CO FIRE CREWS WORKING TO FULLY CONTAIN THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE IN STATE HISTORY *

THE BLACK FOREST FIRE HAS TORCHED 22 SQ MILES AND KILLED TWO PEOPLE SINCE IT ERUPTED A WEEK AGO *

FLAMES HAVE DESTROYED MORE THAN 500 HOMES *

IT REMAINS 85% CONTAINED *

IT'S UNCLEAR HOW THE WILDFIRE WAS SPARKED, BUT OFFICIALS BELIEVE IT WAS HUMAN-CAUSED *

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE SAYS A SWEEPING IMMIGRATION BILL WOULD CUT DEFICITS BY $197 BIL OVER 10 YEARS *

CBO SAYS THE BILL WOULD ADD $262 BIL IN NEW SPENDING AND TAX CREDITS OVER 10 YEARS WHILE INCREASING REVENUE BY $459 BIL *

THE MEASURE WOULD ALSO CUT DEFICITS BY $700 BIL IN THE FOLLOWING 10 YRS *

UNDER THE LEGISLATION, SOME 8 MIL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WOULD GAIN LEGAL STATUS *

MILITARY JUDGE REFUSES TO DELAY THE FT HOOD SHOOTING SUSPECT'S MURDER TRIAL *

ACTION COMES AFTER MAJ. NIDAL HASAN ASKED FOR A THREE-MONTH DELAY IN THE CASE TO PREPARE FOR HIS STRATEGY TO DEFEND HIMSELF IN COURT OVER THE 2009 MASSACRE THAT LEFT 13 DEAD *

HASAN FACES THE DEATH PENALTY OR LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE IF CONVICTED *

LEADERS OF THE G8 PUSHING FOR A NEGOTIATED AND PEACEFUL END TO SYRIA'S DEADLY CIVIL WAR *

DURING A SUMMIT IN NORTHERN IRELAND ON TUES, LEADERS OUTLINED A DECLARATION THAT CALLED FOR THE EXPULSION OF AL QAEDA-LINKED FIGHTERS FROM THE COUNTRY AND A FURTHER $1.5 BIL IN AID FOR REFUGEES *

SYRIA'S TWO-YEAR CIVIL WAR HAS LEFT AN ESTIMATED 80,000 DEAD *

HOUSE APPROVES A BILL THAT WOULD BAN ABORTIONS AFTER 20 WEEKS *

THE MEASURE PASSED 228-196 TUES EVENING *

HOWEVER, THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS PRES OBAMA WOULD VETO IT IF IT REACHED HIS DESK *

GOOGLE ASKS THE FOREIGN INTEL SURVEILLANCE COURT TO LIFT A GAG ORDER ON HOW OFTEN THE COMPANY IS ASKED TO TURN OVER DATA TO THE GOVT *

THE TECH GIANT FILED THE MOTION ON TUES ASKING PERMISSION TO DISCLOSE THE NUMBER OF DATA REQUESTS MADE BY THE COURT, CLAIMING IT HAS A FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH *

GOOGLE IS AMONG NINE INTERNET COMPANIES ID'D EARLIER THIS MONTH AS COMPLICIT IN THE NSA'S PRISM INTERNET SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM *

NSA PROGRAMS ALLEGEDLY HELPED FOIL A BOMB PLOT TARGETING THE NY STOCK EXCHANGE *

THAT'S WHAT THE DEPUTY FBI DIR TOLD A HOUSE INTEL CMTE ON TUES *

THE NSA'S CHIEF SAYS THE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS HAVE HELPED PREVENT MORE THAN 50 POTENTIAL TERROR ATTACKS SINCE 9/11 *

WHISTLEBLOWER EDWARD SNOWDEN LEAKED INFO ON THE ONCE-SECRET PROGRAMS TO THE MEDIA TWO WKS AGO *

TOKYO-BOUND 787 DREAMLINER LANDS SAFELY IN SEATTLE AFTER THE CREW DECLARES AN EMERGENCY *

UNITED AIRLINES SAYS THE FLIGHT WAS DIVERTED BECAUSE OF AN OIL FILTER ISSUE *

THE FAA GROUNDED THE HIGH-TECH PLANES EARLIER THIS YR DUE TO A POTENTIAL RISK OF BATTERY FIRES *

PRES OBAMA IS EXPECTED TO RENEW HIS CALL FOR NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION DURING WEDNESDAY'S BERLIN SPEECH *

SOURCES SAY THE PRES WILL PROPOSE THAT BOTH THE U.S. AND RUSSIA CUT STOCKPILES BY UP TO ONE-THIRD *

WEDNESDAY'S ADDRESS COMES NEARLY FIVE YRS AFTER OBAMA VISITED THE GERMAN CAPITAL AS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE *

THAT SPEECH DREW AN AUDIENCE OF NEARLY A QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE *

A WAVE OF PROTESTS SWEEPING ACROSS BRAZIL *

MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN TO THE STREETS, CONFRONTING RIOT COPS AND SETTING FIRES *

THE DEMONSTRATIONS STARTED LAST WK OVER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FARE HIKES *

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Sen. John Thune leads group of GOP senators questioning suspension of White House tours

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Mar 7 2013 - 3:22 PM ET

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See news release and letter from GOP senators below and post your thoughts on the suspension of public White House tours…

Thune Leads Group in Questioning Suspension of White House Public Tours

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today sent a letter along with several of his colleagues to President Obama questioning the White House’s decision to suspend public tours due to the across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester. Joining Thune in sending this letter were Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.) Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

According to information released earlier this week by the administration, White House tours will be suspended as early as March 9, 2013. The White House cited staffing reductions resulting from sequestration as the reason for suspending White House tours. Thune’s letter seeks information regarding the anticipated cost savings of these actions, and also requests information on the number of White House personnel who are assigned to the Visitors Office and whether or not this policy will result in lay-offs, furloughs, and/or pay cuts.

“Self-guided tours at the White House are not the kind of duplicative and wasteful spending that we should be looking to target and the suspension of these tours reeks of political calculation,” said Thune. “Instead of closing the doors of the White House to the American public, the president should look to cut his own wasteful golf outings and frivolous spending.”

White House tours have occurred on and off since the Coolidge administration. Tours ceased during World War II, and for a short time following the assassination of President Kennedy, and the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The text of the Senators’ letter is below:

- 

March 7, 2013

The Honorable Barack Obama

The President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500-0005

Dear Mr. President:

We are disappointed and concerned about your decision to suspend public tours due to sequestration.  Every spring, thousands of students, families, and tour groups flock to Washington, D.C. to experience all of the history and sights our nation’s capital city has to offer.  To arbitrarily shut off access to a taxpayer funded, historical building, such as the White House, is disappointing.

All branches of government are impacted by sequestration.  Like the White House, Congress is also facing cuts to our operating budgets.  Yet to take a measure such as shutting down public access to a national treasure must be done with careful consideration.

According to the White House Visitors Office, White House tours will be suspended as early as March 9, 2013.  We are requesting additional information on the anticipated cost savings of suspending self-guided tours of the White House as of March 9, 2013.  While we have seen reports that the Secret Service believes this will help prevent furloughs for agents, we would like information on the number of White House personnel who are assigned to the Visitors Office and whether or not this policy will result in lay-offs, furloughs, and/or pay cuts.  We would also like to know what additional cost-saving measures the White House has planned to mitigate its budget cut under the sequester.

We all need to work together to improve this country’s fiscal outlook.  However, the White House’s decision to close public access to the residence of the United States President is not the solution.  We look forward to your expedient response to our concerns.

Sincerely,

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