The White House budget director has ordered federal agencies to begin closing down after the Senate and the House of Representatives failed to reach an agreement on a budget plan to avert a government shutdown. “Agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations,” Sylvia Mathews Burwell, director Of the White House Office of Management and Budget... 

In an address from the White House rose garden Tuesday afternoon, President Barack Obama blamed Republican lawmakers for triggering the first government shutdown in nearly two decades. Pres. Obama spoke on Tuesday roughly 12 hours after a longstanding budget stalemate on Capitol Hill caused a midnight shutdown impacting a number of government agencies and initiatives across the board. “At midnight... 

As a government shutdown looms over the federal budget in the United States, stocks in the country fall sharply and global investors cut allocation to US equities and bonds. All 10 main industries of Standard & Poor’s 500 index dropped on Monday. Microsoft Corp. led the declines with a 1.1 percent fall among the largest companies while shares in finance, telephone and energy tumbled the most. Dow... 

It’s widely known that the NSA has taps connected to the various telco networks, thanks in large part to AT&T employee Mark Klein who blew the whistle on AT&T’s secret NSA room in San Francisco. What was unclear was exactly what kind of access the NSA had. Various groups like the EFF and CDT have both been asking the administration to finally come clean, in the name of transparency, if... 

The longstanding notion of US exceptionalism has deep roots in the American psyche, but as the world experiences a “tectonic shift in global geopolitics” the very idea of Washington’s superiority is being challenged, analyst Eric Draitser told RT. Earlier this week, President Barack Obama reaffirmed Washington’s desire to engage in the affairs of other states, particularly in the Middle... 

The Washington scholar who was cited by US leaders calling for a military strike on Syria, only to lose her job for fabricating her academic credentials, has been hired by the office of US Senator John McCain, Foreign Policy magazine reports. Elizabeth O’Bagy was formerly employed by the Institute for the Study of War, where she quickly became a respected voice on the ongoing conflict between Syrian... 

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria and calling for their destruction. The resolution adopted by the 15-member council on Friday envisages a plan to eradicate Syria’s arsenal of chemical weapons. However, it does not call for automatic punitive action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government... 

US President Barack Obama will use his Tuesday’s address to the United Nations in New York to demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down, according to US officials. White House spokesman Ben Rhodes told reporters on Friday that Obama’s speech will also focus on the need for a tough resolution demanding Syria turn over its chemical weapons or face a threat of force. Obama will... 

Hockey fans in Washington state will have more to worry about this weekend than avoiding a puck to the face: the Department of Homeland Security will be testing out a new facial recognition system at an arena this Saturday. The 6,000 seat Toyota Center in Kennewick, Washington will be the site on Saturday for more than just the Tri-City American’s season opener. In addition to hosting a junior ice... 

Democratic leaders from Mexico to Argentina are so resentful of American influence that they are now willing to take action. Spies did the trick. America for the Americans – this is a cornerstone of United States’ foreign policy. That doctrine, introduced 190 years ago by President James Monroe, means this: foreigners keep out of the US’ backyard. For decades it [US foreign policy] also... 

Bolivia’s President Evo Morales Bolivia’s President Evo Morales plans to file legal action against the US president for crimes against humanity, condemning Washington’s intimidation tactics after it denied Venezuelan presidential jet entry into US airspace. “I would like to announce that we are preparing a lawsuit against [US President] Barack Obama to condemn him for crimes against humanity,”... 

We recently came across a highly revealing report published on the 29th of January by the Daily Mail online. In it Louise Boyle, writes of a U.S. “backed plan to launch a chemical weapon attack in Syria and blame it on Bashar al-Assad’s regime”, months before the actual attack happened. Such a plan was also confirmed by Press TV on January the 30th and RT in June 2012, over a year... 

White House spokesman Jay Carney White House spokesman Jay Carney has talked about the possibility of a meeting between US President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York next week. “It’s possible, but it has always been possible,” Carney said at a press conference on Thursday. “The extended hand has been there from the moment the president was sworn... 

The Obama administration waived provisions of a federal law which ban the supply of weapons and money to terrorists. The move is opening doors to supplying Syrian opposition with protection from chemical weapons. The Arms Export Control Act (AECA) allows the US president to waive provisions in Sections 40 and 40A, which forbid providing munitions, credit and licenses to countries supporting acts of... 

A new report by the Daily Mail reveals Facebook users are abandoning the social media giant at an unprecedented rate over privacy concerns. New research shows Facebook has lost a total of eleven million users, nine million in the US and two million in Britain. Researchers at the University of Vienna analyzed 600 users and found they quit for the following reasons: Privacy concerns – 48.3 percent General...