State-based Campaigns to Significantly Reduce Prison Population Will Focus on Presidential Battleground States NEW YORK –-(ENEWSPF)–November 7, 2014.  The Open Society Foundations today awarded a grant of $50 million to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in support of its nationwide campaign to end mass incarceration. The campaign seeks to[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—November 7, 2014. Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 214,000 in October, and the unemployment rate edged down to 5.8 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in food services and drinking places, retail trade, and health care. Household Survey Data Both the unemployment rate[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–November 6, 2014 – 12:57 P.M. EST MR. EARNEST:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Nice to see you all.  I don’t have any announcements at the top.  We’ll go straight to questions. Julie. Q    Thanks, Josh.  The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the President sent a letter last month to[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—November 6, 2014. SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending November 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 278,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 287,000 to 288,000. The 4-week moving average[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–November 5, 2014 – 2:57 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Have a seat. Today, I had a chance to speak with John Boehner and congratulated Mitch McConnell on becoming the next Senate Majority Leader.  And I told them both that I look forward to finishing up this[Read More…]

New Law to Set “Gold Standard” for Marijuana Legalization  OREGON—(ENEWSPF)—November 4, 2014. Today, Oregon voters elected to make their state the third in the nation to legally regulate the production, distribution and sale of marijuana. Passage of Measure 91 accelerates the nationwide momentum in favor of legalizing marijuana and ending the wider[Read More…]

Passage of Proposition 47 Will Spare Thousands From Unnecessary Time Behind Bars and Save Billions of Taxpayer Dollars CALIFORNIA—(ENEWSPF)—November 4, 2014. Today, California voters took a significant step toward ending mass incarceration and the war on drugs by approving Proposition 47.  On the heels of reforming the state’s “three strikes”[Read More…]

D.C. Council Expected to Follow Voters’ Lead and Tax and Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol; Congressional Interference Will Prove Politically Difficult Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—November 4, 2014. According to NPR and USA Today, voters in the District of Columbia have approved Initiative 71, a ballot initiative that legalizes possession of up to two[Read More…]

Approval of Question 1 Ushers in Comprehensive Bail Reform To Increase Public Safety and Improve Justice for All; Advocates Hail Historic Reform and Look Forward to Work on Implementing New Law Trenton—(ENEWSPF)—November 4, 2014. New Jersey voters have approved Public Question No. 1 to reform New Jersey’s bail system.  The[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–November 4, 2014. Index for Today’s Briefing RUSSIA/UKRAINE UNITED STATES/OSCE DEPARTMENT/SYRIA RUSSIA/UKRAINE RUSSIA SYRIA/IRAQ/REGION/COUNTERTERRORISM TURKEY MIDDLE EAST PEACE DEPARTMENT NORTH KOREA IRAN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION YEMEN TRANSCRIPT:   1:27 p.m. EST MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. I just have a couple of items at the top. In recent days, Russia-supported separatists[Read More…]