PORTLAND–(ENEWSPF)–November 30, 2012. Following reports that Charles Webster, Chair of the Maine Republican Party, plans to use tactics that could harass and intimidate African-American voters, the ACLU of Maine and the Brennan Center for Justice today formally requested an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights division. On[Read More…]

Draft Adopted Without Consensus Amid Political Crisis New York–(ENEWSPF)–November 30, 2012. The final draft of a constitution approved on November 29, 2012, by Egypt’s 100-member constituent assembly protects some rights but undermines others. The constitution, approved in the midst of a political standoff between the president and the judiciary, provides[Read More…]

WASHINGTON, DC–(ENEWSPF)–November 30, 2012. Building on current U.S. sanctions they authored to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons capacity, U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL), Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) yesterday called for additional sanctions against the Iranian regime as part of the Senate’s defense authorization bill.  “According to[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—November 29, 2012. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON E. PANETTA:  Good afternoon.  It’s a great pleasure for me to have the opportunity again to welcome my dear friend, Minister Ehud Barak, to the Pentagon.  I’d like to begin by taking a moment to pay tribute to Ehud.  As you know,[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–November 29, 2012 – 1:15 P.M. EST   MR. CARNEY:  I’m sorry, Mr. Knoller, did you have a request?   Q    You bet.  (Laughter.)  Any chance your briefing might be interrupted by a joint appearance?   MR. CARNEY:  Uhh — no.  (Laughter.)   Q    Why not the historical record,[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–November 29, 2012. This afternoon, President Obama and Governor Romney visited for an hour over lunch in the Private Dining Room adjacent to the Oval Office.  Governor Romney congratulated the President for the success of his campaign and wished him well over the coming four years. The focus of[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–November 29, 2012. Index for Today’s Briefing PALESTINIANS UN Vote on Palestinian Recognition David Hale’s Actions in New York SYRIA Evolution of the Syrian Opposition U.S. Assistance to the Syrian People Internet, Cellular Communications Shutdown by Syrian Regime U.S. Contact with Opposition Political Figures, Leaders, Councils EGYPT Constitutional Drafting,[Read More…]

NEW YORK—(ENEWSPF)—29 November 2012. Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in New York today: Sixty-five years ago, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 181, proposing the partition of the mandate territory into two States. [Read More…]

Lawsuit asserts unconstitutional policy unfairly targets young immigrants PHOENIX –(ENEWSPF)–November 29 – A coalition of civil rights organizations today filed a class-action lawsuit challenging Arizona’s unconstitutional policy denying driver’s licenses to a specific class of immigrant youth even though they have grown up in the United States and are authorized[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–November 29, 2012  — The Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday overwhelmingly approved legislation authored by Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that updates the Video Privacy Protection Act and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, two of the nation’s premier digital privacy laws. The bill updates the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, first enacted in[Read More…]