Congress is back in session Monday morning with only five days to figure out how to keep forced spending cuts known as the "sequester" from taking effect. The cuts won't come all at once, but as many as 2.1 million federal workers could face furloughs, including employees at the FAA and TSA. One prediction shows airport travelers could see wait times at security checkpoints stretch out to 90 minutes. The Federal Aviation Administration would lose more than $600 million if a deal fails. … [Read more...]
Obama lauds progress on gay civil rights in inaugural address
President Barack Obama's inaugural address on Monday marked the first time a president used the occasion to praise progress on gay rights, an indication of shifting public attitudes on the issue. In the speech marking the start of his second term, Obama placed the struggle for gay rights squarely in the pantheon of two other defining civil rights movements in American history: those for blacks and women. "The most evident of truths - that all of us are created equal - is the star that … [Read more...]
Mexican president vows to end hunger for millions
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto launched a campaign against hunger on Monday, pledging to transform the lives of nearly 7.5 million of the country's poorest, though he gave few details, prompting criticism that the plan was a "rehash" of old policies. Tackling the poverty that blights Mexico has been a priority for many presidents of Latin America's second-biggest economy, and it was one of the first pledges Pena Nieto made when he launched his election campaign at the end of … [Read more...]
Obama to unveil gun violence response Wednesday
“The president has made clear that he intends to take a comprehensive approach,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday. “We can no longer stand by without taking action.” Vice President Joe Biden, who led the task force that put together the package Obama will announce, will also attend the 11:45 a.m. announcement. Biden’s group met with gun violence victims, gun rights advocates, law-enforcement and elected officials, and representatives from the entertainment … [Read more...]
Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii dead at 88
Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye, a decorated World War Two veteran who lost an arm in battle and represented Hawaii in Congress since its statehood more than a half century ago, died on Monday at age 88. Inouye, who was chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee and third in the line of presidential succession as the Senate's senior member, died of complications from a respiratory illness, his office said in a statement. "Aloha" was the last word he spoke, the statement … [Read more...]
Black voters look to leverage their loyalty
When black voters gave President Barack Obama 93 percent support on Election Day in defiance of predictions that they might sit it out this year, black leaders breathed a collective sigh of relief. That encouraged those leaders to try to leverage more attention from both Obama and Congress. Although they waver over how much to demand from the president — particularly in light of defeated GOP challenger Mitt Romney's assertion that Obama gave "gifts" to minorities in exchange for their votes — … [Read more...]
Civil rights leader Lawrence Guyot dies at 73
Lawrence Guyot, a civil rights leader who survived jailhouse beatings in the Deep South in the 1960s and went on to encourage generations to get involved, has died. He was 73. Guyot had a history of heart problems and suffered from diabetes, and died at home in Mount Rainier, Md., his daughter Julie Guyot-Diangone said he died sometime Thursday night; other media reported he passed away Friday. A Mississippi native, Guyot (pronounced GHEE-ott) worked for the Student Nonviolent … [Read more...]
Obama: Four more years
His lease renewed in trying economic times, President Barack Obama claimed a second term from an incredibly divided electorate and immediately braced for daunting challenges and progress that comes only in fits and starts. "We have fought our way back and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come," Obama said. The same voters who gave Obama another four years also elected a divided Congress, re-upping the dynamic that has made it so hard for the … [Read more...]
Report: Sean Payton’s contract was voided by the NFL; could Dallas be his next stop?
The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the NFL's bigger disappointments this season. The 3-4 team could not beat the New York Giants last Sunday night, despite scoring 24 unanswered points in one phase of an eventual 29-24 defeat. Owner/general manager/El Jefe Jerry Jones expressed concern before the season that the window was closing for his team, but one wonders when that window was last open -- the Cowboys haven't made the playoffs since 2009, and they've won just one postseason game since the … [Read more...]
Gov. Christie Praises President Obama
One of Mitt Romney's biggest supporters, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, had nothing but praise for President Barack Obama today, as his state prepares to rebuild from the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. "I have to say, the administration, the president, himself and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate have been outstanding with us so far," Christie said on Good Morning America. "We have a great partnership with them." Christie told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that Obama called him on Monday … [Read more...]
