet downstairs before exiting the closet with a gun in hand. When he came face to face with the intruders a gun battle between he and the armed robbers ensued, during which one of the assailants was shot and the two others fled the scene. The wounded robber ran to a nearby home where he collapsed; he was later taken into police custody and given medical treatment. 05.17.13 02:03 PM

Earlier this week, three attackers kicked in the front door to a home in southwest Houston and proceeded to whoop up on a resident of the home before stuffing him into an upstairs closet.

Lucky for him it’s where a gun was stored.

According to KHOU, the man reportedly waited until it sounded quiet downstairs before exiting the closet with a gun in hand. When he came face to face with the intruders a gun battle between he and the armed robbers ensued, during which one of the assailants was shot and the two others fled the scene.

The wounded robber ran to a nearby home where he collapsed; he was later taken into police custody and given medical treatment.

“The owner, thank God for rights, he shot one of ‘em. And that’s as far as the guy got, collapsed on the concrete there,” a neighbor said. “You know, amen, we got one of them.”

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...-out-shooting/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/feel-good-story-robbers-shove-victim-into-gun-closet-he-comes-out-shooting-91688/ ‘This Is No Ordinary Scandal’ – WSJ Says IRS Debacle ‘Worst Washington Scandal Since http://www.szone.us/f86/no-ordinary-scandal-wsj-says-irs-debacle-worst-washington-scandal-since-91687/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 02:06 PM

Peggy Noonan, who’s written speeches for two Republican Presidents and served as a consultant on NBC’s‘The West Wing,’ penned a column in the Wall Street Journal Thursday that bypasses the partisan indictments of the Administration of President Barack Obama over the IRS’ political discrimination scandal, focusing instead on the issue’s threat to the fundamental integrity of government, regardless of the party that’s in charge.

While those who’ve long been jaded by the mainstream media’s doe-eyed coverage of Washington politics might argue that government integrity is itself a laughable paradox, Noonan has a point when she says the Administration deserves a thorough investigation by an independent counsel:

The IRS case deserves and calls out for an independent counsel, fully armed with all that position’s powers. Only then will stables that badly need to be cleaned, be cleaned. Everyone involved in this abuse of power should pay a price, because if they don’t, the politicization of the IRS will continue—forever. If it is not stopped now, it will never stop. And if it isn’t stopped, no one will ever respect or have even minimal faith in the revenue-gathering arm of the U.S. government again…

…This is not about the usual partisan slugfest. This is about the integrity of our system of government and our ability to trust, which is to say our ability to function.

Read the full column here.

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...nce-watergate/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/no-ordinary-scandal-wsj-says-irs-debacle-worst-washington-scandal-since-91687/ Did Treasury Department Target Conservative-Owned GM Dealers In 2009 Auto Bailout? http://www.szone.us/f86/did-treasury-department-target-conservative-owned-gm-dealers-2009-auto-bailout-91686/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 02:32 PM Two Republican Congressmen are inquiring whether the U.S. Treasury Department went after auto dealerships owned by conservatives after the Federal government, in 2009, became majority owner of General Motors as part of a $50 billion Congressional bailout. Mike Kelley (R-Pa.) and Jim Renacci (R-Ohio) released a letter they sent to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew Thursday, asking that he release information pertaining to the methods used by the Automotive Task Force as it selected which GM dealerships would be shut down in an effort to streamline the bankrupt company’s operations. Renacci himself was one of the car dealers to get the ax; a Pennsylvania dealership owned by Kelley’s father also didn’t survive. “As member s of Congress who each went through the dealership closing process in our private capacities, we have concerns regarding the criteria used by both General Motors and Chrysler in the automakers’ dealership wind-down,” the letter to Secretary... 05.17.13 02:32 PM

Two Republican Congressmen are inquiring whether the U.S. Treasury Department went after auto dealerships owned by conservatives after the Federal government, in 2009, became majority owner of General Motors as part of a $50 billion Congressional bailout.

Mike Kelley (R-Pa.) and Jim Renacci (R-Ohio) released a letter they sent to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew Thursday, asking that he release information pertaining to the methods used by the Automotive Task Force as it selected which GM dealerships would be shut down in an effort to streamline the bankrupt company’s operations.

Renacci himself was one of the car dealers to get the ax; a Pennsylvania dealership owned by Kelley’s father also didn’t survive.

“As member s of Congress who each went through the dealership closing process in our private capacities, we have concerns regarding the criteria used by both General Motors and Chrysler in the automakers’ dealership wind-down,” the letter to Secretary Lew states. “More importantly, we are interested in determining the role that your department played and the input it provided in drafting this methodology.”

The Congressmen are requesting “all emails, phone records, notes, memoranda, reports and other communications regarding the decision-making process,” as well as the identities of those involved in that process.

H/T: Breitbart*

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...-auto-bailout/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/did-treasury-department-target-conservative-owned-gm-dealers-2009-auto-bailout-91686/ Worst Since Watergate, Unrecognizable America, Medieval Mayor, 2nd Amendment Protects http://www.szone.us/f86/worst-since-watergate-unrecognizable-america-medieval-mayor-2nd-amendment-protects-91685/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 02:37 PM Brush up on the day’s headlines with Personal Liberty’s P.M. update. *‘This Is No Ordinary Scandal’ – WSJ Says IRS Debacle ‘Worst Washington Scandal Since Watergate’ (http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/17/this-is-no-ordinary-scandal-wsj-says-irs-debacle-worst-washington-scandal-since-watergate/)* Peggy Noonan, who’s written speeches for two Republican Presidents and served as a consultant on NBC’s‘The West Wing,’ penned a column in the Wall Street Journal Thursday that bypasses the partisan indictments of the Administration of President Barack Obama over the IRS’ political discrimination scandal, focusing instead on the issue’s threat to the fundamental integrity of government, regardless of the party that’s in charge. Read More… (http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/17/this-is-no-ordinary-scandal-wsj-says-irs-debacle-worst-washington-scandal-since-watergate/) *Texas Rep To IRS: Is This Still America?... 05.17.13 02:37 PM

Brush up on the day’s headlines with Personal Liberty’s P.M. update.

‘This Is No Ordinary Scandal’ – WSJ Says IRS Debacle ‘Worst Washington Scandal Since Watergate’

Peggy Noonan, who’s written speeches for two Republican Presidents and served as a consultant on NBC’s‘The West Wing,’ penned a column in the Wall Street Journal Thursday that bypasses the partisan indictments of the Administration of President Barack Obama over the IRS’ political discrimination scandal, focusing instead on the issue’s threat to the fundamental integrity of government, regardless of the party that’s in charge. Read More…

Texas Rep To IRS: Is This Still America?

During Congressional questioning of Steven Miller, the former Internal Revenue Service acting*commissioner, Representative Kevin Brady (R-Texas) had a simple question for the taxman: Is this still America? Read More…

Mayor Gets Medieval In Plea To Residents To ‘Fight For Stockton’

Seeing the mayor of a California city of nearly 300,000 people don a studded warrior’s helmet and brandish a medieval-looking mace in order to make a point might have been bizarre for residents of beleaguered Stockton. Read More…

Feel Good Story: Robbers Shove Victim Into Gun Closet, He Comes Out Shooting

Earlier this week, three attackers kicked in the front door to a home in southwest Houston and proceeded to whoop up on a resident of the home before stuffing him into an upstairs closet. He came out with a gun. Read More…*

Did Treasury Department Target Conservative-Owned GM Dealers In 2009 Auto Bailout?

