WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)—February 20, 2015. U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), John McCain (R-AZ), Rob Portman (R-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) today urged Secretary of State John Kerry to immediately tighten international sanctions against Russia[Read More…]

Rule will require players to keep a foot in the batter’s box; Timers will track breaks during non-game action only; Managers may invoke replay from dugout NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–February 20, 2015.  Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark and Atlanta Braves President John[Read More…]

A young boy sits in front of a destroyed building in Homs, Syria. Photo: WFP/Abeer Etefa GENEVA–(ENEWSPF)–20 February 2015 – Four United Nations human rights experts briefed the Security Council today on a new report into human rights and humanitarian law violations in Syria since the uprising in the country[Read More…]

An estimated 400,000 people are displaced across Libya, including this man at a site near the capital, Tripoli. Photo: UNHCR/L. Dobbs LIBYA–(ENEWSPF)–20 February 2015 – The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has strongly deplored a string of suicide car bombings that struck the eastern city of Al-Qubbah in[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 20, 2015.  Today, Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)  introduced two bills that together would legalize and tax marijuana at the federal level. Representative Polis’s legislation, H.R. 1013, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, removes marijuana from the schedule set by the Controlled Substances Act; transitions marijuana[Read More…]

Washington, D.C. –-(ENEWSPF)–February 20, 2015.  Recent oil train accidents raise serious concerns about newer rail cars that carry crude oil in Oregon and across the country, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today. Wyden urged the administration to take into account a series of accidents involving new cars as it finalizes[Read More…]

WASHINGTON –(ENEWSPF)–February 20, 2015.  U.S. Customs and Border Protection today unveiled the locations where it will begin its pilot testing of body-worn cameras. The pilot marks the latest effort by CBP to respond to the concerns of border residents about the alarming trend of excessive use of force incidents by[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 20, 2015 SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh is one of my most frequent interlocutors. He has been a partner now with me for two years and with our country for many years. He’s the longest serving foreign minister in the history of Jordan, and[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 20, 2015 – 11:10 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Democrats!  (Applause.)  It’s good to see all of you.  Good to see you.  This looks like a rowdy crowd. (Applause.)  I think Donna got you all — you know, you always got to watch out for Donna.  She’ll get[Read More…]

Kingston, Jamaica–(ENEWSPF)–February 19, 2015.  Members of the Jamaica Senate have approved legislation depenalizing minor marijuana possession offenses nationwide. The legislation amends federal law so that the possession of up to two ounces of cannabis by an adult is reclassified as a non-criminal offense. Violators of the law would receive a[Read More…]