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Washington (CNN) -- In the wake of the suicide bombing at Forward Operating Base Chapman, new security guidance has gone out to U.S. bases across Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said. The December 30 suicide attack killed seven CIA officers and contractors, along with a Jordanian military officer who was the attacker's handler. Former CIA official Robert Richer called it the greatest loss of life for the agency since the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, which killed eight agents. A U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNN on Wednesday the attack was believed to have come on orders from "the highest levels" of al Qaeda. Bruce Reidel, a former CIA officer who has advised President Obama on al Qaeda, said the attack showed the capacity of terrorists to strike at U.S. targets remained "very significant." "It's a very, very sophisticated operation," Reidel said. "It must have taken a long time to plan and to set up." In response, U.S. military officials said they were changing procedures. "Suffice it to say that after any serious incident we evaluate the circumstances, think through the threat implications given our current practices and disseminate guidance to the field if adjustments are necessary," a senior military official said. The official would not describe the new security procedures because "we don't broadcast the specific changes we've made to security postures or our intelligence procedures." A second U.S. military official said the guidance is meant to adjust procedures as quickly as possible on a large scale. "We don't want just the military intelligence guys looking out for specific things. We need MPs and ground forces to be aware," the official said. The official said the security guidance is meant to be disseminated to as wide a group as possible, while more specific guidance on intelligence operations is kept to a much more limited, restricted distribution. The officials had not seen specific guidance on handling sources, but both noted only one week has passed since the incident, and the investigation may not have progressed far enough to produce formal recommendations in that area. One official said the intelligence officers on the ground now know enough details to "self-correct" procedures. According to sources, the Jordanian suicide bomber was Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a one-time militant who then appeared to be helping the United States. Al-Balawi was offering information on the possible whereabouts of Ayman al Zawahiri, the deputy to Osama bin Laden, the sources said, and was picked up outside the base and driven into it without being checked. The sources said al-Balawi detonated the bomb shortly after arriving. The attack shed light on the role of Jordan as a previously covert partner in the U.S. hunt for bin Laden and Zawahiri. "The Jordanian intelligence service is the best intelligence service in the Middle East and South Asia, bar none," Reidel said. "They are far more effective in working against jihadist groups like al Qaeda in Iraq like the al Qaeda core in Pakistan than any other intelligence service." CNN's Barbara Starr and Pam Benson contributed to this report.

Senior official: "After any serious incident we evaluate the circumstances" New security guidance has gone out to U.S. bases across Afghanistan, official says . Intelligence official: Attack believed to come from "the highest levels" of al Qaeda . Guidance meant to adjust procedures quickly on a large scale, official says .

Washington (CNN) -- Increased fighting in Afghanistan has caused a drop in morale among U.S. soldiers while the reduction in combat in Iraq has bolstered morale, according to a new U.S. Army report released Friday. The report summarizes two surveys of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan taken earlier this year. New statistics from the Army also show suicides are up in the entire service. Produced every two years by the Army's Mental Health Advisory Team, this latest report comes just over a week after a U.S. soldier went on a shooting rampage at a U.S. Army base in Texas and possibly just days or weeks from an announcement from the Obama administration to send more troops to Afghanistan, where fighting has gotten more intense in recent months. Authorities have not determined a motive for the shooting. The suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan but had told his family that he wanted to get out of the military. "Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to face stress from multiple deployments into combat but report being more prepared for the stresses of deployments," Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, the Army Surgeon General told reporters Friday. Not surprisingly, the report showed that soldiers with multiple deployments, three or four tours of duty to Iraq or Afghanistan, had much lower morale and more mental health problems than those soldiers who have one or two combat deployments. Increased time at home, however, resulted in improved morale among troops sent back to the field. The updated survey of soldiers in Afghanistan found post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression in soldiers at the same levels of the survey in 2007, but still about double that of the 2005 survey results: 21.4 percent in 2009, 23.4 percent for 2007 and 10.4 percent in 2005, according to the report. In Iraq, where the survey has been done every year, lower numbers were attributed to the decrease in combat action there. The 2009 numbers showed 13.3 percent of soldiers suffering from mental health problems, compared to 18.8 percent in 2007 and 22 percent in 2006. Army officials said that with the push of more than 20,000 additional troops into the Afghan theater of battle over the last few months, there have been fewer mental health professionals in the field to help. Army officials said the ration was about one mental health professional for every 1,120 soldiers. To combat the falling morale and lack of mental health professionals in the field, Army officials said the service needs to more than double the number of mental health providers and hopes to have at least 65 more of those providers in the field by December, making the ratio one for every 700 soldiers. The mental health assessment teams also conducted interviews with soldiers and found a drop in unit morale in Afghanistan to about half of what it was in 2007 and 2005, when about 10 percent surveyed gave top ratings to unit morale. In 2009, that number was 5.7 percent. The report also showed soldiers are seeing more difficulty at home with an increasing number reporting they are getting or considering getting divorced, according to the report. The overall report was based on almost 4,000 soldiers who filled out anonymous surveys in Iraq and Afghanistan between December 2008 and June 2009. In Iraq, 2,400 soldiers were randomly selected and the results were studied by a mental health assessment team in the combat zone. About 1,500 troops in Afghanistan took the survey, Army officials said. The survey was different from previous years when all types of soldiers were surveyed together. The 2009 survey questioned combat troops and support troops separately, though Army officials said there were few differences in the results. On Friday, the Army also released its latest suicide statistics. They show an increase in the number over this time last year. The Army reported 133 suspected suicides as of October; there were 115 as of October 2008. Of the 133, 90 have been confirmed, and 43 are pending confirmation, according to an Army press release. Last year the Army totaled 140 suicides in its ranks, the highest the service has recorded. "Stigma continues to be one of the most difficult challenges we confront," said Brig

Report summarizes 2 surveys of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan taken this year . Results attributed to increased fighting in Afghanistan, less in Iraq . Army hopes to increase number of mental health providers in the field .

Washington (CNN) -- International arms dealer Viktor Bout has been indicted by federal authorities on a series of new charges, including counts of illegally purchasing U.S. cargo planes to ferry weapons to warring parties and regimes in Africa and the Middle East. The new indictment, announced in New York and Washington Wednesday, comes as the United States steps up efforts to extradite Bout to New York from Thailand, where he has been jailed since 2008. The indictment charges Bout, a Russian native, and his alleged American co-conspirator, Richard Chichakli, with the illegal purchase of a Boeing 727 and a Boeing 737 and with money laundering and wire fraud. Chichakli remains at large, authorities said. The Justice Department said Bout has been an international weapons trafficker since the 1990s, carrying out a massive weapons trafficking business by assembling a fleet of cargo planes to transport weapons to parts of Africa, the Middle East and South America. "The arms that Bout has sold or brokered have fueled conflicts and supported regimes in Afghanistan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Sudan," the Justice Department said. Bout "allegedly made a career of arming bloody conflicts and supporting rogue regimes across multiple continents, even using the U.S. banking system to secretly finance a private fleet of aircraft," said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. The superseding indictments were returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of New York. The previous indictment of Bout centered on his alleged efforts to send millions of dollars worth of weapons to arm guerrilla fighters in Colombia. Thai courts to date have balked at extraditing Bout to the United States on the basis of the original charges. "The United States has apprised Thai authorities of the new charges against Bout ... and will continue to work closely with them on this matter," the Justice Department statement said. "The United States is also coordinating with Interpol to locate and arrest Chichakli." Tuesday, a Thai court rejected a request by Bout to be released on bond.

Bout accused of buying planes to transport weapons to Africa, Mideast . Bout, a Russian, has been in jail in Thailand since 2008 . U.S. has been trying to extradite him, hopes latest charges will help . American Richard Chichakli also accused of illegal purchase of Boeing 727, Boeing 737 .

Washington (CNN) -- It was my first chance to spend some quality time at dinner with First Lady Michelle Obama, so I decided to do what my pal Ali Velshi would probably do in the same situation: get her hooked on Twitter. I was sitting with the first lady and Jay Leno at the head table for Saturday night's White House Correspondents Association Dinner because I'm a member of the association's board, a front-row seat to the slew of celebrities who walked up to gawk at Mrs. Obama and the president, who was a few seats from me. Teen sensation Justin Beiber, famous-for-being-famous Kim Kardashian, comedian Chevy Chase and actor Morgan Freeman all walked up to the rope line separating the head table from the rest of the ballroom to send the first couple a shout-out. I was snapping pics of the celebrity parade on my iPhone and posting them to my Twitter account, @edhenrycnn, during dessert, just a few minutes before the president and Leno would take their turns at telling some jokes. Leno, a social media skeptic, finally turned to me with squinted eyes and said in a conspiratorial tone, "Are you tweeting right now?" I confessed to Leno that I was, sparking Mrs. Obama to ask me whether journalists find value in social media or whether it's mostly trivial. I said I find it helpful to get feedback, good and bad, from people who follow my tweets. When Mrs. Obama mentioned that she had never tweeted, I noted that the president had sent out his first tweet a few months ago from a Red Cross account to promote relief to Haiti and wondered aloud: "Why don't you send out your first tweet on my iPhone?" The first lady laughed and said her press staff wouldn't be happy if she went rogue like that. Besides, she said, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs would have to sign off first. Noting that Gibbs was sitting at the other end of the head table, I stood and told the first lady I'd ask him. To my surprise, Gibbs instantly told me it was a fun idea, on one condition: I had to first send out a tweet saying he had endorsed it, so that colleagues on Mrs. Obama's staff were not blindsided. I typed out a tweet saying, "i am trying to coax First Lady to do her first ever tweet. Gibbs @presssec just gave his blessing." Then I walked back to Mrs. Obama to tell her the good news. But she told me good-naturedly, "Gibbs did not say that; you're lying!" I assured the first lady I would not tell her a fib, which prompted Leno to jump to his feet to say he'd go get Gibbs to sort this out once and for all. A laughing Gibbs came over and advised the first lady it would be a harmless exercise, but she was skeptical until the commander in chief finally weighed in. Hearing the light-hearted argument playing out a few seats down, the president asked, "What's going on?" The first lady explained her dilemma, but the president waved his hand as if to say "no big deal" and told her to go for it. I handed the first lady my iPhone, but it quickly became apparent that she had very little experiences with this smartphone. Like many people, she said, "How do you type on this?" Gibbs, who was looking over our shoulders, suggested that I type it out, so I told Mrs. Obama to start dictating the note. I started my typing "from flotus," as in "first lady of the United States." She joked about the pressure of coming up with something interesting to say. She started simply with how she was at the dinner and dictated, "this is officially my first Twitter" and added her thoughts about the comedy acts about to perform. I knew Mrs. Obama should have called it her first "tweet," but I didn't want to be in

CNN's Ed Henry sat at main table with Jay Leno, Obamas at dinner . Mrs. Obama asks if journalists find value in social media or if it's mostly trivial . Henry encourages first lady to tweet from his phone, gets permission from Gibbs . "Flotus" tweet is picked up by other users .

Washington (CNN) -- It's the oldest trick in the political playbook: Call together a "summit" of fancy people so you'll appear to be focused on work that must get done. Thursday, the White House convened CEOs from companies such as Boeing, AT&T, Comcast and Dow Corning, top leaders of the United Steelworkers, United Food and Commercial Workers, American Federation of Teachers unions, Ivy League academics and a few small-business representatives to brainstorm how the country might generate much-needed jobs. A schmooze-fest is nice, but the hard work of putting America back to work will be done by entrepreneurs, not the leaders of the biggest companies in the nation and the heads of big unions. The mom-and-pop shops, garage start-ups and small businesses across the country will put Americans back on the payroll. According to the Census Bureau, nearly all net job creation in the U.S. since 1980 has been generated by firms operating less than five years. This means that our job generators are likely not on the White House guest list. They are home working long hours to meet payrolls on tight deadlines and scraping by with limited resources. While others can advocate for the merits of entrepreneurship, and will hopefully do so, our job creators are strangely left out. Innovators from Oregon to Tennessee are the ones who will generate new jobs. Commerce Department data show that small companies represent 99.1 percent of all employer firms (a firm is an aggregation of all establishments owned by a parent company, even in multiple locations.). They pay nearly 45 percent of U.S. private payroll and have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the past decade. A few start-ups from the last century may be familiar: Disney, Burger King, Fed-Ex, CNN and Microsoft all started during a period of economic downturn. Today, each of these companies employs thousands of people in the U.S. and abroad. Recent research shows that more than half of the 2009 Fortune 500 companies were launched during a recession or bear market. In 2002, when the tech bubble burst, I graduated from business school just a few miles from Google. The start-up was a mysterious algorithm-based business, little known and lesser understood. Today, Google employs 20,000 people worldwide. So the question is how can we foster the next Google? Policy-makers can't predict breakthrough technologies, but they can create an environment that will encourage innovation. How to start? First, provide further access to capital. Last week, two Small Business Administration stimulus provisions that helped to get millions of dollars to small-business owners ran out of funding. The provisions, passed as part of the Recovery Act, raised the maximum guarantee on SBA loans to 90 percent and reduced or eliminated fees associated with the loans, making it more attractive for banks to lend during the downturn. Access to capital is the lifeblood of small businesses. We must renew these provisions and provide even greater access to credit. Helping fledgling companies grow fuels the economy from the bottom up. Second, welcome immigrants who are job generators. We are a country of immigrants, and yet in recent years, we have made it incredibly difficult for immigrants to launch companies in the U.S. Why not create a new visa for entrepreneurs? Increasingly venture capitalists, angel investors and innovators are advocating a "start-up visa" offered to immigrant entrepreneurs who want to start a company in the United States. In 2008, nearly 40 percent of technology company founders were foreign-born; 52 percent of Silicon Valley company founders were foreign-born, including the founders of Google, Yahoo, eBay and Intel, to name a few. Why chase these innovators away when we need jobs and should be hanging an "innovators wanted" sign on our front door? Third, match funds for early investors. Early investors need incentives to put money behind companies that will create U.S. jobs. We have channeled billions of dollars to preserve "too big to fail" institutions. Why not make federal matching dollars available to catalyze smart

Amy M. Wilkinson says Obama's summit had mostly CEOs, union reps, academics . But, she says, most job creation in the U.S. since 1980 has been from start-up firms . Wilkinson: Government funds and policies should target entrepreneurs .

Washington (CNN) -- Jennifer Tonge is not a lunatic. She is a member of the British House of Lords, appointed to that eminent body in 2005 after a career in politics and medicine. On February 11, she was asked a question by www.thejc.com, the online version of Britain's Jewish Chronicle. Tonge serves as patron of an online journal based in Gaza, the Palestine Telegraph. The previous week, the Palestine Telegraph accused the Israeli medical teams doing humanitarian work in Haiti of harvesting organs from earthquake victims. TheJC.com asked Tonge for comment. Tonge first commended the Israeli teams for their work in Haiti. She then added these words: "To prevent allegations such as these -- which have already been posted on YouTube -- going any further, the IDF and the Israeli Medical Association should establish an independent inquiry immediately to clear the names of the team in Haiti." The YouTube video to which Tonge refers can be seen here. It's the work of a solo crank, and hardly seems to require an "independent inquiry" to refute. The statement to TheJC.com was not Lady Tonge's first entry into Middle East analysis. She has expressed herself often on the subject of Israel and Israel's supporters, and in vivid terms. In a speech to a meeting during her Liberal Democratic Party's annual conference in 2006, Tonge declared: "The pro-Israeli lobby has got its grips on the Western world, its financial grips. I think they've probably got a grip on our party." (That grip was not too tight to prevent Tonge's party from collectively denouncing Israel for attacking Hezbollah after Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.) On February 14, Lady Tonge was removed from her position as health critic for the Liberal Democratic Party in the House of Lords. But Tonge's comments did not originate in the ether. They could be footnoted to a respectable newspaper in Sweden. In the summer of 2009, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet published a story about a recent mass indictment in New Jersey. On July 23, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey announced the arrest of 44 people for a range of criminal enterprises involving bank fraud, rigging of bids on public projects, trafficking in counterfeit goods, etc. The accused represented the gorgeous mosaic of New Jersey politics, with last names like "Suarez," "Catrillo," "Cardwell," and "Khalil." Some of the names were Jewish. One of the Jewish names, Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, was accused of the lurid crime of trafficking in the purchase and sale of human organs. Rosenbaum was said to have offered sums of $10,000 to entice poor people in Israel and Eastern Europe to sell kidneys to him, which he would then remarket for $160,000 to transplant patients in the United States. Aftonbladet transformed this story of illegal commerce into a story of Jewish predation. The paper gave space to a freelance writer -- Donald Bostrom -- to charge that the Israeli army regularly harvested organs from the bodies of slain Palestinians. After briefly acknowledging that the vast majority of the world's illegally harvested organs come from China, Pakistan, and the Philippines, Bostrom then hurled this astounding charge: "Palestinians also harbor strong suspicions that young men have been seized, and made to serve as organ reserve, just as in China and Pakistan, before being killed." Jewish vampirism is an ancient fantasy, dating back to the Middle Ages. Yet it remains current in the contemporary Middle East. A Syrian film company created a multipart TV drama out of the story in 2003. The drama was broadcast worldwide on Hezbollah's al-Manar satellite network. Iranian state TV broadcast a drama in 2004 in which the plot turns on an Israeli plan to steal Palestinian children's eyes. It's a winding road from medieval folktales to Hezbollah TV to the New Jersey mob to a Swedish daily to the British House of Lords. But it's a road traveled by more and more people. On February 11, Tel Aviv's Reut Institute presented a paper to the Israeli cabinet warning of "delegitimization" aimed at the Jewish state. As reported by

David Frum says Israel is facing a delegitimization campaign . He says some critics engage in wild charges without any foundation . Frum says he defended Andrew Sullivan against charges of anti-Semitism . But he says in other cases, hatred of Israel and of Jews go hand-in-hand .

Washington (CNN) -- John Hinckley Jr.'s relationships with women and his difficulties becoming part of a community away from a government mental hospital were spotlighted Thursday during a hearing to discuss whether the man who tried to kill President Ronald Reagan will eventually be allowed to live as an outpatient. An official at St. Elizabeths Hospital, where Hinckley, 56, has lived for decades after being found not guilty by reason of insanity, said Hinckley had been engaged to a former patient he met at the hospital. She was identified only as "Miss CB," but the engagement recently ended. Dr. Tyler Jones, the facility's director of psychiatry, said Hinckley had given the woman "multiple rings." Jones said Hinckley had told him he'd explained to CB he planned to spend more time visiting his mother's home in Virginia and would be spending less time with her. As a result of that conversation, "she's withdrawn the physical affection that they shared," Jones said. Federal prosecutor Colleen Kennedy also questioned Jones about Hinckley's past relationship with a patient identified as "Miss X." Kennedy said Hinckley had difficulty communicating with the woman because she was so psychotic, but he pursued the relationship because she was physically affectionate. Jones described Hinckley's actions as "poor judgment" motivated by his "desire for affection." According to Jones, another doctor told Hinckley the relationship was ill-advised and eventually Hinckley ended it. Hinckley has been spending 10 days a month visiting his mother in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he works part time as a volunteer in the library at Eastern State Hospital, a mental health facility. Doctors have been encouraging him to make friends in Williamsburg and build a new life. Jones said Hinckley has had some difficulties. In one instance, he followed a suggestion to go to a singles group, but that did not turn out well. "He was asked to leave," said Jones, because one participant was very uncomfortable with his presence. Since Hinckley likes music and plays the guitar, one of his doctors suggested he go play for hospice patients. But Jones said Hinckley never went because the hospice was worried there might be negative publicity if the presidential assailant played there. Another possible avenue for meeting people also has not panned out. Jones said Hinckley, when in Williamsburg, had not been interested in going to a gym or participating in certain sports like golf or tennis, either because of arthritis or because he finds the activities unappealing. The doctor said Hinckley's "treatment team" wants him to spend more time in Williamsburg and thinks he'll be able to fit into the community much better. A clinical psychologist from St. Elizabeths who has met with Hinckley five times conceded he's been unable to form relationships in that small city so far, aside from those with family members. "He had not made a friend in Wiliamsburg," said Katherine Murphy. She stressed that Hinckley is an introvert and not the type to quickly make a lot of friends."He's just not someone who goes and out and meets people or is a social butterfly." But Murphy said Hinckley seems to have coped adequately when rejected in social situations and is "not showing signs of isolation." Murphy was involved in a psychological risk assessment of Hinckley. Both she and Dr. Jones said Hinckley represents a low risk of engaging in violence if granted permission to spend more time away from his mental hospital. A multiple-day hearing began Wednesday to discuss St. Elizabeths' recommendation that Hinckley be granted a series of eight longer visits ranging from 17 to 24 days. That plan also proposes that eventually the hospital would have the authority to let him live as a full-time outpatient. Prosecutors oppose the plan, saying they are concerned Hinckley is still potentially a danger. In opening arguments Tuesday, prosecutor Sarah Chasson said the court should not allow Hinckley to be released "to protect public safety." Chasson said Secret Service agents will testify they kept an eye on Hinckley in Williamsburg during the short periods of time earlier this year when he was allowed free time on his own. According

Hinckley until recently was engaged to a former patient, a doctor says . He had tried a singles group but "was asked to leave," the doctor says . His "treatment team" wants him to spend more time in Williamsburg, the doctor says . Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting of President Reagan .

