SYRIA–(ENEWSPF)–January 10, 2013 – In the north of Syria’s Idlib Province, civilians are terrorized by a strategy of intense and indiscriminate bombing and the wounded face few options for emergency medical care, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said today. As fighting intensifies north of[Read More…]

Baltimore, Maryland—(ENEWSPF)—January 10, 2013 Let me say thank you to everyone, including our elected leaders, for joining us today as we announce our Ability-to-Repay rule – a rule designed to ensure that lenders are offering mortgages that consumers can actually afford to pay back.  This is a simple, obvious principle[Read More…]

Rule Requires Lenders Ensure Borrowers Have the Ability to Repay Their Mortgage   WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–January 10, 2013.  Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) adopted a new rule that will protect consumers from irresponsible mortgage lending by requiring lenders to ensure prospective buyers have the ability to repay their mortgage. The[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 10, 2013. SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending January 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 371,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 367,000. The 4-week moving average was 365,750, an increase of 6,750 from the previous week’s revised[Read More…]

Cuomo: Marijuana Arrests That “Stigmatize and Criminalize…Must End Now”  Proposal Would Standardize Penalties, End Tens of Thousands of Annual Unlawful, Biased Marijuana Possession Arrests NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013. Today in his State of the State address, Governor Cuomo made a passionate call for reforming New York’s marijuana possession laws in[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013.  Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout: “Secretary Panetta met with Israel Minister of Defense Ehud Barak today and reiterated the strong U.S. commitment to Israel’s security and the strong U.S.-Israel defense relationship.  The secretary commended Minister Barak on his tireless efforts in advancing[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013. Index for Today’s Briefing SYRIA Deputy Burns’ Meeting in Geneva Syrian National Council Prisoner Swap VENEZUELA Inauguration Delay of Hugo Chavez LIBYA Secretary Testimony on Benghazi INDIA/PAKISTAN Violence Along Line of Control in Kashmir VIETNAM Convictions of Supreme People’s Court of Nghe An Province NORTH KOREA[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013. Over her long career in public service – as an advocate for environmental justice in California, state legislator, member of Congress and Secretary of Labor – Hilda Solis has been a tireless champion for working families. Over the last four years, Secretary Solis has been a[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis this afternoon sent the following letter to employees at the U.S. Department of Labor: “Over the Christmas and New Year holidays with my family in California, I enjoyed my first opportunity in years to reflect on the past and my future,[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–January 9, 2013.  News that American International Group (AIG) is considering suing the U.S. government over the taxpayer-funded rescue of the company in 2008 is drawing a clear response from Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) who joined House colleagues Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Michael Capuano (D-MA) in saying:[Read More…]