Topic: U.S. Congress

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International Women's Day: How it's celebrated around the globe

International Women's Day has served for more than a century as a day to honor the achievements of women globally. Here are some ways people are celebrating:
Kim Dotcom: Are such Internet sensations pirates or hactivists?

Copyright law and its enforcement have dominated the news lately, first with the Internet blackout protests against SOPA, and more recently with the arrest of Kim Dotcom in New Zealand. Here are five international file-share players who have been targets of copyright enforcement.
Five major SOPA supporters

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act or PIPA, would allow the US government to seek a court order and even shut down websites that contain content or links “committing or facilitating online piracy.” Moreover, advertisers and Internet service providers would be banned from doing business with violators.
However, payment and advertising networks, search engines or service providers that take voluntary action to redress detected violations – by terminating businesses with transgressor sites or comply with the law – will be granted immunity from liability charges.
On Sept. 22, 2011, more than 350 trade associations, professional and labor organizations, and businesses signed a letter urging Congress to enact legislation to stop “rogue sites” from copyright infringement.
Here are five key SOPA and PIPA supporters:
In Pictures: Gabrielle Giffords, political survivor
In Pictures: Leon Panetta's career

All Content

McConnell says 2012 GOP slogan will be: Obama made it worse [video]

President Obama inherited a difficult economic situation, but his administration has made the situation worse, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) said at a Monitor breakfast Wednesday.
Backchannels
Civilian deaths in Libya were inevitable

The real question is 'have more lives been saved than lost?'
Ambassador Eikenberry's pushback against Karzai: Will it make a difference?

US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry responded sharply to criticism of the US by Afghan President Karzai. His unusually tart remarks come amid growing pressure in the US to bring troops home.
On the Economy
Greek financial crisis: It's not like the US

Greek financial crisis is being treated like the US financial crisis – a liquidity problem. But Greece's problem is insolvency, and liquidity won't help.
Afghan security forces still not so secure after NATO boost

NATO surge strategy aims to boost Afghan security forces. But, as the recent assassination of a provincial police chief of Kandahar showed, they're still far form secure.
Donald Marron
How likely is 5 percent growth in a decade?

Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty wants to grow the economy by 5 percent, just like Reagan and Clinton did. But are those wise examples to bring up?
Terrorism & Security
Gates rebukes Europe for lacking commitment to NATO

Secretary of Defense Gates said today in Brussels that NATO isn't pulling its weight in Afghanistan and Libya. Without more support from Europe, he said, NATO's future is 'dim if not dismal.'
In Pictures: Leon Panetta's career
Afghans concur with Congress that aid money is often misspent

A congressional report released Wednesday on the $18.8 billion that Congress appropriated for Afghan development says the aid often funds fruitless projects.
Political misquotes: The 10 most famous things never actually said

Did Sarah Palin really say that she could see Russia from her house? Did Marie Antoinette really say 'Let them eat cake?' Learn the true story behind 10 of the most widely believed – but completely bogus – quotations misattributed to political figures.
Don't dump Pakistan

After the Osama bin Laden raid, the mood in Washington over Pakistan is sour. The US is right to challenge Pakistani actions and policies contrary to US interests. But giving Pakistan the cold shoulder and throwing it into the arms of China would be dangerously foolish.
Backchannels
Can we please stop calling it a peace process?

Recognizing that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process exists in name only is a far cry from saying peace is impossible. Rather, it might actually allow rhetoric to focus more on making tough compromises.
Why such a warm reception for Benjamin Netanyahu at US Congress?

Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu drew a line in the sand Tuesday during his speech to the US Congress, regarding future borders with any new Palestinian state. The applause was enthusiastic.
Backchannels
Netanyahu's real message to Congress: There will be no peace talks

OK, those words didn't come out of his mouth. But that's the practical meaning of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress this morning.
Netanyahu's make-or-break speech to Congress

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, long criticized for being passive and reactionary, is under pressure to exhibit the Zionist legacy of risk-taking and initiative in his address to Congress today.
Medicare, entitlements on the table for cuts: Pelosi

Medicare, Social Security, and other entitlements must be looked at for cuts, House minority leader says. But in addition to Medicare, Congress should cut subsidies to oil industry.
Will Putin trump Medvedev and return Russia – and US ties – to Soviet era?

The ideological divide in Russia between Soviet-tending Putin and pro-Western Medvedev makes it tough for the US to set policies with Moscow. But a more difficult scenario is likely to come: anti-Western Putin in power in 2012. Obama must send a strong message to Moscow now, not later.
How much does US-China trade hurt American workers? Slowly, a clearer picture.

A study published earlier this year suggests that imports in US-China trade have had a significant negative impact not just on factory workers but also on their communities.
Arab Spring, not Osama bin Laden's fall, will determine Middle East's fate

The Arab Spring will be even more significant and enduring than the historic operation that killed Osama bin Laden. And with bin Laden gone, it'll be harder for President Obama to justify spending more than $100 billion a year for military operations in Afghanistan.
Palestinian unity deal gives Netanyahu new line of attack

In upcoming visits to the US and Europe, Israel's prime minister is likely to argue against UN recognition of Palestinian statehood now that Hamas is joining Fatah at the helm.
If Palestinian rift is healed, does that help US aims in Middle East?

Analysts see some good news for the US, but mostly bad in a Palestinian rift-ending accord. The deal is also seen as a hint of things to come in the increasingly democratic Middle East.
Who's to blame for rising oil prices? Speculators

Many blame Middle East turmoil or a weak dollar for rising oil prices, but they provide only a partial explanation. The chief culprit is speculation in oil markets. Fortunately, it can be stemmed with several regulatory steps.
Ai Weiwei arrest: Why no one in China is safe from those in power

The Chinese Communist authorities' detainment of well-known artist Ai Weiwei is shocking even to a hardened dissident like me. It once again reveals the essence of the Chinese state for all the world to see: the rule by law for the authorities instead of the rule of law for the people.
How Speaker Boehner brought a recalcitrant tea party to the budget deal

The budget deal marks the debut of an 87-member GOP freshman class committed to deep spending cuts. Speaker John Boehner defied his critics to rally his caucus and produce an agreement, without shutting down government.
If Obama can bomb Libya, a President Palin can bomb Iran without Congress's OK

President Obama's bombing of Libya without congressional authorization or debate puts us on a dangerous path. A minimum standard for transparency in government is that the House and the Senate go on the record for or against a new war.