Washington (CNN) -- John Kerry got Swift-boated. Jimmy Carter had his re-election chances decimated in the Iranian desert. Then there was Michael Dukakis and that tank photo. It is a tradition of presidential politics in recent decades that Democrats get accused of being soft and inexperienced on military and foreign policy issues, and Barack Obama was no different in 2008. However, a string of foreign policy successes -- including the killings of terrorist leaders Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki, and now the toppling of the Gadhafi regime in Libya without the loss of any U.S. service members -- have made Obama seemingly invulnerable to the quadrennial Republican attack line. The question is whether it will matter a year from now, when voters decide if he should get a second term. To analysts interviewed Monday, the president's policies and actions during almost three years in power have helped him shed the knee-jerk, anti-war reputation affixed to Democrats since the Vietnam era. They cite increased drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, including the one that killed the U.S.-born al-Awlaki, as well as the Special Forces mission that raided a compound in Pakistan housing bin Laden. "Those actions demonstrate a degree of toughness that insulates him from the charge of being soft on defense," said Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington. However, voter dissatisfaction with 9% unemployment and crawling economic recovery is likely to overwhelm any benefit the president gets from foreign policy successes, said David Gergen, a CNN senior political analyst. According to Gergen, the association of Democrats with liberal pacifism dates back decades. In the middle of the 20th century, he noted, Democrats were the party of international engagement willing to "bear any burden" to defend the nation and its interests, as President John F. Kennedy put it at his 1961 inaugural address. Then the Vietnam War deeply divided the country, with Democrats becoming inextricably linked to the fervent anti-war movement by nominating liberal South Dakota Sen. George McGovern for president in 1972, according to Gergen. In subsequent decades, the perception persisted of Democrats as liberals who were soft on communism and unwilling to use military force. In 1980, the failure of a military mission in Iran ordered by Carter to rescue 52 Americans held hostage since the revolution the previous year cemented his image as a weak leader. Crashed helicopters in the desert became the foreign policy symbol of a presidency that helped orchestrate the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. Carter then was defeated by Ronald Reagan in the presidential election that year. Eight years later. Dukakis saw his campaign against then-Vice President George H.W. Bush undermined in part by a photo that sought to prop up his military credentials by showing him riding a tank. However, the image of Dukakis in what appeared to be an over-large military helmet with his name affixed to the front, his tie and business shirt visible beneath military outer garb, instead prompted ridicule. The "soft on war" legacy for Democrats continued in 2004, when Kerry came under fierce, privately funded attacks that accused him of falsifying his account of a battle that earned him a Silver Star as a Swift boat operator, as well as making false claims about misconduct by other U.S. forces in Vietnam and Cambodia. The campaign against Kerry coined the phrase "swift-boating" in reference to an acute, partisan and not necessarily truthful political attack. It also turned what should have been a benefit for Kerry -- his war record compared to the non-service in Vietnam by Republican incumbent George W. Bush -- into a controversial issue. Kerry lost the election. For Obama, what was perhaps his greatest foreign policy triumph -- the covert mission to send U.S. special forces into Pakistan after bin Laden -- came close to the kind of failure that plagued Carter's rescue mission 31 years earlier. One of the U.S. helicopters involved became disabled, forcing a change in how the mission was carried out. This time, though, the U.S. forces were able to infiltrate bin Laden's compound, kill

Foreign policy wins fortify the president against Vietnam-era criticism of Democrats . Analyst: President Obama is tougher than Jimmy Carter was . Domestic woes may trump foreign policy successes, however .

Washington (CNN) -- Just one in 10 Latino high school dropouts earns a high school equivalency degree, compared with two in 10 African-American dropouts and three in 10 white dropouts, the Pew Hispanic Center said Thursday. The equivalency degree, called the General Educational Development (GED) credential, "is widely regarded as the best 'second chance' pathway to college, vocational training and military service for adults who do not graduate from high school," the center said on its website. Latinos also have a much higher high school drop-out rate than blacks or whites. About 41 percent of Latinos 20 and older in the United States do not have a regular high school diploma, compared with 23 percent of black adults and 14 percent of white adults, Pew said. Among Latinos, Pew noted, significant differences exist between those who were born in another country and those born in the United States. About 52 percent of foreign-born Latino adults are high school dropouts, compared with 25 percent of the native born, Pew said. Among Latino dropouts, about 21 percent of those born in the United States have a GED, compared with 5 percent of those born abroad, the research center said. A greater percentage of U.S.-born Latinos obtain GEDs because they are more aware of the opportunities available to them, said Richard Fry, the Pew Hispanic Center researcher who compiled the report. "For the foreign-born, it takes them a little bit of time to learn about the GED," Fry told CNN. "It takes a little bit of time to figure things out." Fry said he obtained the information by performing an analysis of newly available educational attainment data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey. That Census Bureau survey was the first to differentiate between those who graduated from high school and those who obtained a GED, Fry said. Previous surveys had lumped both categories together. The Pew analysis also found that in 2008, Latino adults with a GED had a higher unemployment rate than those with a high school diploma -- 9 percent versus 7 percent. However, the report said, Latino full-time, full-year workers with a GED had about the same mean annual earnings ($33,504) as full-time, full-year Latino workers with a high school diploma ($32,972). The Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that does not take positions on policy issues. Release of the report comes amid heightened tensions over a recent Arizona law that requires immigrants to carry their registration documents at all times and allows police to question individuals' immigration status in the process of enforcing any other law or ordinance. Opponents have called for an Arizona tourism boycott and the measure has drawn criticism from Mexico and several Latin American nations. Fry said timing of the report's release was coincidental. "There's nothing magical about it," he said. "The report's been done for about a week or so and it was time to get it out the door." CNN's Arthur Brice contributed to this report.

At 41 percent, Latinos have higher high school dropout rate than blacks, whites, study finds . Study finds differences between Latinos born in United States and those born abroad . For foreign-born Latinos, "it takes a little bit of time to figure things out," researcher says . Pew Hispanic Center, which conducted study, says report's timing unrelated to Arizona law .

Washington (CNN) -- Justice Antonin Scalia is a conservative in thought, but not in personality. A new biography of the colorful Supreme Court jurist paints a complete picture of his enormous ongoing influence on the law and society. "American Original: The Life and Constitution of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia" (Farrar, Straus, Giroux) offers the first comprehensive look at the first Italian-American on the high court, and the rhetorical battles he has waged on the court and off. CNN spoke with Joan Biskupic, the book's author, who also is a reporter for USA Today. Biskupic has covered the high court for two decades, holds a law degree from Georgetown University and has also written a biography of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. CNN: Justice Scalia has a certain public image in the minds of many Americans. You've known him for years and interviewed him several times for this book. Is he the same in private? Biskupic: He's a lot more of himself in private. He actually is very confrontational behind the scenes, just as he is in public. He's very defiant. But he also can be quite funny, quite casual, generous and decent. His best friend on the bench is Justice [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg [a low-key, liberal justice but, like Scalia, a native New Yorker who loves opera]. He's many things. He's very consistent on the law, but he's a lot of things in terms of his personality. CNN: He has told me that one of the happiest times in his career was in the executive branch, where he said that's where the action was, instead of serving on the bench. Biskupic: Remember what it was like working in the [Department of Justice's] Office of Legal Counsel in the post-Watergate era [in the Nixon and Ford administrations]. It was an exciting job for him, there was a lot of tension, and conflicts with the legislative branch. He really thrived on that. At a time when many Republican lawyers were trying to get out of the Nixon administration, as Watergate was moving to a climax, he was trying to move up and be promoted. He sparred with Democratic lawmakers, and was trying to exert executive privilege claims, when that was a dirty word in the wake of Watergate. CNN: Growing up, you describe "Nino" -- as his friends and family call him -- as something of a golden child. Biskupic: I'd always known he was an only child, who, interestingly, later went on to have nine children, but I didn't know he was the only offspring of his generation from two immigrant Italian families. For his parents and his aunts and uncles, he was the center of their universe, but it put a burden on him to perform, to be this special child. I found the conflicts in terms of being a product of two different families continue to reveal himself. The father was quite cerebral, was a professor, always had his nose in a book, he didn't abide any kind of silliness. And his mother's side was much more flamboyant. You had these contrasting families, and, as I write in the book, he learned to deal with conflict and tension early on in his life, and went on to readily generate it as an adult. CNN: Many conservatives worship Scalia, and yet you suggest his influence has not had as far-reaching an effect inside the high court as many believe it to be. How do his colleagues view him? Biskupic: I talked to his colleagues about where he's at. Justice [John Paul] Stevens says he is committed -- some of his impact made a huge difference, some of it unfortunate. Stevens, the senior liberal, has dueled with Justice Scalia dozens of times, from Bush v. Gore [the 2000 presidential election dispute] to recent dilemmas testing the Guantanamo detainees. Justice Ginsburg, his closest friend on the court, sees his influence beyond the marble walls, and that's the way I've been mostly viewing him

Biography looks at conservative, confrontational jurist's influence on law, society . Author describes Scalia as a product of contrasting families who has thrived on conflict . She says Scalia's best friend on court is Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a low-key, liberal justice . Author says she wanted a book that would demystify Scalia, make people understand him .

Washington (CNN) -- Latino voters strongly support President Barack Obama and his Democratic Party, despite dissatisfaction with the administration's deportation policies, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center. The results are good news for Obama and Democrats for next year's election, as Hispanics are the fastest-growing population group in the country and comprise a major voting bloc. According to the survey, Latino registered voters favor Obama over Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney or Texas Gov. Rick Perry by margin of more than 2-to-1. The results are similar to the presidential election in 2008, when Obama got 67% of the Latino vote compared with 31% for Republican candidate Sen. John McCain. Hispanic voters have traditionally identified with the Democratic Party, and the Pew survey's results showed that connection continues. It said two-thirds of Hispanic registered voters identified with or leaned toward the Democratic Party, while 20% felt that way about the Republican Party. "It is interesting that among Latino voters, the voters who are registered, there is a lot of support for the Democrats, but also for Barack Obama," Mark Hugo Lopez, executive director of the Pew Hispanic Center, said in an interview with CNN. The survey of 1,200 Hispanic adults was conducted in English and Spanish from November 9 through December 7, and has a margin of error of 3.6%. While showing strong Latino support for Obama and Democrats, the survey also showed Hispanics dislike immigration policies of the Obama administration, which increased deportations to 395,000 in 2009 and 387,000 in 2010. According to the Pew survey, 59% of Latino respondents disapproved of the administration's handling of deportations, while 27% approved. At the same time, the survey found that less than half of the Hispanic respondents -- 41% -- knew that more deportations were occurring under the Obama administration than the Bush administration that preceded it. A strong majority -- 77% -- of Latino respondents who were aware of the increased deportations under Obama disapproved of his administration's policy, while just over half of those unaware of the increase also expressed disapproval. Hispanics accounted for 97% of deportees in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. More than 90% of Latino respondents in the survey support the DREAM Act, a Democratic measure pushed by Obama that provides a pathway to legal residency for children of illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the military. Republicans have blocked passage of the measure in Congress. In the interview with CNN, the Pew Hispanic Center's Lopez said that the most important issues for Hispanic registered voters were jobs, education and health care -- the same as in past years. CNN's Catherine Shoichet contributed to this report.

Hispanic support for President Obama is strong over possible Republican opponents . Latinos surveyed disapprove of increased deportations under the Obama administration . The main issues for Hispanic respondents are jobs, education and health care .

Washington (CNN) -- Law enforcement officers arrested 22 people Friday in Orlando and Tampa, Florida, as part of an effort to shut down so-called pill mills distributing illegal prescription drugs. Those arrested include five doctors and two pharmacists, federal officials said. Attorney General Eric Holder said the latest busts send "a clear message that in Florida, which has long been an epicenter for the illegal use and distribution of prescription drugs, the days of easily acquiring these drugs from corrupt doctors and pharmacists are numbered." The arrests were made as part of Operation Pill Nation II. Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator Michele Leonhart said the operation is part of a strategy to end "Florida's role as an epicenter for rogue pain clinics in the United States." In addition to Friday's arrests, federal and local law enforcement officers also executed six search warrants in the Tampa area and served orders to a doctor and a pharmacy, immediately revoking their authority to dispense or prescribe controlled substances such as pain medication, according to U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill. Forty-nine other arrests were made earlier in the operation. Asked whether the crackdown could hamper the ability of people with legitimate needs for pain medicine to get it, Leonhart said, "a legitimate patient going to a legitimate doctor has no problem." Leonhart noted the ease of distinguishing real caregivers from pill mills, which run a "cash and carry" business and do not examine patients before prescribing drugs. Operation Pill Nation I began in South Florida in February. Forty-seven people have been arrested so far in the region, including 17 doctors and five clinic owners, according to federal officials. Seventy doctors and six pharmacies there have lost their ability to dispense controlled substances. In addition, more than $18.9 million in cash and other assets have been seized. Friday's arrests come as the DEA prepares to hold its third Prescription Drug Take Back on Saturday as part of its nationwide efforts to stop the abuse of prescription drugs. Five thousand DEA collection sites will be sprinkled around the country where people can dispose of drugs that may have expired or are unwanted. The DEA said two earlier collection drives brought in more than 309 tons of drugs.

Five doctors and two pharmacists are among those arrested . Federal officials want to shut down clinics distributing prescription drugs illegally . DEA administrator calls Florida "an epicenter for rogue pain clinics"

Washington (CNN) -- Legendary performers mingled with Washington heavyweights as the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors paid tribute to five people on Sunday night. "On a day like this, I remember, I'm the president, but he's 'The Boss,'" President Obama said as he saluted Bruce Springsteen. The singer and songwriter was honored for his lifetime of contributions to the performing arts, as were writer, composer, actor, director and producer Mel Brooks; pianist and composer Dave Brubeck; opera singer Grace Bumbry; and actor, director and producer Robert De Niro. Notables such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, broadcaster Barbara Walters and television personality Jon Stewart helped fete the performers. Describing the honorees, the Kennedy Center said: "With his hilarious movies and musicals, Mel Brooks has created comedic gems that will keep us laughing for years to come. Dave Brubeck's genius has dazzled us for six decades and has helped to define an American art form. Grace Bumbry helped to break the color barrier on her way to one of the most illustrious operatic careers in the 20th century. "One of America's greatest cinematic actors, Robert De Niro has demonstrated a legendary commitment to his characters and has co-founded one of the world's major film festivals. With his gritty and honest songs that speak to the everyman, Bruce Springsteen has always had his finger on the pulse of America." The honorees are selected by the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees based on contributions to American culture, through dance, music, opera, theater, movies or television. This year's celebration is to be shown in a two-hour special on CBS on December 29.

Among those honored: Actor Robert de Niro, singer Bruce Springsteen . Writer/actor/director Mel Brooks, jazz great Dave Brubeck, opera singer Grace Bumbry also on list . President Obama, TV personality Jon Stewart among those saluting honorees .

Washington (CNN) -- Lithuania's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday rejected a report from lawmakers saying the country had hosted secret CIA prisons as part of the "war on terror." "There are neither facts nor information that secret CIA detention centers existed in Lithuania," the ministry said in a statement, contradicting Amnesty International statements a day earlier based on a report by Lithuanian lawmakers. "It has neither concluded that the territory of Lithuania was used to transfer persons under suspicion of terrorism nor that such persons had been brought in or transported from the territory of Lithuania," the Foreign Ministry said of the parliamentary report. Amnesty International said a day earlier that the former Soviet republic, now a NATO member, had become the first country to admit it hosted secret CIA detention centers for terror suspects. The tiny country on the Baltic Sea contained two "black sites," the group said -- the first holding a single prisoner in 2002. In 2004, a former riding school outside the capital, Vilnius, was converted to hold up to eight detainees, according to the Lithuanian parliamentary report, Amnesty International said. The Bush administration came under fierce criticism for the alleged practice of "extraordinary rendition" -- capturing suspected terrorists in one country, moving them to another country without proper legal protections, and using "enhanced interrogation techniques" on them. Opponents of the practice say the interrogations amounted to torture. Former CIA agent Bob Ayers explained Tuesday how it worked. "There were flights coming in from the battlefields and Iraq or Afghanistan. There were flights that were coming in from other nation-states which were not at war but we were collaborating with -- for example, Egypt or Jordan -- where suspected terrorists were picked up and brought to the interrogation centers where they were interrogated," he said. "And then the information gained from those interrogations was then shared among the participating nations." The Obama administration says it no longer operates black sites, but has not formally ended the process of extraordinary rendition. A CIA spokesman declined to confirm or deny the Lithuanian lawmakers' report. "The agency's terrorist detention program is over, and the CIA has not commented publicly on where facilities associated with that effort may or may not have been," said Paul Gimigliano of the CIA Office of Public Affairs. He added that the allegation that Lithuania hosted black sites was "not new." Amnesty International said it was not important whether the allegation was new or not. "Confirmation of the existence of a secret prison in Lithuania marks a modern low point for human rights protection in Europe," said Julia Hall, Amnesty International's expert on counterterrorism in Europe. "But the Lithuanian inquiry signals a turning point in the quest for the truth about what role European states played in helping the United States in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Other European governments should take note and commit to full investigations of similar serious allegations." Other European states, like Poland and Romania, have also been accused by human rights groups -- and even the European Parliament and the Council of Europe -- of housing secret CIA prisons and colluding in extraordinary renditions. Lithuania's parliamentary report may put more pressure on other states to come clean. But there are lingering doubts about aspects of the report by the Lithuanian parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense. It accuses the Lithuanian security services of providing the CIA with the facilities without the knowledge of the country's political leadership. Analysts say that seems unlikely. "To think that any national government would have foreign aircraft flying into its airspace, people being taken from aircraft and moved to control facilities somewhere within their sovereign territories -- and neither the central government, police, customs or air traffic control, no one knew anything about this except for the head of the security service ... that's just not believable," said Ayers, the former CIA officer. It would be a violation of Lithuanian law if true, Amnesty pointed out. "The Lithuanian government should have known what its own agencies were doing and is ultimately responsible for the

Lithuanian lawmakers reported Tuesday the country hosted CIA "black sites," group says . Amnesty International says report shows Lithuania took part in "extraordinary rendition" Lithuanian Foreign Ministry denies the report in Wednesday statement . CIA spokesman refuses to confirm or deny, says "terrorist detention program is over"

Washington (CNN) -- Long before people posted their thoughts and feelings on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, millions of people were doing just that on a different sort of wall. It might have been something as simple as a baseball, a playing card or a walking stick. Or perhaps a more personal item, like a poem, photograph or diploma. And then there's the occasional letter, like the one dated November 18, 1989, that began: Dear Sir, For twenty two years, I have carried your picture in my wallet. I was only eighteen years old that day that we faced each other on that trail in Chu Lai, Vietnam. Why you did not take my life, I will never know. ... These are among the more than 100,000 objects that have been left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. Since its dedication in 1982, nearly 4 million people a year have visited the memorial's polished black granite wall, many to leave a personal item or note in memory of the more than 58,000 people whose names are engraved there. No one is sure who started the custom of leaving items at the wall, curator Duery Felton said. The first items began showing up even before construction on the memorial was complete. A park ranger started collecting the items, thinking people might come back for them someday. By 1986, as the objects continued to pile up, the National Park Service decided to establish an official collection. Thus was born the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection. The items are catalogued 12 miles away at the Museum and Archaeological Regional Storage facility in Maryland. Though it's not open to the public, traveling collections are often on display at museums both in the United States and abroad, Felton said. "You had, for the first time that we've been able to ascertain, people coming to a public site for a protracted period and leaving unsolicited objects," Felton said. There is seemingly no limit to the types of artifacts that are part of the collection, from G.I. Joe action figures to crutches, dog tags, combat boots -- even a motorcycle. On any given day, the wall might be adorned with artwork, prayers, a diploma marking a missed milestone or a picture of a young child born too late for a loved one to meet. Occasionally, a note accompanies an item, but most times an object's meaning is left to interpretation. Felton, a Vietnam veteran himself, says he's wary of making assumptions about an item's meaning. Many may seem like ordinary objects, but often they hold deeper significance to either the donor or one being remembered. Felton likes to use a bag of M&Ms to make his point. The candy, which gained popularity among World War II soldiers looking for a chocolate treat that wouldn't melt, may have been left at the wall because it was a loved one's favorite, he says. More likely, though, it had something to do with the little-known fact that military doctors used M&Ms as placebos for injured soldiers when no aspirin was available. "I look at us as being voyeurs in many ways, because we don't know the full story," he said. "Outside of donor information, I can't tell you why [an] item was left." On a more comprehensive scale, the collection serves as a record of social history, he said. The egalitarian nature of the memorial and the unprecedented public outrage that resulted from the controversial war are not unrelated, Felton said. "This is a study. This is tangible evidence of a major epoch on the psyche of the American public," Felton said. "For all intents and purposes, this collection is being curated by the public. ... It's uncensored." And as Vietnam veterans age, it even more important to preserve these artifacts for future generations, he said. "Almost 60 percent of today's population was not alive during Vietnam," he said. "You can't tell where you are until

More than 100,000 objects have been left at Vietnam Veterans Memorial . As objects piled up, National Park Service established official collection . Traveling collections often on display at museums in U.S. and abroad .