Two Republican Congressmen are inquiring whether the U.S. Treasury Department went after auto dealerships owned by conservatives after the Federal government, in 2009, became majority owner of General Motors as part of a $50 billion Congressional bailout. Read More…

http://personalliberty.com/2013/05/1...nks-5-17-2013/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/worst-since-watergate-unrecognizable-america-medieval-mayor-2nd-amendment-protects-91685/ Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Brings Together District Attorneys, Law Enforcement http://www.szone.us/f80/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-brings-together-district-attorneys-law-enforcement-91684/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 02:18 PM
podcast of Chief Beck's remarks

LOS ANGELES -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today convened a Leadership Group of the state's
district attorneys to collectively develop smart and practical recommendations to reduce gun violence
through enforcement of existing laws and prevention efforts.

"Gun violence continues to be a distressing and persistent problem in the United States, but California is
leading the nation in smart, common-sense gun policies designed to protect our communities," said Attorney
General Harris. "Working together, law enforcement and our state's district attorneys can make a difference
by improving enforcement and increasing prevention to help keep all Californians safe from gun violence."
At the meeting, district attorneys discussed current programs that effectively reduce gun violence and how to
better enforce current gun laws. The Leadership Group will prepare a report of best practices that will serve
as models for law enforcement in other communities to adopt and as models for potential legislative reform.
Attorney General Harris discussed the importance of the Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS) which
takes guns out of the hands of those prohibited from owning them.

"The APPS program is unique to California and it is simple common-sense that prohibited persons should
not possess firearms in violation of the law," Attorney General Harris said. "The Department of Justice will
be increasing the number of agents conducting these smart and effective operations."
Earlier this month, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 140, which gives $24 million to the
APPS program. With the funds, the Attorney General will hire 36 additional agents. The Department of
Justice will be able to increase enforcement operations statewide, including in Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Sacramento, Fresno and Riverside.

California is the only state with a program like APPS, which identifies people who previously purchased one
or more guns, but are later prohibited from owning them. A person becomes prohibited if he or she is
convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor, is placed under a domestic violence restraining order or is
determined to be mentally unstable.

Over the last two years, DOJ agents have investigated nearly 4,000 people and seized nearly 4,000 weapons,
including nearly 2,000 handguns and more than 300 assault weapons. In the first four months of 2013, agents
have collected 461 firearms and 23,080 rounds of ammunition statewide and collected 84 firearms and 9,482
rounds in the Los Angeles area.

LAPD News and Information ... ]]> Police Departments LAPD http://www.szone.us/f80/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-brings-together-district-attorneys-law-enforcement-91684/ Class 12-12 Recruit Graduation http://www.szone.us/f80/class-12-12-recruit-graduation-91683/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 02:39 PM
Click here for Podcast

May 17, 2013 – On the athletic field at the Los Angeles Police Academy in Elysian Park, the newest members of the Department proudly stood at attention as they were presented with their diploma of graduation. Thirty-nine individuals underwent six months of intense training which culminated with today’s ceremony in front of Department command staff, dignitaries and their family and friends.

This was Mayor Villaraigosa’s last recruit graduation before he leaves office. When he came into office July 1, 2005, his goal was to get the LAPD to over 10,000 police officers. Today the number of police officers hovers around that amount, but fluctuates based on attrition, mostly due to retirement.

As of May 15, 2013, 4,075 officers have been hired during Mayor Villaraigosa's administration. This represents a total of 79 recruit classes. However, one more class will begin on June 17th. That final class will be between 25 and 50 officers.

There is little down time for these new officers as many of them will begin their new assignments on the street of Los Angeles within the next 36 hours. For more information on how you can become a Los Angeles Police officer, please visit www.joinlapd.com.

LAPD News and Information ... ]]> Police Departments LAPD http://www.szone.us/f80/class-12-12-recruit-graduation-91683/ Message -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Stabilization o http://www.szone.us/f24/message-continuation-national-emergency-respect-stabilization-o-91682/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 10:40 AM TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the stabilization of Iraq that was declared in Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003, is to continue in effect beyond May 22, 2013. Obstacles to the continued reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the... 05.17.13 10:40 AM

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the stabilization of Iraq that was declared in Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003, is to continue in effect beyond May 22, 2013.

Obstacles to the continued reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. Accordingly, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to the stabilization of Iraq.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 17, 2013.

White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/message-continuation-national-emergency-respect-stabilization-o-91682/ Remarks by the President at Ellicott Dredges http://www.szone.us/f24/remarks-president-ellicott-dredges-91681/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 10:43 AM

Ellicott Dredges
Baltimore, Maryland

1:20 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Baltimore! (Applause.) Well, it is wonderful to see all of you. Give Duncan a big round of applause for the great introduction. (Applause.) I want to thank all of you for the warm welcome, the great hospitality. And I tell you what, I’m going to return the favor by hosting your Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens at the White House this summer. (Applause.) We’ll have Ray Lewis in the China Room -– what could go wrong? (Laughter.)

I want to thank your CEO, Peter Bowe, and your plant manager, Robert Croom, and your entire team for showing me around this great facility. I was told that one of your customers once named a dredge after President Clinton, so I’ve got my fingers crossed. (Laughter.) Never had a dredge named after me, so I’m looking after -- looking forward to that.

I’ve come here today to talk about our single most important priority as a country right now. And that is reigniting the true engine of our economic growth, and that is a rising, thriving middle class. (Applause.) And as I said in my State of the Union address this year, that’s our North Star. That’s what we have to focus on. That’s what has to guide all our efforts.

And we’ve got some great people who are championing middle-class families every single day. First of all, your outstanding Governor -- come on -- Martin O’Malley. (Applause.) Your outstanding Mayor -- Madam Mayor. (Applause.) You’ve got some outstanding members of Congress, led by your senior Senator, Barbara Mikulski. (Applause.) And your own leader in the House of Representatives -- he is doing a great job every single day and he loves this state -- Steny Hoyer. (Applause.)

So we’ve got just some extraordinary folks here. Let me make sure I’ve -- Elijah Cummings is here. (Applause.) But more importantly, Elijah’s mom is here. (Applause.) And we are so proud of Elijah, but his mom apparently prays for me every day, so I’m very grateful for her as well.

And all of these -- all of your members of Congress, every single day, are working, fighting on your behalf in terms of making sure that we’re growing an economy that creates outstanding middle-class jobs. That’s the challenge that we should be rallying around every single day. And I know it can seem frustrating sometimes when it seems like Washington’s priorities aren’t the same as your priorities. I know it often seems like folks down there are more concerned with their jobs than with yours. Others may get distracted by chasing every fleeting issue that passes by. But the middle class will always be my number-one focus, period. Your jobs, your families, your communities -- that’s why I ran for President. That’s what drives me every day as I step into the Oval Office. That’s what I’m going to keep fighting for over the next four years.

