Saturday, 13 December 2014

Senate Struggles To Pass Trillion Dollar Spending Bill



Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Friday, as the Senate considers a spending bill.i i



Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Friday, as the Senate considers a spending bill. Lauren Victoria Burke/AP hide caption



itoggle caption Lauren Victoria Burke/AP

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Friday, as the Senate considers a spending bill.



Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Friday, as the Senate considers a spending bill.


Lauren Victoria Burke/AP


Meeting in a rare Saturday session, the Senate is debating a $1.1 trillion package that would increase military and scale back financial and environmental regulations.


As The Washington Post notes: "While mostly liberal resistance had kept the bill's fate in doubt in the House, conservative opposition in the Senate is now the focal point. On the right, the resistance was led by those who wanted to use the bill to confront President Obama on his executive actions on immigration."


And, The New York Times says:




"Partisan maneuvering on Friday disrupted what both Democratic and Republican leaders had expected to be a relatively smooth path toward final passage, a late-night twist that is emblematic of the dysfunction plaguing the 113th Congress.


"Though the spending deal is still almost sure to pass, the Senate did not reach an agreement late Friday. Lawmakers are scheduled to being taking votes on nominations Saturday and work through the weekend to address unfinished business."




The government's current spending authority runs out at midnight Saturday, though it's expected that the Senate to extend that deadline until midnight Thursday to give them more time to wrangle over the budget bill.


One of the main sticking points comes from conservative senators led by Ted Cruz of Texas, who are pushing an amendment to cut off funds to the Department of Homeland security for carrying out President Obama's executive action to relax deportations. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has blocked the measure.



These Photos of the Grand Canyon's Sea of Clouds Are Spellbinding


Government Funding Bill Rolls Back Trucker Rest Requirements



Audio for this story from Weekend Edition Saturday will be available at approximately 12:00 p.m. ET.






In June, the driver of this tractor-trailer reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing a wreck that dumped a cargo of beer cans into the median of Interstate 29 near Summit, S.D., according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, which supplied this photo.i i



In June, the driver of this tractor-trailer reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing a wreck that dumped a cargo of beer cans into the median of Interstate 29 near Summit, S.D., according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, which supplied this photo. South Dakota Highway Patrol/AP hide caption



itoggle caption South Dakota Highway Patrol/AP

In June, the driver of this tractor-trailer reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing a wreck that dumped a cargo of beer cans into the median of Interstate 29 near Summit, S.D., according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, which supplied this photo.



In June, the driver of this tractor-trailer reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing a wreck that dumped a cargo of beer cans into the median of Interstate 29 near Summit, S.D., according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, which supplied this photo.


South Dakota Highway Patrol/AP


The spending bill in Congress is not just about money. Tucked inside the bill are provisions to change regulations affecting everything from banking to the environment. One regulatory rollback has those concerned about truck safety especially upset.


The regulation is part of a series of rules that spell out the number of hours that long-haul truck drivers, the ones behind the wheel of the big rigs on the interstates, can be on the road.


Last year, a rule took effect that required those drivers to take two consecutive nights off after every 70 hours they spend behind the wheel.


The trucking industry, which didn't like the requirement in the first place, said it had an unintended consequence: It forced more truckers to take to the road early in the morning, when commuters and school buses are out.


"Those hours are less safe statistically," says Dave Osiecki, vice president of the American Trucking Association. "They're trying to reduce nighttime crashes? They may be causing daytime crashes."



No one knows yet if that rule caused the number of crashes to increase; the Department of Transportation hasn't compiled accident data for the past year. But Osiecki says truck crashes had been declining before the rule took effect.


He says the regulation has also hurt industry profits.


"You're talking about $1 billion in lost productivity to this industry," Osiecki says.



So the association and its congressional allies wrote a provision into the spending bill, undoing the rule, at least temporarily.


The Obama administration opposed the change, saying that driver fatigue is a leading factor in large truck crashes, which killed more than 3,500 people in 2012. Safety groups are angry, too.


"It stinks," says Daphne Izer, who founded Parents Against Tired Truckers after her son and three of his friends were killed by a truck driver who had fallen asleep behind the wheel on Maine's turnpike.


