NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–28 May 2010 – Renewed fighting between Government troops and armed opposition groups have displaced over 17,000 people from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, over the past month, with more than 14,300 fleeing in the last two weeks alone, the United Nations refugee agency reported today. This brings to 200,000[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–May 27, 2010. I have long advocated that we repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’, and I am pleased that both the House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee took important bipartisan steps toward repeal tonight.  Key to successful repeal will be the ongoing Defense Department review, and[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–May 27, 2010. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you very much for giving us this opportunity to come here to Brookings to talk about the National Security Strategy. I appreciate Strobe’s very kind words about this strategy, because certainly, an enormous amount of attention has been paid at the highest[Read More…]

WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)–May 27 – The American Civil Liberties Union testified today before the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC) that mandatory minimums should be abolished or reformed because they generate unnecessarily harsh sentences, tie judges’ hands in considering individual circumstances, create racial disparities in sentencing and empower prosecutors to force defendants to bargain[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–May 27, 2010 – 4:27 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, hello, hello!  Thank you.  Thank you. (Applause.)  Everybody, thank you.  Please have a seat.  Thank you so much.  Thank you so much.  It is wonderful to see all of you, and I am proud to welcome you to the[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.—(ENEWSPF)—May 27, 2010. Today, Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak sent a letter to Lamar McKay, Chairman and President, BP America, seeking clarification regarding information provided to the Committee in its ongoing investigation into the causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Spill.  Specifically, documents provided[Read More…]

WASHINGTON, D.C.—(ENEWSPF)—May 27, 2010. Facing tight budgets as the result of recession, local communities are set to lay off another 222,500 workers beginning this summer, threatening to overwhelm the recovery, according to an analysis released today by the Economic Policy Institute. “This massive job loss will harm far more than[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–May 27, 2010.  The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that nearly $80 million in grants have been delivered to states as part of President Obama’s historic high-speed and intercity passenger rail program.  These grants will go toward the development of a brand new Recovery Act funded high-speed rail[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—May 27, 2010. S. Elizabeth Birnbaum today submitted a letter of resignation as Director of the Minerals Management Service. Below are statements from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and S. Elizabeth Birnbaum. “Elizabeth Birnbaum is a strong and effective person and leader,” said Secretary Salazar. “She helped break[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–May 27, 2010.  10:46 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  Please have a seat.  Welcome to the White House.  Welcome to the Rose Garden.  You know, when I woke up this morning and I saw a few hundred students camping out on my lawn — (laughter) — I remembered[Read More…]