And that’s why I’m so proud to have these partners. John Sarbanes I saved for last, because Congressman Sarbanes, he himself is doing a great job, but when I first came in, his father was one of the people who I so admired in the Senate. He had served for a long time. And I remember just a conversation that we had -- he probably doesn’t remember it -- but I asked him -- I came and paid him a visit, and I asked him, “What’s your advice?” He says, “Just keep in mind the people who sent you.” Because here in Washington, sometimes people get distracted. But you’re here to work on behalf of your constituencies. And if you stick to that, you’re going to be just fine.

And that’s what’s happening here in Maryland. Under Governor O’Malley’s leadership, Maryland has won back almost 100 percent of the jobs that were claimed by the recession. (Applause.) So you might not know it if you were just watching the news and you’re exposed to all these partisan battles and brinksmanship in Washington, but the truth is there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about where this country is headed, especially after all we’ve been through over the past several years. And that’s got to encourage us to roll up our sleeves, and work together, and take on the challenges that are still holding back the economy and holding down working families.

Now, the good news is in a little over three years, businesses like this one have created more than 6.5 million new jobs. And while our unemployment rate is still too high, it’s the lowest it’s been since 2008. (Applause.) That's good news.

But that's not enough because we’ve also got to create even more good, middle-class jobs, and we’ve go to do it even faster.

Corporate profits have skyrocketed at an all-time high. Now we’ve got to make sure that middle-class wages and incomes are going up too -– because families all across America haven’t seen their take-home pay rise for nearly a decade. That's the next phase. It’s good that companies are profitable. I want you to be profitable. I want you to be taking a little more home in your paycheck. (Applause.)

Our housing market is healing. But that's not enough. Now we’ve got to help more families stay in their homes, or refinance to take advantage of these historically low interest rates.

Our deficits are shrinking at the fastest rate in decades. That's the truth. That's worth an applause, sure. (Applause.) Because you wouldn’t always know that listening to folks in Washington. But the fact is our deficits are going down faster than they have gone down in decades. But we still have to create a budget that is smart and doesn’t hurt middle-class families or harm our critical investments into our future.

Barbara Mikulski is on the Appropriations Committee; she’s fighting hard to make sure that this sequester that is slowing down growth, and we’re starting to see growth slowing down because of furloughs and cuts in defense spending, and a whole bunch of stuff that wasn’t well thought through -- we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got a budget that doesn't push our economy back down. We need a budget that pushes our economy back up.

The American auto industry is thriving. American energy is booming. American ingenuity in our tech sector has the potential to change the way we do almost everything.

And thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, we’ve been able to clear away the rubble of the crisis. We’re now poised for progress, but our work is not done, and our focus cannot drift. We’ve got to stay focused on our economy, and putting people back to work, and raising wages, and bringing manufacturing back to the United States of America. That has to be what we’re thinking about every single day. (Applause.)

The middle class has taken a beating for more than a decade. You deserve folks in Washington who are willing to fight back on your behalf every single day. Because every single day, you and Americans like you all across the country are working hard and living up to your responsibilities. So you’ve got to have the same seriousness of purpose in your leaders.

Now, I see three areas where we need to focus if we’re really going to keep the recovery going but take it to new heights. Number one, we’ve got to make America a magnet for good jobs. Number two, we’ve got to make sure that workers are able to get the education and skills they need to do those jobs. Number three, we’ve got to make sure that, if and when you’re working hard, that that leads to a decent living.

And that’s why I wanted to come to Baltimore -- because a lot of people here in Baltimore, they work hard. Baltimore has gone through tough times in the past, but Baltimore has come bouncing back. (Applause.)

I started a few hours ago at a pre-K program at Moravia Park Elementary School. (Applause.) There, kids are getting a head start learning skills they need to succeed in college and the workplace. And, by the way, this is a center that was named after Steny Hoyer’s late wife, Judy, because she and Steny share my belief in the importance of giving every kid every chance as early as possible.

I got to help with one of the lessons -- we were having to draw zoo animals. (Laughter.) And I’ve got to say, my tiger was not very good. (Laughter.) The kids were unimpressed. They kind of looked at it, they said, that doesn’t look like a tiger. (Laughter.) But they were amazing.

And later today, I’m going to visit with a program that helps people who have gone through some tough circumstances, especially low-income dads, and this program is now helping them get the training and the guidance they need to find work and support a family, which is a priority. (Applause.) And probably some of these folks who I’m meeting, they didn’t get that early childhood education that put them on the right track. And what we want to do is, first of all, make sure our kids are getting the training they need, but if they missed out early on, we still want to give them opportunity on the backend.

But obviously, the training of kids, giving them a good education, training older workers -- none of that is going to make a difference if we don’t have great companies that are hiring. And that’s why I wanted to come to Ellicott.

Ellicott Dredges, you guys are an example of what we can do to make America a magnet for good jobs. After all, you all know a thing or two about growing the economy -- you’ve been doing it for more than a century. This company was founded in 1885. You’ve been right here on Bush Street since 1900. This company built dredging equipment that helped dig the Panama Canal. (Applause.) That’s impressive.

What that means is this company, right here in Baltimore, literally helped create our global economy, because that was one of the first connectors that started to allow us to ship goods and cut the distances that integrated the world economy.

And yet, after all this time, this company still has a set of core values that's lasted for generations. Just like the folks who came before you, you’ve got that drive to make the best machines that money can buy; to sell products all over the world; to grow not just a business, but a community, and by doing that, you're growing our country.

And these values have seen you through an era of enormous change. Your leaders saw the potential in developing markets like China and India and Brazil and Bangladesh. So you ramped up your focus on airports -- on exports -- maybe on airports, too -- (laughter) -- but on exports. And the federal government has worked with you as a partner to sell dredging equipment right out of this shop all over the world. You maintained your quality. You built a sales force that travels everywhere, outhustling the competition in search of new business.

All that hard work has paid off. Today, this company, you have sold equipment to more than 100 different countries. You’ve made new investments here at home. You employ more than 200 people in Baltimore and Wisconsin and Kansas. And over the past few decades, during some of the tough times for our workers, you were able to keep building equipment stamped with those three proud words: Made in America. And you're selling it around the world. (Applause.)

As Steny Hoyer and some of these House members like to say, that means you're making it in America.

MR. HOYER: All right.

THE PRESIDENT: See, Steny gets excited. (Laughter.) You're actually making stuff here in America, but it also means that we're all making it here in America when you do what you're doing. And this is a great example.

And the good news is, more and more companies are following your example. After shedding jobs for 10 years, our manufacturers have added more than 500,000 jobs over the past three years. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. (Applause.) After placing plants in other countries like China, Intel, which is making the chips in your smartphone and your iPad, all of these gizmos everybody is holding up right now -- (laughter) -- Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home, right here in America.

Washington should be helping these kinds of success stories take root all across the country. That’s why we’ve boosted -- my administration has boosted our efforts to help businesses export more of their goods and services. That’s why we signed trade agreements that will protect American workers, but open up new markets and support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.

That’s why we reauthorized the Export-Import Bank. And we are proud to have the bank’s chairman right here, Fred Hochberg. He's here this afternoon. He's helping this company as we speak sell more goods overseas. And so today, exports are at an all-time high. We are selling more stuff around the world. We’ve added more than a million export-supported jobs since I took office. (Applause.)

So all these steps are making a difference, but there’s more we can do. We need to pursue new trade agreements with Europe and the Pacific region. We need to invest in high-tech manufacturing centers, because I want the next revolution in manufacturing to be made here in America.

