Wednesday, February 18, 2009

SPB News for Wednesday.



Rules case vs. ex-guards accused of killing innocent Iraqis OK.

Obama, Gates at Odds Over New Whistleblower Protections During an election featuring Democratic allegations that U.S. intelligence was distorted to justify a misbegotten war, Barack Obama endorsed new protections for national security officers who blow the whistle on abusive, corrupt or illegal behavior, by offering them the right to sue for damages and challenge denials of their security clearances. But by keeping a Republican-appointed secretary of defense strongly opposed to those changes, President Obama is finding the path to a new policy on federal whistleblowing much more complicated.

Iran's Ahmadinejad Says He's Waiting for Signs of U.S. Change Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country is waiting for the U.S. to show "signs of real change" under the Obama administration, calling it "a necessity" for improving relations between the two countries.

Homeland Security reportedly passed protest information to Md. police Documents released to the Washington Post show the U.S. Department of Homeland Security tracked an anti-war group's protest plans and passed the information to Maryland State Police. Police had previously labeled the activists as terrorists in an intelligence file.

US backtracks on pay caps for banking executives President Obama is aiming to water down Democratic proposals on pay caps for banking executives because he fears a "brain drain" on Wall Street. In a move that has angered leaders of his own party, the President has indicated his concern that new caps on compensation -- inserted into his $787 billion stimulus Bill -- are too draconian and could limit banks' co-operation with his plan to stabilise the stricken financial sector.

Bailed-Out Banks Charge Highest Fees in FDIC Sales Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp., recipients of $90 billion in bailout funds from American taxpayers, are charging financial companies three times more to sell bonds under a U.S.-backed rescue program than government- controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pay to issue notes with similar maturities.

Obama to Nominate Reid's Top Lawyer to Head OLA - President Barack Obama has selected Ron Weich, chief counsel to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to head the Justice Department’s Office of Legislative Affairs...

Burris open to ethics probes, will cooperate with perjury review — U.S. Sen. Roland Burris said today he is open to a Senate ethics investigation into how he got the Senate seat from ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and that he has reached out to a Sangamon County prosecutor who is reviewing Burris' sworn testimony before Illinois lawmakers.

2 Investigations Into New Illinois Senator Are Begun — CHICAGO — The United States Senate Ethics Committee and a local Illinois prosecutor began investigations on Tuesday into the recently appointed junior senator for Illinois, Roland W. Burris, over Mr. Burris's shifting …

GM to End Brands, Cut 47,000 More Jobs — Saturn, Hummer Could Be History by 2011 as GM Plans to Slash Dealers; Chrysler Mentions Bankruptcy Option for First Time — General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC on Tuesday told the federal government they need at least $21.6 billion more combined …

Exclusive: Pat Robertson Says Obama ‘Showing Partisanship,’ Denounces Rush Limbaugh's ‘I Hope He Fails’ Remark — Interviewing Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson recently for a forthcoming piece on the possibility of a Fairness Doctrine revival, I threw in a couple questions about President Obama.

Libraries put Bible on top shelf in a sop to Muslims … Librarians are being told to move the Bible to the top shelf to avoid giving offence to followers of Islam. — Muslims have complained of finding the Koran on lower shelves, saying it should be put above commonplace things.
President Obama Signs Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee Major Disaster Declarations
The President yesterday declared major disasters exist in the States of Oklahoma, Tennessee and Missouri and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the areas struck by severe winter storms in Oklahoma and Missouri during the period of January 26-28, 2009, and by winter storms and flooding in Tennessee during the period of January 27-31, 2009.

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