Washington (CNN) -- Long before people posted their thoughts and feelings on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, millions of people were doing just that on a different sort of wall. It might have been something as simple as a baseball, a playing card or a walking stick. Or perhaps a more personal item, like a poem, photograph or diploma. And then there's the occasional letter, like the one dated November 18, 1989, that began: Dear Sir, For twenty two years, I have carried your picture in my wallet. I was only eighteen years old that day that we faced each other on that trail in Chu Lai, Vietnam. Why you did not take my life, I will never know. ... These are among the more than 100,000 objects that have been left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. Since its dedication in 1982, nearly 4 million people a year have visited the memorial's polished black granite wall, many to leave a personal item or note in memory of the more than 58,000 people whose names are engraved there. No one is sure who started the custom of leaving items at the wall, curator Duery Felton said. The first items began showing up even before construction on the memorial was complete. A park ranger started collecting the items, thinking people might come back for them someday. By 1986, as the objects continued to pile up, the National Park Service decided to establish an official collection. Thus was born the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection. The items are catalogued 12 miles away at the Museum and Archaeological Regional Storage facility in Maryland. Though it's not open to the public, traveling collections are often on display at museums both in the United States and abroad, Felton said. "You had, for the first time that we've been able to ascertain, people coming to a public site for a protracted period and leaving unsolicited objects," Felton said. There is seemingly no limit to the types of artifacts that are part of the collection, from G.I. Joe action figures to crutches, dog tags, combat boots -- even a motorcycle. On any given day, the wall might be adorned with artwork, prayers, a diploma marking a missed milestone or a picture of a young child born too late for a loved one to meet. Occasionally, a note accompanies an item, but most times an object's meaning is left to interpretation. Felton, a Vietnam veteran himself, says he's wary of making assumptions about an item's meaning. Many may seem like ordinary objects, but often they hold deeper significance to either the donor or one being remembered. Felton likes to use a bag of M&Ms to make his point. The candy, which gained popularity among World War II soldiers looking for a chocolate treat that wouldn't melt, may have been left at the wall because it was a loved one's favorite, he says. More likely, though, it had something to do with the little-known fact that military doctors used M&Ms as placebos for injured soldiers when no aspirin was available. "I look at us as being voyeurs in many ways, because we don't know the full story," he said. "Outside of donor information, I can't tell you why [an] item was left." On a more comprehensive scale, the collection serves as a record of social history, he said. The egalitarian nature of the memorial and the unprecedented public outrage that resulted from the controversial war are not unrelated, Felton said. "This is a study. This is tangible evidence of a major epoch on the psyche of the American public," Felton said. "For all intents and purposes, this collection is being curated by the public. ... It's uncensored." And as Vietnam veterans age, it even more important to preserve these artifacts for future generations, he said. "Almost 60 percent of today's population was not alive during Vietnam," he said. "You can't tell where you are until

More than 100,000 objects have been left at Vietnam Veterans Memorial . As objects piled up, National Park Service established official collection . Traveling collections often on display at museums in U.S. and abroad .

Washington (CNN) -- Melody Barnes, the domestic policy adviser to President Barack Obama, will leave the White House at the end of the year, she said Thursday. "I plan to take some time off and enjoy my family," she said in a written statement. "I'll also be considering opportunities in the private sector, as well as ways to continue to work on the policy issues about which I care so deeply." Obama, in a separate statement said he "will always be grateful that a woman of Melody's brilliance, creativity and heart led our domestic policy team during such a challenging time for our nation." He said Barnes will leave "a lasting legacy, developing and implementing policies that have helped remake our education system, spurred innovation, and fostered opportunity and equality for millions of Americans." Barnes, in her statement, said she has "enjoyed working closely with the private sector, as well as philanthropists and non-profit organizations, to build public-private partnerships that are providing solutions to our country's biggest challenges." She said that over the past few months she had "reached the conclusion that I need to move out of a 24/7 work schedule and on to the next phase of my life." But she added, "I also look forward to devoting time to doing everything I can to ensure that President Obama is re-elected."

Melody Barnes says she will leave the White House at the end of the year . Obama cites Barnes' contributions to education reform and innovation . Barnes says she needs "to move out of a 24/7 work schedule,"

Washington (CNN) -- Minerals Management Service Director Elizabeth Birnbaum resigned Thursday as head of the Interior Department's scandal-plagued Minerals Management Service, the department's chief said. Two sources told CNN that Birnbaum had been fired. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is involved in federal oversight of offshore oil drilling. Birnbaum's resignation letter cast her decision to leave as a consequence of a decision to reorganize the agency following April's explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion resulted in a massive oil spill that well owner BP and federal authorities are still trying to cap. "As you move forward with the reorganization of Minerals Management Service, you will be requiring ... new leaders," Birnbaum wrote in a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. President Barack Obama said Thursday that he didn't know whether Birnbaum had been fired or chose to resign on her own. Speaking before a House subcommittee, Salazar insisted Birnbaum had resigned "on her own terms and own volition." She "is a strong and very effective person who ... helped us break through the very difficult things which we have a lot more work to do," Salazar said. "She helped us with addressing a very broken system. And all I can really [say] is that she is a good public servant." Birnbaum, a former high level staffer on Capitol Hill, became head of the MMS in July 2009. A recently released federal report highlighted what many observers have characterized as widespread corruption at the agency. Among other things, the report, issued by the Interior Department's inspector general, revealed that federal inspectors overseeing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico accepted meals and tickets to sporting events from companies they monitored. In one case, an inspector in the MMS office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, conducted inspections of four offshore platforms while negotiating a job with the company, the report stated. The Lake Charles investigation was launched shortly after another scandal emerged from within the MMS. A September 2008 inspector general's report found regulators in the agency's Colorado office received improper gifts from energy industry representatives and engaged in illegal drug use and inappropriate sexual relations with them. Salazar recently called the allegations of MMS corruption "evidence of the cozy relationship between some elements of [the agency] and the oil and gas industry." He pledged to follow through with the Interior Department inspector general's recommendations, "including taking any and all appropriate personnel actions including termination, discipline and referrals of any wrongdoing for criminal prosecution." MMS collected nearly $10 billion in royalties from the energy and mining industries in 2009. Salazar recently announced that he was splitting up the agency to separate its energy development, enforcement and revenue collection divisions, saying they have "conflicting missions" that needed to be separated. The associate director for the agency's Offshore Minerals Management Program also is leaving at the end of May, a month earlier than planned, in the wake of the Gulf spill. That official, Chris Oynes, launched the investigation that resulted in former New Orleans, Louisiana, supervisor Donald Howard's firing in 2007. Howard later pleaded guilty after being accused of failing to report gifts valued at more than $6,600 from an offshore drilling contractor. As part of the growing push to crack down on the MMS, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, introduced legislation Wednesday requiring federal oil industry regulators to wait at least two years after leaving government service before going to work for companies they helped regulate. The bill also would bar regulators from accepting gifts from oil companies, would require regulators to divest themselves of any stock they may currently hold in oil companies, and would prohibit regulators from part-time employment in the industry.

Obama says he doesn't know if Elizabeth Birnbaum was fired or resigned on her own . Interior secretary says the MMS Service director resigned; sources say she was fired . Interior Department report cited inappropriate relationship between inspectors, oil industry . Legislation has been introduced in part to help crack down on the MMS .

Washington (CNN) -- More than 200 federal, state and local law enforcement personnel have been assigned to an operation intended to find who was responsible for Saturday's fatal shootings of three people linked to the U.S. consulate in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, an official said. Among the agencies involved in Operation Knock Down -- taking place in southern New Mexico and in the vicinity of El Paso, Texas -- are the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, said DEA spokesman David Ausiello. El Paso is across the Rio Grande from Ciudad Juarez. A law enforcement official said investigators believe that there could be a connection between Barrio Azteca, a gang that operates in both cities, and the killings. The official said that mistaken identity has not been ruled out. A relative of U.S. consulate worker Lesley Ann Enriquez said Wednesday that the 35-year-old woman was four months pregnant with a boy when she was shot dead. Enriquez's husband, 34-year-old Arthur Redelfs, was also killed. He was a 10-year veteran of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. The couple was fired on in their SUV as they left a birthday party at the U.S. consulate. Their 7-month-old daughter, Rebecca, who was in the back of the SUV, was unhurt. A third victim, who had also left the party, was identified as Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, 37, a state police officer who was married to a Mexican employee of the U.S. consulate. His wife was not traveling with him, but two of their children, ages 4 and 7, were in the car and were wounded, officials said. "We have all come together to find Barrio Azteca members as part of a major intelligence effort," said Andrea Simmons, a public information officer for the FBI in El Paso. In addition to the FBI and the DEA, other organizations involved are the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the El Paso Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety. "Part of this is being done to generate leads regarding the ongoing investigation in Juarez as well as an opportunity to gather information on the location of Eduardo Ravelo, one of the top 10 fugitives," she said. The FBI is offering $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of Ravelo, who is accused of being a leader of Barrio Azteca. This week, Mexican President Felipe Calderon made his third visit in slightly more than a month to Ciudad Juarez. Its more than 2,600 drug-related deaths last year made it the most violent city in Mexico. No official numbers are available, but more than 400 killings have been reported in local media this year. CNN's Arthur Brice contributed to this story.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers assigned to Operation Knock Down . Among possible links being investigated is Barrio Azteca gang . Three people connected to U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez killed Saturday .

Washington (CNN) -- Most of the world's 1.57 billion Muslims know that the Holy Quran states quite clearly that, "Anyone who kills a human being ... it shall be as though he has killed all of mankind. ... If anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he has saved the lives of all of mankind." Accordingly, it should come as little surprise to any reasonable observer that when Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan recently committed his shocking acts of mass murder at Fort Hood, Texas, America's Muslim community of over 7 million felt an added sense of horror and sadness at this senseless attack against the brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces. True to form, many conservative media pundits wasted little time in pointing to reports that Hasan had said "Allahu Akbar" (Arabic for "God is great") at the start of his murderous rampage. News coverage continuously showed the looping convenience store black-and-white videotape footage of Hasan wearing traditional white Islamic garb. First of all, someone simply saying "Allahu Akbar" while committing an act of mass murder no more makes their criminal act "Islamic" than a Christian uttering the "Hail Mary" while murdering an abortion medical provider, or someone chanting "Onward, Christian Soldiers" while bombing a gay nightclub, would make their act "Christian" in nature. Simply put; murder is murder and has no religion whatsoever. Professor Juan Cole of the University of Michigan once wrote that, "One most certainly does insult Muslims by tying their religion to movements such as terrorism or fascism. Muslims perceive a double standard in this regard: Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols would never be called 'Christian terrorists' even though they were in close contact with the Christian Identity Movement. No one would speak of Christo-fascism or Judeo-fascism as the Republican[s] ... speak of Islam-o-fascism. ... [Many people also] point out that [it was] persons of Christian heritage [who] invented fascism, not Muslims." According to Pentagon statistics, there were over 3,400 American Muslims serving in the active-duty military as of April 2008. The Wall Street Journal reported that many officials believe "the actual number of [American] Muslim soldiers may be at least 10,000 higher than the Pentagon statistics." Thus, with thousands of patriotic American Muslim women and men proudly serving in our United States Army in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, perhaps it would behoove our army leaders to consider sending a strong message of American unity by appointing an American Muslim to be a part of the prosecution team against Hasan. This would help show that the mass murders allegedly committed by Hasan have nothing to do with the teachings of our religion. The United States Army can send a resounding message to all Americans and the rest of the world that the social fabric of our country will never become unraveled by murderous (and irreligious) gun-wielding felons -- whether it is a Muslim in Fort Hood, Texas, or a non-Muslim on a shooting rampage in an Orlando, Florida, high-rise less than a day later. By appointing a multicultural (and multireligious) legal prosecution team made up of military lawyers of all races and religions, we can set a good example to show the rest of the world that our American legal justice system is truly equal for all people, regardless of their race, religion or socioeconomic status. The larger point is that Muslims in America completely disavow and wash our hands of any acts of murder (or terrorism) claimed to be performed in the name of our religion. Acts of mass murder, regardless of their time or place, are simply ungodly criminal acts that have no religion whatsoever. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Arsalan Iftikhar.

The Fort Hood killings were not a religious act, says Arsalan Iftikhar . He says reports shooter said "Allahu Akbar" don't make slayings an "Islamic" crime . Iftikhar says Islam forbids the taking of human life . Thousands of patriotic Muslims serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, he says .

Washington (CNN) -- NFL player Samuel Hurd has been arrested and charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Thursday. Agents say Hurd, 26, a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, was arrested Wednesday night after a five-month investigation that began in Dallas, where Hurd once played for the Cowboys. Authorities say he was trying to set up a drug distribution network in Chicago. The complaint states that Hurd met with an ICE undercover agent at a restaurant in Chicago on Wednesday night when, law enforcement officials say, Hurd introduced himself as the person communicating with a confidential informant. Hurd stated that he was interested in purchasing 5 to 10 kilograms of cocaine, at $25,000 per kilogram, and 1,000 pounds of marijuana at $450 per pound per week for distribution in the Chicago area, according to ICE. Hurd said that "he and another co-conspirator currently distribute about four kilograms of cocaine per week in Chicago but that his supplier couldn't supply him with enough quantity," Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said. After they finished negotiating, according to the complaint, the undercover agent presented Hurd with a kilogram of cocaine that Hurd accepted. "Hurd stated that he plays for the Chicago Bears and that he gets out of practice at about 5:30 p.m., after which he would make arrangements to pay for the kilogram of cocaine," ICE officials said in a news release, "Hurd left the restaurant with the bag of cocaine and was arrested shortly thereafter in the parking lot of the restaurant." If convicted, Hurd faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. CNN's efforts to contact Hurd's lawyers were unsuccessful Thursday afternoon.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Samuel Hurd arrested . Officials accuse him of trying to set up a drug distribution network . He accepted a kilo of cocaine from undercover agent, they say .

Washington (CNN) -- Nearly 180 Department of Homeland Security weapons were lost -- some falling into the hands of criminals -- after officers left them in restrooms, vehicles and other public places, according to an inspector general report. The officers, with Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, "did not always sufficiently safeguard their firearms and, as a result, lost a significant number of firearms" between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2008, the report said. In all, 243 firearms were lost in both agencies during that period, according to the January report from Inspector General Richard Skinner. Of those, 36 were lost because of circumstances beyond officers' control -- for instance, ICE lost a firearm during an assault on an officer. Another 28 were lost even though officers had stored them in lockboxes or safes. But 74 percent, or 179 guns, were lost "because officers did not properly secure them," the report said. Following a review of the draft report in December, Homeland Security took steps to implement its recommendations and overhaul its property management policy, according to a response in the report. A department spokeswoman did not immediately return a call from CNN Thursday seeking comment. The report concluded the department did not have specific procedures and policies in place regarding firearms. "Instead, DHS relied on its components to augment its general property management policies and procedures with specific guidance for safeguarding and controlling firearms," it said. "Although some component policies and procedures for safeguarding firearms were sufficient, personnel did not always follow them." The inspector general cited several examples of "inappropriate practices." A customs officer, for instance, left a firearm in an idling vehicle in the parking lot of a convenience store. The vehicle was stolen while the officer was inside. "A local law enforcement officer later recovered the firearm from a suspected gang member and drug smuggler," the report said. In addition, an ICE officer left an M-4 rifle and a shotgun unsecured in a closet at his home. Both weapons were stolen in a burglary and later recovered from a felon, according to the report. Another officer left his firearm in the restroom of a fast-food restaurant, and it was gone when he returned. "Other CBP and ICE officers left firearms in places such as a fast food restaurant parking lot, a bowling alley and a clothing store," the report said. "Although our review focused on CBP and ICE, other components described similar incidents. For example, a TSA officer left a firearm in a lunch box on the front seat of an unlocked vehicle; the officer realized the firearm was stolen when he returned to the vehicle two days later," said the report. "Officers may have prevented many of these losses had they exercised reasonable care when storing their weapons." Of the 179 lost because of laxity, 120 were reported stolen and 59 as lost, the report said. That resulted from the agencies' lack of guidance on a standard method for classifying and reporting lost firearms, as well as "a common perception among officers that reporting a stolen firearm was more acceptable than reporting a lost firearm. "Although CBP and ICE reported 120 firearms as stolen, our analysis showed that these firearms were lost (stolen) because officers left the firearms unsecured," according to the report. "All 179 losses may have been prevented had the officers properly secured their firearms." The department had about 188,500 weapons in its inventory as of last summer, the report said. The majority are assigned to Customs and Border Protection and ICE officers, but others are carried by agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Customs, ICE officers "did not always sufficiently safeguard their firearms," report says . Of 243 guns, 179 were lost "because officers did not properly secure them" Guns were left in unlocked cars, fast food restaurants, bowling alleys . Homeland Security responds by overhauling property management policy .

