Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–April 7, 2014. Index for Today’s Briefing EGYPT Court Ruling on Three Activists DEPARTMENT Secretary Kerry’s Conversation with Foreign Minister Lavrov RUSSIA/UKRAINE U.S. Concerned about Russia’s Escalatory Steps / U.S. Monitoring Situation Closely Agenda for Meetings between Russia, Ukraine, European Union, and U.S. RUSSIA/SYRIA Secretary Kerry’s Conversation with Foreign[Read More…]

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released the following statement in response to former NSA and CIA Director Michael Hayden’s remarks suggesting that the Senate Intelligence Committee’s landmark report on torture and coercive interrogations was not objective because the committee’s Chairman, Senator Dianne Feinstein, is too “emotional.”  [Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—April 7, 2014. By Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director Recently, Gov. LePage introduced a bill, LD 1811, to crack down on heroin and cocaine trafficking. While we disagree with his approach (doubling-down on the War on Drugs) Sen. David Dutremble and Rep. Corey Wilson have crafted a compromise proposal[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—April 7, 2014. By Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director Today, the Maryland House of Delegates voted 78 to 55 in favor of Senate Bill 364 which reduces the penalty for possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil offense. Senate Bill 364[Read More…]

Kigali–(ENEWSPF)–7 April 2014.  Commemorating “one of the darkest chapters in human history,” United Nations officials paid tribute this morning to the 800,000 men, women and children – overwhelmingly Tutsi, moderate Hutu and Twa – that were systematically killed 20 years ago in Rwanda, and urged the international community to work[Read More…]

Justice Department Charged More Than 880 Defendants Involved in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud in the Past Year Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—April 7, 2014. As the April 15 tax filing deadline approaches, Attorney General Eric Holder warned U.S. tax filers to beware a “rising threat” of scammers seeking fraudulent refunds based on stolen[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–April 7, 2014 – 3:35 P.M EDT THE PRESIDENT:  All right, everybody please have a seat.  I just wanted to stop by and congratulate Maria on officially being sworn in as the head of the SBA.  I want to thank all the members of Congress who are here today,[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–April 7, 2014.  Today, the White House announced that the first America’s PrepareAthon! national day of action will take place April 30, 2014. America’s PrepareAthon! is a nationwide, community-based campaign to increase emergency preparedness and resilience through participation in hazard-specific drills, group discussions and exercises conducted at the national[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–April 7, 2014.  This afternoon President Obama met with the inaugural members of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) at the White House, along with Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, the PAGE Chair. Established by the Department of Commerce, PAGE is a group of successful American businesspeople eager[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—April 7, 2014. The Maryland Legislature did the right thing for its workers today by increasing the state minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. Maryland’s important action is a reminder that many states, cities and counties – as well as a majority of the American people – are way[Read More…]