Our workers are at our best when we're building stuff. So today, I’m also announcing the next step in our effort to cut through red tape that keeps big construction projects from getting off the ground.

Now, some of you, if you’ve heard me, I’m really big on us rebuilding our infrastructure in this country. (Applause.) I want to put people back to work improving our roads, our bridges, our airports, our ports. (Applause.) We were talking about the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal is being revamped down in Panama so that it can accommodate even bigger ships. And these cargo ships are so big that if we don’t remodel our ports here in the United States, they can’t dock at our ports. They’ll dock someplace else. We’ll lose that business.

So we’ve got to up our game when it comes to infrastructure. And the good news is, when you do that, you’re putting people back to work right away, operating dredging equipment and doing other stuff, and you’re also laying the foundation for future economic growth.

Now, the problem is we’ve had some trouble out of Congress just going ahead and funding --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: I know, it’s surprising, isn’t it? (Laughter.) But we’ve had a little difficulty getting our Republican friends to work with us to find a steady funding source for these projects that everybody knows needs to happen. But in fairness, one of the problems we’ve had in the past is, is that sometimes it takes too long to get projects off the ground. There are all these permits and red tape and planning, and this and that, and some of it’s important to do, but we could do it faster.

So a while back, what I did was I ordered everybody who was involved in approving projects to speed up the permitting process for 50 different big projects all across the country, from the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York to the Port of Charleston in South Carolina. And we’ve been able to, in some cases, cut approval times from seven years down to a year. So we’ve made progress. (Applause.)

Today, I’m directing agencies across the government to do what it takes to cut timelines for breaking ground on major infrastructure projects in half. And what that will mean is, is that construction workers get back on the jobs faster. It means more money going back into local economies, and it means more demand for outstanding dredging equipment that is made right here in Baltimore. (Applause.)

Now, as some of you know, one of the guys who has been working on this, he’s Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari, your former transportation secretary here in Maryland before Governor O’Malley generously agreed to share him with the entire country. (Laughter.)

So those are some of the ways that we can create the conditions for businesses like this one to generate even more good jobs. And these are the kinds of ideas that we have to stay focused on every single day. This should be our principal focus: How are we making ourselves more competitive; how are we training our workers so that they can do the jobs that need to be done; how can we make sure that we stay on the cutting edge in terms of technology; how are we making it easier for businesses to succeed.

And I’m going to keep trying to work with both parties in Washington to make progress -- because our challenges are solvable. I travel all around the world, and I meet people from all walks of life. And I can tell you, there’s not a country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with the United States of America. That’s really true. (Applause.) They know we’ve got all the ingredients to succeed. We’ve got the answers. The only thing that’s holding us back sometimes is a lack of political will. Sometimes our leadership isn’t focused where we need to be focused. And that’s where you come in. It’s up to you and all the people across the country to tell the people in Washington, focus on getting stuff done. We may not agree on the way to do certain things, but I think we all love our country. We all want what’s best for our kids and our grandkids.

Wouldn’t we be better off if every American could find a good job that pays the bills and lets you afford a home, and maybe take a vacation, put some money away to retire? Wouldn’t we be better off if we knew that all of our kids were getting a good education from an earliest age; if we reformed our high schools for this new economy; if we’re helping more young people afford to go to college?

Wouldn’t we be better off if every worker’s wage was a wage you could live on? Nobody wants to be on welfare. Nobody wants to have to rely on a handout. They want to work. But let’s make sure that work pays.

Wouldn’t we be better off if every American could afford quality healthcare, and the peace of mind that comes with it? That's why we passed health care reform. (Applause.) Wouldn’t we be better off if we did what’s necessary to protect more of our children from the horrors of gun violence? (Applause.)

There are going to be disagreements about how we get there. But let’s remind ourselves that when we work together nobody can stop us. When we do the right thing -- that's what I believe. That's what I’m going to keep fighting for. That's what drives me -- is all the stories of people like you that I have the great honor of meeting and working with every single day. You deserve leaders with the same dedication and commitment and focus that the people who work at this company bring to their jobs every single day. And you look at those dredges up there -- and I met folks who have worked here 38 years, some who worked 40 years, and the pride that they take in their product and the way they all work together, that's the attitude that we’ve got to bring to bear here.

I think about a woman here, Myrna LaBarre. Myrna LaBarre -- where is Myrna? (Applause.) There’s Myrna right here. (Applause.) Myrna LaBarre. Myrna has been at Ellicott for more than 50 years. (Applause.) Now, that means she started when there were no child labor laws, because it was clearly illegal. (Laughter.) She was about four or five, and they started putting her to work, put a broom in her hand. But when somebody asked Myrna what lessons she learned after 50 years working at the same company, she said, “Be honest, be helpful, accept your mistakes and improve upon them, be good to people, keep a good sense of humor, have the best work ethic possible, and handle the good times and get over the bad.” That’s a pretty good recipe for success right there. That’s who we are. That’s who we are. (Applause.) Thank you, Myrna.

I mean, that pretty much sums up everything. (Laughter.) That’s who we like to understand America to be, who we are as Americans. We’re honest and helpful. We work hard. We’re good to others. We handle the good times, and we get over the bad times. If we keep that in mind, if we just all keep Myrna’s advice in mind, keep plugging away, keep fighting, we’ll build an even better America than we’ve got right now.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We’re praying!

THE PRESIDENT: And I know you’re going to -- we can pray too, we’ll add that in there. (Laughter and applause.)

If we work to create more jobs, if we give every American the tools that they need for those jobs, if we make sure that hard work pays off and that responsibility is rewarded, then once again America is going to be the place where you can always make it if you try. And we’ll all prosper together. And we’ll make sure that America remains the greatest nation on Earth.

Thank you, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. (Applause.)

END
1:46 P.M. EDT

White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/remarks-president-ellicott-dredges-91681/ Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Stabilization of http://www.szone.us/f24/notice-continuation-national-emergency-respect-stabilization-91680/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 11:39 AM NOTICE - - - - - - - CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO THE STABILIZATION OF IRAQ On May 22, 2003, by Executive Order 13303, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by obstacles to the continued reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq. 05.17.13 11:39 AM

NOTICE

- - - - - - -

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY
WITH RESPECT TO THE STABILIZATION OF IRAQ

On May 22, 2003, by Executive Order 13303, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by obstacles to the continued reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq.

The obstacles to the continued reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303, as modified in scope and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13315 of August 28, 2003, Executive Order 13350 of July 29, 2004, Executive Order 13364 of November 29, 2004, and Executive Order 13438 of July 17, 2007, must continue in effect beyond May 22, 2013. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to the stabilization of Iraq declared in Executive Order 13303.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 17, 2013.

White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/notice-continuation-national-emergency-respect-stabilization-91680/ Presidential Proclamation -- World Trade Week, 2013 http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-proclamation-world-trade-week-2013-a-91679/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 12:03 PM WORLD TRADE WEEK, 2013 - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION 05.17.13 12:03 PM

WORLD TRADE WEEK, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As a Nation, we need to do everything we can to create good, middle-class jobs right here in America. And one of the best ways we can do that is by boosting manufacturing and expanding trade that allows us to sell more of our goods and services all around the world. We have made important progress toward meeting that goal under our National Export Initiative, and we are taking historic steps to help our businesses access new markets abroad. But we cannot stop there. We need to keep making the investments in commerce and infrastructure that drive our economic growth and bring more Americans into a thriving middle class.