Washington (CNN) -- Nearly all healthy pregnant women who receive a single dose of the H1N1 flu vaccine will be protected from that flu, according to just-released clinical trial data. In a news conference Monday at the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said out of about 100 pregnant women who participated in trial studies, over 90 percent showed a robust immune response to a single 15-microgram dose of the H1N1 vaccine. And at this point, there have been no reported side effects, Fauci said. Fauci stressed that these results should be reassuring for already-vaccinated pregnant women and this is "vital information for those who have not yet been vaccinated." He added that "pregnant women have tolerated the vaccine well, and no safety concerns have arisen." Pregnant women are considered to be among the highest at risk for serious complications of this new flu strain. Since H1N1, also known as swine flu, first emerged in April, 28 pregnant women reportedly have died from complications of this flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite health officials repeatedly saying the H1N1 vaccine is safe, questions about it persist. To reassure those who question the safety of the vaccine, Dr. Bruce Gellin, director of the National Vaccine Program Office, noted that a new independent panel has been formed to review data from all sources on the safety of the vaccine. The group will monitor all sources reporting problems with the vaccine. "The vast amount of adverse events have been minor," said Gellin. He said there has been one reported death linked to the vaccine, but further investigation showed that the person died from the actual H1N1 flu, not the vaccine. Gellin said the panel was designed to keep an eye on any possible negative consequences and report them immediately. According to Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, who also attended the news conference, 30 million doses of the vaccine are available for states to order. She explained that that does not mean 30 million shots are available to the public at this point. The vaccines need to be ordered by each state and distributed before they make it to doctor's offices and clinics. Schuchat reassured the public that more vaccines would be made available within the next few weeks, as demand for shots continues to rise. Fauci also noted further studies on children -- youngsters between the ages of 6 months to 35 months, and children from the age of 3 years to 9 years -- found they responded much better to two 15-microgram doses of the vaccine, than one single dose. For children 9 and older, a single 15-microgram dose gave young people a robust immune reaction that should protect them against the virus. When asked how this H1N1 virus differed from the seasonal flu, Schuchat said they were at opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to high-risk patients. "With seasonal flu," said Schuchat, "Ninety percent of the deaths every year are in people over the age of 65." She noted, "But with H1N1, 90 percent of the deaths, thus far, have been in people under the age of 65." And she added, "half of those are under the age of 25 years, in young people. So those are the people we want to get our message to. Children, pregnant women, young people should be getting vaccinated." Fauci agreed saying, "You need to look at the risk ... Right now, the risk of becoming seriously ill, even dying from this virus, outweighs the risk of something happening to you if you take the vaccine. It's really that simple." CNN's Miriam Falco contributed to this report.

Over 90% of women in study showed robust response to one 15-microgram dose . Dr. Anthony Fauci: Vaccine is safe and effective in pregnant women . Young people and pregnant women have shown to be vulnerable to H1N1 flu . Children 9 and younger have responded better to two doses of the vaccine .

Washington (CNN) -- Nearly two weeks after an explosion aboard an oil rig caused a leak from an undersea oil well off Louisiana, the impact is just beginning to unfold. Though the widening pool of oil remained offshore Monday, it was already a presence for some coastal areas. John Kelly, administrator of Gulfport, Mississippi, said he had been able to smell it since Friday. "I got $3 million worth of boats sitting here," said Capt. Louis Skrmetta, who ferries tourists from Gulfport to the state's pristine barrier islands. "What am I going to do with them?" BP's ruptured undersea well continues to spew about 210,000 gallons -- or 5,000 barrels -- of crude per day into the Gulf of Mexico. Efforts to contain or curtail the spill have been unsuccessful. The sheen extends up to 60 miles across and threatens the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That's an area nearly as large as the state of Delaware. The slick was nine miles off the Louisiana coast Monday, said Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and incident commander. BP chief executive Tony Hayward vowed that the oil giant would "absolutely be paying for the cleanup operation" of the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. "Where legitimate claims are made, we will be good for them," he told NPR's "Morning Edition." The U.S. government was leaving little to chance. Attorney General Eric Holder said Monday that Justice Department employees were in the Gulf region "to ensure that BP is held liable." Allen said BP "is the responsible party" and "will bear all the costs" of the cleanup. Still, the promises failed to quell the fears. "I hope we can weather the storm," said Keith Delcambre, owner of seafood market Bozo's in Pascagoula, Mississippi. WLOX: Pass Christian Harbor in Mississippi prepares for oil He said the nature of the current disaster could exact more of a toll on seafood than Hurricane Katrina, which savaged the Gulf Coast in August 2005. "We weathered Katrina, but shrimp after Katrina was good," he said. "Seafood after Katrina was good. With all the oil out there, I don't know what to expect. This is brand new." In Gulfport, officials worried that a drop in tourism from the slick would chill the city's post-Katrina rebound, which includes half a billion dollars in new construction, $30 million of which has been spent on the harbor. "This could not have happened at a worse time in our history," Kelly, the city's administrator, said. Katrina left equipment operator Daniel Schepens out of work for a month, but the oil slick could prove worse, he said. "The warehouses are empty. No trucks, no imports, no exports." "If it threatens the commercial sea lanes, that's a concern, because if ships don't come in and ships aren't able to go out, that stops commerce," said Donald Allee, CEO of the Mississippi State Port Authority. WWL: Fishermen try to help contain oil slick For now, the harbor is being used as a loading point for hundreds of miles of booms that are intended to defend against the slick's arrival. But the booms may not protect the coast any more than the levees protected New Orleans during Katrina: Rough seas have already broken apart some of the booms. WDSU: Rush to save Lake Pontchartrain Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday extended a state of emergency to 13 coastal counties in his state and said he might extend it to two more on Tuesday. He had issued an emergency declaration last week for six counties on the western end of the Florida Panhandle; Monday's declaration added the rest of the Panhandle, and counties on the Gulf Coast of the main Florida peninsula as far south as Sarasota. "In the event that the oil does come to our shores

NEW: Administration officials meet with BP execs to discuss spill response . Florida governor extends emergency declaration to 16 more coastal counties . Oil slick was nine miles off coast Monday . Feds ban fishing for at least the next 10 days in part of the northern Gulf of Mexico .

Washington (CNN) -- Nearly two years into the recession, opinion about which political party is responsible for the severe economic downturn is shifting, according to a new national poll. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Friday morning indicates that 38 percent of the public blames Republicans for the country's current economic problems. In May, 53 percent blamed the GOP. According to the poll, 27 percent now blame the Democrats for the recession, up 6 points from May, and 27 percent now say both parties are responsible. "The bad news for the Democrats is that the number of Americans who hold the GOP exclusively responsible for the recession has been steadily falling by about two to three points per month," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "At that rate, only a handful of voters will blame the economy on the Republicans by the time next year's midterm elections roll around.." Thirty-six percent of people questioned said that President Obama's policies have improved economic conditions, with 28 percent feeling that the president's programs have made things worse, and 35 percent saying what he's done has had no effect on the economy. One reason for that, Holland said, may be the growing federal budget deficit: Two-thirds say that the government should balance the budget even in a time of war and recession. The survey indicates that only 18 percent said the economic conditions in the country today are good, down 3 points from August. Eighty-two percent said economic conditions are poor. "Some economic indicators may suggest that the economy has turned the corner -- but try telling that to the American people," Holland said. The number of Americans who said the economy is in good shape -- a number that grew steadily through the spring and summer -- has now stalled, with fewer than one in five expressing a positive view of current conditions. More than eight in 10 say that economic conditions are in poor shape, with 43 percent calling them very poor. The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted November 13-15, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

38 percent blame Republicans, 27 percent blame Democrats . In May, 53 percent blamed Republicans for economic mess . Rising federal deficit may partly explain shift, CNN polling director says . Only 18 percent say economic conditions are good .

Washington (CNN) -- New Hampshire Republican political pros are not expecting a big surprise when the state's voters cast their ballots in Tuesday's GOP presidential primary, seeing an easy victory for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. But the race for second place is much less clear. A CNN survey of 52 New Hampshire GOP insiders found that only one thought Romney would lose the primary, and that was to former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. This group included Republican leaders in both chambers of the state Legislature, local elected and party officials, business and conservative interest group leaders, veterans of previous primary campaigns, GOP political consultants and other party activists. (Those surveyed were granted anonymity for their individual responses to encourage candor. The names of the insiders who participated in this survey appear at the end of this article.) The political insiders also thought that while Romney's margin of victory would be substantial, he would not crack 40 percent. When their predictions for what percentage of the vote each candidate would receive were averaged, Romney came out with a victory of 19 percentage points over Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, followed closely by Santorum. Percentage of primary vote expected Mitt Romney -- 37% Ron Paul -- 18% Rick Santorum -- 16% Newt Gingrich --12% Jon Huntsman -- 12% Rick Perry -- 4% Others -- 1 % The CNN insiders closely mirror the most recent statewide poll of likely GOP voters from WMUR and the University of New Hampshire, which indicates a strong lead for Romney, but the same list of other candidates vying for the No. 2 position. Second place could be key coming out of New Hampshire and going into the contentious South Carolina primary January 21. "Other than Romney right now, feels like the junior varsity on the field," said one New Hampshire GOP insider. Another said, "I believe like so many (that) it's Romney's to lose." Since finishing second in the GOP presidential primary here four years ago to Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Romney has continued to court New Hampshire Republican activists and maintained a home on Lake Winnipesaukee, about an hour north of Manchester. So far, none of the other candidates has been able to knock down Romney in a state with a tradition of humbling front-runners. All the other contenders seem to have significant flaws, at least in the eyes of local party activists. Paul: Too 'wacky'? Paul, who commands a loyal following in the state, faces two of the same hurdles that he faced in Iowa: the view among many in the party -- fair or unfair -- that he can't defeat President Barack Obama in November, and his isolationist foreign policy views, which are anathema to many Republicans. What do you think has been the biggest obstacle for Paul in New Hampshire? Perception that he can't win in the general election -- 50% His stance on foreign policy -- 48% Paul is too extreme for New Hampshire (volunteered) -- 2% "He has a ceiling to grow entirely because of his foreign policy views," one New Hampshire GOP insider said. "He has his bloc; they are passionate and not going anywhere." Others said they feel that Paul's foreign policy stance feeds into a broader impression of 76-year-old congressman and his campaign. "He's often wacky," another GOP insider said. "And his supporters turn off regular voters with their messianic zeal." Santorum: Not enough time Hoping to build on his near-victory in the Iowa caucuses, Santorum has held town-hall meetings throughout the state taking questions from all comers. Doing so earns him points from locals who believe they have a duty to cross-examine White House hopefuls, but it also has led to a number of hard questions about Santorum's strenuous opposition to same-sex marriage, which at times put him on the defensive. Indeed, a slight majority of the New Hampshire GOP insiders said they felt Santorum's stance on social issues was a major handicap for him in the state

Mitt Romney is a clear favorite among New Hampshire political pros, insider survey finds . Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Jon Huntsman in close race for second place . Insiders say besides Romney, the rest of field feels like "junior varsity"

Washington (CNN) -- No decision has been made on whether to change the current plan to hold the September 11 terrorist attack trial in a civilian court in lower Manhattan, White House officials said Sunday. Last week, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other politicians expressed concern over the costs and disruption of holding the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four accomplices at a New York City courthouse. David Axelrod, the senior adviser to President Obama, and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Sunday that Obama believes the trial should take place in a criminal court instead of before a military commission, as permitted for some terrorism suspects. However, Axelrod and Gibbs acknowledged that Obama and the Justice Department were considering moving the trial from New York City. "We've made no decisions on that yet," Axelrod said on the NBC program "Meet the Press." Gibbs, speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," also said the location of the trial was under discussion, but he expressed certainty that Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks, "is going to meet justice and he's going to meet his maker." Gibbs and Axelrod criticized Republican opposition to the plan to hold the trial in a criminal court, saying no one complained when the previous administration of Republican President George W. Bush put terrorism suspects such as "shoe bomber" Richard Reid on trial in U.S. criminal courts. "Now we have a Democratic president and suddenly we hear these protests," Axelrod said. "What has changed between now and then that would cause people to reverse positions?" Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told the CNN program that the Bush administration was wrong to hold terrorism trials on U.S. soil. Instead, trials for dangerous terrorism suspects should be held by military commissions at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility where they currently are held, McConnell said. Obama intends to shut down the Guantanamo facility by transferring the roughly 200 suspects to the United States to stand trial or face indefinite detention, or to third countries. McConnell said Sunday he would fight that plan by trying to withhold federal spending for it. "'I think that will be done on a bipartisan basis," McConnell said of congressional opposition, adding that "whatever domestic support they had for this is totally collapsing." White House officials say the decision about any possible alternate sites to try Mohammed and the others will come from the Justice Department. New York police estimated that the cost to the city would be more than $200 million per year in what could be a multi-year trial and that more than 2,000 checkpoints would need to be installed around Lower Manhattan. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said additional protection would have to be deployed for the city, not just "the core area of Manhattan." Bloomberg initially supported the move, saying "it is fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered." However, Bloomberg used different rhetoric last week when asked about a community agency's proposals to relocate the trial, saying he would prefer the trial be held elsewhere, perhaps at a military base where it would be easier and cheaper to provide security. "It's going to cost an awful lot of money and disturb a lot of people," Bloomberg said. On Thursday, several New York Democratic politicians urged the Obama administration to thoroughly re-examine locating the trial in downtown Manhattan. Julie Menin, chairwoman of a city community advisory agency, proposed four alternative locations for the trial within the Southern District of New York: Governors Island, Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the Bureau of Prisons jail complex at FCI Otisville. The latter three are in Orange County, New York, less than an hour from New York City, county executive Edward Diana told CNN. Diana thinks the trials should not be held anywhere in New York, and definitely not in Orange County, which lost 44 residents in the terror attacks, he said.

NEW: Orange County, New York, leader: Don't move trial here . Officials: President, Justice Department considering moving 9/11 trial from New York City . New York mayor concerned about costs and disruption of holding the trial in city . New York police: Cost to the city would be more than $200 million per year .

Washington (CNN) -- One-time Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin may have sent a clear message to the political world, analysts say, by signing a deal to become a TV commentator. That message: She's unlikely to run in the 2012 presidential race. "I do think maybe it suggests, sadly for Democrats, that she might not be running," said Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Paul Begala. "Democrats ... are pretty confident they can defeat Sarah Palin. She's not going to beat Barack Obama." The former Alaska governor has signed a deal with Fox News to appear as a contributor on the network, a source with knowledge of the agreement confirms to CNN. There are no plans for Palin to anchor her own program, the source said. "Let's first hope for [Fox News President] Roger Ailes' sake that she doesn't quit that job the way she quit her job as governor of Alaska," Begala joked. Nancy Pfotenhauer, a former McCain presidential campaign spokesperson, also indicated that Palin's new job is a possible sign of things to come. "There's a slight indication she may not run," she said. "I assume this is a business decision on the part of both Fox News and on Gov. Palin's part." Begala, though, did give Palin praise for her TV gig. "It's indoor work. It's interesting and lucrative. I'm all for it," he said. "Congratulations for the former governor of Alaska." Palin is hardly alone in top Republicans-turned-TV talking heads. After the 2008 GOP presidential primaries, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee joined Fox News as the host of his own show. Karl Rove, a former top aide to President George W. Bush, also joined Fox News as a commentator. Michael Steele, the current chairman of the Republican National Committee, was once a Fox News contributor as well. Mary Matalin, a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, is now a CNN contributor alongside her husband James Carville and Begala -- top Democratic aides to then President Clinton. One of Begala and Carville's colleagues -- George Stephanopolous -- has been a long-time political analyst at ABC News, who later hosted his own Sunday TV show "This Week." Most recently, he was named as the host of ABC's "Good Morning America." On MSNBC, former Florida GOP Rep. Joe Scarborough now hosts his own TV show called "Morning Joe." Pat Buchanan, a leading conservative voice and former presidential candidate, also graces MSNBC's airwaves giving his take on politics. Since leaving office, Palin has become a vocal critic of the Obama administration's policies. She recently released her autobiography "Going Rogue" and toured the country promoting her book.

Sarah Palin will appear as a contributor on Fox News, source tells CNN . Source: Former Alaska governor will not anchor her own program . Palin joins ranks of many other politicians who have become analysts, co-contributors .

Washington (CNN) -- Only one-quarter of Americans think the federal stimulus plan has helped the middle class, while a majority say it has helped bankers and investors, according to a new national poll. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday morning indicates that 25 percent of the public thinks the stimulus has benefited the middle class. One-third of the people questioned think the stimulus has helped low-income Americans, with just over four in 10 saying the plan has benefited business executives. A majority, 54 percent, think the stimulus has helped bankers and investors. "Opinions on the economic stimulus bill are colored by the perception that it has helped fat cats, but not ordinary Americans," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "It's possible that the belief that the stimulus bill helped bankers and CEOs is due to the public confusing the stimulus bill with the various bailout bills that were passed at roughly the same time last year." The survey also indicates that one-quarter think the stimulus has helped people in their own community, with three in 10 saying it has hurt people in their community and 45 percent saying the plan has had no effect. According to a CNN poll released Sunday, 56 percent of the public opposes the stimulus, with 42 percent supportive of the plan. Last March, just weeks after President Obama signed the stimulus bill into law, a CNN survey indicated that 54 percent supported the program, with 44 percent opposed. The program, formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, attempts to stimulate the country's economy by increasing federal spending and cutting taxes, at a total cost to the government of $862 billion. No Republicans in the House of Representatives and only three in the Senate voted for the bill. The stimulus was initially thought to have a price tag of $787 billion, but the Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday increased its forecast for how much the stimulus will add to the nation's deficit, raising its estimate by $75 billion. The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted January 8-10, with 1,021 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Poll: 25 percent of the public thinks stimulus has benefited the middle class . Poll: 54 percent say stimulus has helped bankers, investors . Congressional Budget Office: Stimulus will cost $75 billion more than expected .

Washington (CNN) -- Pakistan's military insists that the NATO strike last month that killed more than two dozen Pakistani soldiers near the Afghan border was deliberate. In an effort to pre-empt the results of NATO's official investigation, due out next week, the Pakistani Embassy in Washington invited reporters for a detailed briefing on the incident. Pakistani military officials at the briefing contended that NATO forces knew they were firing at Pakistani troops throughout the attack and even apologized as they kept firing, evidence they say supports their assertions the attack was deliberate. U.S. officials have said it was a regrettable case of mistaken identity and miscommunication when NATO attacked the area in support of a nearby U.S.-Afghan joint patrol that believed it was under fire from the Taliban. "I have a story to tell and this is the story of those brave people who left us in the middle of a cold, November night on a barren mountain top," a senior Pakistani defense official began. Using maps, photos and PowerPoint charts, he offered a painstaking recreation of the incident from the Pakistani military's point of view, based on interviews with surviving troops and residents where the attack took place. He and embassy officials at the briefing spoke on the condition of anonymity, preferring for their military and civilian leadership in Islamabad to speak on the record. At issue is whether Pakistani troops were the target of the attacks. The Pakistani officials at the briefing argued that well-established operating procedures and an intricate system for operational information sharing were deliberately ignored, which led to the tragic incident that killed 24 Pakistani "martyrs." American officials told CNN that U.S. forces checked first with their Pakistani counterparts before launching the strike. Before calling in airstrikes, the U.S. forces checked with a Pakistani liaison team. They were not seeking permission -- because the airstrikes were described as a matter of self-defense -- but were making sure Pakistani troops weren't in what was called a poorly marked border area, the officials said. After that consultation, the U.S. believed there were no Pakistani forces nearby, which turned out not to be true. U.S. military officials would not comment on the Pakistani assertions, citing the ongoing investigation. But in the past few weeks, U.S. officials have denied vehemently the charge by Pakistan's military that this was a deliberate attack. "What I can say, absolutely, and I can't imagine anyone in this room wouldn't believe me -- we did not attack a border post, a Pakistan military border post, intentionally," Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a speech in Washington last week. "If you think we did, I'd have to ask you in return what in the world would we hope to gain by doing that? So I can say that categorically. Dempsey said, "They believe we did this intentionally in some way to either discredit them or goad them into further action." Pentagon spokesman George Little said, "We know enough at this point to say with certainty this was not an intentional attack on Pakistani forces. The Pakistanis are our partners; it defies reason that we would attack them." But Pakistani officials at the embassy briefing said that not only were the coordinates incorrect, covering an area nine miles north of the attack, but Pakistan's chain of command was in the process of reviewing them when NATO helicopters began the striking Pakistani outpost "Volcano" shortly after midnight. Pakistan only returned fire after its first post was fired upon, which prompted NATO to strike against the second post, "Boulder," the officials said, adding that the commanding officer who ran up the hill to the area with a rescue team was killed. A NATO officer at the joint coordination outpost in the area even apologized to his Pakistani liaison in the middle of the attack for relaying the wrong location of the area NATO planes were about to fire on, preventing Pakistan from warning this was a friendly post, according to the Pakistani officials. Even after NATO officer acknowledged at about 1:15 a.m. that it was firing on the outposts and confirmed it was pulling back its

Pakistani military officials say NATO forces knew they were firing at Pakistani troops . U.S. has said last month's attack was a case of mistaken identity, miscommunication . More than two dozen Pakistani soldiers killed in NATO strike near the Afghan border . Strike has exacerbated already fractious relationship between U.S. and Pakistan .

