http://www.mail.com/subjects/55264-legislature-hearings.html Mail.com - the best personalized free web-based Email en en http://sec-s.uicdn.com/mail.com/2.29/img/mailcom_logo_rss.png http://www.mail.com/subjects/55264-legislature-hearings.html http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2150520-mangled-facts-secrecy-brew-confusion-nsa.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Wondering what the U.S. government might know about your phone calls and online life? And whether all of this really helps find terrorists? Good luck finding solid answers. Americans trying to wrap their minds around two giant surveillance programs are confronted with a mishmash of leaks, changing claims and secrecy. Members of Congress ... Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:27:56 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2150520-mangled-facts-secrecy-brew-confusion-nsa.html 2013-06-14T15:27:56Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2143268-obamas-atf-nominee-senate-hearing.html WASHINGTON (AP) — It was remarkable enough that President Barack Obama's choice to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives got a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Only one other nominee to lead the ATF has had a hearing, and none has been confirmed. But then hardly any senators showed up to grill B. Todd Jones,... Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:39:37 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2143268-obamas-atf-nominee-senate-hearing.html 2013-06-11T20:39:37Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/2137398-us-officials-long-denied-massive-data-trawling.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Top officials of the Bush and Obama administrations have repeatedly denied in recent years that the National Security Agency collected massive caches of phone and Internet data taken from millions of Americans. Pressed during sworn testimony in congressional hearings and in other public settings, senior national security officials have s... Sat, 08 Jun 2013 00:43:15 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/2137398-us-officials-long-denied-massive-data-trawling.html 2013-06-08T00:43:15Z http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2134040-us-mulls-withdrawal-bangladesh-trade-privileges.html WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent Democratic senator Thursday pushed for suspending duty-free privileges to Bangladesh, saying it would send a strong signal that the United States is serious about protecting workers after hundreds died in the global garment industry's worst accident. American retailers that source products from factories in Bangladesh also ca... Thu, 06 Jun 2013 22:04:08 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2134040-us-mulls-withdrawal-bangladesh-trade-privileges.html 2013-06-06T22:04:08Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2116306-congressional-committees-plan-irs-hearings.html WASHINGTON (AP) — At least two congressional panels are planning more hearings next week on the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. Underscoring how the IRS controversy is spreading, 25 tea party and conservative groups filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against the government, saying the IRS illegally obstructed their eff... Wed, 29 May 2013 18:23:06 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2116306-congressional-committees-plan-irs-hearings.html 2013-05-29T18:23:06Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2105890-smooth-confirmation-hearing-pritzker.html WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's nominee for commerce secretary was questioned briefly about her ties to a subprime mortgage lender that failed in 2001 and her role as a beneficiary of family offshore trusts in the Bahamas, but those were minor bumps in an otherwise smooth Senate confirmation hearing Thursday. Chicago billionaire business execut... Thu, 23 May 2013 20:54:29 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2105890-smooth-confirmation-hearing-pritzker.html 2013-05-23T20:54:29Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2103808-senators-warm-to-transportation-nominee.html WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's nominee for transportation secretary — Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx — received a friendly reception from senators of both parties Wednesday laced with warnings that the nation needs to make a host of transportation improvements with no clear way to pay for them. Foxx told a jammed Senate confirmation hearing that... Wed, 22 May 2013 21:43:57 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2103808-senators-warm-to-transportation-nominee.html 2013-05-22T21:43:57Z http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2099500-irs-official-to-take-5th-house-hearing.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Summoned by Congress, a key figure in the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups plans to invoke her constitutional right against self-incrimination and decline to testify at a congressional hearing on Wednesday. Lois Lerner heads the IRS division that singled out conservative groups for additional scrutiny when they... Tue, 21 May 2013 22:45:29 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2099500-irs-official-to-take-5th-house-hearing.html 2013-05-21T22:45:29Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/2097266-conn-lawmakers-to-seek-hearings-derailment.html BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — Commuters navigated a patchwork of cars, trains and buses along Connecticut's shoreline Monday, encountering lengthy delays as authorities probed the cause of a train collision that disrupted one of the nation's oldest and most heavily traveled railways. Rail service from Connecticut to New York City, along with Amtrak between Bos... Tue, 21 May 2013 00:29:33 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/2097266-conn-lawmakers-to-seek-hearings-derailment.html 2013-05-21T00:29:33Z http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2092596-treasury-officials-told-irs-probe-june-2012.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Treasury officials were made aware in June 2012 that investigators were looking into complaints from tea party groups that they were being harassed by the Internal Revenue Service, a Treasury inspector general said Friday, disclosing that Obama administration officials knew there was a probe during the heat of the presidential campaign. ... Fri, 17 May 2013 22:42:05 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2092596-treasury-officials-told-irs-probe-june-2012.html 2013-05-17T22:42:05Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2075036-kerry-hell-answer-questions-benghazi.