Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 30, 2015. Index for Today’s Briefing SECRETARY TRAVEL RUSSIA IRAN UKRAINE/REGION RUSSIA UKRAINE/REGION SECRETARY TRAVEL UKRAINE/REGION RUSSIA/SYRIA/REGION IRAN UKRAINE/REGION RUSSIA/NORTH KOREA MIDDLE EAST PEACE/REGION SAUDI ARABIA MIDDLE EAST PEACE SAUDI ARABIA MIDDLE EAST PEACE SAUDI ARABIA JORDAN/ISIL NORTH KOREA/REGION EGYPT RUSSIA UKRAINE/REGION LIBYA JAPAN/REGION DEPARTMENT/CHINA/TIBET/REGION AFGHANISTAN/REGION TURKEY HUMAN[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 30, 2015.  Six years after the financial crisis, America’s resurgence is real and beginning to touch more and more lives across the country. As the President said, “With a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry, and booming energy production, we have risen from the recession freer to write our[Read More…]

Raising the overtime salary threshold would help millions of middle-class Americans earn time-and-a-half-pay when they work more than 40 hours a week WASHINGTON, D.C. –-(ENEWSPF)–January 30, 2015.  Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and 26 Democratic senators reaffirmed their support for updating overtime rules[Read More…]

DPA: Reducing Marijuana Penalties will Improve Lives, Save Taxpayer’s Dollars and Significantly Reduce the Burden on Law Enforcement Resources Santa Fe, NM –(ENEWSPF)—January 30, 2015. Today, New Mexico State Senator Joseph Cervantes, representing Dona Ana County, introduced Senate Bill 383 to reduce penalties for adults who possess small amounts of[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 29, 2015 – 1:15 P.M. EST MR. EARNEST:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I apologize for the long delay in starting today’s briefing.  Let’s just do a couple of things at the top and then we’ll get to your questions. As you know, the President is looking very much forward[Read More…]

“Visiting the United States and having access to our financial system, including U.S. dollars, are privileges that should not be extended to those who violate basic human rights and the rule of law” WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–January 29, 2015.  U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and John McCain (R-AZ), have introduced[Read More…]

New legislation will lift embargo on travel between the United States and Cuba WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)–January 29, 2015.  U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tom Udall (D-NM), John Boozman (R-AR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Mike Enzi (R-WY) today introduced the Freedom to Travel to[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 29, 2015. Index for Today’s Briefing RUSSIA/UKRAINE ISRAEL MIDDLE EAST PEACE AFGHANISTAN UKRAINE/RUSSIA/GREECE IRAN CUBA IRAN TURKEY/SYRIA PAKISTAN JORDAN/JAPAN EGYPT YEMEN SAUDI ARABIA IRAQ HUMAN RIGHTS AFGHANISTAN INDIA RUSSIA/NORTH KOREA TRANSCRIPT: 1:27 p.m. EST MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. All right. I have a couple of items for all[Read More…]

Washington, DC –(ENEWSPF)–January 29, 2015.  Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Policy, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent letters to Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and Goldman Sachs requesting information about how they[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 29, 2015.  Yesterday, Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and Chris Collins (NY-27) introduced the bipartisan Cider Industry Deserves Equal Regulation (CIDER) Act.  The Act, HR 600, would amend the section of the tax code that deals with wine and related beverages, 26 USC § 5041, to support the growing[Read More…]