Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 2, 2011 – 1:35 P.M. EDT MR. CARNEY: Okay. Thank you all for being here. Before I take your questions, I have an announcement. On September 11, 2011, the President and Mrs. Obama will join with the rest of the American people in marking the 10th anniversary of[Read More…]

SYRIA–(ENEWSPF)–2 August 2011.   Protesters in Damascus, Syria on 8 April (shamsnn/Flickr) The United Nations human rights chief today voiced alarm at reports that at least 145 people have been killed in demonstrations in Syria during the past four days and called for an end to the bloodshed, warning the[Read More…]

SUDAN–(ENEWSPF)–2 August 2011.  Four United Nations peacekeepers serving in Sudan’s troubled Abyei area were killed today and seven others were injured after a landmine detonated during a patrol, the UN reported. The Ethiopian blue helmets, part of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), were on patrol in Mabok,[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 2, 2011.  The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis today released personal income and outlays data for June 2011. Personal income rose 0.1 percent in June, consistent with private-sector forecasts. Wages and salaries, the largest component of income, remained unchanged despite a decline in June hourly earnings. Real consumer spending[Read More…]

WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)–August 2 – Expressing outrage over a debt ceiling deal that does not raise revenue, relies solely on spending cuts, including the potential for significant cuts to Medicare later this year, a group of 20 community leaders were arrested at the Republican House caucus meeting at the Capitol.  The group travelled to[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 2, 2011 – 1:06 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Congress has now approved a compromise to reduce the deficit and avert a default that would have devastated our economy.  It was a long and contentious debate.  And I want to thank the American people for keeping[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 1, 2011.  The House of Reprentatives has passed the controversial bipartisan debt ceiling compromise bill, ‘The Budget Control Act of 2011.’  In addition to raising the nation’s debt ceiling in order to avoid a default on the national debt, the bill will:  Establish caps on discretionary spending through 2021;[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 1, 2011.   Index for Today’s Briefing DEPARTMENT Secretary Clinton Swearing in Ambassador Locke UN Working Group / Detention of Nobel Laureate Liu Xiabo / Call for Immediate Release / Call on China to Uphold International Human Rights Obligations SYRIA Acts of Violence in Syria / Despicable and[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—August 1, 2011 New Cooling Water System Lowering Temperature in Reactor 4 Fuel Storage Pool  Plant Status Cooling water temperature in the Fukushima Daiichi reactor 4 used fuel storage pool is returning to normal after Tokyo Electric Power Co. began operating a new recirculating cooling water system.  The new[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–August 1, 2011 – 11:54 A.M. EDT MR. CARNEY: Good afternoon. Welcome to the White House. You may have noticed, if you look outside, that the cloud of uncertainty — (laughter) — has been lifted over our economy, or almost, anyway. We hope so. I do not have any[Read More…]