A NEWS CO-OP IN DC SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE

Author

Sam Sacks - page 53

Sam Sacks has 859 articles published.

President Leans On Labor Department To Expand Overtime Pay

The White House is turning its attention this week to mid-level managers and office workers who are punching in for more than 40 hours a week, while getting short-changed by their bosses. At the behest of the administration, the Department of Labor will propose a new rule in the coming days that would guarantee overtime pay for millions of Americans who go uncompensated for working around the clock. Under current regulations, overtime benefits for full time salaried workers are only assured for those earning less… Keep Reading

White House: “We Expect The Greeks To Keep Their Commitments”

The administration is sending mixed messages to the government of Greece, following an announcement from Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that his country will default on upcoming payments to European creditors. “We’ve long made clear that we expect the Greeks to keep their commitments,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Monday, responding to news that Greece will default on a more than $1.5 billion euro payment due to the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday. That announcement from Leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras runs counter… Keep Reading

Justices Break Rank, Deliver Two Liberal Victories

A pair of Supreme Court rulings announced Thursday shocked Conservative activists and moneyed interests who thought the majority of justices would vote to roll back Americans’ access to health care and housing. In the most prominent decision announced on the day, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy joined the left flank of the court in upholding a key section of the Affordable Care Act. The move deemed it legal for the federal government to provide subsidies to millions of Americans enrolled in “Obamacare”… Keep Reading

In Phone Call With Hollande, White House Doesn’t Deny Past Spying On French Presidents

In damage-control mode, President Obama phoned Francois Hollande on Tuesday to discuss stories published this week which revealed that US spies had tapped the French president’s phone. Obama, notably, stopped short of denying the reports. “The President reiterated that we have abided by the commitment we made to our French counterparts in late 2013 that we are not targeting and will not target the communications of the French President,” according to a carefully-worded White House readout of the conversation. WikiLeaks released documents on Tuesday showing… Keep Reading

In Bid To Embarrass Obama Appointee, McConnell Underestimates Federal Cyber Insecurity

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took to the floor of the upper house on Wednesday to declare that the massive data breach at the Office of Personnel Management was strictly an agency “management problem”—a claim that’s belied systemic digital weaknesses looming over all federal IT systems. McConnell accused OPM Director Katherine Archuleta of “world-class buck passing” on Wednesday, claiming that testimony she gave before a Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday projected a “complete lack of accountability and urgency.” A number of lawmakers have come… Keep Reading

Obama’s Signature A Bargaining Chip In Trade Assistance For Laid Off Workers

Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) cleared a key procedural hurdle on Tuesday, and the bill is likely to pass Congress this week, yet White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest refused to tip the administration’s hand by saying when President Obama will sign the cornerstone legislation of his trade agenda. A final vote on TPA could come as early as Wednesday, securing a major victory for the administration as it seeks to finalize the sweeping Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement—a controversial free trade deal involving 12 Pacific… Keep Reading

Watchdog Opens Inquiry Into Afghanistan’s “Ghost” Schools

The US has doled out hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild Afghanistan’s education sector, but a federal overseer is now raising concerns that a lot of that money was wasted on schools, teachers, and students that did not exist. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) is demanding answers from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) over reports that the Afghan government falsified education data in order to collect more funding from the development agency. “Does USAID have an estimate of how… Keep Reading

“Is This A Serious Proposal?” Dem Congressman Trashes Pentagon’s Counter-ISIL Strategy

President Obama’s war plan against the Islamic State (ISIL) was openly mocked by a member of his own party during a congressional hearing focused on Middle East policy Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) took Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter to task over testimony the Pentagon chief had provided to the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, outlining a nine-point plan to defeat ISIL in the Middle East. “In the nine lines of effort that comprise our strategy, the first one you cited was political,” O’Rourke noted, referring… Keep Reading

Torture Amendment Sails Though Senate, Door To Abuse Still Left Open

A measure aimed at preventing government officials and contractors from engaging in illegal torture passed the Senate on Tuesday in an overwhelmingly vote. The legislation, however, falls short of completely eradicating abusive practices at US government detention facilities. Approved 78-21, the amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires most government agencies and contractors handling detainees to obey interrogation policies laid out in the Army Field Manual, which prohibits torture techniques like waterboarding that were used by the CIA on terror suspects post-9/11. Torture… Keep Reading

1 … 51 52 53 54 55 … 79
Go to Top