Obama May Bypass War Powers Resolution to Continue War in Libya
President Obama and his legal advisers may skirt the War Powers Resolution of 1973 to continue the war in Libya, The New York Times reported. Under the resolution, a president must cease any military operation that hasn't been authorized by Congress after 60 days. For the American participation in NATO's bombing campaign in Libya, the deadline is next week. The military could temporarily halt its efforts in Libya, while some lawyers are saying that if the mission is completely paused the US could rejoin the mission with a new 60-day limit.
Europe Moves to End Passport-Free Transport to Limit Migration
Fears of a flood of migrants from North Africa following unrest in the region have led European officials to reconsider the open-border policy of the Schengen system. If adopted, this decision will reverse decades of unfettered passport-free travel within the continent. Twenty-six governments will restore border controls, reported The Guardian UK, and moved to further combat immigration by pushing for “readmission accords” with countries in the Middle East and North Africa. This would allow refugees to be sent back to their home countries. The policy shift comes after arguments between France and Italy, and a small influx of refugees from Tunisia.
Laid-Off Worker Confronts Obama
A federal worker set to lose her job appealed to Obama during a CBS News town hall meeting, asking him, “What would you do, if you were me?” The pregnant woman, Karin Gallo, jokingly described her job at the National Zoo as “non-essential employee number seven,” reported CBS News. Gallo said she feared for her family's future. Without addressing the question directly, Obama said that slashing jobs couldn't be looked at as an “abstract” sacrifice. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in April was 9 percent.
Drug War in Mexico Escalates as More Headless Bodies Discovered
Eight more headless bodies were discovered in the northern Mexican state of Durango, showing an escalation of the deadly drug war between rival gangs. One was identified as the deputy director of a city prison, who had been kidnapped earlier in the week. This is the second time this week that bodies have been found in Durango – 11 bodies were found Monday, including six across the street from a school in the state's capital. Mexican authorities say that drug kingpins may be hiding in the state, which has become a battleground among the Zeta, Beltran Leyva and Sinaloa cartels, reported The Guardian UK. Durango is one of Mexico's most dangerous states, with a murder rate that has more than doubled over the past two years.
Europe Fights the Death Penalty – With Drugs
A Danish pharmaceutical company, which is the only manufacturer of the anesthetic used in executions by lethal injection in the US, is facing a dilemma. The company, Lundbeck, is opposed to the death penalty, but its drugs are also used to treat seizures and to euthanize animals in countries outside the US, reported The Global Post. The company has sent letters to prisons in 11 states demanding they cease using the drug in their lethal cocktail, because “this is just not what we stand for.”
Trump Sued by Hundreds
Hundreds of people who bought into buildings bearing the name of Donald Trump's company, or paid for classes bearing the Trump logo are now suing the real estate developer, “Apprentice” star and possible presidential candidate. Investors in several high rises in Ft. Lauderdale, partially supported by Trump International, say Trump pulled his support of the projects when the buildings ran into financial trouble and they were never completed, reported The New York Times. He is also being sued by former students of Trump University, a business school he opened in 2005. The university was awarded a D-minus by the Better Business Bureau.
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