Entries by michellediane

8 Jun, 2014

Leaders talk at Normandy

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Putin, Poroshenko and Obama talk cease-fire at the 70th anniversary commemoration of D-Day. This is the first meeting between Obama and Putin since Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, and they agree to further peace talks between Poroshenko and a Putin emissary. The agreement is not without demands from the Russian leader; Putin tells reporters at Normandy:

The Ukrainian leadership must show its goodwill and wisdom. They have to immediately stop the operation and announce a cease-fire. There is no other way to create the conditions for negotiations.

Honors Remsburg again

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From a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, Obama points to Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg, the Army Ranger recognized at the 2014 State of the Union address, and assures the remnant of America’s ‘Greatest Generation’ their legacy is in good hands. In recognition of today’s diverse military, he tells the crowd gathered in Normandy, France to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day,

For in a time when it has never been more tempting to pursue narrow self-interest, to slough off common endeavor, this generation of Americans, a new generation, our men and women of war, have chosen to do their part as well.

7 Jun, 2014

Asks Obama to stop illegals flights

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Brewer sends Barack Obama angry letter demanding that the influx of illegal’s from Texas be stopped immediately. Homeland Security flies immigrants to Arizona from Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, including more than 48,000 children, because the Border Patrol in South Texas is overwhelmed. U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement say the immigrants are mostly families fleeing extreme poverty and violence. Brewer spokesman Andrew Wilder says,

if President Obama would put in half the effort to securing out borders that they have put into this operation we would not be in this situation.

Backs College Debt Refinancing Bill

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Obama supports bill allowing graduates with heavy education debt to refinance. He notes that elimination of tax loopholes for millionaires will pay for the program and says the choice facing lawmakers is whether to

protect young people from crushing debt or protect tax breaks for millionaires.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky disagrees with the President and says:

This bill doesn’t make college more affordable, reduce the amount of money students will have to borrow, or do anything about the lack of jobs grads face in the Obama economy.

14 May, 2014

Files suit to stop NSA

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Sen. Paul and FreedomWorks ask a federal court to halt the National Security Agency’s collection of telephone data and to purge what has been stored since 2006. They believe the government is overstepping and say the class-action lawsuit could involve 300 to 400 million Americans. Paul tells reporters in front of the federal courthouse:

On behalf of myself, FreedomWorks and everyone in America that has a phone, we’re filing suit against the president of the United States in defense of the Fourth Amendment.

The matter now before the court is whether a single warrant empowers the NSA to conduct mass surveillance against phone users.

Announces Central African sanctions

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The President orders sanctions against five people for threatening stability and stoking sectarian violence in the Central African Republic. He signs an executive order that opens the door for the U.S. to sanction additional individuals in the future. He also declares the situation in the country a national emergency. White House spokesman Jay Carney says:

The sanctions send a message that the U.S. won’t tolerate impunity for those responsible for violence.

Admits plagiarism

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Buzzfeed uncovers a new passage in Paul’s book Government Bullies that is nearly identical to an article in Forbes magazine. The senator, who is buffeted by a steady stream of plagiarism allegations, which he has denied in the past, admits mistakes crediting sources and tells reporters:

Ultimately, I’m the boss, and things go out under my name, so it is my fault; I never intentionally presented anyone’s ideas as my own.

‘Friend of Israel’

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Paul steps up Jewish outreach efforts. He meets with Young Jewish Conservatives in his Senate office and proposes funding to the Palestinian Authority be eliminated unless it recognizes the Jewish state. At the Jewish Heritage Month event on the Capitol, the senator recalls his conference call with 72 rabbis:

I had a call today with a group of Rabbis.. and the introduction said ‘I think I can introduce him as a friend to Israel.’ And the way I responded is, that absolutely I am a friend of Israel.

Republican Jewish Coalition’s executive director, Matthew Brooks, says Paul has evolved since 2010 when he called Paul a neo-isolationist that made a lot of people in the Jewish community uncomfortable.

Criticizes Hillary Clinton

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Paul denounces the former Secretary of State in remarks to members of the Republican National Committee, criticizes her handling of Benghazi and argues the event should disqualify her to serve as U.S. president. He charges that under Clinton the agency spent money frivolously instead of strengthening security in Libya:

My opinion is that Hillary Clinton has precluded herself from ever being considered for that position.

Criticizes Obama over NSA

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Paul criticizes President Obama and other government leaders over recent surveillance disclosures in a speech at the University of California, Berkeley. He speaks for 30 minutes on what he perceives to be abuses of government spy programs and a lack of oversight of the National Security Agency.

I find it ironic that the first African-American president has without compunction allowed this vast exercise of raw power by the NSA.

Paul notes that other black heroes like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were targets of illegal government spying and calls for the creation of a bipartisan congressional committee to address Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s allegations the CIA searched Senate computers.

CPAC speech

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Paul speaks to the first standing-room-only crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference; he calls the crowd the next generation of liberty-lovers and asks them to stand and be heard. He focuses largely on the Fourth Amendment and rights he alleges are being usurped by the Obama administration He also discusses what he perceives as President Obama’s failures, particularly at the National Security Agency:

As our voices rise in protest, the NSA monitors your every phone call. If you have a cell phone, you are under surveillance. I believe what you do on your cell phone is none of their damn business.