We can start by modernizing our roads, bridges, and ports. These upgrades would allow American companies to ship their goods faster and cheaper, and they would encourage businesses worldwide to set up shop here and bring more jobs to our shores. So earlier this year, I proposed the Partnership to Rebuild America -- a collaboration between the private and public sectors to break ground on our most pressing infrastructure projects.

In the past 4 years, we have focused on opening up growing markets for our businesses through historic trade agreements and enforcing trade rights so American workers can compete on a level playing field. To build on that progress, we are joining nations in Asia and the Americas to negotiate a new, high-standard trade agreement: the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Once realized, the deal would boost our exports, support American jobs, and help our companies succeed in the global marketplace. And to ramp up trade with Europe, we also plan to launch talks for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union.

My Administration is committed to expanding international commerce that creates jobs and grows our economy. During World Trade Week, we recognize workers, growers, and entrepreneurs nationwide who share that ambition, and we rededicate ourselves to advancing it in the year ahead.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 19 through May 25, 2013, as World Trade Week. I encourage all Americans to observe this week with events, trade shows, and educational programs that celebrate and inform Americans about the benefits of trade to our Nation and the global economy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-proclamation-world-trade-week-2013-a-91679/ Presidential Proclamation -- Emergency Medical Services Week, 2013 http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-proclamation-emergency-medical-services-week-2013-a-91678/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 12:36 PM EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK, 2013 - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION 05.17.13 12:36 PM

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

In every corner of our country, emergency medical services (EMS) practitioners are hard at work delivering hope and care to Americans in dire circumstances. In the face of chaos and tragedy, their steady hands provide vital, life-saving services, and their calm under pressure delivers comfort to neighbors in need. During Emergency Medical Services Week, we pause to offer our gratitude to these remarkable men and women, whose dedication is fundamental to our society's well-being.

In recent weeks, we have again seen the critical role EMS professionals play in times of crisis. When explosives went off at the Boston Marathon, EMS personnel rushed toward the blasts and, with selfless disregard for their own safety, immediately tended to the injured. Alongside countless volunteers and ordinary citizens, they demonstrated the very best of the American spirit -- a spirit that EMS professionals display every day. My Administration remains dedicated to providing these courageous first responders, emergency medical technicians, 911 dispatchers, law enforcement officers, volunteers, and others throughout our health care system with the support they need to aid the American people in their darkest hours.

When Americans find themselves in times of crisis -- from car accidents to national tragedies -- our robust network of EMS professionals ensures that quality medical care is only moments away. This week, let us recommit to supporting EMS personnel and thanking them for their heroic contributions to our lives.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 19 through May 25, 2013, as Emergency Medical Services Week. I encourage all Americans to observe this occasion by sharing their support with their local EMS providers and taking steps to improve their personal safety and preparedness.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-proclamation-emergency-medical-services-week-2013-a-91678/ Letter -- Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Amendments http://www.szone.us/f24/letter-fiscal-year-2014-budget-amendments-91677/ Fri, 17 May 2013 23:09:40 GMT 05.17.13 01:00 PM TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 17, 2013 Dear Mr. Speaker: I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Budget amendments for the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Justice, State, and Transportation, as well as Other International Programs, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission. These amendments do not affect the proposed FY 2014 Budget totals. These amendments are necessary to reflect correctly policies assumed in the FY 2014 Budget. 05.17.13 01:00 PM

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 17, 2013

Dear Mr. Speaker:

I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Budget amendments for the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Justice, State, and Transportation, as well as Other International Programs, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission. These amendments do not affect the proposed FY 2014 Budget totals. These amendments are necessary to reflect correctly policies assumed in the FY 2014 Budget.

Also included is a new Department of Defense (DOD) General Provision that would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to receive and retain payment in-kind for the settlement of the longstanding A-12 aircraft contract litigation. This litigation has been ongoing for over two decades.

The final decision about the pace of the drawdown in Afghanistan was not made at the time the FY 2014 Budget request was developed. As a result, the Budget included a placeholder for DOD FY 2014 Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding, equivalent to the amount provided in the President's FY 2013 Budget. The Administration noted in the FY 2014 Budget that after determining the required force levels in Afghanistan, a Budget amendment updating the OCO request would be submitted to the Congress. The enclosed DOD amendments also include the necessary updates to the OCO request, which funds military operations in Afghanistan and other activities that primarily support Operation Enduring Freedom.

In addition, this transmittal contains FY 2014 amendments for the Legislative Branch. As a matter of comity and tradition, these appropriations requests for the Legislative Branch are transmitted without change.

The details of these amendments are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

I again urge the Congress to consider my FY 2014 Budget, which takes a balanced approach to further deficit reduction and replaces sequestration.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/letter-fiscal-year-2014-budget-amendments-91677/ States Expand Welfare Drug Testing http://www.szone.us/f95/states-expand-welfare-drug-testing-91676/ Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:54 GMT On 05.17.13 06:00 AM posted by T. Elliot Gaiser Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/TANF-Card.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/TANF-Card.jpg)Newscom Governor Sam Brownback (R–KS) signed (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/17/kansas-oks-drug-testing-condition-welfare-jobless-/) a law last month that requires drug screening for Kansas recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). It joins Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah as states with laws (http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/human-services/drug-testing-and-public-assistance.aspx) requiring some form of substance screening for welfare recipients. A 2007 study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation discovered (http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2007/07/substance-abuse---welfare-reform.html) that 20 percent of TANF recipients self-report using illegal drugs—likely an undercount, according to the... On 05.17.13 06:00 AM posted by T. Elliot Gaiser

Newscom

Governor Sam Brownback (R–KS) signed a law last month that requires drug screening for Kansas recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). It joins Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah as states with laws requiring some form of substance screening for welfare recipients.

A 2007 study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation discovered that 20 percent of TANF recipients self-report using illegal drugs—likely an undercount, according to the researchers. Five percent report drug abuse or dependence, and 6.5 percent report alcohol abuse.

If the goal of welfare is to promote self-sufficiency, the most basic first step, state lawmakers have argued, is stopping drug use that hampers their entry into the job market.

The Kansas law requires welfare applicants to take a medical drug test only if there is “reasonable suspicion” that the recipient is abusing drugs. If welfare recipients fail the drug test, then they are required to enroll in a drug treatment program and a job skills program and would lose benefits only if they fail to follow the treatment program. Those who are convicted of criminal drug use lose eligibility for five years, and repeat offenders become permanently ineligible (but a failing recipient’s children would continue to receive benefits through a designated third party).

The Texas Senate unanimously passed a similar drug testing bill for its TANF program this spring, and the Michigan House passed a comparable measure. The Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, and Minnesota state legislatures have each taken up legislation on drug testing for various public assistance programs this year as well.

The most compassionate policy will create incentives to stop destructive behavior instead of allowing tax dollars to fuel it, promoting the basic responsibility necessary for future employment. As Heritage welfare experts Robert Rector and Katherine Bradley write:

Means-tested welfare assistance…should be given on the basis of reciprocal obligation. Taxpayers should provide support to those in need, and recipients in return should engage in responsible and constructive behavior as a condition of receiving aid. Requiring welfare recipients to stop using illegal drugs is a core element of reciprocal obligation.

