Earl Morse wants every able World War II veteran in Maine to be able to see their Washington memorial, to touch its stone pillars and arches and feel the gratitude of the country. “That is priceless,” Morse, a retired Air Force captain, said. “That is irreplaceable.” He knows. For about nine years, the physician assistant […]
DC
Posted inFranklin, The Franklin Journal
Rangeley fire chief to testify in D.C. on Lac-Megantic tragedy
The chaos and fire were unlike anything Tim Pellerin had seen in his 34-year career. After making the two-hour drive in July 2013 to help devastated Lac-Megantic, Quebec, following a major crude-oil train derailment there, the Rangeley Fire Department and other Western Maine crews found almost no one else on scene who spoke English. Their […]
advertisement
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
U.S. House to vote on budget and debt limit Tuesday night
WASHINGTON — Time growing desperately short, House Republicans pushed for passage of legislation late Tuesday to prevent a threatened Treasury default, end a 15-day partial government shutdown and extricate divided government from its latest brush with a full political meltdown. There was no immediate reaction from the White House to the measure, which was revised […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Lawmakers still get a check, even in shutdown mode
WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s at least one constant in a government shutdown: The 532 members of Congress continue to be paid — at a cost of $10,583.85 per hour to taxpayers. Lawmakers get their pay even as hundreds of congressional staffers are sent home, packs of tourists are turned away at the Capitol, and constituent […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Summers withdraws name from Fed consideration
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawrence Summers, who was considered the leading candidate to succeed Ben Bernanke as Federal Reserve chairman, has withdrawn from consideration, the White House said Sunday. Summers’ withdrawal followed growing resistance from critics, including some members of the Senate committee that would need to back his nomination. His exit could open the door […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Many U.S. bridges old, risky and rundown
WASHINGTON (AP) — Motorists coming off the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge into Washington are treated to a postcard-perfect view of the U.S. Capitol. The bridge itself, however, is about as ugly as it gets: The steel underpinnings have thinned since the structure was built in 1950, and the span is pocked with rust and crumbling […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Syria conflict: Obama acknowledges challenges
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Beset by divisions at home and abroad, President Barack Obama candidly acknowledged deep challenges Friday in pursuing support for a military strike against Syria from international allies and the U.S. Congress. He refused to say whether he might act on his own, a step that could have major implications for […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Pentagon plan would grant benefits to same-sex spouses but deny them to unmarried gay couples
WASHINGTON (AP) — Same-sex spouses of military members could get health care, housing and other benefits by the end of August under a proposal being considered by the Pentagon. But earlier plans to provide benefits to gay partners who are not married may be reversed. A draft Defense Department memo obtained Wednesday by The Associated […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Congress: Divided, discourteous — taking a break
WASHINGTON (AP) — The accomplishments are few, the chaos plentiful in the 113th Congress, a discourteous model of divided government now beginning a five-week break. “Have senators sit down and shut up, OK?” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blurted out on Thursday as lawmakers milled about noisily at a time Sen. Susan Collins was trying […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
After Lincoln Memorial vandalism, washing and whys
WASHINGTON — Jamie McDaniel envisioned a simple late-night stroll along the National Mall early Friday morning, but she ended up in the center of a mystery. She and her friend were admiring the magnitude of the marble statue of Abraham Lincoln when she noticed green paint splattered along the base. “Is that supposed to be […]