Politics

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.

Democratic presidential candidates speaking to the nation's largest teachers’ union call for an overhaul of the No Child Left Behind Act, bringing renewed attention to the law as Congress's reauthorization deadline approaches.

President Bush stops short of pardoning Cheney's former chief of staff, deciding to leave in place a $250,000 fine and his federal convictions; in the subsequent furor both Democrats and Republicans accuse their opponents of hypocrisy.

The now-public documents catalog many of the CIA's actions throughout the 1960s and 1970s, confirming long-assumed activities including a failed assassination plot, domestic wiretapping operations, mind-altering drug experiments, and early intelligence gaffes.

An International Court has issued arrest warrants for a Sudanese government official and a Janjaweed military leader for alleged war crimes committed in Darfur, Sudan. These are the first arrest warrants that have been issued on an international level for an alleged genocide in Darfur.

A harsher punishment than expected for the vice president’s former chief of staff: two and a half years and a $250,000 fine.

The troop withdrawal timetable sought by many Democrats falls by the wayside; Republicans fail to block the $8 billion earmarked for domestic spending initiatives.

Former deputy of defense and architect of the Iraq War Paul Wolfowitz tenders his resignation as bank head; his presidency, problematic from the start, grew increasingly troubled amid the controversy over his girlfriend's pay increase.

Distinguished Russian human rights advocate Karinna Moskalenko, whose clients include Garry Kasparov and the family of murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya, may lose her right to practice.

Tony Blair announces his coming resignation in a speech to Labour Party activists, heralding the end of 10 years as British Prime Minister.

An Alabaman grand jury indicts a former state trooper for the murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson, whose death led to Bloody Sunday and the Civil Rights Act.

Drugs made outside the United States must meet stringent safety standards––a stricture that, say critics, hobbles legislation that would have improved access to cheaper, foreign pharmaceuticals.

Climate change is a serious security risk, say retired generals, including an ex-army chief of staff and a former commander of U.S. Central Command.

Iranian President Ahmadinejad styles the release of the servicemen as a "gift"; Blair defends his country’s refusal to negotiate.