Politics

Congress authorizes a “patch” that reduces the number of people liable for the alternative minimum tax; the middle-class tax burden decreases, though only for a year.

In a 79-14 vote, the U.S. Senate approves a $286 billion farm bill providing new agricultural subsidies; the bill still faces a threatened presidential veto once it is combined with similar House legislation.

CIA Director Gen. Michael V. Hayden admits that his agency failed to inform Congress about the destruction of tapes showing the waterboarding of two al-Qaida suspects; also a related revelation puts congressional leaders from both parties under scrutiny.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission votes unanimously to make new, more lenient sentencing provisions for crimes involving crack cocaine retroactive. Supporters of the move say that the past laws were racist; opponents protest that drug dealers are being let off too lightly.

Commentators evaluate the success of Mitt Romney’s Dec. 6 “Faith in America” speech, intended to boost the presidential candidate’s languishing campaign; journalists and the electorate of both political persuasions appear largely underwhelmed.

The decision will please advocates who say that the heavy punishments applied in connection with crack cocaine, in comparison with its powdered form, unfairly targeted racial minorities; opponents protest that drug dealers will be let off too lightly.

The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments for Boumediene v. Bush; political pundits begin to dissect the justices’ reactions.

The narrow defeat of Chavez’s referendum to change Venezuela's constitution is applauded by much of the press; but at least one journalist detects a North American media bias.

In a speech entitled "Faith in America," Mitt Romney focuses on the common ground Mormonism has with other religions and refrains from describing the tenets of his faith in detail.

Chairman Kevin Martin’s proposal, should it be approved, will end years of speculation that cross-ownership restrictions have become political tools, rumors that began with the law’s Watergate-era origins.

A year after a record-breaking gubernatorial victory, the New York governor’s ratings plummet; the press that built him up so high, now knocks him down.

The federal government body ensuring fair judicial sentencing pushes to have new, more lenient sentences related to crack cocaine applied retroactively. Supporters of the move say that the past laws were racist; opponents protest that drug dealers are being let off too lightly.

The head of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency talks of thousands of young men radicalized on U.K. territory; analysts ask what makes America safe from the proliferation of U.S.-born terrorists.

$23 billion water project bill gets bipartisan support in the face of presidential resistance; Bush appears increasingly isolated, but casts himself as the defender of prudent spending.

On November 9, 2007, Arthur Bremer was released 17 years early for being a ‘model inmate'; he was originally sentenced to 53 years.

On Oct. 25, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry agree to allocate $280 billion for agriculture, nutrition programs and farming subsidies; but some commentators question whether the money is being distributed fairly.

The four-year long survey suggests fatigue-inspired mistakes, near collisions and runway interference are more common than previously thought, but NASA’s top official doubts the data’s validity.

The State Department plans an ultimatum for experienced Arabic-speaking diplomats reluctant to accept posts in Iraq: take the job or resign. Foreign service officers weigh career ambitions and duty against safety concerns for themselves and their families.

Pakistani President Musharraf’s crackdown on his pro-democracy opponents presents a quandary to U.S. policymakers, who have relied on his help in combating the region’s Islamic militants.

The opposition to Michael Mukasey’s nomination as attorney general leads his supporters to accuse Democrats of the self-interested politicizing of a controversial interrogation technique.

New testimony in the trial of a former agent confirms long-established rumors that the FBI hired mafia enforcer Gregory Scarpa Sr. to step outside the law in the search for civil right activists murdered in 1964.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s intention to permit illegal immigrants to qualify for driver’s licenses faces objections that it will endanger national security and increase voter fraud.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s new term began on Oct. 1 with a docket full of contentious partisan cases; whereas some observers say the last term marked the court’s rightward shift, analysts believe this term will bring a broader mix of conservative and liberal victories.

New York rejects Ahmadinejad’s request to lay a wreath at Ground Zero; protestors mass at Columbia where he takes a public broadside from the university president––yet Iran’s media applaud his visit to the “Lion’s Den.”

New York City rejects President Ahmadinejad’s request to lay a wreath at the World Trade Center, and protests greet his appearance at Columbia University, as he arrives to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.

The Florida Democratic Party defies the Democratic National Committee by scheduling a January 29 primary, becoming the latest state to push its vote earlier in the year; but are states actually hurting voters in their scramble for influence?

The former federal reserve chairman’s account of his tenure excoriates the Bush Administration; critics and analysts greet its allegations with complacency or counteraccusation.

In a case that will affect energy policy nationwide, U.S. District Judge in Vermont William Sessions III has upheld the state’s right to set its own standards for automobile emissions despite opposition from U.S. automakers. 

The House of Representatives passes legislation that changes standards for electric utilities and rescinds oil tax breaks, though the measures appear doomed to presidential veto.

Retaliation follows Russian diplomats’ ejection from Britain, as the U.K. government pressures the Kremlin to hand over the suspected assassin in the radiation poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko.