Report: Overt Bias Against Women Has Faded In Government, But Issues Of Pay And Promotion Remain

Obama threatens veto of House student loan plan Associated Press Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 12:39 pm, Wednesday, May 22, 2013 The White House Budget Office said Wednesday the GOP plan does not guarantee current low interest rates for students and creates uncertainty for them. The budget office says that if Obama were presented the current bill, officials would urge a veto.

Benghazi review leader OKs meeting with committee Associated Press Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 12:38 pm, Wednesday, May 22, 2013 WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee chairman has withdrawn a subpoena to compel a retired diplomat to answer questions in private about an independent investigation of last year's attack in Benghazi, Libya. Rep. Darrell Issa (EYE'-suh) says he acted after Thomas Pickering agreed to meet with the House Oversight and Committee Reform Committee behind closed doors.

The Truth-o-Meter says: Mostly True | Randy Forbes says taxpayers have burden of proof when facing IRS The Internal Revenue Service has been on the defensive since the news broke that the agency has been giving extra scrutiny to conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. Among the lawmakers expressing concern about the IRS was Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va. In a May 17, 2013, interview, Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson asked Forbes, "What's your No. 1 concern about the IRS being in charge of Obamacare?" (Carlson was wrong about the agency's role. It is not "in charge," as we addressed with our recent fact-check of Michele Bachmann.) Forbes responded, "Well, Gretchen, first of all, it >> More

On Tuesday, the Louisiana Senate passed a bill that would imprison and fine journalists who intentionally publish information about the state's concealed-carry handgun permit holders. Reporters who violate the law would face penalties of up to $10,000, six months in jail, or both; public safety officials and police officers who leak permit information to the press would face penalties of up to $500, six months in jail, or both. Journalists in Louisiana say the bill is clearly unconstitutional, but that won't stop it from becoming law: After the Senate vote, it headed to Gov. Bobby Jindal's desk for his signature. Pamela Mitchell, executive director of the Louisiana Press Association, the state's official newspaper trade organization, says the bill is a clear example of prior restraint—the preemptive censorship of free speech. "That's patently unconstitutional," she says—"think Pentagon Papers," referring to the landmark case New York Times Co. v. United States. The Louisiana law is more extreme than other bills that aim to protect the privacy of concealed-carry permit holders. The National Rifle Association and pro-gun lawmakers around the country have pushed hard for state laws forbidding the release of concealed-carry information since last December, when the Lower Hudson Journal News, a local New York paper, published interactive Google maps that pinpointed handgun permit holders' names and addresses in two New York counties. But Louisiana already had a law banning the state from releasing concealed-carry information, so state Rep. Jeff Thompson decided his proposal needed to go even further by banning reporters from publishing the data. Continue Reading »

GOP governor heads to Iowa, stoking speculation about future White House bid.