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday he's determined to answer any questions related to the deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, as the House Republican leader pushed for more information from the Obama administration. One day after a lengthy House hearing on the Sept. 11, 2012, attack, Kerry told repo... Thu, 09 May 2013 20:49:05 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2075036-kerry-hell-answer-questions-benghazi.html 2013-05-09T20:49:05Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2073424-democrats-scandal-benghazi-deaths.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Politicians love few things better than a scandal to trip up their opponents, and Republicans hope last year's fatal attack on U.S. diplomats in Libya will do exactly that to Hillary Rodham Clinton and other Democrats. History suggests it might be a tough lift. The issue is complex, the next presidential election is more than three years... Thu, 09 May 2013 16:22:49 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2073424-democrats-scandal-benghazi-deaths.html 2013-05-09T16:22:49Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2073334-general-orders-extra-review-nuke-crew-failings.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The general who commands the nation's nuclear forces said Thursday he has ordered further review of failings discovered among Air Force officers who operate nuclear missiles. But he told Congress he was not alarmed by their shortcomings. Gen. Robert Kehler, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, told a House Armed Services panel that the A... Thu, 09 May 2013 14:52:55 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2073334-general-orders-extra-review-nuke-crew-failings.html 2013-05-09T14:52:55Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2070520-us-official-describes-libya-attack.html WASHINGTON (AP) — A former top diplomat in Libya on Wednesday delivered a riveting minute-by-minute account of the chaotic events during the deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi last September, with a 2 a.m. call from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and confusion about the fate of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. In a slow, ha... Thu, 09 May 2013 04:28:25 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2070520-us-official-describes-libya-attack.html 2013-05-09T04:28:25Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2070570-ap-exclusive-commander-cites-rot-nuke-force.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel demanded more information Wednesday after the Air Force removed 17 launch officers from duty at a nuclear missile base in North Dakota over what a commander called "rot" in the force. The Air Force struggled to explain, acknowledging concern about an "attitude problem" but telling Congress the weapons were secure. ... Wed, 08 May 2013 21:41:13 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2070570-ap-exclusive-commander-cites-rot-nuke-force.html 2013-05-08T21:41:13Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2064342-white-house-horrified-hearing-syria-killings.html COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The White House says it is "horrified" by reports that more than 100 people were executed Thursday in a western Syrian town. White House spokesman Josh Earnest says those responsible for serious human rights and international law violations must be held accountable. The State Department has cited reports Syrian President Bashar Assad... Sun, 05 May 2013 15:40:32 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2064342-white-house-horrified-hearing-syria-killings.html 2013-05-05T15:40:32Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2056036-house-committee-to-hold-hearing-marathon-attack.html WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee will hold a hearing next week on the bombing at the Boston Marathon that killed three and wounded more than 200 others. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis is among those invited to testify at the hearing, to be held on May 9 by the House Homeland Security Committee. The panel's chairman, Texas Republican Rep. Michael M... Wed, 01 May 2013 14:53:54 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2056036-house-committee-to-hold-hearing-marathon-attack.html 2013-05-01T14:53:54Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2051514-ex-mich-congresswoman-presides-hearings.html DETROIT (AP) — Ex-U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Detroit and six other former Congress members are presiding over hearings on the existence of extraterrestrials. The 30 hours of congressional-style hearings kicked off Monday and are scheduled to run through Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Those testifying hope to prove that a... Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:11:36 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2051514-ex-mich-congresswoman-presides-hearings.html 2013-04-29T19:11:36Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2040010-dems-gop-press-obama-administration-drone-use.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats and Republicans on Tuesday challenged the Obama administration to spell out its justification for using drones for targeted killings amid growing concerns about unchecked powers of the presidency and Americans' civil liberties. "Even as President Obama commands a military with the most sophisticated weapons known to man,... Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:13:24 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2040010-dems-gop-press-obama-administration-drone-use.html 2013-04-23T23:13:24Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2030418-boston-bombings-shadow-immigration-bill.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The Boston Marathon bombings cast a shadow Friday over the start of debate on legislation to remake the U.S. immigration system, as some Republicans argued that the role of two immigrant suspects raised questions about gaps in the system. There was no suggestion that the two suspects, brothers who had lived in Dagestan neighboring Chechn... Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:23:12 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2030418-boston-bombings-shadow-immigration-bill.html 2013-04-19T20:23:12Z http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2014258-gop-lawmakers-subpoena-emails-labor-nominee.html WASHINGTON (AP) — GOP lawmakers have subpoenaed the private emails of Labor secretary-nominee Thomas Perez, a possible sticking point ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing next week. The subpoena, issued Wednesday by House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrel Issa, R-Calif., to the Justice Department, seeks the emails as part of an investigation into an... Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:47:28 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2014258-gop-lawmakers-subpoena-emails-labor-nominee.html 2013-04-11T22:47:28Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2013704-tofu-towhit-senators-discuss-epa-email-aliases.html WASHINGTON (AP) — To whom? ToWhit? Tofu? Senators sidetracked their confirmation hearing Thursday for Gina McCarthy, President Barack Obama's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, to discuss secret government email addresses that have been used by senior EPA officials for at least a decade. The agency's inspector general is investigating Re... Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:05:34 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2013704-tofu-towhit-senators-discuss-epa-email-aliases.html 2013-04-11T21:05:34Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2001180-republicans-push-hearings-immigration-bill.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee accused their GOP colleagues working on a bipartisan immigration bill of operating in secret, saying in a letter Friday that "the time for transparency has come" and pushing for briefings and full hearings before any votes. In response, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a member of the Senate group d... Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:58:18 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2001180-republicans-push-hearings-immigration-bill.html 2013-04-05T18:58:18Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1993714-nuclear-board-warns-hanford-tank-explosion-risk.html YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — Underground tanks that hold a stew of toxic, radioactive waste at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site pose a possible risk of explosion, a nuclear safety board said in advance of confirmation hearings for the next leader of the Energy Department. State and federal officials have long known that hydrogen gas could build up insi... Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:28:27 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1993714-nuclear-board-warns-hanford-tank-explosion-risk.html 2013-04-03T00:28:27Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1970120-apnewsbreak-steven-tyler-stalls-hawaii.html HONOLULU (AP) — The future is looking bleak for a celebrity privacy bill in Hawaii known as the Steven Tyler Act. The proposal pushed by the Aerosmith lead singer would allow people to sue others who take photos or videos of their private moments. But after sailing through the Senate earlier this month following testimony from Tyler at a February hearing,... Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:10:41 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1970120-apnewsbreak-steven-tyler-stalls-hawaii.html 2013-03-22T01:10:41Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1931984-senate-panel-votes-to-approve-obamas-cia-nominee.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Intelligence Committee voted Tuesday to approve President Barack Obama's pick to lead the CIA after winning a behind-the-scenes battle with the White House over access to a series of top-secret legal opinions that justify the use of lethal drone strikes against terror suspects, including American citizens. John Brennan's insta... Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:11:31 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1931984-senate-panel-votes-to-approve-obamas-cia-nominee.html 2013-03-06T00:11:31Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1933716-dominican-prosecutors-seek-us-senators-testimony.html SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — A Dominican judge ruled Tuesday that he needs to hear from a U.S. senator and one of his campaign contributors before deciding whether to grant a court order sought by a woman who says she was paid to falsely claim she had sex with the men. The woman, 23-year-old Nexis de los Santos, asked the court to block any po... Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:46:24 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1933716-dominican-prosecutors-seek-us-senators-testimony.html 2013-03-05T22:46:24Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1922210-intel-committee-to-vote-week-cia-nominee.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Intelligence Committee is scheduled to vote early next week on John Brennan's nomination to be director of the CIA, the panel's leaders said Thursday. The Democratic leader of the committee had hoped to hold the vote Thursday. But Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., the committee's vice chairman, said consideration of Brennan's nomin... Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:18:20 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1922210-intel-committee-to-vote-week-cia-nominee.html 2013-02-28T21:18:20Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1919036-father-newtown-victim-ban-assault-weapons.html WASHINGTON (AP) — After weeks of arguing constitutional fine points and citing rival statistics, senators wrangling over gun control saw and heard the anguish of a bereft father. Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse, was among those cut down at a Connecticut elementary school in December, asked the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to ban assaul... Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:46:56 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1919036-father-newtown-victim-ban-assault-weapons.html 2013-02-27T22:46:56Z http://www.mail.com/business/finance/1918308-senate-panel-hearing-newtown-father-doctor.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Dianne Feinstein says there has never been a greater need for a federal ban on assault weapons. The California Democrat made the remark as the Senate Judiciary Committee began a hearing on her legislation that would ban those firearms, as well as ammunition magazines that carry more than 10 rounds. Feinstein says... Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:33:12 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/finance/1918308-senate-panel-hearing-newtown-father-doctor.html 2013-02-27T15:33:12Z