Washington (CNN) -- Politically sensitive issues such as immigration, border security, drug trafficking and trade took center stage in Washington on Wednesday as President Obama welcomed his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon, to the White House. Both leaders used the occasion -- the fourth time they have met for bilateral talks -- to take sharp aim at Arizona's new law meant to crack down on illegal immigrants. Calderon characterized the measure as discriminatory; Obama called it a "misdirected expression of frustration." The leaders criticized the law while meeting with reporters shortly after Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rolled out the red carpet for Calderon in a formal White House arrival ceremony. U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala joined their husbands for the occasion, which was to be followed by a state dinner Wednesday night. Calderon is to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday. "Our progress today marks another step forward in a new era of cooperation and partnership between our countries, a partnership based on mutual interests, mutual respect and mutual responsibility," Obama said. Calderon said the United States and Mexico now face a series of common challenges, including climate change and organized crime, which is a rising threat to border stability. But what ultimately "turns us into good neighbors" is a common belief in "freedom, justice and democracy," he said. Obama ticked through a list of items he said the two leaders had agreed upon during their meeting. On the economy, he said, they had agreed to streamline regulations while strengthening protection of intellectual property. To facilitate trade, they had reaffirmed a "commitment to a 21st-century border that is modern, secure and efficient." He also pledged to expand joint initiatives promoting renewable energy and "smart grid" technology. Turning to illegal drug and weapons trafficking, Obama noted that his administration is now screening 100 percent of south-bound rail cargo. Moving in the other direction, Mexican authorities in recent years have seized 45,000 weapons that could be traced to the United States. Obama also cited new initiatives to cut U.S. demand for illegal drugs. "As your partner, we'll give you the support you need to prevail ... against the drug cartels that have unleashed horrific violence in so many communities," Obama told Calderon. Drug violence claimed 6,500 lives in Mexico last year. But Calderon said 90 percent of the casualties from the war on drugs are criminals fighting each other, adding that the cartels "are not winning." "The Mexican gangs are passing through a very unstable process ... and fighting each other and that explains most of those casualties," Calderon said on CNN's "The Situation Room." He acknowledged, however, that innocent people have also been killed. Obama also noted Mexico's current seat on the U.N. Security Council, highlighting the two countries' agreement on possible sanctions against Iran to stop Tehran's current nuclear program. The issue of Arizona's new immigration law, however, consumed most of the leaders' time during their meeting with reporters. The measure, which will allow law enforcement officers to ask for proof of legal residency of anyone who is being investigated for a crime or possible legal infraction, has drawn widespread criticism in Mexico. Critics contend, among other things, that the law will lead to racial profiling against Hispanic residents. Later Wednesday, Calderon acknowledged that immigration is the biggest challenge Mexico is facing with the United States. "It is provoking a lot of tensions between our people," Calderon said. "This is a phenomenon that we need to solve. ... And the best way to solve that is creating new jobs in Mexico and that is exactly what we are trying to do." Calderon said Mexico is working to change its own immigration policies to address criticisms from officials in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico who claim they're only trying to do in their states what Mexico is doing in the southern part of its country. Calderon said that illegal immigration has not been a crime in Mexico since last year.

NEW: Felipe Calderon says immigration is biggest challenge Mexico faces with U.S. Obama and Calderon criticize Arizona law . Drug violence, trade, renewable energy also among topics . Immigration overshadows Wednesday's state dinner, which will honor Calderon .

Washington (CNN) -- Prescription drug overdose is now the fastest-growing drug problem in the country, surpassing the number of people who overdosed during both the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and the black tar heroin epidemic of the 1970s combined, the Obama administration says. The problem is so severe, the administration is releasing a plan to combat what it calls a crisis of epidemic proportions. "The toll our nation's prescription drug abuse epidemic has taken in communities nationwide is devastating," said Gil Kerlikowske, White House director of national drug control policy. "We share a responsibility to protect our communities from the damage done by prescription drug abuse." According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, in 2007 about 28,000 people died from drug overdoses. Most were accidental and were related to prescription drugs. "Today, we are making an unprecedented commitment to combat the growing problem of prescription drug abuse," said Vice President Joe Biden as he announced the administration's plan Tuesday morning. "The government, as well as parents, patients, health care providers, and manufacturers all play a role in preventing abuse. This plan will save lives, and it will substantially lessen the burden this epidemic takes on our families, communities, and workforce." The effort, called "Epidemic: Responding to America's Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis," is primarily aimed at cracking down on abuse of opioids, some of the most powerful pain relievers on the market. Opioids are a class of drugs used to treat chronic pain and include products like OxyContin, Vicodin, Darvon, Dilaudid and Demerol. When abused they can be highly addictive. Prescriptions for these painkillers have increased dramatically over the past 10 years. In 2000 pharmacies filed 174 million opioid prescriptions. By 2009 that number was 257 million. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, over the past five years, hospital emergency room visits linked to prescription drug abuse or misuse have doubled. "Unintentional drug overdose is a growing epidemic in the U.S. and is now the leading cause of injury death in 17 states," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "There are effective and emerging strategies out there to address this problem. Support for this action plan will help us implement those strategies which will go a long way to save lives and reduce the tremendous burden this problem has on our health care system and our society." The plan seeks to reduce abuse and drug diversion, educate both parents and health care providers, find better ways to dispose of unused pills, and beef up enforcement efforts by clamping down on pill mills and doctor shopping. The Food and Drug Administration will provide support by requiring an opioids Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy to determine that a drug's benefits outweigh its risks. Under this process, drug manufacturers must make educational materials on proper prescribing and disposal available to anyone writing prescriptions for long-acting and extended-release painkillers. The agency must approve all materials before they are released. "Long-acting and extended-release opioid drugs have benefit when used properly and are a necessary component of pain management for certain patients, but we know that they pose serious risks when used improperly, with serious negative consequences for individuals, families and communities," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg. "The prescriber education component of this opioid (risk evaluation and mitigation strategy) balances the need for continued access to these medications with stronger measures to reduce their risks." Thirty-five states already have prescription drug monitoring programs in place that help track how prescriptions are prescribed and distributed by authorized healthcare providers and pharmacies. The program's main goal is to prevent abuse and diversion at the retail level. Under the new plan, agencies will work to establish prescription drug monitoring programs in every state. The Drug Enforcement Agency will be heavily involved in enforcement, recovering prescription drugs, and focusing on doctors who illegally prescribe and dispense these drugs. They will also target "doctor shoppers" -- people who visit multiple doctors to secure multiple prescriptions and pill mills. "When abused, prescription drugs

Abuse of prescription drugs is reaching epidemic proportions, the administration says . A new effort to combat the problem is being launched . Biden: The plan will "lessen the burden this epidemic takes on our families"

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama announced Friday that states will be allowed to opt out of certain requirements imposed by the controversial No Child Left Behind law, the landmark education reform initiative passed with broad bipartisan support a decade ago. The administration will immediately begin reviewing state applications to waive various demands imposed by the law in return for credible commitments to close lingering achievement gaps. "Higher standards are the right goal. Accountability is the right goal. Closing the achievement gap is the right goal," Obama said at the White House. "But experience has taught us that in its implementation, No Child Left Behind has some serious flaws." Among other things, the law, which passed 2001, requires public schools to meet targets aimed at making all students proficient in reading and math by 2014 or face stiff penalties. The Department of Education has predicted that, without waivers, up to 82% of the nation's schools could miss that target and end up facing penalties including the loss of federal education dollars. Obama blasted Congress for failing to change the law, a failure that forced the administration to act on its own, the president said. "We can't afford to wait for an education system that isn't doing everything it should for our kids," Obama said. "We've got to act now and harness all the good ideas coming out of our states (and) coming out of our schools." A senior administration official speaking to reporters on a conference call Thursday said the law "is hurting children by denying the children most at risk the resources they really need." Under Obama's reforms, states will be encouraged to enact accountability standards that don't treat all schools the same. Specifically, schools will have to implement new teacher and principal accountability standards. Local districts will have to set basic guidelines to evaluate a teacher's performance based on a number of factors, not simply student performance. "The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level," Obama said in a separate statement released by the White House. One of the major criticisms of the current No Child Left Behind guidelines is that it encouraged schools to lower standards rather than improve. The new guidelines "should reduce the pressure to teach the test and the narrowing of the curriculum," one administration official said. Six months ago, the administration sent Congress its plan to revamp No Child Left Behind. That legislation, however, has stalled. The administration insists it hasn't enacted the new changes alone. Instead, it has reached out and received input from 45 states that helped develop the new guidelines for opting out of No Child Left Behind standards. In addition, senior administration officials told reporters that 44 states and the District of Columbia are working to adopt a common set of state-developed college and career-ready standards. Some critics fear the new guidelines will ultimately give the federal government an even larger role in states' education decisions. Administration officials deny the accusation, instead maintaining that the new guidelines will actually give states more flexibility, including how to spend 20% of their Title I money, which funds low-income education and can account for as much as a billion dollars nationwide. Currently, No Child Left Behind requires states spend that portion of federal education dollars on tutoring. The administration says many states and school districts are already moving toward the new guidelines. States can file a request for a waiver from the requirements by mid-November and the waivers could be granted in early 2012. CNN's Lesa Jansen and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report

President Obama says he will grant waivers from No Child Left Behind requirements . States will be granted exemptions in exchange for certain commitments . No Child Left Behind was signed into law by President George W. Bush a decade ago .

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama released his long-awaited debt reduction plan Monday, outlining a roughly $3 trillion savings blueprint that was immediately criticized by top congressional and other Republicans. The president's plan includes $1.5 trillion in new revenue generated largely by higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans, a proposal strongly opposed by GOP leaders who insist that any tax increase will undermine an already shaky economy. The measure -- which would add to nearly $1 trillion in savings signed into law under the debt-ceiling deal enacted in August -- does not include changes to Social Security. It would increase Medicare premiums for individuals with higher incomes starting in 2017 -- the year Obama leaves office if he wins a second term. "We are not going to have a one-sided deal that hurts the folks that are most vulnerable," Obama said at the White House, offering a defense of tax hikes on the highest earners. Spending cuts alone "will not solve our fiscal problems. We can't just cut our way out of this hole," he added. "It's going to take a balanced approach. If we're going to make spending cuts -- many of which we wouldn't make if we weren't facing such large budget deficits -- then it's only right that we ask everyone to pay their fair share." Obama explicitly promised to veto any debt-reduction legislation that cuts benefits while failing to include higher taxes on the wealthy. iReport: What do you think about Obama's plan? "I will not support any plan that puts all the burden on ordinary Americans," he insisted. Republicans responded by dismissing the plan as little more than a cheap political gimmick. It's "a thinly veiled attempt to score political points," said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. "By raising taxes on job creators, Obama may win back some support from disgruntled liberal voters, but America will lose even more sorely needed jobs." "Veto threats, a massive tax hike, phantom savings and punting on entitlement reform is not a recipe for economic or job growth — or even meaningful deficit reduction," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. "Pitting one group of Americans against another is not leadership," added House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Key congressional Democrats quickly rallied to Obama's defense, calling the blueprint a serious attempt to take on one of the most contentious issues in Washington. The "proposal is clearly moving in the right direction," said North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. "It represents a significant and balanced plan for bringing our deficits and debt under control." On Monday night, Obama referred to the Republican response as predictable and said the issue shows the fundamental difference between the parties on how the nation should deal with mounting federal deficits and national debt. "What has been clear over the last two and a half years is that we have not had a willing partner," Obama told a New York fundraising event. "Now, we've been able to get some stuff done despite that, and despite a filibuster in the Senate. But at least over the last nine months what we've seen is some irreconcilable differences, let's put it that way." The release of Obama's blueprint is likely to set the stage for a fall dominated by harsh partisan debates over taxes and spending, as well as a 2012 presidential campaign focused on growing economic fears. Under Obama's plan, $800 billion in revenue would be generated by allowing some of the Bush-era tax cuts for high-income households to expire, as the president has repeatedly called for. An additional $400 billion would result from capping the value of itemized deductions and other exemptions for high-income households. Read the White House plan (PDF) The remaining $300 billion would come from closing various tax loopholes, according to a senior administration official. A new tax surcharge could also be imposed on millionaires: the "Buffett Rule,"

NEW: Obama cites "irreconcilable differences" with Republicans . The plan calls for $1.5 trillion in new taxes, including a tax surcharge on millionaires . Over $1 trillion in savings would be realized by ending wars in Iraq, Afghanistan . GOP leaders call the new taxes a form of class warfare .

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama took the push for his stalled $447 billion jobs plan to North Carolina on Monday, telling two audiences that alternative proposals put forward by his Republican critics amount to little more than sops to the rich that will gut critical regulations and fail to restore economic growth. My "bill will help put people back to work and give our economy a boost right away," Obama told a morning crowd at Asheville Regional Airport. "But apparently, none of this matters" to GOP leaders. "I've gone out of my way to find areas of cooperation" with congressional Republicans, the president declared. "We're going to give members of Congress another chance to step up to the plate and do the right thing." But "if they vote against these proposals again ... then they're not going to have to answer to me. They're going to have to answer to you," he said. Later Monday, Obama told students at West Wilkes High School in Millers Creek that Republican opposition to his plan "makes no sense," and he criticized the GOP alternative proposal as an attempt to satisfy the party's conservative wing. "It's way overdue for us to stop trying to satisfy some branch of the party and take some common-sense steps to help" the economy and the nation, he said to a cheering crowd. Since Obama's plan was rejected in the Senate -- due to unanimous GOP opposition -- Democratic leaders have decided to try to move it through Congress by breaking it up into a series of smaller legislative proposals. But his appearance, analysts note, was as much about campaign politics as the bill. The president will spend the next three days on a bus tour through politically pivotal North Carolina and Virginia -- two states carried by Obama in 2008 but considered up for grabs next year. Veteran Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, whom Obama defeated in the 2008 election, criticized the president Monday for using the taxpayer-funded trip for what McCain called political campaigning. "On the taxpayer-paid dime, the president is now traveling, attacking the Republican plan," McCain said on the Senate floor. While noting Obama's right to level such criticism in a political venue, McCain added: "Is that appropriate on the taxpayer's dime, since it is clearly campaigning?" In Asheville, the crowd repeatedly chanted "four more years" before and during Obama's remarks. "I appreciate the 'four more years,' but right now, I'm thinking about the next 13 months," the president said. "We don't have time to wait. We've got a choice right now." Obama's senior strategist, David Axelrod, vowed Sunday that every part of the bill will eventually have a vote. "The American people support every single plank of that bill, and we're going to vote on every single one of them," Axelrod said on ABC's "This Week." He would not say which part of the plan would come first. Republicans will "get a vote on whether they believe we should protect tax breaks for small business owners and middle-class Americans, or whether we should protect tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires," Obama said in a written statement last Tuesday. Meanwhile, demonstrators in Southern California said they'd gather Monday to protest the GOP's stance on the president's jobs bill. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and California Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce will be together in the area for a fundraising event. "Members of the Courage Campaign, teachers and health care workers will deliver a petition to Speaker Boehner signed by 25,000 Courage Campaign members ... demanding that he hold a vote on President Obama's American Jobs Act," a statement from the demonstrators said. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, said over the weekend that there could be agreement on some elements. "Let's work together. Let's find some of the things in his plan that we agree with

NEW: Sen. McCain criticizes Obama, says he's campaigning on a taxpayer-funded trip . President launches a three-day visit to North Carolina and Virginia . The two states are key battlegrounds in the presidential race . The White House has called on Congress to pass the jobs bill incrementally .

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama, speaking to a gathering of gay and lesbian activists, said Saturday that he is committed to equality, citing the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy as an example. Obama said his accomplishments on gay rights issues have been substantial since he last headlined the annual National Dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, in 2009. He acknowledged "we have more work to do," including on the issue of bullying. The president currently supports same-sex civil unions, and has said his views on gay marriage are "evolving." He recently announced his support of the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Organizations working actively to legalize same-sex marriage say they hope Obama eventually changes his stance. While Obama spoke Saturday about equality, he did not speak on the marriage issue. The president chided participants in a Republican presidential debate last month for not rebuking members of the audience who booed a gay soldier who asked about the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." "We don't believe in standing silent when that happens," Obama said of the debate incident. "You want to be commander-in-chief, you can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States even when it is not politically convenient." After the debate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said he hadn't heard the booing when the question was asked. Santorum was being asked the question when the incident occurred. Obama spoke of growing tolerance measured, he said, by ordinary Americans: "A father realizes he doesn't just love his daughter but also her wife." Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said after the speech that Obama reaffirmed commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. "It was a remarkable experience to see openly gay and lesbian uniformed service members in the audience be able to salute their commander in chief" about the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Obama's remarks were delivered to a key constituency that hasn't always been receptive to the president's policies and style of leadership. "I'd like to see the president bring his message of support for the freedom to marry to a broader audience, perhaps in a conversational setting, so that all Americans can hear him talk about why marriage matters to loving gay and lesbian couples and their families," said Evan Wolfson, the founder and president of Freedom to Marry. "It is important that the president lay out the case for Americans opening their hearts to the values of fairness and treating others as they would want to be treated." Wolfson, along with other organizations advocating for legal same-sex marriages, said the Obama administration had made significant progress on some issues, but that support for marriage equality was still an important goal. "We applaud the administration's progress, while we also encourage him to 'evolve faster' on supporting full marriage equality," Stuart Gaffney, media director for Marriage Equality USA, said Saturday. He said he wasn't aware of any opposition within his organization to the HRC's selection of Obama as their keynote speaker. "We look forward to the day soon when our president stands with that pro-equality majority," Gaffney added. The Log Cabin Republicans, an organization that represents gay and lesbian conservatives, said Obama's appearance Saturday night was more about politics than substantive policy change. "President Obama's appearance at the Human Rights Campaign Dinner this evening is more emblematic of their role as an ostensibly partisan organization than a representation of the gay and lesbian community," said Christian Berle, the group's deputy executive director. Berle said Obama's stance on gay marriage didn't match that of most Americans. "As all Americans are becoming open to marriage equality, the president is taking a retreat," Berle said. "

NEW: President tweaks GOP hopefuls over debate incident . Obama says he will continue to advocate for equality . Many gay rights activists applaud Obama's track record . But some critics say he has done too little to advance same-sex marriage .

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama, who has enjoyed Apple's products along with millions of other Americans, Wednesday night hailed Steve Jobs as one of America's greatest innovators, a man "brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it." "The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented," the president said in a statement. Praising Jobs' breadth and the impact of his work from personal computers to iPhones to movie production, the president added, "Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: He changed the way each of us sees the world." This week, Obama, known for his affection for the BlackBerry, revealed he actually was a recipient of an advanced copy of the iPad 2 directly from Jobs. "Steve Jobs actually gave it to me, a little bit early," he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos. "Yeah, it was cool. I got it directly from him." In March, CNN photographed the president holding an iPad. The president and Jobs met several times, including at a dinner in San Francisco in February with Silicon Valley executives and last year when they discussed issues revolving around technology and the economy. Many politicians also praised Jobs as the truest example of the American dream, an icon. House Speaker Rep. John Boehner, who also uses an iPad, tweeted: "Steve Jobs changed the world for the better w/his innovations and genius." House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, tweeted, "There is not a day that goes by, and often not an hour, that a Steve Jobs invention does not better my family's life. Thank you Steve." Fellow Californian Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, called Jobs "a visionary who changed the way we live, an innovator whose products brought joy to millions, a risk-taker who wasn't afraid to challenge the status quo," and also said in a statement, "His sage advice was respected by policymakers on both sides of the aisle. His courageous fight against cancer brought strength to many." CNN Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh contributed to this story.

