Topic: Benghazi

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Briefing IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal

The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.

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CIA deputy director Michael Morell steps down. Who is the new CIA No. 2?

Michael Morell, the CIA deputy director, is leaving. The new CIA deputy director: White House lawyer Avril Haines, who will be the first woman in the job.
Could State Department woes tarnish Hillary Clinton’s image?

A brewing scandal that potentially suggests some degree of State Department mismanagement during Hillary Clinton’s tenure could hurt not only her legacy, but also prospects for a 2016 presidential bid, some say.
Decoder Wire Did Hillary Clinton just drop a presidential hint on Twitter?

Hillary Clinton said on Twitter that her next role is 'TBD,' prompting a flurry of interest in her debut on the social networking site.
USA Update State Department may have covered up sex and drug scandals, report says

The State Department is under fire after an internal memo has surfaced that claims investigations into employee misbehavior were called off or manipulated.
How do Americans feel about NSA surveillance? Ambivalent

When terrorists strike, intelligence agencies are faulted for failure to 'connect the dots.' If that's what the NSA is trying to do with its mass surveillance of phone records and Internet use, how do Americans feel about that?
Rice selected for new high-profile role in Obama administration

Susan Rice will become President Barack Obama's national security adviser, he announced on Wednesday. He will nominate Samantha Power to take Rice's spot as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. These leadership changes take place as the country faces a variety of foreign policy challenges.
Susan Rice to top foreign policy post in Obama power play (+video)

President Obama is naming Susan Rice as his national security adviser, a bold show of support for a close confidante amid continuing controversy over Benghazi. Samantha Power will replace her at the UN.
National security adviser Donilon to resign, Obama to appoint Susan Rice to replace him (+video)

Tom Donilon, President Obama's top national security adviser, is resigning and Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, is seen as the likely candidate to replace him. A planned announcement by the president is expected this afternoon.
Decoder Wire Hillary Clinton approval plummets. Benghazi? (+video)

Approval rating for Hillary Clinton, a prospective 2016 presidential candidate, has plunged since February. Some voters – especially men, independents – may blame her at least in part for the death in Benghazi, Libya, of the US ambassador, one pollster says.
Decoder Wire Michelle Obama vacation: Will critics slam this trip too? (+video)

Michelle Obama's vacation plans this summer reportedly may include a lengthy stay with Sasha and Malia on tony Martha's Vineyard. That's in addition to accompanying her husband overseas.
Energy Voices Keystone XL: Hot topic in D.C. Ho-hum in rest of US.

The House of Representatives issued another symbolic vote Wednesday in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline. But after years of debate, a new poll shows half of Americans have never heard of it. Is anyone listening to the Keystone XL pipeline debate?
Opinion Is Washington too 'broken' to handle big problems such as immigration reform?

Many Americans worry that Washington cannot handle big problems such as immigration reform and the debt. But the country has been here before, and overcome a supposedly 'broken' political system. Government is divided because 'we the people' are divided on the issues.
Verbal Energy Why 'spokesperson' still irks me

Not all gender-specific language is sexist.
Why IRS investigation is already Obama's Watergate – and Benghazi, too (+video)

Since Watergate, every two-term president has had a second-term scandal. First-term mistakes and hyperpartisanship make probes – like those into Benghazi and the IRS – almost inevitable.
Obama to detail terrorism policy including drone attacks and Guantánamo Bay prison

In a national security speech, President Obama will explain his policies dealing with terrorism, the use of drone aircraft, Al Qaeda, and the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
The good news – and the bad news – for Obama in scandal-tinged polls

President Obama's approval rating has not slipped in public opinion polls despite a trio of political scandals. But most Americans don't think much of the way the administration has handled the issues, and they believe further investigation is justified.
'Obamagate' danger for the GOP: political overreach

Republicans are jumping all over what they see as major scandals in the Obama administration, including Benghazi, the IRS, and checking journalists’ phone records. But some in the GOP are warning against the perception of overreach for partisan purposes.
Drones are cheaper and more powerful. In US, that's a problem, lawmakers told

Police departments are increasingly interested in deploying drones, a House subcommittee is told. As drones proliferate, so too does the 'specter of routine aerial surveillance in American life.'
Former IRS commissioner apologizes on Capitol Hill: 'Foolish mistakes were made'

Stephen Miller, the ousted acting commissioner of the IRS, appeared before the House Ways and Means committee Friday and apologized for the agency's inappropriate investigation of tea party and other conservative organizations.
Decoder Wire Bob Woodward compares Benghazi with Watergate. Is he right? (+video)

The similarities: line-by-line edits of what to tell the public, says Bob Woodward, the media's authority on all things Watergate. Regarding the White House Benghazi edits, they show pressure 'in the system not to tell the truth' about what happened, he said Friday.
Robert Reich The problem with Obama's second term

President Obama is allowing the controversies that typically arise in a second term dominate his presidency because he has failed to define his core agenda. Is it a grand bargain on the budget deficit, gun control, jobs, or immigration reform? It's hard to tell.
US loses track of terrorists in witness protection: Poor data sharing blamed

The Justice Department inspector general found 'significant deficiencies' in the handling of known or suspected terrorists under the federal government's witness protection program.
Decoder Wire Why Benghazi talking points make US government seem like Dunder Mifflin (+video)

Let's put aside for a moment who did what to the talking points on Benghazi last September and focus just on the editing process, which could have come from an episode of 'The Office,' it seems.
Benghazi emails: What do they reveal?

One email confirmed officials removed information about CIA warnings regarding an al Qaeda threat before the attacks in Benghazi, Libya in September 2012 from talking points the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations presented to the public. The administration released the emails in an effort to seem more transparent.
White House reaction to IRS scandal: Too little, too late?

President Barack Obama forced out the acting IRS commissioner on Wednesday in response to allegations the agency had inappropriately targeted conservative groups. Critics have said the IRS scandal is just one of a series of incidents where the Obama administration has avoided taking responsibility.