Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

16 Dec 2011 14:23

tags

Politics: Three major cuts in the shutdown-avoiding omnibus spending bill

  • one In the biggest change, the popular Pell Grant program for low-income students could run dry for as many as 100,000 students, as eligibility standards tighten.
  • two Foreign aid will decline, with a 17 percent drop in the operating budget coming to USAID. It’s part of a larger $6 billion cut coming to the State Department.
  • three The GOP won a health care victory, blocking the IRS’ ability to implement the Affordable Care Act’s provisions in 2012. The individual mandate hits in 2014. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 May 2011 11:12

tags

U.S.: State Department: No immunity for Dominique Strauss-Kahn

  • what The U.S. State Department declined to give diplomatic immunity to now-former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who faces sexual assault charges in New York.
  • why According to the State Department, he wasn’t on official business with the IMF when he was arrested. If he were in another country, he would probably have immunity. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 May 2011 03:07

tags

World: U.S. State Dept.: Travel advisory after Osama bin Laden’s death

  • U.S. citizens in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence are strongly urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations.
  • A statement from the U.S. State Department • Offering a travel advisory to people in countries which may have “enhanced potential” for a strong anti-American sentiment in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death. The travel warning lasts until August 1st. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Mar 2011 19:48

tags

Politics: P.J. Crowley: Gaddafi just “forfeited his right to lead Libya”

  • Based on what he has done in turning his weapons against his people, rather than engaging them, we believe that he has forfeited his right to lead Libya.
  • State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley • Speaking from the American view of what Muammar Gaddafi should do next in Libya. Nothing against the U.S. sentiments, but we’re pretty sure that this isn’t how it works. Running a country isn’t like letting a coupon expire. It isn’t like not showing up for a basketball game with five players, either. More goes into it than that. Power has to be negotiated or wrestled away. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Feb 2011 22:43

tags

World: U.S. State Department: Plan to leave Egypt tomorrow, Americans

  • before The U.S. started offering Americans in Egypt an opportunity to get out of the increasingly-volatile country. Many took them up on it.
  • now The U.S. is telling Americans to go to the airport ASAP if they plan to go, because it’s unlikely they’ll fly out after Thursday. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Jan 2011 10:24

tags

World: Some Egypt details from the U.S. State Department’s scorecard

  • yes While not fully operational, U.S. intelligence notes that mobile phone service has been partially restored in the country. (Whew.)
  • yes Turkish Airlines confirms that it’s still operating in Egypt, but other flights (the Delta flight from JFK to Cairo) are no longer taking place.
  • no Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not allow any of his country’s officials to speak on the crisis in Egypt. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Dec 2010 10:22

tags

Biz, World: PayPal explains why they dropped Wikileaks so quickly

  • We have an acceptable use policy and their job is make sure that our customers are protected, making sure that we comply with regulations around the world and making sure that we protect our brand.
  • PayPal’s VP of Platform Osama Bedier • Explaining why his company chose to block Wikileaks. Simply put, they read the State Department’s letter to Wikileaks saying what they were doing was illegal, they decided to block the site on those grounds. Bedier also noted that he isn’t fazed by threats of an Anonymous DDoS attack: “One of the signs that you’re a successful payments company is that hackers start to target you,” he saild. “This case isn’t anything different.” This topic was unpopular with the European conference he was talking to, BTW. It’s also important to note that a letter from the State Department is not a legal decision. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

05 Dec 2010 11:59

tags

Politics: Columbia University to public affairs students: Don’t read Wikileaks

  • Engaging in these activities would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information, which is part of most positions with the federal government.
  • A message from Columbia University’s Office of Career Services • Offering a word of advice to its School of International and Public Affairs that reading the Wikileaks data dump and talking about it could endanger their chances of ever working with the State Department. The recommendation was forwarded to them by an alumnus now working at the State Department. Meanwhile, the State Department itself claims it hasn’t made an official statement on anything like this. But by us posting about this, we’ve hurt our future job chances. Damn. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Dec 2010 22:28

tags

U.S.: Should U.S. State Department employees read Wikileaks?

  • NO a sternly-written memo told them not to go there source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Nov 2010 10:00

tags

U.S.: Wikileaks: Wow, there’s a lot of espionage in these cables

  • Is it a natural part of diplomatic activity to have diplomats collecting biometric data? … [It’s] a contravention of how diplomats are supposed to conduct business.
  • Wikileaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson • Expressing the organization’s level of surprise at the extent of the espionage they found. The State Department claimed that its diplomats were in fact not spying.  “Contrary to some Wikileaks’ reporting,” wrote State Department spokesperson P.J. Crowley, “our diplomats are diplomats. They are not intelligence assets.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags
older >>