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Legislative Mischief

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AP

Flagstaff man who sells anti-war T-shirts with the names of service members killed in Iraq may escape criminal prosecution under a state law that legislators hoped would block his activities. The criminal portion of a law passed earlier this year

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Bike Coalition of Maine

The legislation also will strengthen Maine's youth bicycle helmet law by creating a $25 fine for those 15 and under who fail to wear a helmet. Youths can be fined after the second or subsequent offense, but the fine can be waived

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The Hill

Pelosi is set to square off against Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), the power-lifting chairman of the House gym committee. Efforts to secure funding in the legislative branch spending bill to begin an $8 million renovation of the House gym.

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Politico

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) introduced a resolution as Congress prepared to break for the August recess Saturday, urging President Bush to boycott the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Waters and others involved in the effort to end the humanitarian crisis in

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NY Times

The New York City Council, which passed a symbolic citywide ban on the use of the n-word, has turned its linguistic (and legislative) lance toward a different slur: bitch. The term is hateful and deeply sexist, said Councilwoman Darlene Mealy of Br

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by Sen. Russ Feingold (Huffington Post)

Six years ago, in the aftermath of 9/11, Congress rammed through the USA PATRIOT Act with little consideration of what that bill actually contained. Five years ago, Congress authorized a reckless and ill-advised war in Iraq. One year ago, Congress pa

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AP

The House approved modest changes to President Bush's record Pentagon budget proposal early Sunday. The House's $459.6 billion version of the defense budget, approved on a 395-13 vote, would add money for equipment for the National Guard and

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AP

Declaring a new direction in energy policy, the House on Saturday approved $16 billion in taxes on oil companies, while providing billions of dollars in tax breaks and incentives for renewable energy and conservation efforts.

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Cincinnati Post

As it leaves town for its August vacation with critical legislation left unfinished, the U.S. Congress is criticizing the Iraqi parliament for going on an August vacation with critical legislation left unpassed. The Iraqis tend to do the same as t

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Press Gazette

New Zealand's Parliament has voted itself far-reaching powers to control satire and ridicule of MP's in Parliament, attracting a storm of media and academic criticism. The new standing orders, voted in last month, concern the use of images o

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AP

Spouses don't belong on campaign payrolls, the House says, voting to end a practice that benefited members of Congress for years. Follows controversies in which lawmakers added many thousands of dollars to their family incomes by hiring relatives

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ARS Technica

A recent decision from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals made the occasional f-bomb safe for network viewing, but some senators now want to ensure that even a single blue comment or image can be grounds for an FCC slapdown.

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AP

A decade-old telephone tax intended to help bring affordable service to rural areas has instead turned into something quite different: a bottomless and politically protected well of cash for cell phone companies that do big business in rural America.

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AP

Congress is poised to make big changes to the government programs tapped by millions of students to pay for college. The biggest of these for students: a cap on what low-income borrowers have to pay back each month on their federal student loans.

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Politico

What's a paltry one million dollars to a member of Congress? Well, apparently not enough to know if an organization about to receive that big block of cash actually exists.

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Politico

(This is such a joke) Sen Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA) introduced an amendment to the defense authorization bill today to the "foremost objective of the US government... is to capture or kill Osama bin Laden" (Guess she's forgotten about To

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LiveLeak

NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday when Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina testily exchanged views on President Bush's Iraq policy and troop welfare. An impromptu troop surge debate turned in

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Reuters

[Cuz, $25 million ain't worth what it was in 2001.] The U.S. Senate voted to double the bounty on Osama bin Laden to $50 million and require President George W. Bush to refocus on capturing him after reports al Qaeda is gaining strength.

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NY Times

Some tourists, amateur photographers, even would-be filmmakers hoping to make it big on YouTube could soon be forced to obtain a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance before taking pictures or filming on city property, including sidewalks

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