Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013. Index for Today’s Briefing DEPARTMENT Secretary Kerry’s First Major Public Address at University of Virginia Secretary Kerry’s Travel Schedule SYRIA/ RUSSIA Syrian Opposition Coalition / Increase the Pressure on Assad Regime / Russia Secretary Kerry’s Phone Call to Foreign Minister Lavrov Looking for Common Ground on[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013. by Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director Today, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a new marijuana policy for the city during his State of the City address. Mayor Bloomberg, who previously stood with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in his call for fixing New York’s[Read More…]

WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013. Today, U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Congressmen Trent Franks (R-AZ), Co-Chairman of the International Religious Freedom Caucus, Henry Waxman (D-CA), along with over eighty colleagues from the Senate and House, sent a letter to Secretary of State John F. Kerry and urged him to exhaust[Read More…]

Decatur, Georgia–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013 – 1:28 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Well, it is great to be in Georgia!  (Applause.)  Great to be in Decatur!  (Applause.) I can’t imagine a more romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day — (laughter) — than with all of you, with all the[Read More…]

En Route Decatur, Georgia–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013 – 10:35 A.M. EST MR. EARNEST:  Good morning, everybody.  And Happy Valentine’s Day.  I’m glad you’re on board for our trip to Decatur, Georgia today.  Rest assured you can — we’ll be back in plenty of time for you to do something nice for[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students has awarded $3 million in Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grants to Connecticut ($250,000), New Jersey ($1.25 million), New York ($500,000) and New York City ($1 million) to assist with recovery efforts in[Read More…]

Partnership Unites Those Who Heal Our Communities with Those Who Educate Our Children WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013. The leaders of two labor organizations representing healthcare professionals announced today that they have approved an affiliation agreement that will bring 34,000 registered nurses into the AFT, the largest union of professionals in the[Read More…]

Palestinian Access to the ICC Could Open Door for Justice to Victims Ramallah–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013.  Israel engaged in discriminatory practices and other rights violations against Palestinians during 2012, while Palestinian authorities committed abuses against their own population, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013. Both Israeli forces and[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013. The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced today that it has signed a bilateral agreement with Switzerland to facilitate the implementation of the information reporting and withholding tax provisions commonly known as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). “Today’s announcement marks a significant step forward in[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–February 14, 2013. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe told a Senate committee yesterday that the Postal Service’s financial problems are more urgent than ever and will continue to get worse until Congress takes action to reform its business model. Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Donahoe[Read More…]