Surprise: “Congressional watchdogs are nervous that after an initial burst of energy on reform, lawmakers from both parties have since cooled to the stronger provisions they were pushing just weeks ago.”
President Bush plans to shut down part of the national service program AmeriCorps, which he embraced in 2001. The National Civilian Community Corps, which brings together more than 1,100 18- to 24-year-olds together to work on service projects, will have its budget cut from $27 million to $5 million, “with the goal of closing it down.”
A majority in 33 of 35 countries and 60 percent of people overall believe the Iraq war has increased the likelihood of global terrorist attacks.
The New York Times has sued the U.S. Defense Department demanding that it hand over documents about the NSA’s domestic spying program, including internal memos, emails, and list of the surveillance targets. Also: White House rejects call for a special counsel investigation.
For the first time, the Justice Department approved a $300,000 settlement in the case of an Egyptian national who was detained after 9/11. “The government’s inclination to settle was enhanced when Judge John Gleeson ordered that former Attorney General John Ashcroft and the former head of the FBI testify under oath about the case.” Read more
