Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 16, 2011.   Index for Today’s Briefing DEPARTMENT Secretary Clinton Travel to Guatemala and Jamaica / International Conference of Support for the Central American Security Strategy / Caribbean Counterparts Ayman al-Zawahiri and al-Qaida PAKISTAN U.S.-Pakistan Relationship / Engagement LIBYA Qadhafi / International Pressure / NATO Operation / Resolution[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 16, 2011.  The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau today released data on new residential construction for May 2011.  Permits for new housing units jumped 8.7 percent in May.  Private-sector analysts had expected a 0.7 percent decline.  Housing starts advanced 3.5 percent in May. Private-sector analysts had expected a 4.8 percent[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 16, 2011.  President Obama today met with Ambassador Princeton Lyman, his Special Envoy for Sudan, to discuss the status of mediation efforts to end the political and humanitarian crisis in Abyei and the humanitarian crisis and violence in Southern Kordofan.   The President expressed deep concern over the[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–June 16, 2011.  The American Civil Liberties Union today joined with other organizations to send a letter to the White House calling on President Obama to formally honor the soldiers and public servants who opposed the Bush administration’s torture policies. The letter comes as the death of Osama bin[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.-(ENEWSPF)- ABC News reports it has confirmed that Congressman Anthony Weiner is stepping down. The embattled congressman from New York, hero to the left, villain to the right, in the end brought about his own undoing by sending inappropriate photographs of himself to women online.

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 16, 2011.   SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending June 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 414,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 430,000. The 4-week moving average was 424,750, unchanged from the previous week’s revised average of[Read More…]

BELGIUM–(ENEWSPF)–16 June 2011.  NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, delivered a speech at the Spanish Senate on NATO’s changing role in the Mediterranean, particularly focusing on Operation Unified Protector and NATO’s future role in the region. The Secretary General stressed that the progress made in its Libya operation over the[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—June 15, 2011 – Update as of 3 p.m. EDT New Filters Remove Radiation from Seawater Plant Status Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) has begun full operation of seawater filtering systems near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy facility. Installed near the water intakes of reactors 2 and 3, the[Read More…]

San Francisco, CA–(ENEWSPF)–June 14, 2011 – 12:36 P.M. PDT         MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you everyone.  (Applause.)  You all are so sweet.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  (Applause.) Please sit down, as I said in Oakland.  (Laughter.)  We don’t want you to — you’re too tired.  You got to work.  (Laughter.) [Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—June 14, 2011 Index for Today’s Briefing SUDAN Security and Humanitarian Situation in Southern Kordofan State of Sudan Ambassador Lyman Traveling with Secretary Clinton / Participated in Secretary’s Meetings with Sudanese Leaders SYRIA Concerns about Ongoing Violence / Continue to Press Asad Regime to End Human Rights Abuses /[Read More…]