First Circuit Court panel, including two Republican appointees, finds “no precedent exists for DOMA’s sweeping general ‘federal’ definition of marriage for all federal statutes and programs.” NEW YORK –(ENEWSPF)–May 31 – Today a federal three-judge panel, including two Republican appointees, unanimously ruled that Section Three of the so-called Defense of[Read More…]

Housing Groups Urge President to Act Now on Wall Street Accountability and Grant Large-Scale Mortgage Principal Reduction for Underwater Homeowners Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–May 31, 2012.  The Campaign for a Fair Settlement (CFS) and The New Bottom Line (NBL) today launched an Internet advertising campaign to pressure President Obama to hold Wall[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–31 May 2012.  The Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League for the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan, today met with King Adbullah II Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, for talks on developments in neighbouring Syria. “They discussed the complexity of the crisis in Syria and[Read More…]

Washingotn, DC–(ENEWSPF)–May 31, 2012. SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending May 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 383,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 373,000. The 4-week moving average was 374,500, an increase of 3,750 from the previous week’s revised[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–May 29, 2012. Japan Government Eyes Summer Electricity Rationing Plan Industry/Regulatory/Political The Japanese government and four regional power companies will announce electricity rationing contingency plans by mid-June. With all of Japan’s nuclear reactors offline, the government is predicting power shortages in the western and northern areas of the country.[Read More…]

Index for Today’s Briefing SYRIA Expelled Charge d’Affaires Zuheir Jabbour / Massacre in Village of Houla Russian Investigation Kofi Annan Statement / UN Chapter 7 Resolution / UN Monitors Qods Force Training / Shabiha Force / Ethnic Cleansing NEPAL Nepalese Constitution RUSSIA Magnitsky Case Ambassador McFaul Speech in Moscow BURMA[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–May 29, 2012 – 3:45 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Everybody, please have a seat, and welcome to the White House.  It is an extraordinary pleasure to be here with all of you to present this year’s Medals of Freedom.  And I have[Read More…]

NEW Y ORK–(ENEWSPF)–29 May 2012.  In a meeting with the Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan, today stressed that a peace plan, put forward in March, cannot succeed without “bold steps” to[Read More…]

March Led By Broad Coalition of Faith, Labor, Community and Immigrant Rights Groups Denver, Colorado–(ENEWSPF)–May 29, 2012.  Thousands of people took to the streets of downtown Denver today to protest Wells Fargo’s reckless behavior as America’s biggest tax-dodging corporation. Workers from around the country joined Coloradans from all walks of[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—May 29, 2012.   The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today reported that the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders, used as an index in some ARM contracts, was 3.93 percent based on loans closed in April. Beginning in March, FHFA[Read More…]