Gas Crunch

2008-04-21

Hold on to your gas cap, things are about to get really ugly. U.S. average retail gas prices are now just shy of $3.50 a gallon. That's a record! But wait, there's more. Prices are expected to rise by 30 cents per gallon over the next few weeks. But wait, there's more. This summer gas prices are likely to be well over $4.00 a gallon! Record crude oil prices are largely to blame. A new survey shows that 45% of Americans are driving less, and an equal number say high gas prices are causing them a great deal of financial hardship.

Pope UN

2008-04-18

After three historic days in Washington, the Benedict goes north today to New York City. He speaks at the United Nations which is actually the original reason for his visit to the U.S. The pontiff will address diplomats from around the world and is widely expected to touch on subjects he avoided while at the White House. We are told to expect comments on Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, and human rights.

Airline Delays

2008-04-09

We'll get you there when we get you there. That should be the motto of all major airlines based on flight delay statistics so far this year. In February, which is generally not a "bad weather" month, 31 percent of all commercial flights in the U.S. arrived late. 2007 was the second worst on-time year on record. The FAA has cooked up a batch of plans to try and solve the problem for the peak flying season this summer. But lo and behold the airlines are now rallying against some of efforts and may sue the Transportation Department to stop them. A House committee is set to review this mess later today.

Senate Iraq Hearings

2008-04-08

General David Petraeus is expected to tell Senate Committees that last years surge of troops has helped calm some of the violence in war torn Iraq. But, troops will need to stay through the end of the year. The General testifies in the morning before the Armed Services Committee where John McCain and Hillary Clinton are members. In the afternoon he testifies before the Foreign Affairs Committee where Barack Obama is a member. However, it is not expected that Obama will get a chance to ask questions before 6:30pm EST. General Petraeus testified about the military situation last September. Since that time, support for the war, both publicly and politically, has continued to erode. We will also hear from Ambassador Ryan Crocker about the Iraqi political situation.

Unemployment Surges

2008-04-04

The U.S. labor picture continues its decline battered by the economic slowdown. 80,000 jobs were lost in March, the third consecutive month of job losses. The Labor Department explains what's going on Friday, but three things are clear. The trio of the housing, credit and financial sector crises are taking their toll on employers and, in turn, the economic security of their employees.

Safe to Fly?

2008-04-03

Is the flying public at risk due to lapses in aircraft inspections by major airlines? This is one of the concerns being raised on Capitol Hill during a hearing on airline safety. Whistleblowers, the executives from Southwest Airlines and the FAA will all be in the hot seat answering questions about cozy relationships between the airlines and some FAA inspectors. Congress will also address a lack of oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration in managing its own safety programs.

Iraq Violence

2008-03-28

U.S. warplanes and troops have now been drawn into the fighting that has erupted in Iraq. Overnight, American soldiers entered Sadr City in Baghdad, after Shiite militias fired more than a dozen mortar rounds into the protected Green Zone killing two Americans. President Bush is expected to be questioned about the rising violence today when he meets with Australian Prime Minister Rudd. The Aussies announced some time back that they plan to have all their troops out of Iraq by June.

Democrats Economy

2008-03-27

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama offer their fixes to the economy. Obama proposed relief for homeowners and another stimuls package. While Clinton said the government needs to step up and help displaced workers. Both were highly critical of John McCain who said Tuesday that government intervention is not needed.

Its the Economy

2008-03-27

Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton roll out dueling economic recovery plans today. Depending on the week, this is the #1 issue in the minds of voters. Both are expected to talk about the banking, credit and housing crises. It's also likely that both will continue to squabble over veracity, pastors, delegates, superdelegates, and who can best answer the phone in the middle of the night.

Iraq Meltdown

2008-03-26

Heavy fighting is gripping two of Iraq's largest cities, as Iraqi forces have mounted operations against Shiite militias. Battles are raging in Baghdad and Basra between government troops led by Prime Minister al-Maliki and those controlled by renegade cleric Moktada al-Sadr. All of this is happening as concerns are rising that security gains provide by the U.S. troop surge are eroding. President Bush meets behind closed doors today with his Pentagon advisors to consider what to do next.

4000 Dead

2008-03-24

Late Sunday, a roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers in Iraq. This pushed the overall American death-toll to four thousand. President Bush makes no major speech on the milestone, but Vice President Cheney said you regret every loss. Meanwhile Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton call for troop withdrawal.

The 4000

2008-03-24

Late Sunday, a roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers in Iraq. This pushed the overall American death-toll to four thousand. The grim milestone comes at a time when sectarian violence inside Iraq appears to be on the rise. The U.S. protected Green Zone is being bombarded daily by rocket attacks from both Sunni and Shiite extremists. For much of the last six months, overall attacks against Iraqi civilians had decreased, but recently suicide bombings seem to be on the rise. Many say this is a grim reminder of the long-standing hatred between Sunni and Shiite factions, and of the fragile nature of security in Iraq.