"Drivers will be allowed to drive up to 82 hours a week," Izer says. "That's insane. That's twice the normal work week, and drivers don't get paid overtime. It's going to be more death and destruction on our highways."


The provision in the spending bill also calls for a detailed study of the effect of the regulations on truck crashes. The measure only rolls back the new rules until next October, when both sides expect to resume their arguments.



How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Fresh Longer


If you're getting a real Christmas tree this season, as nearly 29 million households are (according to the National Christmas Tree Association), you'll want it to last at least through the new year. Here's what you should do to make sure your tannenbaum doesn't become a tannen-bummer.


According to Mark Derowitsch, a spokesperson for the Arbor Day Foundation, the best way to ensure the most beautiful Christmas tree is to cut your own from a local farm, or to have one cut for you. "That guarantees freshness, and by going to a local tree farm you know it's going to be sustainable, so trees will be replanted, and it will be a selective harvest," Derowitsch told The Daily Green. If you buy from a local farm you'll also help preserve local jobs and open space, and you'll cut down on shipping costs -- not to mention the carbon emissions of cross-country transport.


If you have your choice of local farms, choose organic, to help reduce the use of pesticides. Check localharvest.org for a list of local Christmas tree providers across the country.


If you are buying a pre-cut tree from a nursery, store or scout troop, ask them how recently they were harvested, and where they came from. If you aren't impressed with the answers, shop elsewhere. Also inspect them yourself by feeling the needles: they should be flexible, not dry and brittle. The fresher the tree, the longer it will last in your living room.


Once you have your tree, it's important to start taking care of it right away. Tchukki Andersen, a staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association, suggests wrapping it in a plastic tarp to protect it for the journey home.


If you bought a pre-cut tree, it's important to make a cut across the bottom, removing an inch or an inch and a half off the bottom. That's because once it is cut, the sap in the tree will start sealing over the base, and this will hinder its ability to absorb water. According to Andersen, that process takes about three hours. As long as you live reasonably close, you can ask the dealer to make the cut for you.


As soon as possible, get the tree in water. Either set it up in its stand or place it in a bucket if you aren't going to trim it right away. The base of the cut tree should never dry out, in order to keep the needles fresher. (A recent university study even confirms that watering works.)


According to Derowitsch, a rough rule of thumb is that a typical tree might absorb a quart of water for each inch of its diameter. This means many stands need to be topped off daily.


As a last resort, if your tree does end up getting dried out in its stand, you can try drilling some shallow holes at the base and refilling with water.


Andersen points out that some people swear by commercial Christmas tree preservatives, which can be mixed into the water in the stand. "Many people have found success in their tree longevity by mixing a tablespoon of corn syrup or sugar in the basin water as a food source for the tree," she added. (Some people say they use aspirin.)


However, the jury is still out on this procedure, with some experts arguing that adding such substances "doesn't do anything." Derowitsch said that using additives is "totally unnecessary."


Keep the tree away from direct sunlight, heaters or fans, as these will speed up the drying process. Andersen suggests using a room humidifier, which can help keep the needles fresher longer, as well as reduce fire risk.


Speaking of fire risk, make sure any lights you put on the tree are in good working order, and are designed for the purpose. Newer LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights cost only pennies a season to run, so they are a good value, while they also decrease fire risk because they stay cooler. Also make sure to keep any open flames away from the tree.


Once you are done with your tree for the season, don't just toss it on the curb, where it will end up taking landfill space. Recycle it! Most cities now have programs that collect Christmas trees and turn them into mulch.


With good care, a Christmas tree can easily stay fresh for a month or even longer.


Originally published on PopularMechanics.com



Police arrest owner of petroleum company for fraud


BEIRUT: Lebanon's Internal Security Forces said Saturday that it had arrested the owner of Desert Petroleum, a company providing government institutions with fuel oil, accusing the firm of defrauding the state.


The ISF said the company had contracted with several public institutions, including the security agency itself and the state-owned Rafik Hariri University Hospital. The company, based in the Beirut suburb of Jnah, is accused of manipulating the quantity of petroleum products including fuel and issuing fraudulent invoices.


