WORLD LEADERS AT THE G8 SUMMIT DECLARE THAT GOVTS MUST COOPERATE ON CLOSING TAX LOOPHOLES *

G8 LEADERS SAY TAX AUTHORITIES SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY SHARE INFORMATION "TO FIGHT THE SCOURGE OF TAX EVASION" AND MAKE IT HARDER FOR COMPANIES TO "SHIFT THEIR PROFITS ACROSS BORDERS TO AVOID TAXES" *

MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES WOULD BE OBLIGED TO DECLARE HOW MUCH TAX THEY PAY IN EACH COUNTRY WHERE THEY OPERATE *

G8 PLANS WILL BE DEVELOPED AT A G20 SUMMIT LATER THIS YEAR *

HEAD OF THE NATL SECURITY AGENCY TELLS CONGRESS THAT THE GOVT'S SWEEPING SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS HAVE THWARTED SOME 50 TERRORIST PLOTS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING ONE TO BOMB THE NY STOCK EXCHANGE *

ARMY GEN KEITH ALEXANDER TELLS THE HOUSE INTEL COMMITTEE THAT THE TWO PROGRAMS THAT WERE RECENTLY DISCLOSED ARE CRITICAL IN THE TERRORISM FIGHT *

ALEXANDER SAYS THE PROGRAMS HELP THE INTEL COMMUNITY "CONNECT THE DOTS" *

CHRYSLER AGREES TO RECALL 2.7 MIL OLDER JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND LIBERTY SUVS THAT COULD BE AT RISK OF A FUEL TANK FIRE *

NATL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMIN (NHTSA ) SAID EARLIER THIS MONTH THAT THE JEEP'S GAS TANK COULD RUPTURE IF HIT FROM THE REAR, CAUSING A FIRE, AFTER 51 PEOPLE DIED IN FIERY JEEP CRASHES *

RECALL COVERS JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES FROM MODEL YEARS 1993 THROUGH 2004 AND JEEP LIBERTY SUVS FROM 2002 THROUGH 2007 *

TWO OF MUAMMAR QADDAFI'S ADULT CHILDREN MOVE FROM ALGERIA TO OMAN IN WHAT THE UN SAYS IS A VIOLATION OF ITS TRAVEL BAN *

AISHA AND MOHAMMED QADDAFI HAVE BEEN ON THE UN SANCTIONS BLACKLIST SINCE EARLY 2011 AND ARE SUBJECT TO AN ASSET FREEZE AND TRAVEL BAN *

BOTH FLED TO ALGERIA AFTER THE LATE LIBYAN LEADER WAS OUSTED LATER THAT YEAR *

SYRIAN WARPLANES STRIKE REBEL POSITIONS NEAR A MILITARY AIR BASE IN THE COUNTRY'S NORTH *

MEANWHILE, GOVT FORCES HAVE STEPPED UP ATTACKS AGAINST OPPOSITION FIGHTERS IN THE KEY PROVINCE OF ALEPPO *

OFFICIALS SAY THE VIOLENCE IS ALSO SPILLING OVER THE BORDER INTO LEBANON, WHERE CLASHES BETWEEN PRO-HEZBOLLAH GUNMEN AND FOLLOWERS OF A SUNNI CLERIC HAVE KILLED AT LEAST TWO *

U.S. WILL HOLD TALKS WITH THE TALIBAN IN AN ATTEMPT TO END THE 12-YR-OLD WAR IN AFGHANISTAN *

THE TALIBAN MET A KEY U.S. DEMAND BY PLEDGING NOT TO USE AFGHANISTAN AS A BASE TO THREATEN OTHER COUNTRIES *

BUT THE U.S. SAYS THE GROUP MUST ALSO DENOUNCE AL QAEDA...PRES OBAMA PRAISES THE MOVE, BUT SAYS THE PROCESS WON'T BE QUICK OR EASY *

HE CALLS THE TALIBAN'S OPENING OF A POLITICAL OFFICE IN QATAR AN "IMPORTANT FIRST STEP TOWARD RECONCILIATION" BETWEEN TALIBAN AND AFGHAN GOVT *

BRAZILIAN PRES DILMA ROUSSEFF SAYS SHE'S PROUD OF PROTESTERS WHO HAVE TAKEN TO THE STREETS DEMANDING BETTER EDUCATION, SCHOOLS AND TRANSPORT *

ROUSSEFF SAYS HER GOVT IS "LISTENING TO THESE VOICES FOR CHANGE" *

PROTESTS WHICH BEGAN LAST NIGHT OVER RISING PUBLIC TRANSPORT COSTS AND THE EXPENSE OF THE 2014 WORLD CUP HAVE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY *

NATL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS A TORNADO WAS SPOTTED NEAR DENVER INTL AIRPORT THIS AFTERNOON *

AIRPORT PASSENGERS BEING TOLD TO TAKE SHELTER IN TERMINALS *

A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY IN CO'S SE PLAINS ON MON, KNOCKING DOWN POWER LINES *

NEW STUDY FINDS SAME-SEX COUPLES LESS LIKELY TO RECEIVE A FAVORABLE RESPONSE TO EMAIL INQUIRIES ABOUT RENTAL PROPERTIES THAN HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES *

NATIONWIDE STUDY WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE DEPT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT *

FED HOUSING LAWS DO NOT BAR DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY *

PRES OBAMA OPENS 24-HR VISIT IN BERLIN FOLLOWING TWO-DAY G8 SUMMIT IN NORTHERN IRELAND *

THE PRES WILL HOLD MEETINGS WITH GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MARKEL AND OTHER GOVT OFFICIALS AND DELIVER A SPEECH AT BRANDENBURG GATE *

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the Senate…in the gym!

Check out this article from Roll Call and post your thoughts!

Behind the Doors of the Senate Gym

Early-rising lawmakers get better acquainted in ‘sweat-filled room’ — the Senate gym

By Meredith Shiner, Roll Call

Behind a discreet set of keypad-entry double doors on the first floor of the Russell Senate Office Building lies one of the last oases of what was once the world’s greatest good-old-boys club: the Senate’s members-only gym.

Senators start trickling in at 5:30 a.m. in various states of dress, without the benefit of sunlight or staff, toting gym bags, newspapers and even to-go venti coffees as custodians above loudly buff the marble floors of Russell’s rotunda. In the era of modern travel and constant campaigning, the mysterious gym — where staffers and security details are barred — has grown into one of the few places where members can just be themselves without fear of repercussions.

“The sweat-filled room has now replaced the smoke-filled room,” quipped Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., one of the deans of the early-morning gym crew. Barrasso is usually the first to arrive in the morning and opens up shop. He and Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., who typically arrives minutes later, control the television. The news program they watch is the result of a compromise — MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” is hosted by a conservative, but the channel is left-leaning.

Though certainly there has been some early-morning wheeling and dealing on elliptical machines, many of the 13 members — all men — approached by CQ Roll Call as they went about their daily routines said the most important part of the experience was not negotiating but getting to know more about their colleagues’ personal lives.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this story from Roll Call









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