Bank of America Offers U.S. Biggest Settlement in History
The largest single federal settlement in history, more than $16 billion, took place yesterday when Bank of America agreed to settle with the Federal government over toxic mortgage securities.
US News
Obama to Sign $16.3 Billion Veterans Spending Bill
President Barack Obama will travel to a military facility outside Washington on Thursday to sign a $16.3 billion plan to ease health care delays at Veterans Affairs facilities as he seeks to restore confidence in an agency tarnished by the problem.
U.S. Senate Blocks House Border Security Bills
In a matter of minutes, Senate Democrats on Tuesday adjourned for the summer, blocking a pair of House bills that would have provided nearly $700 million to deal with the surge of immigrants on the southern border and blocked President Obama from expanding an anti-deportation program.
Government Provided Over $2 Trillion in Benefits to Americans
The federal government paid $2,007,358,200,000 in benefits and entitlements in fiscal year 2013 from government programs.
Red Tide Invades U.S. Coastal Waters
A ‘red tide’ bloom nearly 80 miles long and 50 miles wide in the Gulf of Mexico led to a large-scale fish kill, according to a report released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Federal Judge Blocks Alabama Abortion Restrictions
A federal judge is temporarily blocking the enforcement of a law restricting abortion doctors in Alabama.
Federal Contractors Vow to Fight Obama Executive Order
Business interests are vowing to fight President Obama’s executive order imposing new restrictions on companies who want to do business with the federal government.
Pew Report: 75% of Illegals from Mexico Repeat Offenders
According to a Pew Center Research report, three in four illegal immigrants from Mexico who are apprehended at the border are repeat offenders, 15 percent were juveniles apprehended at least six times.
Court Rules Against ‘Ailing’ Atheists
A court of appeals has unanimously ruled against ailing atheists who claimed that two steel beams in the shape of a cross found in the debris of the 2001 attack on the WTC has caused them to suffer “depression, headaches, anxiety, and mental pain and anguish.”
White House: President Has ‘No Choice but to Act’ on Immigration
White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday that because of inaction by Congress on immigration, President Obama must act alone on the issue and will decide by the end of the summer exactly which steps he will take, the Washington Post reported.
Drought in California Keeps Getting Worse as Wildfires Spread
California’s three-year drought just got worse as the entire state is in “severe drought”, 82 percent of the state is rated in “extreme drought”, and 58 percent of the state is now in “exceptional drought”. Firefighters continued to battle wildfires that destroyed at least 8 homes and prompted an evacuation of a hospital.
Downsized Military Too Weak for Future Security Threats
An independent panel appointed by the Pentagon said Thursday that President Obama’s military strategy for sizing the force is too weak to meet growing national security threats.
CIA Admits to Hacking U.S. Senate Computers
The Central Intelligence Agency improperly and covertly hacked into computers used by Senate staffers to investigate the spy agency’s Bush-era interrogation practices, according to an internal investigation.
Congress approves VA reform bill
The Senate gave final approval Thursday to sweeping legislation aimed at fixing the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs, marking a rare moment of bipartisan accord triggered by the widespread treatment delays veterans faced at agency facilities..
House Votes to Sue Obama
On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a resolution authorizing an unprecedented congressional lawsuit against President Barack Obama for his use of executive power. The measure was passed along partisan lines, 225-201, as all democrats along with five Republicans voted against it.
Bold Attacks Against U.S. Law Enforcement Agents Along the Border
A weekly report distributed by a Texas state agency to senior law enforcement officials paints a grim picture of the Mexican border, where authorities regularly confront illegal immigrant gang members and draw automatic gunfire from across the Rio Grande, and where local, state and federal authorities fight a never-ending battle against drug smugglers, Fox News reported.
US Economy Grows 4 Percent This Quarter
U.S. economic growth accelerated more than expected in the second quarter and the decline in output in the prior period was less steep than previously reported, which could bolster views for a stronger performance in the last six months of the year, CNBC reported.
Economist: Social Security Bankrupt
“Social Security is insolvent,” Boston University economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff told the House Subcommittee on Social Security at a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday. “And it’s not bankrupt in 30 years, or 20 years, or 10 years. It’s bankrupt today,” CNS News reported.
U.S. Home Ownership Lowest Rate Since 1995
The share of Americans who own their homes slipped again in the second quarter to its lowest level in nearly two decades, according to the L.A. Times.
Military Bars National Guard to Attend Vacation Bible School
Citing federal regulations, the Missouri National Guard recently refused to participate in a meet-and-greet with Vacation Bible students at Bible Baptist Church in Carthage, according to the Daily Caller.