In addition, taxpayers deserve to know their money is being used to help the downtrodden, not to enable harmful substance abuse. “As welfare spending approaches $1 trillion a year, taxpayers have a right to insist that their financial help not only goes to those who truly need it but that it’s not wasted on frivolous or self-destructive activities such as drug use,” Rector writes for U.S News & World Report.

States and the federal government should expand drug screening for programs providing taxpayer welfare support. Drug screening encourages those on drugs to make a positive change toward personal responsibility and independence.

The post States Expand Welfare Drug Testing appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/17/...-drug-testing/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/states-expand-welfare-drug-testing-91676/ Food Stamps and Farm Programs: Some Things Just Don’t Go Together http://www.szone.us/f95/food-stamps-farm-programs-some-things-just-don-t-go-together-91675/ Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:54 GMT On 05.17.13 06:59 AM posted by Daren Bakst Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/OilandWater130517.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/OilandWater130517.jpg)iStock Photos Sometimes things go better together than you’d think, such as bacon and chocolate, or Hall and Oates, however, not all combinations work. For years, some Members of Congress have thought that food stamps and farm programs—while very distinct from each other—are a great political fit. As Senator Thad Cochran (R–MS), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee recently explained (http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/food-stamps-are-key-component-to-getting-farm-bill-passed-20130410), food stamps should continue to be included in the farm bill “purely from a political perspective. It helps get the farm bill passed.” For taxpayers and voters though, this unholy alliance has been more like oil and water than peanut butter and jelly. The “farm bill,”... On 05.17.13 06:59 AM posted by Daren Bakst

iStock Photos

Sometimes things go better together than you’d think, such as bacon and chocolate, or Hall and Oates, however, not all combinations work. For years, some Members of Congress have thought that food stamps and farm programs—while very distinct from each other—are a great political fit. As Senator Thad Cochran (R–MS), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee recently explained, food stamps should continue to be included in the farm bill “purely from a political perspective. It helps get the farm bill passed.”

For taxpayers and voters though, this unholy alliance has been more like oil and water than peanut butter and jelly. The “farm bill,” which is recurring legislation that packages food stamps with farm programs every five years or so, has become a $1 trillion bill of subsidies and welfare programs that ignores sound policy and open and accountable government.

Even calling this massive legislation the “farm bill” is misleading. It’s really the food stamp bill that happens to include the critical farm programs. About 80 percent of farm bill spending is devoted to food stamps and nutrition assistance programs. By cramming these distinct programs into one bill though, legislators are able to gain support for their interests that they otherwise wouldn’t get, and also secure cover for positions that otherwise wouldn’t be palatable to their constituents.

As the farm bill is considered this year, Congress should take the important step of separating out food stamps and farm programs into different pieces of legislation.

The Benefits of Separating Food Stamps from Farm Programs

Accountability. Americans, regardless of their positions on food stamps or farm programs, should expect their representatives to take on these critical issues independently. Legislators shouldn’t be able to avoid accountability for a vote on one program by pointing to the need to support or oppose a completely distinct program. Especially as the unholy alliance typically means pressure to expand both programs.

Open Government. Politicians talk about open and transparent government. A critical part of open government is taking a clear stand on major issues.

Simplification. The food stamp and farm programs are extremely complex. It would be difficult enough for legislators to address just one of these areas, much less both. Dividing up the programs would allow legislators to more realistically digest the numerous aspects of these programs.

Proper Congressional Committees. The food stamp program is a means-tested, welfare program, providing aid to low-income individuals and families. It makes little sense that this program is considered in the agriculture committees. Instead, the program should be considered in the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.

Real Reform. Most importantly, real reform and improvements to these programs would have a much better chance of being enacted.

These reforms would include:

Food stamps. The food stamps program has hardly changed since it began in the 1960s, that is, aside from the major growth in participation and spending. “[I]t remains a program that discourages work, rewards idleness, and promotes long-term dependence,” note Heritage’s Robert Rector and Kiki Bradley. Today, the program costs taxpayers roughly $80 billion a year, and in fiscal year (FY) 2012, an average 47 million Americans were enrolled in the program. Food stamps should be reformed to include a work requirement for able-bodied adults. In addition, when employment rates recover, food stamp spending should be rolled back to pre-recession levels. Welfare should promote personal responsibility and work, rather than long-term government dependence.
Farm programs. Congress should repeal outdated farm policies. Short of that, Congress should take steps that would, among other things:

Limit farm subsidies to farmers with adjusted gross incomes below $250,000,
Cap insurance premium subsidies that farmers can receive through the crop insurance program and reduce the percentage of total premiums that taxpayers must subsidize,
Eliminate bad programs such as direct payments without creating new programs that are as bad or worse, and
Repeal the sugar and dairy programs.

When taxpayers are going to be on the hook for $1 trillion, they should know why their legislators supported or opposed such costly legislation. Unless food stamps are pulled out of the farm bill, taxpayers and voters will continue to be left guessing.

The post Food Stamps and Farm Programs: Some Things Just Don’t Go Together appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/17/...t-go-together/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/food-stamps-farm-programs-some-things-just-don-t-go-together-91675/ Governor Pence Pauses Indiana Common Core Standards http://www.szone.us/f95/governor-pence-pauses-indiana-common-core-standards-91674/ Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:54 GMT On 05.17.13 08:30 AM posted by Lindsey Burke Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Mike-Pence130327.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Mike-Pence130327.jpg)Stacy Revere/ZUMApress/Newscom Indiana has just given every state that agreed to adopt Common Core national education standards and tests a lesson in prudent governance. On Saturday, Governor Mike Pence (R) signed the Common Core “Pause” bill into law, halting implementation of Common Core until state agencies, teachers, and taxpayers better understand the implications of Common Core adoption. Indiana law now requires that the Common Core standards be evaluated and compared to existing state standards, and that a cost assessment be conducted by the state’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before implementation moves forward. It’s something every state that adopted Common Core should have done before agreeing to do so. Specifically, the law states... On 05.17.13 08:30 AM posted by Lindsey Burke

Stacy Revere/ZUMApress/Newscom

Indiana has just given every state that agreed to adopt Common Core national education standards and tests a lesson in prudent governance. On Saturday, Governor Mike Pence (R) signed the Common Core “Pause” bill into law, halting implementation of Common Core until state agencies, teachers, and taxpayers better understand the implications of Common Core adoption.

Indiana law now requires that the Common Core standards be evaluated and compared to existing state standards, and that a cost assessment be conducted by the state’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before implementation moves forward. It’s something every state that adopted Common Core should have done before agreeing to do so. Specifically, the law states that

after May 15, 2013, the state board may take no further actions to implement as standards for the state or direct the department to implement any common core standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative until the state board conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the common core standards.

While the common standards Indiana adopted remain in effect, the state has taken the necessary steps to evaluate the merits of Common Core standards and assessments, and their costs.

