Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–March 11, 2014.  Today, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) announced that they have reached an agreement on a housing finance reform proposal.  Last fall, the Senate Banking Committee hosted an in-depth series of hearings exploring essential elements necessary for reform and[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–March 11, 2014. Index for Today’s Briefing SPAIN 10th Anniversary of Madrid Train Bombings EGYPT Reports of Detained Political Activists Beaten and Abused in Egypt Yesterday UKRAINE / RUSSIA List of Questions / Russia’s Preparedness to Discuss De-escalation Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov’s Engagement Sanctions Flexibility Crimean Referendum[Read More…]

UN vehicles lead the evacuation from the Old City of Homs, Syria, during a three-day “humanitarian pause” in early February 2014. Photo: Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC)/B. AlHafez GENEVA–(ENEWSPF)–11 March 2014 – “Where have you been? What took you so long? Why is it only after a year that the[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–March 11, 2014.  Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today accused the Central Intelligence Agency of attempting to undermine the committee’s investigation of the CIA’s torture program. According to Feinstein, the CIA not only tortured and abused persons in its custody, but then destroyed and hid documents, spied on[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—March 11, 2014. As we reflect on the third anniversary of the terrible tragedy of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we continue to remember the profound suffering that occurred from this tragic event.  March 11 is a solemn day to remember those who lost their lives, and we again[Read More…]

Changing Technology Demands New Rules for Police San Francisco–(ENEWSPF)–March 11, 2014.  The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) asked the U.S. Supreme Court Monday to set limits on warrantless searches of cell phones, arguing in two cases before the court that changing technology demands new guidelines for when the data on someone’s[Read More…]

UKRAINE–(ENEWSPF)–11 March 2014 – Senior United Nations official Ivan Šimonovic is meeting with local authorities in Kharkiv, Ukraine, today to discuss human rights-related measures that can be taken to help de-escalate tensions in the country. “He is also raising with the authorities the allegations regarding human rights violations, and meeting[Read More…]

BELGIUM—(ENEWSPF)—11 March 2014. NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow discussed the advantages of cooperation and partnership and the crisis in Ukraine with a delegation of Moldovan lawmakers on Tuesday (11 March 2014). “We want to look for ways to strengthen your efforts on the reform path,” the Deputy Secretary[Read More…]

  Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—March 10, 2014. The President spoke today with President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to discuss Ukraine.  The two leaders affirmed their shared interest in identifying a peaceful resolution to the dispute between Russia and Ukraine.  They agreed on the importance of upholding principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. [Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–March 10, 2014. President Obama spoke today with the President of the Government of Spain Mariano Rajoy about Ukraine.  The President welcomed the strong, unified stance of the United States and the European Union regarding Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, including in the conclusions of the March 6 European[Read More…]