“Stand With Rand” gear is far more prevalent than the Ted Cruz stickers and Ben Carson buttons adorning attendees’ lapels.

Threatens to block Fed nominations

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Paul threatens to delay President Obama’s Federal Reserve Board nominations. He says he’ll slow work on all three Fed nominees unless Democrats allow a vote on his bill giving Congress more oversight over the central bank’s actions. Paul’s bill eliminates curbs on Fed audits by the Government Accountability Office and allows greater lawmaker supervision of on Fed actions including tactics the Fed uses to reinforce the slow-moving recovery. The senator says:

This bill brings much needed transparency to the Fed

Critics say the measure increases the risk that lawmakers would put political pressure on Fed decisions.

Courts Romney’s team

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Paul crafts new alliances with the Republican Party establishment during his tour of the Northeast. He headlines a luncheon hosted by top lieutenants of former presidential nominee Mitt Romney and offers a unique blend of what he calls “libertarian-ish” politics in the address to Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. He declares:

The Republican Party will adapt, evolve or die

He rails against perceived civil liberties abuses and suggests his party should focus less attention on social issues. He also says the GOP should abandon calls to deport millions of immigrants and offers that armed school officials might help prevent further mass shootings.

Reviews Jerusalem birthplace law

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Court agrees to weigh the constitutionality of a law that allows American citizens born in Jerusalem to have “Israel” listed on their passports as their country of birth. The case examines whether the president is the sole authority able to declare US foreign policy or whether Congress can pass laws overriding that policy. The administration says:

Taking sides on the issue could critically compromise the ability of the United States to work with Israelis, Palestinians and others in the region to further the peace process.

The government notes that US citizens born in regions where sovereignty is not established, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip, are prevented from stating a country of birth on their passports.

Affordable Care Act upheld

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The Court hands the President a major victory; upholds the “individual mandate”, which requires Americans to have health insurance or face a financial penalty in a 5-4 decision. Chief Justice John Roberts, siding with the court’s more liberal justices, writes in the majority opinion:

Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not [the court’s] role to forbid it, or to pass [decide] upon its wisdom or fairness.

Obama says the court’s decision reaffirms his belief that in the United States, the wealthiest nation on Earth, no illness or accident should lead any family to financial ruin.

Court declines NSA case

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Justices decline lawsuit that challenges the U.S. National Security Agency’s collection of Americans’ phone records. A conservative activist filed the case after a lower court stayed a ruling that the program is unconstitutional. The court denies request by activist and former federal prosecutor Larry Klayman, along with Charles and Mary Strange, to immediately hear their case against U.S. President Barack Obama, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, NSA Director Keith Alexander, Verizon Communications and Roger Vinson. Neither judge who signed the order allowing the surveillance nor Klayman comments.

Decision favors EPA effort to reduce cross-state pollution

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Court endorses the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to decrease air pollution blowing across state; an important victory for the administration and downwind states. The six to two decision unblocks the 2011 rule that requires 28 eastern states to reduce power-plant emissions that blows across state lines, hurting air quality in downwind. Justice Ginsburg writes in the majority opinion:

The EPA’s formula for dealing with cross-state air pollution was “permissible, workable and equitable.

The ruling forces approximately 1,000 power plants to adopt new pollution controls that limit emissions of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide.

No patent on DNA

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Court rules unanimously that a genetics company cannot patent a sequence of naturally occurring human genes, which it discovered and uses to assess patients’ cancer risk. The decision says Myriad Genetics, Inc. can patent cDNA a synthetic composite created by laboratory technicians. Justice Thomas writes:

A naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated, but cDNA is patent eligible because it is not naturally occurring,

Court ‘techno-fogeys’

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The justices, whose average age is 68, are apparently less than tech savvy. Justice Sotomayor is familiar with Roku Inc’s streaming video device and Apple Inc’s iCloud, but also refers to Netflix as “Netflick”. Parker Higgins, a 26-year-old digital rights advocate, says:

Sometimes it’s just amusing and sometimes it’s really troubling. The justices are just unfamiliar with how the industry works. (They) don’t understand how software comes together.

Some critics say the Court’s lack of technology awareness could have real consequences in the lives of everyday Americans. This term the court hears tech issues, which include maintaining privacy in the digital age, software patent protection, and the future of the TV industry.

911 traffic stops okay

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Court rules police can stop vehicles based solely on 911 tips. The decision is based on a 2008 California traffic stop that resulted in the driver’s arrest for a large amount of marijuana in the truck. The court says officers have the right to stop vehicles based on reasonable suspension and officers say the ruling affirms what they are already doing.

Officers get hundreds of calls a day and have to decide whether the information gives them articulable suspicion that a violation is occurring or did occur to make the stop and that’s how it’s always been it didn’t change anything for us. Officers are not going to just stop someone on whim, we always have to take an objectively reasonably to determine whether we have enough to stop the vehicle,