Brian Koenig
Regulators Plan to Mandate Rearview Cameras in Cars by 2014
Federal regulators are proposing more intervention in the U.S. automobile industry, as new safety regulations would require automakers to furnish all new vehicles with rearview cameras by 2014. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be transmitting a final copy of the proposed regulation to Congress today — which is expected to be approved — after the rule was originally proposed in 2010.
Religious Broadcasters Urge IRS Probe of Media Matters
Media Matters has come under fire after the Daily Caller exposed the liberal watchdog group for accepting a $50,000 grant to monitor and probe religious outlets. The Christian Post first reported that the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), an association of broadcasters and Christian communicators, was anticipating an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service into whether or not Media Matters violated its 501(c)(3) status when it collected money from a special interest group to scrutinize religious conservatives.
Report: Obama Used Earmarks to Promote Controversial Legislation
According to a new report by The Heritage Foundation, the White House handed out "administrative earmarks" to Democratic legislators to sway them to vote for major legislative efforts such as cap-and-trade and the healthcare overhaul.
Obama’s Tax Proposal Targets Growing Portion of His Base
President Obama’s 2013 budget and proposed tax increases have been construed as a direct assault on the wealthy Republican class. But according to past election analyses, and despite the prevailing notion that America’s wealthy overwhelmingly oppose progressive taxation, the President may in fact be targeting his own base.
Obama Calls for Corporate Welfare During Boeing Plant Visit
In concluding his three-state, three-day tour on Friday, President Obama made a flashy appearance at Boeing’s aircraft assembly plant in Washingto
n State, where he touted the manufacturing accomplishments of the world’s largest aerospace company. During the visit, the President asserted that Boeing, a top U.S. exporter, is a world-class model of an American company spurring economic growth through overseas commerce.
Bill Authorizes Use of Unmanned Drones in U.S. Airspace
Big Brother is set to adopt a new form of surveillance after a bill passed by Congress will require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to open U.S. airspace to drone flights under a new four-year plan. The bill, which passed the House last week and received bipartisan approval in the Senate on Monday, will convert radar to an air traffic control system based on GPS technology, shifting the country to an age where satellites are central to air traffic control and unmanned drones glide freely throughout U.S. airspace.
Obama Campaign Supports Priorities USA "Super PAC"
To counter recent fundraising surges in the Republican presidential primaries, on Monday Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign urged wealthy fundraisers to support Priorities USA Action, a "super PAC" (political action committee) that is allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money to mobilize political campaigns. The move has attracted criticism from both sides of the political aisle, as the President has been an outspoken critic of high or no limits on campaign contributions and has consistently rebuked the influence of special interests in politics.
Obama Seeks $5 Billion For Veterans Jobs Corps Proposal
The Obama administration on Friday accelerated efforts to tame unemployment among U.S. veterans by calling for a new conservation program that would put service members — specifically those returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — to work rebuilding roads, trails, and other projects on public lands.
Sen. Grassley Probes FDA Over Email Surveillance of Whistleblowers
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa, left) issued a five-page letter Wednesday demanding that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg disclose who authorized an effort to monitor email correspondence of a group of whistleblower scientists. In the letter, Grassley warned that FDA officials could be usurping their authority by retaliating against whistleblowers who have expressed concern with the agency’s procedures.
Obama "Bundlers" Raise More than $74 Million for 2012 Campaign
As the 2012 election surges forward, the Obama campaign has released a lengthy report detailing 445 of the President’s top "bundlers" — networks of fundraisers who collect large bundles of checks — including wealthy investors, Hollywood moguls, and big-name real estate tycoons. In total, the 445 bundlers doled out $74-100 million to the Obama campaign, according to figures estimated by NBC News.