Candidate's Passport

2008-03-21

First there was the report from the State Department that three employees were snooping into Barack Obama's passport file. Now we learn that the passport files of three presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Obama were improperly accessed by State Department workers. On Capitol Hill today, Undersecretary of State for Management Patrick Kennedy briefs Obama staffers on the security breach by DOS contract employees. More answers are certainly required, and a formal investigation seems likely.

Campaign March

2008-03-20

John McCain touts his foreign policy expertise during a meeting with the British Prime Minister. Barack Obama tries to blame McCain for the economic impact of the Iraq War. Hillary Clinton talks about the economy, health care and Iraq. But a conservative group gets permission to question the National Archives about her phone logs while first lady.

Campaign Pain

2008-03-20

It is a race over race, a race over delegates from Michigan and Florida, and maybe a race to explain eight years of White House schedules. Today Barrack Obama is campaigning in West Virginia and Hillary Clinton is in Indiana. Clinton may be asked to explain 11,000 pages of schedules from her years as first lady that appear to show she wasn't as engaged in policy matters as she might like voters to believe. Obama, despite his highly regarded speech on race and religion, may continue to face questions about his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. And with re-votes in Michigan and Florida now down the tubes, does this doom Sen. Clinton's chances to overtake Sen. Obama?

Iraq Five Years Later

2008-03-19

Today, five years after a U-S invasion, war protestors mark the anniversary with marches in cities across the country. President Bush tells an audience at the Pentagon that the battle in Iraq has been longer and more costly then anticipated. It has so far cost nearly 4,000 U-S lives. While Iraq has quieted down somewhat since the surge, most of those troops will be back home by summer. But gains at tamping down sectarian violence have not been met by political progress, and many expect violence to soon begin increasing.

SCOTUS 2nd Amendment

2008-03-18

For the first time, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether individuals have the right to own and carry a handgun. The controversial case centers around Washington D.C.'s 32 year old handgun ban. Supporters and opponents started lining up outside the high court before dawn to hear oral arguments.

Credit Crisis

2008-03-17

President Bush takes steps to calm credit markets.

Food Safety

2008-03-14

A Food Safety Summit gets underway Monday in Washington and there's a lot to talk about everything from massive beef recalls to protecting consumers.

Weak Dollar

2008-03-13

If you thought your favorite stores weren't too busy last month, you were right. Instead of bouncing back from the holiday slump. retail sales dropped again.

Credit Card Rights

2008-03-12

Is it time for a Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights? They'll talk about that in Congress on Thursday. Supporters of the plan say it's especially important now because more people are using credit cards than ever before.

Iraq Waste

2008-03-11

How much of the $750 Billion spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been wasted? The country is likely to get some idea today when the Senate Appropriations Committee holds a hearing into allegations of rampant waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq. Dozens of reports over the last four years have detailed instances of waste and fraud on the part of government contractors in Iraq. Today the Comptroller General and the Inspector General are expected to highlight new investigations.

Oil-OPEC

2008-03-11

President Bush couldn't get Saudi Arabia to produce more oil when he visited the Middle East in January. Now, it's Vice President Cheney's turn to try to turn on the tap.

Cross Border Trucking

2008-03-10

Under a "test" program some Mexican trucks can now cross into the U.S. to deliver cargo. American trucks are also allowed into limited areas of Mexico. This cross-border test program is still going on, even though Congress passed and President Bush signed a law intended to cut off funding. Today, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters is holding a news conference to try and keep the program alive. Opponents have sued in federal court to try and get it shut down arguing that Mexican trucks are dangerous and don't meet U.S. safety standards.

Obama for VP?

2008-03-10

Mississippi takes center stage in the Democrats' race for the White House today... And Barack Obama is telling voters there - he does NOT want to be HIllary Clinton's running mate.

Weak Economy

2008-03-07

We'll hear more calls in Congress this coming week to 'do something' about the economy. We all know what's happening to gas prices... And now, job losses have hit a five-year high.

Barack Obama's town hall meeting

2008-03-04

Sen. Barack Obama fields questions from a crowd of Newman Smith High School students in Carrollton.

Hillary Obama

2008-02-29

Monday could be the biggest day yet in the Democrats' race for the White House. Four more primaries in Vermont, Rhode Island - and the big ones in Ohio and in Texas. And those two are the ones Hillary Clinton really needs to win.

Campaign Friday

2008-02-29

It's all about Dollars and Sense. The Obama campaign is likely to announce its donation take for February. The Clinton campaign raised $35 million for the month; Obama may hit $50 million. Taken together that would set a one month presidential campaign fundraising record.

Oil Tax Breaks

2008-02-28

We'll hear more talk in Congress today about ending tax breaks for oil companies. The House has already voted to do that. But now President Bush has changed his mind about the idea. Three years ago, when oil was a lot cheaper President Bush said oil and gas companies didn't need taxpayer subsidies to explore. Now he says they do.