Obama on Jobs: "He changed the way each of us sees the world" This week, Obama revealed he received an iPad 2 directly from Jobs . Boehner tweets on his iPad: "Steve Jobs changed the world for the better"

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama and Republican and Democratic leaders engaged in a spirited but civil debate at a health care summit Thursday, finding agreement on some issues but appearing to find little common ground on how to move forward in a bipartisan way. "I don't know, frankly, whether we can close that gap," said President Obama as the day-long meeting closed. If agreement is not reached, he said, there will be "a lot of arguments about procedures in Congress about moving forward," an apparent reference to using a parliamentary shortcut under which a health care bill could be passed with a simple majority instead of the 60-vote supermajority the body requires to overcome the filibuster which Republicans have threatened to use. "My hope had been there might be enough areas of overlap to realistically think about moving forward without a situation in which everyone just goes to their respective corners and this ends up being a political fight," he said. "Frankly, I was discourage by the outcome," Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, told reporters after the meeting. He urged the Democrats to "start over and go step by step and target the areas of possible agreement that we discussed in the meeting today." Sen. John Boehner, R-Ohio, sounded equally unenthusiastic. "I think the American people want us to work together on common steps to make our current system work better," he said. "We can't do it within the framework of a 2,700-page bill." Live updates from the health care summit "The president let everybody talk and talk and talk," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who called Obama "the most patient man in the world." Though there were areas of agreement, he said, "every Republican used the same talking points." He, too, appeared to raise the specter of attempting to move forward through the parliamentary shortcut, known as reconciliation. "It's time we do something and we're going to do it," the Nevada Democrat said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was "not overly optimistic" that the Democrats would be able to attract Republican votes for the health care bill. Obama said in opening remarks that "it is absolutely critical to begin now moving on what is one of the biggest drags on the economy." The situation affects not just people without health insurance, but also those who have it, he said. "The problem is not getting better," he said. "It is getting worse." Share your reaction to the summit Obama called on Republican and Democratic leaders at the much-publicized summit to "not focus on where we differ, but focus on where we agree." The differences were evident, though, in what each side believes should happen next. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, who made the opening remarks for his party, said Democrats should scrap existing bills passed by the House and Senate and start over on new legislation. Watch what areas Democrats and Republicans can agree on That's not going to happen, Democrats answered, saying Americans cannot wait. "For them, they don't have time for us to start over," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. Jon Kyl, the Senate Republican Whip, pointed out that a major philosophical difference between the two sides is who should be in charge of the health care system -- the government or private industry. "There's so much in the bills you have supported that puts so much control in Washington," Kyl said to Obama. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor also highlighted that concern, pointing out that Republicans are nearly unanimous in their opposition to the bills. "There is a reason we voted no," Cantor said to Obama. "It does have to do with the philosophical differences you pointed out. It also has to do with our fear that Washington can define what are essential health benefits." Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin made an impassioned plea for passage of health care reform, saying the current system discriminates against

Sen. Jay Rockefeller: "This is a rapacious industry that does what it wants" Sen. Tom Harkin says health care system discriminates, segregates people . President Obama tells Sen. John McCain: "We're not campaigning. The election is over" GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander urges Democrats to scrap bills, start over on health care .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama and the rest of the first family teamed up with an extremely oversized rabbit Monday to the host the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, much to the delight of visiting children from across the country. The theme of this year's festivities was "Ready, Set, Go!" -- a reference to first lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative, which is designed to address the problem of childhood obesity. The first family kicked off the event, which dates to 1878, shortly before 11 a.m., appearing with the Easter Bunny on the White House's South Portico, a balcony overlooking the residence's sprawling South Lawn. "Is this not the most perfect day for the Easter Egg Roll?" Michelle Obama asked the enthusiastic crowd. Washington is currently in the middle of a warm spell under a clear sky. "Our hope today is that in addition to having fun and doing some of the traditional activities like the egg roll ... you can learn about beginning to live a more healthy life," she said. As well as participating in the traditional egg roll, families were invited to visit the White House garden and play football, basketball and tennis, among other things. Several celebrities attended the event, including players from the Washington Redskins and athletes Apolo Ohno and Billie Jean King. The president also read the Dr. Seuss book "Green Eggs and Ham" to the visiting children. "When your parents tell you to eat your broccoli, you don't know whether you're going to like them or not," he told the kids, emphasizing the point of the classic story. "You've got to try it. ... [And] when your parents tell you to eat your peas, eat your peas." The first White House Easter Egg Roll was hosted by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878.

White House Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878 . Families invited to visit White House garden and play football, basketball and tennis . Obama read Dr. Seuss book "Green Eggs and Ham" to kids .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama announced Thursday that the federal government will spend $8 billion developing a nationwide high-speed train system -- an investment the White House says is needed to help spur long-term economic growth. The investment, to be made through a series of state grants, will be funded through the government's $862 billion economic stimulus package. Overall, projects and planning involving the rail corridors will take place in 31 states, according to a White House statement. The program "will help accelerate job growth in an economy that is already beginning to grow," Obama said at a town hall at the University of Tampa in Florida. "There is no reason why other countries can build high-speed rail lines and we can't," Obama said. More than 30 rail manufacturers have agreed to establish or expand U.S. operations if they are hired to work on the high-speed rail network, the administration said. The president first mentioned the program in his State of the Union speech Wednesday night. The administration initially released an outline for a national high-speed rail network last April. Each of the corridors identified by the administration last year are between 100 and 600 miles long. The program is "a long-term venture in which states will need to plan projects, purchase and lay track, build and assemble equipment, and construct or upgrade train stations, tunnels and bridges," the statement said. In addition to the $8 billion mentioned by Obama, the plan also includes $1 billion a year for five years in the federal budget "as a down payment to jump-start the program," the White House said. Train corridors in the program include: -- San Diego-Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo in California -- Oakland-Sacramento in California -- Portland-Eugene in Oregon -- Seattle-Portland in Washington and Oregon -- Chicago-St. Louis in Illinois and Missouri -- St. Louis-Kansas City in Missouri -- Minneapolis/St. Paul-Madison in Minnesota and Wisconsin -- Madison-Milwaukee in Wisconsin -- Milwaukee-Chicago in Wisconsin and Illinois -- Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati in Ohio -- Detroit/Pontiac-Chicago in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois -- Tampa-Orlando in Florida -- Raleigh-Charlotte in North Carolina -- Washington-Richmond in the District of Columbia and Virginia -- Raleigh-Richmond in North Carolina and Virginia -- New York City-Albany-Buffalo in New York -- New York City-Montreal in New York and Quebec, Canada. -- Boston-New York-Washington in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia -- Brunswick-Portland in Maine -- Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania -- Springfield-East Northfield in Massachusetts -- New Haven-Springfield in Connecticut and Massachusetts

Projects and planning involving rail corridors will take place in 31 states, White House says . Investment will be made through state grants funded by $862 billion stimulus package . More than 30 rail manufacturers agree to establish or expand U.S. operations if hired .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama called Thursday for high-level talks with Republicans to work out a compromise on health care legislation, then putting the resulting bill to a vote in Congress. "If Congress decides we're not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, after all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not," Obama said. "That's how democracy works." Obama's comments were the first clear signal from the White House or Democrats in Congress on how they would proceed on a top legislative priority after losing their 60-seat super-majority in the Senate. Republican Scott Brown was sworn in as the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts earlier Thursday, leaving the Democrats one vote shy of being able to overcome GOP filibusters of health care reform and other major initiatives. Asked at a party fund-raising event about the Democratic strategy for health care reform going forward, Obama said Democratic leaders in the House and Senate were working out differences in the separate health care bills passed by each chamber last year. Once that was finished, Obama said, the next step would be "to call on our Republican friends to present their ideas." "What I'd like to do is to have a meeting whereby I'm sitting with the Republicans, sitting with the Democrats, sitting with health care experts, and let's just go through these bills -- their ideas, our ideas -- and walk through them and in a methodical way so that the American people can see and compare," Obama said. "And then I think we've got to go ahead and move forward on a vote," he added. "We've got to move forward on a vote." A White House official acknowledged later Thursday that this was new language from Obama to offer a possible scenario for health care talks to move forward. However, the official stressed it was "not a new strategy" for the White House to coalesce behind, and aides were still mulling various options to complete action on health care legislation. Democrat leaders in Congress have struggled to come up with a consensus strategy since the party lost its super-majority in the Senate. Republicans have unanimously opposed the health care bills so far, meaning Democrats would be unable to pass a bill through the Senate because of a certain GOP filibuster. Brown, now the 41st Republican senator to give the GOP its unstoppable filibuster ability, said Thursday after his swearing-in that Congress should start over on the health care issue instead of continuing to work on existing proposals. Republicans complain the comprehensive Democratic health care bills would lead to a government takeover of health care. They call for smaller steps focused on individual issues, such as limiting medical malpractice lawsuits. Democrats, however, say that spiraling health care costs that threaten the nation's future economic stability can only be addressed through comprehensive reform. Obama said Thursday the Democratic bill that will emerge from the House-Senate talks on joining their two proposals would expand coverage to at least 30 million Americans who lack health insurance while reducing long-term health care costs. The measure would include an insurance exchange to allow people and small business owners to pool together to purchase coverage, Obama said, but he made no mention of a government-run public health insurance option that Republicans have rallied against. Obama said the Democratic bill would include reforms that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing medical conditions or capping lifetime benefits. "And by the way, all of it is paid for," Obama said. "Not only is it deficit-neutral, but the Congressional Budget Office, which is the bipartisan office that is the scorekeeper for much things cost in Congress, says it is going to reduce the costs by $1 trillion." Obama called health care reform the "single best way to bring down our deficits," adding "nobody has disputed that." "Nobody can dispute the fact that if we don't tackle surging

Obama: Democratic leaders in House, Senate working out differences in two bills . After that, president wants Republicans to present their ideas . It's first clear signal from Democrats how they want to proceed after Senate seat loss . Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts gives GOP 41 senators, enough to filibuster Senate bill .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama got some political cover Sunday for his upcoming announcement on sending more troops to Afghanistan. A report released by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee blamed the Bush administration for failing to capture or kill Osama bin Laden when the al Qaeda leader was cornered in Afghanistan's Tora Bora mountain region in December 2001. The report, released Sunday, said the situation in Afghanistan presented greater problems today because of the failure to nab bin Laden eight years ago. Bin Laden had written his will, apparently sensing he was trapped, but the lack of sufficient forces to close in for the kill allowed him to escape to tribal areas in Pakistan, according to the report. It said former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and top U.S. commander Gen. Tommy Franks held back the necessary forces for a "classic sweep-and-block maneuver" that could have prevented bin Laden's escape. "It would have been a dangerous fight across treacherous terrain, and the injection of more U.S. troops and the resulting casualties would have contradicted the risk-averse, 'light footprint' model formulated by Rumsfeld and Franks," the report said. When criticized later for not zeroing in on bin Laden, administration officials, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, responded that the al Qaeda leader's location was uncertain. "But the review of existing literature, unclassified government records and interviews with central participants underlying this report removes any lingering doubts and makes it clear that Osama bin Laden was within our grasp at Tora Bora," the report said. On Tuesday, Obama will travel to West Point, New York, to announce his decision on a request by his commanding general in Afghanistan for up to 40,000 additional troops. Obama is expected to send more than 30,000 U.S. troops and seek further troop commitments from NATO allies as part of a counterinsurgency strategy to wipe out al Qaeda elements and stabilize the country while training Afghan forces. By releasing the report Sunday, Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, focused attention on the past failure of the Bush administration to take out bin Laden, saying that had created a greater problem today. "Our inability to finish the job in late 2001 has contributed to a conflict today that endangers not just our troops and those of our allies, but the stability of a volatile and vital region," Kerry, D-Massachusetts, wrote in a letter of transmittal for the report. When Kerry was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, he argued that the Bush administration botched the pursuit of bin Laden and that then-President George W. Bush "took his eye off the ball" in Afghanistan to invade Iraq. The accusations were hotly disputed by Bush supporters and Franks. However, Gary Berntsen, the CIA operative who led the pursuit of bin Laden at Tora Bora, said in 2005 that his request for up to 800 U.S. troops to cut off the al Qaeda leader's escape route was denied. Sen. Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations committee, told CNN's "State of the Union" that the new report "does serve as a convenient way for, perhaps, Democrats to say once again, there's another failing of the past administration" and that "all the problems have accumulated." "I think we have to accept that there were many failings," said Lugar, of Indiana. "But the problem right now is, what do we do presently? What will the president's plan be? How much confidence do we have in this president and this plan?" Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, responding to Lugar's comment, told CNN that Obama faced "the culmination of decisions that were made eight years" earlier, which he said "made the situation much more difficult" today. According to the report, "removing the al Qaeda leader from the battlefield eight years ago would not have eliminated the worldwide extremist threat." "But the decisions that opened the door for his escape to Pakistan allowed bin Laden to emerge as a potent symbolic figure who continues to attract a

Report released by Senate panel blames Bush officials for bin Laden escape . "Bin Laden expected to die," report says, noting that a copy of his will was found . "Requests were also turned down for U.S. troops to block the mountain paths," report says .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama huddled with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other top military advisers at the White House on Friday as the administration continued its sweeping review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. Each branch of the armed services was given a direct opportunity to tell Obama the effect on the military if a large number of additional forces are sent to Afghanistan, two military sources told CNN's Barbara Starr. The meeting was the seventh in a series of high-level discussions being held in part to forge a consensus on how best to confront Taliban and al Qaeda militants threatening the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan. "The president wants to get input from different services," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said earlier this week. "It's a chance to consult with uniformed military leadership as a part of his [Afghanistan-Pakistan] review." The potential for a major expansion of the number of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan comes with some misgivings from the military chiefs. The Army and Marine Corps have expressed concerns that it could make it tougher to give troops promised time at home with their families between overseas tours. The White House strategy review is being conducted against a backdrop of rising U.S. casualties in Afghanistan and increased Taliban violence. October has already become the deadliest month for U.S. forces since the war began in late 2001, with the deaths of 56 American troops. Taliban militants have become increasingly bold. This week, they attacked a U.N. guesthouse in central Kabul, killing five U.N. staff members. There also is political turmoil surrounding a planned November 7 Afghan presidential election runoff. On Friday, a source close to the Afghan leadership told CNN that President Hamid Karzai's runoff opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, would withdraw from the race. The presidential campaign has become increasingly contentious as Abdullah demanded the removal of the country's election chief and 200 other staffers of the election commission to ensure a fair runoff. Abdullah and others have charged that massive fraud occurred in the first round of voting on August 20. The initial results gave Karzai the win, but a subsequent review by a U.N.-backed panel of election monitors threw out nearly one-third of Karzai's votes because of "clear and convincing evidence of fraud." The result left Karzai short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff. After a flurry of meetings with U.S. and U.N. officials, the Afghan president agreed to the runoff.

Obama meets with national security advisers on Afghanistan . Obama weighing whether to send additional troops to war zone . Army, Marine Corps say increase will affect promised time off for troops . Meeting comes amid rise in U.S. troop casualties, political turmoil .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama is "very concerned" about Greece's economic crisis, sees mounting threats against the United States from non-state actors and wants to resolve the dispute with Russia over adoptions, he said in an interview released Saturday by the White House. "I am very concerned about what's happening in Europe," Obama told the Russian television station Channel Rossiya in the wide-ranging interview, responding to a question about the Greek economic crisis. "But I think it is an issue that the Europeans recognize is very serious," he said. "Greece is taking some very difficult measures -- at least they've put forward a plan that calls for difficult measures." This week, Greek lawmakers approved a package of budget-cutting measures to help the country's battered economy -- measures that were required to meet the terms of a 110 billion euro ($140 billion) bailout. European Union leaders called for a "stabilization mechanism" on Saturday in hopes of easing markets shaken by Greece's economic crisis before they re-open Monday. Obama said the Greek crisis and the resulting global economic fallout point to a new breed of non-state-based threats facing the United States and other powerful nations. "The real threats against Russian well-being or U.S. well-being to a large degree are at this point much more aligned than they've ever been, " Obama said in the interview, which was taped Thursday at the White House. "It has to do with non-state actors. "It has to do with the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It has to do with environmental catastrophes. It has to do with an integrated economy in which if you see a crisis in Greece taking place, that can affect world markets." Obama invoked terrorism as another of those threats. "We just recently had an attempted terrorist act in New York," he said, referring to the failed car bombing of Times Square last Saturday, "and it's a signal I think that whether these activities are happening in Moscow or they're happening in New York, that countries have to work together to make sure that these terrorists are apprehended, that their networks are destroyed, that their sources of financing dry up." Speaking about U.S.-Russia relations, Obama said he wants the U.S. Senate to ratify a major nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia before November's midterm elections. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty -- known as START -- in April. The agreement reduces the number of nuclear weapons held by the United States and Russia by about one-third, among other provisions. "Our hope," Obama said in the interview, is that the Senate "will be able to review it quickly." Speaking further about international nuclear arms reduction, Obama called North Korea and Iran "two outliers" but said he's "very heartened" by other nations' receptivity to his call for new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. Obama also said that U.S. and Russian officials are working toward an agreement regarding American adoptions of Russian children after an uproar last month over a Tennessee woman sending a 7-year-old Russian boy she adopted back to his home country. Russia said it was freezing American adoptions of Russian children after the incident, but a senior State Department official said this week that Russian authorities continue to approve U.S. adoptions. "What happened with the small number of children who have been adversely affected is terrible," Obama said. "And we can't minimize what's happened." But Obama said that "there have been tens of thousands of Russian children adopted by U.S. families. The overwhelming majority are leading happy, healthy lives." "We want to make sure that we preserve the best of the system while eliminating these abuses," he said. Obama spoke in personal terms about his relationship with Medvedev, the Russian president. "I've been very impressed with him," Obama said. "I think he is a strong leader, a

President Obama troubled by Greece's economic woes . European Union leaders call for "stabilization mechanism" to ease markets . Obama seeks resolutions to nuclear arms treaty, adoption issues with Russia .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama mentioned an $8 billion investment in high-speed train systems across the country in his State of the Union speech on Wednesday. Details released Thursday said the investment would be grants from the government's $862 billion economic stimulus package to begin the planning and initial work on creating the first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service. Overall, projects and planning involving the rail corridors will take place in 31 states, according to a White House statement. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were scheduled to travel to Tampa, Florida, Thursday to formally announce the program. Other Cabinet members and administration officials also were visiting sites of the program in other states on Thursday and Friday. According to the statement, the corridor between Tampa and Orlando, Florida, would have trains capable of traveling up to 168 mph with 16 round trips a day. The time to travel by train between the cities would be about an hour, compared with about 90 minutes by car, it said. "This project will create jobs and generate economic activity as 84 miles of track are constructed, stations are built or enhanced, and equipment is purchased," with work expected to be completed in 2014, the statement said. "The projects announced today are part of President Obama's strategic long-term plan to transform travel in America by building and sustaining a comprehensive passenger rail program," the statement said. "In addition to the $8 billion awarded today, the plan also included $1 billion a year for five years in the federal budget as a down payment to jump-start the program." The statement described the program as "a long-term venture in which states will need to plan projects, purchase and lay track, build and assemble equipment, and construct or upgrade train stations, tunnels and bridges." "Spain spent two decades and $35 billion developing its high-speed rail system," it said. "South Korea took 12 years and more than $10 billion to build a line stretching from Seoul to Busan, comparable to the distance between Boston and New York." Train corridors in the program include: • San Diego - Los Angeles - San Luis Obispo in California • Oakland - Sacramento in California • Portland - Eugene in Oregon • Seattle - Portland in Washington and Oregon • Chicago - St. Louis in Illinois and Missouri • St. Louis and Kansas City in Missouri • Minneapolis/St. Paul - Madison in Minnesota and Wisconsin • Madison - Milwaukee in Wisconsin • Milwaukee - Chicago in Wisconsin and Illinois • Cleveland - Columbus - Cincinnati in Ohio • Detroit/Pontiac - Chicago in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois • Tampa - Orlando in Florida • Raleigh - Charlotte in North Carolina • Washington - Richmond in District of Columbia and Virginia • Raleigh - Richmond in North Carolina and Virginia • New York - Albany-Buffalo in New York • New York - Montreal in New York and Quebec, Canada. • Boston - New York - Washington in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, New York, and District of Columbia • Brunswick - Portland in Maine • Philadelphia - Harrisburg - Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania • Springfield - East Northfield in Massachusetts • New Haven - Springfield in Connecticut and Massachusetts

