NSA Spying/ Federal Budget

Missoulian:  Obama backs limits on NSA phone collections

Presidential Policy Directive -- Signals Intelligence Activities
“The collection of signals intelligence is necessary for the United States to advance its national security and foreign policy interests and to protect its citizens and the citizens of its allies and partners from harm. At the same time, signals intelligence activities and the possibility that such activities may be improperly disclosed to the public pose multiple risks. These include risks to: our relationships with other nations, including the cooperation we receive from other nations on law enforcement, counterterrorism, and other issues; our commercial, economic, and financial interests, including a potential loss of international trust in U.S. firms and the decreased willingness of other nations to participate in international data sharing, privacy, and regulatory regimes; the credibility of our commitment to an open, interoperable, and secure global Internet; and the protection of intelligence sources and methods.”

Missoulian: Lawmakers weary from fiscal wars send Obama budget
H.R.3547 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014
Senate amendment to H.R. 3547
“Reduces funds for the salaries, benefits, and expenses of any positions within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice that were assigned to administer or enforce Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. These jobs were rendered irrelevant after the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby v. Holder.”

Malmstrom Cheating/ Appropriations/ Potatoes/ Benghazi

Missoulian: 34 Malmstrom officers removed from launch duty for alleged cheating
DOD: 34 ICBM Launch Officers Implicated in Cheating Probe

Missoulian: Senate approaches final OK of $1.1T spending bill
H.R.3547 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014

Missoulian: Congress wants more potatoes in gov't program

 H.R.3102 - Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013

Missoulian: Report: Systemic failures led to Benghazi attacks

Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012, together with Additional Views

Milk/ Climate/ Apple Refunds/ Chronic Care

Missoulian: Farm bill stalls over milk shake-up
H.R.2642 - Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013

AMS National Dairy Products Sales Price Averages Used in Federal Milk Order Price Formulas, 2012

Missoulian: Report: 2013 wet, warm year for much of US
Climate at a Glance

Missoulian: Apple will refund at least $32.5M in app case
Apple Inc. Will Provide Full Consumer Refunds of At Least $32.5 Million to Settle FTC Complaint It Charged for Kids’ In-App Purchases Without Parental Consent

Missoulian: Chronic care overhaul proposed for Medicare

S.1228 - Medicare Better Health Rewards Program Act of 2013

Economy/ Budget/ DaimlerChrysler Suit/ LCD Price Fixing

Missoulian: Obama: On economy, focus is on executive actions
Remarks by the President Before Cabinet Meeting

Missoulian: Dozens of trade-offs in $1.1 trillion budget bill
Rogers: Omnibus Targets Funding to Important Programs, Continues Downward Trend in Federal Spending

 Missoulian: Court won't allow DaimlerChrysler suit in Calif.
Daimler AG v. Bauman

“Their complaint alleges that Mercedes-Benz Argentina (MB Argentina), an Argentinian subsidiary of Daimler, collaborated with state security forces during Argentina’s 1976–1983 “Dirty War” to kidnap, detain, torture, and kill certain MB Argentina workers, among them, plaintiffs or persons closely related to plaintiffs.”

Missoulian: High court OKs Miss. lawsuit on LCD price fixing
Mississippi ex rel. Hood v. AU Optronics Corp.

Abortion Ban/ Recess Appointments

Missoulian: Court won't revive Arizona's 20-week abortion ban

Isaacson v. Horne

“The panel reversed the district court’s order denying declaratory and  injunctive relief to plaintiffs and held that the Constitution does not permit the Arizona legislature to prohibit abortion beginning at twenty weeks gestation, before the fetus is viable.”

Missoulian: President's recess appointment power at high court              

NLRB v. Noel Canning, et al. (12-1281)