What exactly does the Common Core Pause require? The Indiana Department of Education must provide a written evaluation of the Common Core standards before July 1, 2013, which must be submitted to the governor, legislative council, state board of education, and the legislative study committee established by the Pause law. The legislative study committee will evaluate Common Core, and produce a report by November 1, 2013, to:

Compare Indiana’s existing state standards to Common Core standards;
“[C]onsider best practices in developing and adopting the standards, seeking information from a broad range of sources,” which should include teachers, content matter experts and “any other standards the study committee considers to be superior standards”; and
Evaluate the cost to the state and school districts of moving toward Common Core assessments.

In addition to the state Department of Education evaluation and the legislative study committee report, the Common Core pause law requires that by September 1, 2013, the Office of Management and Budget provide a fiscal impact statement on the cost of Common Core to taxpayers. Specifically, the Pause law states that the Indiana OMB, “in consultation with the state board, shall provide an opinion concerning the fiscal impact to the state and school corporations if the state board: (1) fully implements the common core standards; and (2) discontinues the implementation of the common core standards.”

Finally, the law requires the state board of education to hold at least three public meetings and take public testimony on Common Core standards and tests.

While the law does not prohibit the use of Common Core standards implemented by the state board, the board may not require the use of Common Core assessments until the board receives the evaluations conducted by the state Department of Education, the legislative study committee, and the state OMB. Pence stated:

I have long believed that education is a state and local function and we must always work to ensure that our students are being taught to the highest academic standards and that our curriculum is developed by Hoosiers, for Hoosiers.… The legislation I sign today hits the pause button on Common Core so Hoosiers can thoroughly evaluate which standards will best serve the interests of our kids.

Pence is exactly right. States and local school districts should determine the standards and assessments that are used in their classrooms, not national organizations or Washington bureaucrats. Indiana has provided a good model for other states that want to determine whether or not Common Core is a wise undertaking.

Hitting the “Pause” button is a good first step, but no matter the outcome of the evaluations by various agencies in Indiana, the idea of ceding control over the content taught in any state should give governors and policymakers pause. It is, as state constitutions and statutes demonstrate, the responsibility of states and local school districts to define and implement standards, assessments, and curricula.

Common Core national standards represent an unprecedented surrender of state educational control to Washington. Conservative leaders can reclaim control over the content taught in their local schools by resisting the imposition of national standards and tests and preventing their implementation.

The post Governor Pence Pauses Indiana Common Core Standards appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/17/...ore-standards/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/governor-pence-pauses-indiana-common-core-standards-91674/ A Spend-More, Tax-More, and Borrow-More Budget Would Hurt, Not Help http://www.szone.us/f95/spend-more-tax-more-borrow-more-budget-would-hurt-not-help-91673/ Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:54 GMT On 05.17.13 09:21 AM posted by David S. Addington

Congress needs to drive down federal spending toward a balanced budget, including through entitlement reforms, while maintaining a strong national defense and without raising taxes. Neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate achieved that objective when they adopted their respective versions of the government budget for fiscal year 2014 (FY ’14), which begins only four months from now, on October 1, 2013. For this year, time is up for the broken budget process. Congress must press ahead and cut the amount of taxpayers’ money it appropriates for the bureaucracies to spend.

The House of Representatives correctly identified the key problem when it considered the House-proposed budget for FY ’14 (H. Con. Res. 25). As the House Budget Committee said in its report (H. Rept. 113-17) on the budget:

Without reform, entitlement programs will overwhelm all other items in the federal budget. And our national debt will overwhelm our economy.

The budget the House passed on March 21, 2013, by a vote of 221 to 207 had the salutary feature of matching federal spending to federal revenues in 10 years—achieving a balanced budget in a decade—but at too high a level of spending and taxation.

The Senate managed to do much worse when it considered the Senate-proposed budget for FY ’14 (S. Con. Res. 8). The Senate Budget Committee Chairman made clear in her letter (S. Prt. 113-12) of March 13, 2013, that she sought with the proposed budget to obtain “new revenue”—in plain English, higher taxes. The Senate budget, passed by a vote of 50 to 49 on March 23, 2013, had even higher levels of spending and taxation than the House version, dodged the problem of entitlement costs, and never balanced.

With only four months left before FY ’14 starts, there is no time left to overturn the too-costly work of both the House and the Senate and instead get to a common budget that cuts the cost, scope, and size of the federal government. Moreover, reaching a common budget resolution would trigger a special legislative process known as “reconciliation,” which provides for reconciling annual spending bills with the budget resolution. In that reconciliation process, it becomes much easier for liberals in Congress to raise taxes and put more debt on the backs of Americans.

Under the regular procedures of the Senate, it takes the votes of 60 Senators to move legislation swiftly through that body. But under the special reconciliation procedures, it takes the votes of only 51 Senators to move legislation swiftly through the Senate. It makes little sense to go to a House-Senate conference on the concurrent budget resolution—unless you want to make it easier to get tax hikes and debt increases through the Senate.

The hope earlier in the year for a sound federal budget has long since evaporated. Now, all a common budget resolution would really accomplish is to make it easier for liberals to hike taxes and the federal debt limit.

America cherishes liberty for people and limits for government. What Americans need from their government is less—less spending, less taxation, and less debt. Under the current circumstances, going to a House–Senate conference on a concurrent budget resolution is the first step on the path that leads directly to more spending, higher taxes, and larger debt. Congress should stay off that dangerous path and instead take up the appropriations bills—the real money bills in Congress—and start slashing the cost of government.

The post A Spend-More, Tax-More, and Borrow-More Budget Would Hurt, Not Help appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/17/...hurt-not-help/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/spend-more-tax-more-borrow-more-budget-would-hurt-not-help-91673/ Voter Fraud in Missouri: Wrong Candidate Was Elected http://www.szone.us/f95/voter-fraud-missouri-wrong-candidate-elected-91672/ Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:54 GMT On 05.17.13 10:58 AM posted by Hans von Spakovsky

Newscom

A guilty plea in a Kansas City, Missouri, voter fraud case this week illustrates something the U.S. Supreme Court pointed out when it upheld Indiana’s voter ID law in 2008:

[F]lagrant examples of [voter] fraud…have been documented throughout this Nation’s history [and] occasional examples have surfaced in recent years that…demonstrate that not only is the risk of voter fraud real but that it could affect the outcome of a close election.

On Monday, John C. Moretina pleaded guilty to a federal felony count of voter fraud in the August 2010 Democratic primary in Missouri’s 40th legislative district. Moretina falsely claimed he was living in the 40th district just so he could vote in the primary. This is a Democratic district where the winner of the primary, John J. Rizzo, was highly likely to become the district representative in the state house and, in fact, was elected. But Rizzo beat his Democratic opponent, Will Royster, by only one vote: 664 to 663.

Moretina did not inform the court whom he voted for, but since he is Rizzo’s uncle, it is not too much of a stretch to guess that he gave his nephew the winning margin of victory. Moreover, there were also allegations that Moretina’s wife fraudulently voted in this primary election as well, although she was not charged.

What is undeniable is that, as the Kansas City Star says, “the wrong candidate was declared [the] winner of the 2010 Democratic primary.”

Some opponents of voter ID mistakenly claim that this fraud shows that “stricter voter ID” requirements are not needed because voter ID would not have stopped this fraud. While no one claims that voter ID is a solution to all types of voter fraud, it is one of the critical steps that should be taken by states to improve the integrity of the election process.