President Obama to announce $8 billion in stimulus funds for high-speed train plan . Proposed rail system would span across 31 states . Work is expected to be finished by 2014, according to White House .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama on Thursday strongly criticized controversial anti-homosexuality legislation being considered by Uganda's legislature. It is "unconscionable to target gays or lesbians for who they are," Obama said during an appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast. The measure being considered in Uganda is "odious," he added. The organization which sponsors the breakfast, the Fellowship Foundation, has been associated with efforts to pass the bill, according to the ethics group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The measure would punish sexual activity between persons of the same sex with long jail terms or death. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also criticized the bill during an appearance at the breakfast. CREW had protested Obama's appearance at the breakfast, claiming in a statement that the event "designed to appear as if government-sanctioned, actually serves as a meeting and recruiting event for the shadowy Fellowship Foundation," also known as "The Foundation" and "The Family." A Ugandan legislator who introduced the bill -- which has been roundly condemned by human rights groups -- was scheduled to attend the breakfast before his invitation was revoked, CREW claimed. The breakfast is held annually on the first Thursday in February. The president, members of Congress and other dignitaries regularly attend. Members of the Fellowship Foundation could not be reached for comment early Thursday. CREW did not divulge the source of its information. J. Robert Hunter, a member of The Fellowship who has spoken publicly about the group, told The New York Times in a story published Thursday that it was unfair to blame the group for the Uganda legislation. About 30 family members, all Americans who are active in Africa, conveyed their dismay about the legislation to Ugandan politicians, including the bill's sponsor, Hunter said. CREW asked Obama and members of Congress on Monday not to attend the breakfast. On Wednesday, it asked television network C-SPAN to refrain from broadcasting the prayer breakfast, or at least to properly identify its sponsor as the Fellowship. "The Fellowship has been cultivating an unorthodox brand of Christianity amongst the political, military and economic elite of America and other countries for over 50 years, focused on meeting Jesus 'man-to-man,'" CREW said. "The organization operates under an intense veil of secrecy, staying largely out of the public eye and hiding its donors' identities." Its leader, Doug Coe, has led the group since 1969, according to CREW. The fellowship operates a residence and meeting place on Capitol Hill that has been linked to "ethically troubled" politicians, including Sen. John Ensign and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, the ethics group said. "The president and members of Congress should not legitimize this cult-like group -- the head of which has praised the organizing abilities of Hitler and bin Laden -- by attending the breakfast," Melanie Sloan, CREW executive director, said in a statement.

NEW: Obama calls Uganda's proposed law "odious" in speech at prayer breakfast . Ethics group says foundation that sponsors breakfast supports the anti-gay legislation . Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington asked Obama not to attend breakfast .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama paid tribute Friday to seven CIA officers killed in Afghanistan in December, calling them "American patriots who loved their country and gave their lives to defend it." Obama delivered the remarks during a memorial service at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. The service was closed to the media to protect the identities of undercover officers in attendance. A transcript of Obama's speech was provided to members of the press. "There are no words that can ease the ache in your hearts," Obama told families, friends and co-workers of the seven officers. "But to their colleagues and all who served with them -- those here today, those still recovering, those watching around the world, I say: Let their sacrifice be a summons. To carry on their work. To complete this mission. To win this war and to keep our country safe." A suicide bomber killed the CIA officers and contractors, as well as a Jordanian intelligence official, on December 30 at a U.S. base in Khost, in southeastern Afghanistan. The bomber was within seconds of being searched by security contractors when he detonated his explosives, a former intelligence official with knowledge of the incident said in January. Two of those killed were contractors with private security firm Xe, formerly known as Blackwater, a former intelligence official said. The CIA considers contractors to be officers. Former CIA official Robert Richer called the bombing the greatest loss of life for the agency since the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, which killed eight agents. "These remarkable men and women are the story of America," CIA Director Leon Panetta said at Friday's service, according to the transcript. "They are the heart and soul of this great country. Their devotion to duty is the foundation of our country." U.S. and Jordanian officials say the bomber, Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, had been recruited as a counterterrorism intelligence agent, despite concerns over his extremist views, and was being used in the hunt for a senior al Qaeda figure. The suicide bombing was "a huge blow, symbolically and tactically," because it eliminated so many CIA officers, who can take years to become ingrained in the region, said Reva Bhalla, director of analysis for Stratfor, an international intelligence company. In addition, she said, the attack showed the ability of the Taliban to penetrate perhaps the most difficult of targets: a CIA base. But Panetta issued a strong statement at the service Friday, assuring those in attendance that "we will carry this fight to the enemy." "Our resolve is unbroken, our energy undiminished and our dedication to each other and to our nation unshakable," Panetta said.

"Let their sacrifice be a summons," Obama says . Service held Friday morning at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia . 7 CIA officers were killed December 30 in suicide bombing in Afghanistan . Intelligence analyst says suicide bombing was "a huge blow, symbolically and tactically"

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama paid tribute Wednesday to those who have lost their lives in the nation's wars as well as to the men and women who currently serve. "There's no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice," he said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery on a rainy, overcast Veterans Day. "We call this a holiday, but for many veterans, it's another day of memories that drive them to live their lives each day as best as they possibly can," he said. "For our troops, it is another day in harm's way. For their families, it is another day to feel the absence of a loved one and the concern for their safety. For our wounded warriors, it is another day of slow recovery. And in this national cemetery, it is another day when grief remains fresh." He vowed that "America will do right" by its troops. "To all who served in every battle in every war, we say that it's never too late to say thank you." Earlier Wednesday, the president and first lady Michelle Obama also walked through Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, CNN's Jill Dougherty reported. The section is where service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. There, the Obamas stopped to talked to relatives and friends of those who have died. Skip and Rhonda Rollins of New Hampshire were visiting the gravesite of their son, Justin, who was killed in Iraq in 2007. He would have turned 25 on Tuesday. The couple said they were "extremely surprised" to see Obama "take the time to speak with the families" in Section 60. Although he said he generally holds different political views from those of the president, Skip Rollins said that supporting American soldiers, both living and dead, "should always be a nonpartisan issue." He added, "It was extremely nice of him to take this time out to come down here and do this." The couple said they make the trip to their son's grave each year around this time for their son's birthday and for Veterans Day. "It's not just my son that I mourn for; when I see all the others' stones, the ages of the soldiers, and you know they've given the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. And you know it's hard for me to leave, to leave my son," Rhonda Rollins said. Earlier Wednesday, the president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in the cemetery. He then stood solemnly as a bugle played taps. Some onlookers watched from under umbrellas. Veterans Day comes a day after Obama addressed 15,000 people at a memorial service at Fort Hood Army Post, where 13 people were killed and dozens more were wounded in a shooting last week. The president told the families of those killed that "no words can fill the void that has been left," adding, "your loved ones endure through the life of our nation." The suspected gunman in the attack is a 39-year-old Army psychiatrist, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who remains in intensive care at an Army hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Later Wednesday, Obama discussed with his war council scenarios to move forward in Afghanistan. One scenario, a senior administration official and U.S. military official independently confirmed, calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Other nations honored those who sacrificed their lives in wars on Wednesday, in many cases for the first time without any surviving veterans of World War I. Services took place around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the armistice signed between Germany and the Allies on November 11, 1918. Depending on where it is celebrated, the day is known as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, Poppy Day or Veterans Day. In Britain, Queen Elizabeth led Remembrance Day ceremonies in Westminster Abbey, a service also attended by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior politicians and military

"No praise ... can truly match the magnitude of your service," he tells veterans . America will do right by its troops, Obama promises . Nations around the world take day to honor fighting men and women .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama plans to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper to be the new director of national intelligence, a senior U.S. defense official confirmed to CNN Friday. Clapper, now a top Pentagon intelligence official, would replace Dennis Blair, who resigned at the end of last month. The announcement will be made Saturday at the White House, the official said. If confirmed, Clapper will become the nation's fourth DNI in the last five years. The position was created after the September 2001 terrorist attacks to oversee the 16 agencies of the U.S. intelligence community. Clapper, who retired from the Air Force in 1995 after a 32-year career, served as head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency from September 2001 to June 2006. He has served as the under secretary of defense for intelligence since April 2007. Some political observers have indicated that Clapper's prospects for confirmation on Capitol Hill, however, are questionable. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic head of the Senate Intelligence Committe, recently said the "best thing for the U.S. intelligence community is to have someone with a civilian background in charge." The ranking Republican on the Intelligence Committe, Missouri Sen. Kit Bond, said he has reservations about Clapper. "I believe he is too focused on the Defense Department issues and he has tried to block out efforts to give more authority to the DNI," Bond said. Bond's counterpart on the House side, Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Michigan, also said he believes Clapper is the wrong person, because he is "not forthcoming, open or transparent" with Congress. Blair, a retired admiral, was pressured to resign as DNI because of differences with the White House over the scope of his role and turf wars with CIA Director Leon Panetta and other members of the intelligence community. One source familiar with Blair's situation said that from the very beginning, "the White House did not have the same view (as Blair) of what the DNI should be." That might be the crux of the problem. The law that created the position of DNI after the 9/11 terrorist attacks is too "ambiguous," said Lee Hamiliton, a former congressman who pushed Congress for intelligence reform. Hamilton, the co-chairman of the 9/11 Commission, recently told a congressional hearing that "the role of the DNI is not clear ... and as long as you have the ambiguity, you're going to have these agencies fighting for jurisdiction and power." The DNI needs to be empowered with the budget and personnel authorities to lead the community, otherwise, the director is merely a coordinator, Hamilton said. Some question whether it is possible to change the law, considering the difficulty Congress had in getting the original agreement. Bond said Congress must act to give the DNI clear budget authority and chain of command within the intelligence community. Feinstein has called on the president to define the DNI role and then work with Congress to make it law. Hamilton said a fix is needed now, that it can't wait for the longer-term legislative correction. Hoekstra says changing the law is not the answer. "If you have great people working together, even in a mediocre structure, they can make things happen. More strengths and authorities in the law doesn't guarantee success," he said. There does seem to be widespread agreement on one needed component: presidential action in support of the DNI. Hamilton said the "burden is on the president now to clarify who is in charge of the intelligence community -- where the final authority lies on the budget, personnel and other matters." Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, recently wrote a letter to Obama urging him "to remove obstacles which may have formed a stumbling block for others who held the DNI position." John Brennan, the president's chief counterterrorism adviser in the White House, recently said the administration is trying to ensure the intelligence community is "integrated well and orchestrated well" by the DNI. "We want to make sure the DNI's

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper to be nominated for intelligence post . If confirmed, Clapper would replace Dennis Blair, who resigned last month . Clapper is currently a top Pentagon intelligence official .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama proposed nearly doubling the child care tax credit for middle-class families Monday, the latest administration initiative meant to reassure Americans nervous about the slow pace of the economic recovery. The proposal is one of five new recommendations from the president's Middle Class Task Force, which was established one year ago this week. It comes as an increasingly populist White House struggles to regain the political advantage among swing independent voters who have flocked to the GOP in recent elections in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia. "The middle class has been under assault for a long time," Obama said in remarks delivered near the White House. "None of these steps alone will solve all the challenges facing the middle class," he said. "But hopefully, [they] will re-establish some of the security that's slipped away in recent years." Specifically, Obama will push to increase the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit rate from 20 percent to 35 percent for families making under $85,000 a year. Families making from $85,000 to $115,000 also would see an increase in their tax credit, the statement said. At the same time, lower-income families would receive a $1.6 billion increase in child care funding, the largest one-year increase in two decades. In addition, the White House will propose limiting federal student loan payments to 10 percent of a student's income above a basic living allowance. The administration also will push for the creation of a system of automatic workplace individual retirement accounts, requiring all employers to give workers the option of enrolling in a direct-deposit IRA. The "saver's tax credit" would be expanded, with a government match of 50 percent of the first $1,000 of contributions for families making $65,000 or less. Fourth, the White House will propose expanding tax credits to match retirement savings, while also enacting new safeguards to protect retirement savings. Fifth, the administration will push to expand federal support for families caring for elderly relatives, "helping them manage their multiple responsibilities and allowing seniors to live in the community for as long as possible," a White House official said. Since its establishment, the Middle Class Task Force has held 11 meetings around the country and at the White House, according to the statement. All five task force recommendations will be included in Obama's proposed fiscal year 2011 budget, which is set to be unveiled February 1. The president is also widely expected to stress middle-class economic themes in Wednesday's State of the Union address. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux contributed to this report.

Plan is one of five Middle Class Task Force recommendations . White House to also propose limits to a student's federal loan payments . Automatic workplace IRAs, retirement savings protections, elder care also to be addressed .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama returned to the United States on Monday morning after an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, where he met with his Afghan counterpart and reiterated the need to wipe out terror networks. Obama slipped into Bagram Air Base near Kabul under the cover of darkness Sunday. He met with about 2,000 troops at the U.S. base and told them their work is significant to security at home. "I know it's not easy," he said. "If I thought for a minute that America's vital interests were not served, were not at stake here in Afghanistan, I would order all of you home right away." The United States has made progress in the fight against al Qaeda and its allies, Obama said. "All of that makes America safer, and we are going to keep them on the run," he said. "Because that is what is going to be required in order to ensure that our families back home have the security that they need." Earlier, Obama met with President Hamid Karzai to discuss progress by the Afghan government in strengthening its ability to run the country and provide security for its people. After the 30-minute meeting, Obama said he wanted to send a "strong message" that the partnership between the nations would continue. Related: Afghanistan Crossroads Karzai thanked the United States, pointing out that American taxpayers have helped rebuild his country. During his trip, the president made clear that the visit was to encourage the roughly 80,000 U.S. troops in the country. "The United States of America does not quit once it starts on something. ... We keep at it," he told the troops. "We persevere. And together, with our partners, we will prevail. I am absolutely confident of that." Before his departure, Obama also met with U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of allied troops in Afghanistan. The trip began in secrecy, with the president leaving his Camp David retreat. He flew to Afghanistan on Air Force One, landing at Bagram Air Base at 7:24 p.m. Sunday. Obama then flew on a helicopter to the Presidential Palace to meet with Karzai. The U.S. president landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland shortly before 9 a.m. ET.

Obama met with Afghan counterpart, reiterating need to wipe out terror networks . President met with about 2,000 troops at Bagram Air Base near Kabul . Obama landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland shortly before 9 a.m. ET .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama said Wednesday night he will work with Congress and the military to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bars gays and lesbians from openly serving in the armed forces. Obama made the remark in his first State of the Union speech during a short litany of civil rights issues, which included his successful hate crimes bill, a move to "crack down on equal-pay laws" and improvement of the immigration system. "We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it," he said. "We must continually renew this promise. My administration has a Civil Rights Division that is once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination. We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate," he said. "This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are." Weigh in on the president's address Former Navy pilot Sen. John McCain said "it would be a mistake" to repeal the 1993 law that bars gay men and lesbians from revealing their sexual orientation, and prevents the military from asking about it. "This successful policy has been in effect for over 15 years, and it is well understood and predominantly supported by our military at all levels," McCain said. "We have the best-trained, best-equipped, and most professional force in the history of our country, and the men and women in uniform are performing heroically in two wars. At a time when our Armed Forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy." But in a message to Pentagon leadership, Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it's time to repeal the law. "As a nation built on the principal of equality, we should recognize and welcome change that will build a stronger more cohesive military," said Shalikashvili. His letter was sent to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, who supports repealing the policy. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an organization that works with those affected by the "don't ask, don't tell" law, praised Obama's call for repeal. "We very much need a sense of urgency to get this done in 2010," the group said. "We call on the president to repeal the archaic 1993 law in his defense budget currently being drafted, that is probably the only and best moving bill where DADT can be killed this year. ... The American public, including conservatives, is overwhelmingly with the commander in chief on this one." House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, flatly disagreed with the idea of ending it. "When it comes to 'don't ask don't tell,' frankly, I think it's worked very well. And we just ought to leave it alone," he said to reporters Wednesday morning. The policy prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. armed forces. The policy bans military recruiters or authorities from asking about an individual's sexual orientation but also prohibits a service member from revealing that he or she is gay. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, supports ending the practice but wants to go about it carefully. Levin said he did not have any details about what the president would say. "If we do this in a way which isn't sensitive ... we could have exactly the opposite effect of what I hope will be the case -- which is to change the policy," he said Monday. Levin said the committee plans to hold hearings on the issue in early February, although the hearing may be with outside experts -- delaying a hearing with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint

NEW: The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network praises Obama's call for repeal . NEW: Sen. John McCain says policy is "understood and predominantly supported" by servicemembers . Military policy prohibits openly gays and lesbians from serving . Former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has called for the policy's repeal .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama should end a longstanding policy of not writing letters of condolence to families of troops who commit suicide, dozens of lawmakers urged him in a letter Wednesday. The lawmakers warned that "our armed forces are in the midst of a suicide epidemic." U.S. Army statistics show that more than 200 troops have killed themselves this year, more than in 2008, which was a record year. "By overturning this policy on letters of condolence to the families of suicide victims, you can send a strong signal that you will not tolerate a culture in our armed forces that discriminates against those with a mental illness," the lawmakers wrote. The White House has begun a review of the condolence policy, which the 46 members of Congress said should be completed as soon as possible. They also argued the policy of treating suicides differently from deaths in action flew in the face of military funeral procedure, which treats both the same. Service members who kill themselves get "a full military burial, complete with flag-draped coffin and 21-gun salute. We have not heard of any reports that military morale and discipline have waned as a result," they wrote. They also argued that letters of condolence are "as much about respect for the personal loss that a family experiences as it is about an acknowledgment by our nation that we have lost a soldier." The White House said two weeks ago its review of the policy should "hopefully" conclude shortly. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president himself asked for the review. "If the president didn't care, the policy would remain unchanged and unexamined," Gibbs said at a December 9 news conference. Despite this year's rise in suicides, Army officials said a recent trend downward could signal progress in programs intended to reduce the problem. Between January and mid-November, 140 active-duty soldiers killed themselves, as did 71 Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers. That's a total of 211 as of November 17, when Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff, briefed reporters about the problem. But he said the monthly numbers are starting to slow down as the year nears its end. "This is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way," Chiarelli said. For all of 2008, the Army said 140 active-duty soldiers killed themselves, while 57 Guard and Reserve soldiers committed suicide, totaling 197. While the lawmakers cited attitudes toward the mentally ill, the Army is still trying to tackle why soldiers are killing themselves. "We still haven't found any statistically significant causal linkage that would allow us to effectively predict human behavior. The reality is, there is no simple answer -- each suicide case is as unique as the individuals themselves," Chiarelli said. He also said there were troubling new statistics showing an increase in suicide rates among young soldiers who have never deployed, another factor puzzling Army researchers. CNN's Adam S. Levine, Larry Shaughnessy, Mike Mount and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report.

