Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–October 17, 2013 – 12:32 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it’s wonderful to welcome Prime Minister Letta to the Oval Office.  We have had a chance to get to know each other over the last several international summits that we’ve attended, and I couldn’t be more impressed with the[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–October 17, 2013 – 11:00 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  Please have a seat. Well, last night, I signed legislation to reopen our government and pay America’s bills.  Because Democrats and responsible Republicans came together, the first government shutdown in 17 years is now over.  The first[Read More…]

Massive Crowdsourcing Effort Leads to Strong Petition Before the USPTO San Francisco–(ENEWSPF)–October 17, 2013.  The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) yesterday filed a formal challenge to the so-called “podcasting patent” used by a patent troll to shake down podcasters big and small for licensing fees. The petition for inter partes review,[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–October 17, 2013.  Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after an agreement was reached to reopen the government and prevent a default on U.S. debt:  “After two and a half long weeks, common sense has finally prevailed in Washington. Although it is a good thing for our economy that[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–October 17, 2013.  U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement after Congress approved legislation to end the government shutdown and prevent a debt default. “With this disruptive and counterproductive government shutdown finally over and the threat of default delayed, it’s time for people to work together regardless[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—October 17, 2013. By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director Washington state regulators today finalized rules to govern the state’s nascent marijuana retail market. Beginning on November 18, regulators will begin formally accepting applications from those seeking state licenses to commercially produce, process, and sell cannabis to those age 21[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–17 October 2013 – Urging greater support for people struggling to escape poverty and build better lives, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations marked the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty by calling on the world to “do more to listen to the voices that often go[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–October 17, 2013. SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending October 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 358,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 373,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,500, an increase of 11,750 from the previous week’s revised[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—October 16, 2013.    “We welcome the bipartisan action Congress is taking to resolve this crisis, re-open the government, and lift the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the economy. Over 224 years, the United States has established our credit as the strongest in the world. The United States is[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–October 16, 2013 – 8:28 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening, everybody.  Tonight, the Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together around an agreement that will reopen our government and remove the threat of default from our economy.  The Senate has now voted to approve this agreement, and[Read More…]