Political News from Yahoo

'The Daily Show' Reveals Canada's Crack Pastime

Jon Stewart last night couldn't resist telling the story of Canada's Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto who might have a crack habit based on video viewed by news organizations (even though Ford is resisting as much as he can). So Stewart turned to Senior Canadian Correspondents Samantha Bee and Jason Jones, who revealed that crack smoking is par for the course in their native land.


GOP questions IRS scrutiny of anti-abortion groups

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — When a small anti-abortion group in Iowa sought nonprofit status, the Internal Revenue Service asked its board to promise not to organize protests outside Planned Parenthood and demanded to know how its prayer meetings and protest signs were educational.


How Petraeus Turned the CIA into the Good Guys in Benghazi

How did the CIA become the hero in the Benghazi talking point controversy? The Republican theory of the case is that the CIA provided mostly correct talking points (with one big flaw — it blamed spontaneous protests), which the State Department and the White House then edited into misleading mush to protect President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. But, of course, the CIA is part of the Obama administration, too, and run by Obama appointees — why hasn't it enjoyed as much scrutiny as everyone else involved?


FEMA Chief: Feds won't go 'when the cameras leave'

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says U.S. officials are "going neighborhood to neighborhood" to make sure Oklahoma gets the help it needs.

Anthony Weiner confirms he’s running for NYC mayor

Confirming the worst-kept secret in politics, former Rep. Anthony Weiner has officially confirmed he’s running for New York City mayor, telling voters in a YouTube video that he wants a second chance in politics. "I made some big mistakes, and I know I let a lot of people down, but I also learned some tough [...]

Anthony Weiner Makes It Official: He's In the Race

In the least surprising move of this political season, former Congressman Anthony Weiner officially threw his hat in the ring to be the Mayor of New York. Weiner made the announcement on Wednesday morning via a YouTube video uploaded to his new AnthonyWeiner4Mayor YouTube channel. How very 21st century.


This Indie Rocker-Turned-Congressman Is Ready to Make HIs Name on Immigration Reform

With a district that essentially includes both Texas and Mexico, there aren't a lot of lawmakers more interested in immigration reform than freshman democrat Rep. Beto O'Rourke. The city of El Paso (in his district) and Ciudad Juarez (in Mexico), are so inextricably linked that O'Rourke says he basically sees them both as one city. Thousands of Juarez citizens cross the border each day to work, shop, or go to school. The University of Texas El Paso even allows Juarez residents to pay in-state tuition to attend."The mayor of Juarez lived in El Paso. ...

Meet the Man Who Set Off the IRS Firestorm

J. Russell George paused for just a moment before he took his seat at the witness table. He wanted to take it all in. The Treasury inspector general whose audit of the IRS had set off a national firestorm had been in this very room before – three decades earlier.

College is expensive. And thanks to Washington, you might soon be paying more

For a talented, creative few, there’s David Letterman. For most, there’s a labyrinth of paperwork, hard decisions and painful sacrifices that could have dramatic repercussions on their financial health decades from now. Paying for college in America is hard. And a fight may be brewing in Washington that could leave college grads paying more – [...]

Play of the Day: Obama’s Face and Race

The White House scandals have been a problem for the administration of Barack Obama, but late-night comedians have been eating it all up. Jay Leno continues to hammer Obama for the Benghazi reports, comparing the official stories to a Chicago man's recent record-setting day.

Garcetti Defeats Greuel in L.A. Mayor's Race; IRS Official To Take the Fifth; Weiner's Officially In

Wake-Up Call! is Hotline's daily morning briefing on campaigns and elections. Click here to subscribe.WHAT'S NEWSAn atty for IRS dir. of exempt organizations Lois Lerner "said she would invoke the 5th Amendment rather than answer questions" about the IRS's "improper scrutiny of conservative groups" and "why she didn't tell Congress about it." Lerner is scheduled to testify Wednesday before the House Oversight and Gov't Reform Cmte (Los Angeles Times). ...

How To Break the Cycle of Poverty

Kari LeVan was 22 years old when she packed her belongings into a friend's car and drove from LaCrosse, Wisconsin, to the twin cities. She was fleeing a violent relationship with her ex-husband and a small town that offered little economic opportunity. She had $40 in cash and a six-month old daughter, Marina.

Tornado Coming? Grab a Helmet!

Oklahoma students weathered the storm in their football helmets. Caitlin Dickson reports on why it worked.


Garcetti builds growing lead as LA picks new mayor

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Councilman Eric Garcetti, who jammed with pop star Moby and fashioned himself as a voice for a new generation of city leaders, has opened a growing lead in the race for Los Angeles mayor with the pool of uncounted ballots steadily shrinking.


Republican divisions may hinder party's momentum

WASHINGTON (AP) — A string of unrelated events are highlighting divisions among Republicans just when they'd like to show a united front and take full advantage of President Barack Obama's latest political problems.


House panel seeks to curb military sexual assaults

WASHINGTON (AP) — Determined to check the growing epidemic of sexual assaults in the armed forces, a House panel is poised to approve a series of revisions to longstanding military law. They include stripping commanding officers of their unilateral authority to change or dismiss a court-martial conviction and requiring that service members found guilty of sexual offenses be dismissed or dishonorably discharged.

Star witness to stay mum for House hearing on IRS

WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee taking Congress' latest look at the Internal Revenue Service's mistreatment of tea party groups will apparently have to do so without input from the star witness.


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