The ISF claimed that public sector employees were involved in the fraud.


Although the ISF did not reveal the name of the owner, the company’s website said it was established and owned by Ali Halloum.


"This [crime] represented accumulated years of theft and embezzlement of public money,” the ISF said in a statement.


After informing the Health Ministry and the judiciary of the company's illegal actions, police in Beirut's southern suburbs launched a preliminary investigation, raided the institution’s headquarters and arrested the owner as well as a number of employees and civil servants.


Police officers also confiscated several fuel-transporting tankers with fake license plates. The statement said the tankers contained secret storage areas and manipulated meters.


Investigations are still ongoing under the supervision of the financial prosecutor's office.


On Friday, Health Minister Wael Abu Faour filed a complaint with the financial prosecutor against the petroleum company, accusing it manipulating prices and quantity of fuel provided to the public hospital.



Levin, Harkin, Coburn Among Senators Bidding Adieu



Audio for this story from Weekend Edition Saturday will be available at approximately 12:00 p.m. ET.





The end of the 113th Congress means a lot of goodbyes for retiring members and for those who lost in November. That means, at least for a moment, partisanship took some time off on the Senate floor.




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Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.


NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.



Outrage On The Left And Right As Senate Delays Spending Vote



Audio for this story from Weekend Edition Saturday will be available at approximately 12:00 p.m. ET.





The Senate is poised to pass the trillion-dollar spending bill that narrowly cleared the House this week. But anger about the measure from both parties has delayed the Senate.




Copyright © 2014 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.


Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.


NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.



Activists Gather On Washington Mall To Protest Police Violence



Audio for this story from Weekend Edition Saturday will be available at approximately 12:00 p.m. ET.





Civil rights leaders and other activists are marching in Washington, D.C., on Saturday to pressure Congress to take action in the wake of recent shooting deaths of blacks by police officers.




Copyright © 2014 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.


Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.


NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.



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Kataeb chief in rare visit to south Lebanon


BEIRUT: Head of the Kataeb Party Amine Gemayel arrived in south Lebanon Saturday morning, his first official visit to the formerly occupied region since he was president in the 1980s.


"I am here in Qlaya, the land of nationalism, love and openness that has for so long embodied national unity and assimilation," Gemayel said at the Municipality building. "We are here to cooperate with any part so that the south can remain a symbol of love, unity and openness."


The Marjayoun village of Qlaya, where dozens of people tossed rice and flowers at Gemayel and an accompanying delegation, including Labor Minister Sejaan Azzi and former Minister Salim Sayegh, was the former president's first stop in the south Saturday.


Hezbollah and Amal Movement figures and parliamentarians welcomed Gemayel in Qlaya, only a few kilometers from the Israeli border.


Gemayel called on residents of the village to remain rooted on their land, praising them for their steadfastness and describing it as the true form of resistance.


Gemayel is also scheduled to visit Khalwet al-Bayadah, a predominantly Druze area, as well as the southern villages of Kawkaba, Khiam and Marjayoun, were he is expected to inaugurate a Kataeb office.


Gemayel is visiting the south as part of efforts to solidify dialogue between his Kataeb Party and the Shiite parties of Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah.


With tensions rising in the country due to the increasingly sectarian crisis in neighboring Syria, several Lebanese figures have launched dialogues, with the most anticipated talks between Hezbollah and the Future Movement.


Although the Kataeb, one of the main Christian parties in the March 14 alliance, is critical of Hezbollah’s role in Syria, the group launched a dialogue with the resistance group to ease tensions.


Political sources told The Daily Star Saturday that Speaker Nabih Berri had given his instructions to both Amal and Hezbollah officials in south Lebanon to offer Gemayel a warm welcome and accompany the Christian figure on his southern tour.


Gemayel will visit Khiam and most likely inspect the former Khiam detention center, used by Israel and its allies in south Lebanon. The center was first used as a prison during the French Mandate from 1918 to 1943. When Israel invaded in 1982, it took over the complex and placed it under the administration of the South Lebanese Army, a Christian, Israeli-proxy militia led by Antoine Lahad.