As John Fund and I outlined in our book Who’s Counting? How Fraudsters and Bureaucrats Put Your Vote at Riskand as the Supreme Court said,voter fraud is real, and it can change the outcome of a close election. It certainly changed the outcome of this state legislative race in Missouri.

The post Voter Fraud in Missouri: Wrong Candidate Was Elected appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/17/...e-was-elected/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/voter-fraud-missouri-wrong-candidate-elected-91672/ Honey, I Shrunk the Benghazi Talking Points http://www.szone.us/f95/honey-i-shrunk-benghazi-talking-points-91671/ Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:54 GMT On 05.17.13 11:26 AM posted by Helle Dale Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Libya.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Libya.jpg)AFP PHOTOSTR/AFP/GettyImages/Newscom The White House release of the e-mail chain regarding the Benghazi talking points (http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/white-house-benghazi-emails.pdf) on Wednesday has opened up a slew of new questions. Covering only two days—Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15—and focused only on the production of the hapless talking points, they raise the question: What communication took place internally within the government before and after those two days? On 05.17.13 11:26 AM posted by Helle Dale

AFP PHOTOSTR/AFP/GettyImages/Newscom

The White House release of the e-mail chain regarding the Benghazi talking points on Wednesday has opened up a slew of new questions.

Covering only two days—Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15—and focused only on the production of the hapless talking points, they raise the question: What communication took place internally within the government before and after those two days?

And yet what is amply clear is that the production of the talking points, which had been requested by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in anticipation of media inquiries, became a bureaucratic exercise in protecting the government’s major players. White House and State Department officials involved showed no inclination to want to actually inform the public or the media. Instead, they seemed to be motivated by deflecting blame and protecting the Obama Administration from congressional scrutiny.

Reproduced below are the three major iterations of the talking points. The first reproduction is the initial set produced by the CIA and sent out on September 14 at 2:27 p.m. by its Office of Public Affairs for comment. It is brief but quite informative, mentioning specifically the potential al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sharia connections in the attack.

Benghazi Talking Points

The reaction from the CIA’s own general counsel, Steven W. Preston, at 4:20 p.m. produced the first major revision of the talking points. “Folks, I know there is hurry to get this out but we need to hold it long enough to ascertain whether providing it conflicts with express instructions…that, in light of the criminal investigation, we are not to generate statements with assertions as to who did this, etc.—even internally, not to mention for public release.” That eliminated the al-Qaeda reference as a potential participant in the attack.

White Paper Talking Points for Use with the Media

Meanwhile, the White House National Security Council staff—in particular, Ben Rhodes and Tommy Vietor—weighed in with concerns about what Congress might do with the information. Rhodes’s statement is particularly ironic in hindsight: “There is a ton of wrong information getting into the public domain from Congress and people who are not particularly informed.”

Yet it was the State Department that had the most reservations. Department spokesman Victoria Nuland did not like the draft—nor did her “building leadership,” as she said in an e-mail on September 14 at 9:24 p.m. Her interventions prompted the CIA to remove just about every bit of substance in the talking points:

Why do we want Hill to start fingering Ansar Al Sharia, when we aren’t doing that ourselves until we have the investigation results…and the penultimate point could be abused by Members to beat the State Department for not paying attention to Agency warnings so why do we want to feed that?… Concerned.

Presumably, the meeting called on the morning of September 15 by Rhodes produced the handwritten revisions that eviscerated the talking points. This led to the final draft, the third reproduced here, a masterpiece of bureaucratese.

White House Benghazi Emails

It is no wonder that former CIA director David Petraeus commented on September 15 at 2:27 p.m., “Frankly, I’d just as soon not use this, then.… [T]his is certainly not what [HPSCI] vice chairman [Dutch] Ruppersberger [D–MD] was hoping to get for unclas use.” Petraeus ended with: “Regardlesss, thx for the great work.” It is hard to imagine that he meant it.

The post Honey, I Shrunk the Benghazi Talking Points appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/17/...alking-points/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/honey-i-shrunk-benghazi-talking-points-91671/ House Republicans Are Right to Focus on Spending Cuts as Part of Debt Ceiling Increas http://www.szone.us/f95/house-republicans-right-focus-spending-cuts-part-debt-ceiling-increas-91670/ Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:54 GMT On 05.17.13 12:15 PM posted by Laura Trueman

Newscom

This week, the House Republican conference met to discuss what their priority will be in connection with any vote to increase the debt ceiling. This is timely since the current suspension of the debt limit expires tomorrow. According to reports of the Republican House caucus meeting, “Members came away with the impression that the GOP conference wants entitlement cuts to be demanded, along with any possible links to a pro-growth overhaul of the tax code.”

These lawmakers’ instincts on prioritizing entitlement reform are spot on.

Debt Still the Problem

Despite some foolish notion that deficit spending “is pretty much solved” because the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that the red ink for 2013 is projected at $642 billion rather than $845 billion, the nation’s financial footing is still on a “fiscal collision course.”

Think of our country’s debt problem as a patient with life-threatening cancer. The patient has just learned that the disease’s progression has slowed a tiny bit. It would be utterly foolish to regard the cancer as any less serious and it would be the height of folly to put off the unpleasant prescribed surgery.

In this case, the nation’s life-saving treatment is entitlement reform.

Avoid Distractions and Unify

Speaker John Boehner (R–OH) is looking for caucus unity as they move into the debt limit fight. He found caucus unity in January and announced their commitment to produce “a plan that will in fact balance the budget over the next 10 years.” He can find support for that message and the only real threat to unity would be to jettison that blueprint. Even recently, House Republican Steering Committee chair Steve Scalise (R–LA) surveyed members and found unity to “tie the debt ceiling to the actual reforms that it will take to get the budget to balance in ten years.”

Unity and stiff spines are required to avoid distractions—no matter how worthy—and fix the problem at hand. Revenue neutral tax reform and approval of the Keystone pipeline are important policy changes for Congress to pursue; but a vote to increase the debt ceiling signifies a spending problem. It is just as serious as ever and Congress should fix it through spending cuts, particularly entitlements, and not through tax hikes.

The post House Republicans Are Right to Focus on Spending Cuts as Part of Debt Ceiling Increase appeared first on The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation.

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/05/17/...ling-increase/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/house-republicans-right-focus-spending-cuts-part-debt-ceiling-increas-91670/ NRA Supports Lawsuit Against Gun Control in Colorado http://www.szone.us/f81/nra-supports-lawsuit-against-gun-control-colorado-91669/ Fri, 17 May 2013 20:59:54 GMT Posted: 05.16.13 04:00 PM Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association is proud to support a lawsuit filed today in federal court by 54 Colorado county sheriffs, the firearms industry trade association, several firearms retailers, individuals with disabilities and other parties which challenges the State of Colorado’s recently enacted gun control laws. Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/news-from-nra-ila/2013/5/nra-supports-lawsuit-against-gun-control-in-colorado.aspx Posted: 05.16.13 04:00 PM

Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association is proud to support a lawsuit filed today in federal court by 54 Colorado county sheriffs, the firearms industry trade association, several firearms retailers, individuals with disabilities and other parties which challenges the State of Colorado’s recently enacted gun control laws.

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/ne...-colorado.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/nra-supports-lawsuit-against-gun-control-colorado-91669/