1
POPSChristmas bomb bid complicates Gitmo plan Christmas Day bombing attempt aboard Northwest Flight 253, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, reportedly spent time in Yemen after graduating from a London university in 2008. According to ABC News, Abdulmutallab has told authorities that, while in Yemen, Al Qaeda operatives crafted the explosive device that was sewn into Abdulmutallab’s underwear. “Yesterday just highlights the fact that sending this many people back — or any people back — to Yemen right now is a really bad idea,” said Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. “It’s just dumb. ... If you made a list of what the three dumbest countries would be to send people back to, Yemen would be on all the lists.” “I think it’s a major mistake,” Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said about prisoner releases to Yemen.
4
POPSHealth Care Bill Could Face String of Legal Challenges Third, auto insurance regulation occurs at the state level. When the Congressional Budget Office considered the idea of a health insurance mandate back in 1994 under the Clinton administration, it concluded that the mandate would be "an unprecedented form of federal action." The only congressional mandate close to that was the draft, the CBO concluded. Other legal objections are emerging in the wake of a concession that Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., won for his state as a condition for his support of the health care bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid agreed to provide for full and permanent federal aid for Nebraska's expanded Medicaid population. It was only one of a slew of hand-crafted sweetheart deals for those senators who agreed to support the bill. Graham said his state could file an equal rights suit under the Constitution. The Constitution calls for "equal protection" of all citizens.
3
POPSIt ain't over Doctor shares how and why he is fighting for his patients by opposing government forced healthcare.
3
POPS7 stories Barack Obama doesn't want told Obama’s best hope of nipping bad storylines is to replace them with good ones rooted in public perceptions of his effectiveness. Hence the desperate mad rush to pass a healthcare bill ANY healtcare bill.
4
POPSThe New Facebook Privacy Settings: A How-To Details that Facebook has deemed public, and any items you make available to everyone, are also available to the makers of any Facebook applications you use or that your friends use. But you do have some controls over applications. On the Applications Settings page, you can change permissions for specific apps (it’s easiest to select “Granted Additional Permissions” from the drop-down menu) and delete apps from your profile altogether.
4
POPSGradeGov.com Site allows you to send email directly to Senate Staff and allows you to grade your Representatives or Non-representing representatives as the case may be.