Forty-six members of Congress ask President Obama to revise policy . White House does not send condolence letters to families of suicide victims . Obama asked for review of policy, spokesman says . Policy stigmatizes mental illness, lawmakers say .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama toasted a growing U.S. friendship with India at the first state dinner of his administration Tuesday, an evening of regal pageantry and symbolic politics in a tent on the White House South Lawn. "To the future that beckons all of us," Obama said with glass raised toward his guest of honor, visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "Let us answer its call. And let our two great nations realize all the triumphs and achievements that await us." A tradition dating back to 1874, state dinners are the most treasured and formal honor a U.S. president can offer a foreign dignitary, and the most coveted invitation in Washington. The Tuesday night dinner showed Obama's intention to signal strong ties with the world's largest democracy and go his own way in navigating the pomp and tradition of White House customs. Traditionally, a new administration's first invitation goes to the leader of neighboring Canada or Mexico, though recent presidents also haven't followed that precedent. The event planned by first lady Michelle Obama emphasized eco-friendly themes such as White House-grown herbs and lettuce served to guests and sustainably harvested magnolia branches -- from species native to both India and the United States -- in arrangements adorning the tent where more than 300 guests wearing tuxedos and gowns were wined, dined and entertained. A White House document said common themes of state and official visits are "forging friendships, exchanging knowledge and building bridges that last for years." In a toast that followed Obama's, Singh praised his host's leadership and prompted applause by citing the charm of the U.S. first lady. Obama's election was "an inspiration to all those who cherish the values of diversity, democracy and equal opportunity," Singh said, adding that India "warmly applauded" the Nobel Peace Prize awarded Obama this year for "the healing touch you have provided and the power of your idealism and your vision." "We need to find new pathways of international cooperation that respond more effectively to the grave challenges caused by the growing interdependence of nations," Singh said. "As two leading democracies, India and the United States must play a leading role in building a shared destiny for all humankind." Obama, in a black tuxedo, and the first lady, in a dazzling cream gown with silver accents, greeted Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, as they arrived, shaking hands on the White House steps and posing for pictures before leading their guests inside. Guests in tuxedos and evening gowns streamed into the White House for the historic social event, passing a line of journalists. In one humorous mishap, the cummerbund of Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, fell off as he and his wife walked in. The guest list included political allies, a few opponents, celebrities and members of the Indian diplomatic community. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the list, but not her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Democratic colleagues of the president including other Cabinet ministers, several senators and top aides made the list, including Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts (but not his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and White House Budget Director Peter Orszag. Ticker: See the list of expected attendees A couple of Republicans also made it, notably Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Celebrities included Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, actors Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood, CBS News anchor Katie Couric and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman. However, one name rumored to be included, but not appearing on the list, was Oprah Winfrey. The dinner, in a tent set up on the White House South Lawn with a view of the Washington Monument, featured round tables for 10 set in resplendent colors -- apple green, ruby, gold -- with floral arrangements of roses, hydrangeas and sweet peas in plum, purple and fuchsia. Place settings in fine china from three previous administrations -- Eisenhower, Clinton and George W. Bush -- were flanked by five pieces of silverware and crystal

NEW: Obama toasts India prime minister, urges greater cooperation between two countries . Tuesday's event is the first state dinner of Obama administration . State dinners are deemed one of the most treasured and formal honors . Menu includes greens from White House garden, honey from White House bees .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama will announce the U.S. troop strategy for Afghanistan in a speech at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday. In the speech, Obama will explain why the United States is in Afghanistan, its interests there and his decision-making process, Gibbs said, but "the president does not see this as an open-ended engagement. "Our time there will be limited, and I think that's important for people to understand," he said. "We are in year nine" in Afghanistan, Gibbs told reporters. "We're not going to be there another eight or nine years." Obama will meet with members of Congress at the White House on Tuesday afternoon before the speech. Cost issues are among the topics the president will address, Gibbs said. "It's a million dollars a troop for a year," he said. "Ten thousand troops is $10 billion. That's in addition to what we already spend in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That also does not include training, and it doesn't include the maintaining of a security force. It's very, very, very expensive." But, Gibbs added, "I think the president, throughout this process, has talked about the cost in terms of American lives and in terms of the cost to our treasury, and I think he'll continue to talk about it." The president ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in March. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, reportedly has called for up to 40,000 more to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the Taliban, the Islamic militia originally ousted by U.S. military action in 2001. Obama has weighed several options for bolstering the American contingent, ranging from sending a few thousand troops to the 40,000 McChrystal requested. A defense official told CNN earlier this week the Pentagon is making detailed plans to send about 34,000 more troops to Afghanistan in anticipation of Obama's decision on the 8-year-old war. There had been no final word on Obama's decision as of Tuesday, said the Defense Department official, who has direct knowledge of the process. But the official said planners have been tasked with preparing to send 34,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan with the expectation that Obama was leaning toward approving that many. iReporters sound off; share your views on sending more troops in Afghanistan Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to receive the paperwork Thursday to approve orders to deploy 1,000 Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to Afghanistan in late December -- the first of the new troops to be sent, a U.S. military official told CNN on Wednesday. The official is not authorized to talk about the plans because they have not been officially announced. The 1,000 Marines are part of a battalion task force that has been preparing and training for the deployment, the official said. The president held a lengthy meeting with top advisers Monday night, and he told reporters Tuesday that he would announce new plans for Afghanistan after Thanksgiving. McChrystal took part in the meeting Monday, along with Vice President Joe Biden, Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen and Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, Afghanistan. Obama said Tuesday that the deliberations had been "comprehensive and extremely useful." "It's going to be important to recognize that in order for us to succeed there [in Afghanistan], you've got to have a comprehensive strategy that includes civilian and diplomatic efforts," he said at a news conference Tuesday with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The defense official said Tuesday that the military is planning to send three U.S. Army brigades, totaling about 15,000 troops; a Marine brigade with about 8,000 troops; a headquarters element of about 7,000; and between 4,000 and 5,000 support troops -- a total of about 34,000 troops. CNN reported last month that this was the Pentagon's preferred option. However, the official said Wednesday that the Marines are expected to deploy 8,000 combat, aviation and support troops, plus 1,000

Obama to explain why U.S. is in Afghanistan, its interests there and how he made decision . Official: Papers seeking orders to deploy 1,000 Marines next month are expected Thursday . NATO allies will also be asked to send more troops, officials say . Obama met with national security team Monday night to discuss Afghanistan .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama will deliver the eulogy Thursday at the funeral of civil rights leader Dorothy Height, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday. Height's funeral is set for 10 a.m. ET Thursday at Washington National Cathedral. Height died last week at the age of 98. The lasting impact of her life was reflected Tuesday evening by the hundreds of people who came out to pay their respects at her viewing at the National Council of Negro Women, an organization that she served as national president for 41 years. People lined three city blocks in Washington to attend the viewing and praised Height as a leader. "To me she's a part of history for women's rights and the civil rights movement," Delores Levalle said while waiting to enter the building. Many of the people attending the viewing emphasized how inspirational she was as a woman and as a leader of the civil rights movement, a woman who stood beside Martin Luther King Jr. during his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Patricia Green, who worked with Height in the 1970s, said she believes "this outpouring of affection for her is an understanding of the unique contribution she has made not just to African-American history, but to American history in general." CNN's Hunter Burgarella contributed to this report.

President Obama will deliver the eulogy for civil rights leader Dorothy Height . The funeral is set for 10 a.m. E.T. Thursday at Washington National Cathedral . Height, 98, was a former president of the National Council of Negro Women . People lined three city blocks to attend a viewing in Washington on Tuesday .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama will sign sweeping health care reform legislation into law at the White House on Tuesday, according to two Democratic officials familiar with the planning. Obama also will hit the road to sell the measure to a still-skeptical public, giving a speech Thursday in Iowa City, Iowa, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. Obama launched his grass-roots drive for health care reform in Iowa City in May 2007, according to Gibbs. The bill, which constitutes the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees in more than four decades, passed the House of Representatives late Sunday night with no Republican support. It was approved by the Senate in December. A separate compromise package of changes also passed the House on Sunday and still needs to be approved by the Senate. The officials noted that the Senate cannot begin debate on the package before Obama signs the underlying bill into law. Passage of the bill was a huge boost for Obama, who made health care reform a domestic priority. Aides said Monday that Obama exchanged handshakes, hugs and "high-fives" with staffers when the outcome of the House vote became apparent. "I haven't seen the president so happy about anything other than his family since I've known him," said senior adviser David Axelrod, adding that Obama's jubilation Sunday night exceeded his election victory in November 2008. "He was excited that night, but not like last night." Republicans promised to continue fighting the reforms, with 11 state attorneys general -- all Republican -- planning lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the bill's mandate for people to buy health insurance and requirements for states to comply with its provisions. Senior Republicans in Congress warned that voters will judge Democrats harshly in November's midterm elections, with Sen. John McCain of Arizona saying the Democratic-passed bill killed any chance of bipartisan support on legislation for the rest of the year. "There will be no cooperation for the rest of this year," McCain said in an interview with KFYI radio in Arizona. "They have poisoned the well in what they have done and how they have done it." Highlights of what's in the bill White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, however, said the administration expects to win any lawsuits filed against the bill, and he challenged McCain and other Republicans to campaign for the November election against benefits of the health care bill such as tax credits for small businesses and an end to insurance company practices such as denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. The overall $940 billion plan is projected to extend insurance coverage to roughly 32 million additional Americans. Most Americans will now be required to have health insurance or pay a fine. Larger employers will be required to provide coverage or risk financial penalties. Lifetime coverage limits will be banned, and insurers will be barred from denying coverage based on gender or pre-existing conditions. The compromise package would add to the bill's total cost partly by expanding insurance subsidies for middle- and lower-income families. The measure would scale back the bill's taxes on expensive insurance plans. House Democrats are expected to celebrate passage of the bill at a news conference with reform advocates Tuesday afternoon. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who spearheaded her husband's failed health reform effort in the 1990s, said earlier in the day that Obama's success was an example of the president's tenacity. "If you ever doubt the resolve of President Obama to stay with a job, look at what we got done for the United States last night when it came to passing quality affordable health care for everyone," Clinton said during a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Was it all worth it for Obama? Observers warn, however, that the road ahead for health care reform in the Senate may be rocky. Democratic leaders are using a legislative maneuver called reconciliation, which will allow the compromise plan to clear the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes. But according to Senate rules, members are still allowed to offer unlimited amendments and challenges. In one of the first of

Obama to travel to Iowa to continue sales pitch to still-skeptical public . President to sign bill on Tuesday; House Dems, reform advocates plan celebration . Package of changes to bill still needs Senate approval; GOP could delay it there . $940 billion health care reform bill heads to president's desk to be signed into law .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama's punch lines targeted a diverse group Saturday -- from teen sensations the Jonas Brothers to comedian Jay Leno, whom he described as the only person with worse ratings than his. "Jonas Brothers are here tonight," the president said at the annual White House Correspondents' dinner. Daughters "Sasha and Malia are huge fans. But boys, don't get any ideas. Two words: predator drones." Obama said he was happy to address the crowd before Leno, who headlined the annual event. "Glad to see the only person whose ratings fell more than mine last year. ... I'm also glad that I'm speaking first," he said. "We've seen what happens when someone takes the time slot after Leno," the president added, referring to comedian Conan O'Brien leaving NBC after an unsuccessful stint hosting "The Tonight Show." Members of the Obama administration, including Vice President Joe Biden and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, were not safe from the zingers either. Former rivals and volatile current issues were also part of the stand-up. The president noted that Arizona Sen. John McCain did not identify himself as a maverick this year -- a title he frequently touted when he was running for presidency against Obama. "And we all know what happens in Arizona when you don't have an ID. ... Adios amigos," Obama said. The president's quip referred to a new immigration law requiring officers in the state to question people about their immigration status if they think they're in the country illegally. Arizona is McCain's home state. Leno also took a dig at the Arizona law. "I got stuck behind the Arizona congressional delegation -- luckily all their papers were in order so I didn't have any trouble getting in," the comedian said while describing the event's tight security. On the president, Leno said he's not as antisocial as some critics accuse him of being. "He loves to socialize ... health care, car companies, things of that nature," Leno said. The first White House Correspondents' Association dinner was held in 1920 to boost communication between the press and the president, according to the association's website. It was open only to men until 1962, when President John F. Kennedy said he would not attend unless women were invited. Saturday's glitzy event featured various big names, including lawmakers, celebrities and journalists.

Celebrities from journalism, politics and showbiz gather at annual dinner . Obama kids Jay Leno about their shared problem -- sinking ratings . Both gets in digs at new Arizona immigration law .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama's senior economic adviser said Sunday the government was delaying a report to Congress in order to provide more time to address China's alleged currency manipulation. Lawrence Summers, director of the National Economic Council, told the CNN program "State of the Union" that major international meetings coming up, including a G-20 economic gathering that will include China, provide the opportunity to resolve trade differences that could be exacerbated if the exchange-rate report were released on April 15 as scheduled. Summers said the upcoming meetings offer opportunities to engage China and other countries that have large trade surpluses with the United States. U.S Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner announced the delay of the report to Congress on Saturday. Many lawmakers had hoped the report would publicly admonish China for allegedly manipulating its currency to the detriment of the United States. Geithner, explaining the delay, said the upcoming meetings are "the best avenue for advancing U.S. interests at this time." On Sunday, Summers denied that the delayed report had any connection to the U.S. desire for China to support tougher sanctions against Iran over the Tehran government's refusal to comply with international regulations regarding its nuclear energy program. His comment was in response to a question on the ABC program "This Week." China has opposed more sanctions, but last week signaled a willingness to negotiate the issue within the U.N. Security Council, according to Susan Rice, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations. Lawmakers from both parties have called on the Obama administration to speak out against China's refusal to let its currency appreciate. China has kept its yuan at about 6.83 to the dollar for almost two years. Many U.S. economists say the currency is undervalued by as much as 40 percent. Keeping its currency low makes China's goods cheaper on the world market and more likely to be purchased by other countries. But, analysts say, it hurts American businesses, which cannot compete. Some analysts have argued that this is costing the United States 1.5 million jobs and impeding the country's economic recovery. "Everyone knows China is manipulating the value of its currency to gain an unfair advantage in international trade," said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, adding he was disappointed in the treasury secretary's decision. "If we want the Chinese to take us seriously, we need to be willing to say so in public," said Grassley, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee. "The past few years have proven that denying the problem doesn't solve anything." Chinese officials have insisted the United States is using Beijing as a scapegoat for its own economic problems. "The Chinese government will not succumb to foreign pressure to adjust our exchange rates," said Zhong Shan, vice minister of commerce, late last month. Premier Wen Jiabao has been equally stern in his response. "We oppose the practice of finger-pointing among countries or strong-arm measures to force other countries to appreciate currencies," he told reporters last month. In his statement, Geithner acknowledged China has maintained an "inflexible exchange rate." "A move by China to a more market-oriented exchange rate will make an essential contribution to global rebalancing," he said. Rep. Sander Levin, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said the delay was meant to see if the international community can address the issue in the coming months. "If the multilateral effort does not result in China's making significant changes, the administration and Congress will have no choice but to take appropriate action," said Levin, a Democratic lawmaker from Michigan.

Economic adviser Lawrence Summers wants to give China more time . Critics argue China keeps currency low, hurting American businesses . U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner announced delay of currency report . Geithner admits China has maintained an "inflexible exchange rate"

Washington (CNN) -- Public schools in Western states can continue teacher-led reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, after a federal court ruled against a group of atheist parents. The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco, California, ruled 2-1 Thursday that the pledge does not represent a government endorsement of religion, prohibited by the Constitution. "The Pledge of Allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our republic was founded and for which we continue to strive: one Nation under God," wrote the majority. "Millions of people daily recite these words when pledging allegiance to the United States of America." The ruling applies only to the 11 states and territories in the West covered by the 9th Circuit, but it reinforces other rulings from other courts upholding the pledge. The same appeals court also ruled separately Thursday, upholding the use of the words "In God We Trust" on U.S. money. The lawsuit was brought by several parents in the Sacramento, California, area who objected to the school policy. Among them is Michael Newdow, a prominent attorney and atheist, who had brought his long-standing dispute to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2004. The justices had dismissed that earlier appeal on purely technical grounds, over questions he lacking standing as a custodial parent to bring the lawsuit on behalf of his school-age daughter. Newdow then recruited other parents into the current case. Newdow said he would appeal Thursday's decision but acknowledged his dim prospects going forward. "This was the appeal and this is the end of the road in terms of what you're guaranteed," he said. Newdow said he'll ask for a rehearing and, if that fails, will appeal to the Supreme Court. "But they don't have to take it," he said, referring to the nation's high court, "and the odds are pretty good that they won't." A woman identified only as Jan Roe was a key plaintiff, arguing she did not believe in God. She claimed the daily recitation interfered with her right to direct her child's upbringing and that it indoctrinated her child with the belief that God exists. Children are not required to stand and repeat the pledge, but some parents said the social pressures to conform were an improper infringement of their rights. The plaintiffs now have the option of asking the Supreme Court to hear the case. The appeals court framed the issue as a dispute over whether was a traditional patriotic exercise or a blatant religious message. The same court in 2002 agreed with Newdow and other atheist parents. In dissent to Thursday's ruling, Judge Stephen Reinhardt said the pledge was an overtly religious message. "Carrying out such an indoctrination in a public school classroom unconstitutionally forces many young children either to profess a religious belief antithetical to their personal views or to declare themselves through their silence or nonparticipation to be protesting nonbelievers, thereby subjecting themselves to hostility and ridicule," he wrote. The Supreme Court previously has ruled the mere mention of God or religion by the government in a public setting does not necessarily mean a violation of the "Establishment Clause" of the Constitution, which ensures the separation of church and state. Examples that have met high court scrutiny include Ten Commandments or Chanukah menorah displays in a public park; opening a legislative session with a prayer; granting tax breaks for religious organizations; and reimbursing transportation costs for parents whose end their children to parochial schools. The pledge was written in 1892 by Baptist minister and educator Francis Bellamy, who made no reference to religion in his version. It was originally worded: "I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." It quickly became a part of public school programs. In 1954, Congress added the words "under God," at the urging of the Knights of Columbus and other groups. Another modification was to change "my flag" to "the flag of the United States of America."

NEW: Prominent attorney, an atheist, said prospects are dim, but he plans to appeal . Appeals court: Pledge does not represent a government endorsement of religion . Ruling covers only the 11 Western states and territories covered by the 9th Circuit . Dissenting justice in 2-1 ruling said the pledge is an overtly religious message .

Washington (CNN) -- Reactions ranged from gloom-and-doom predictions to celebrations to ho-hum business-as-usual as the U.S. military changed its rules Tuesday to allow gay men and lesbians to serve openly. A minute into the new day, at 12:01 a.m., the old "don't ask, don't tell" rule that has been in force since the Clinton administration was gone. In its place was a policy designed to be blind to sexual orientation and one that the Pentagon brass insists will maintain the military in fighting trim, with no negative impact on "military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion and recruiting and retention." Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told a news conference that the repeal enhanced the integrity of the nation's fighting forces. "They'll all get up, they'll all go to work, and they'll all be able to do that work honestly, and their fellow citizens will be safe, and that's all that really matters," Mullen said. Some members of the U.S. military -- many who carefully hid both their identities and sexual orientation for years -- wasted no time in going public. That included the man who until now had been known as J.D. Smith. Smith had been at the forefront of pushing for the repeal, as co-founder and co-director of a group called OutServe, which bills itself as the Association of Actively Serving LGBT Military Personnel. As an active-duty service member, he would only speak to the media under a pseudonym. Under the new rules, his real identity can be revealed, and he announced at a news conference Tuesday that he is 1st Lt. Josh Seefried, an airman serving on a base in New Jersey. Until now, Seefried said, he had worried every day that he could lose his military career if it became known he was gay. "Today and every day I can go back into work with that burden lifted off my shoulders and not have to worry about it any more," he said. Concerns of a possible hostile reaction from heterosexual colleagues were unfounded, Seefried said, adding that "no one's going hurt us when we go back to our units." Others joined him. OutServe published a new edition Tuesday called the "Repeal Issue." It was available on some military bases around the world and included photos of 101 active service members openly stating they are gay. The OutServe magazine is also distributed online. "Now we are stepping forward, to a new day, a new life," wrote Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan Mills. "A life of openness, integrity, of honor. At last, our country has accepted us -- not for who we love or how we love but who we are." The magazine said its photo essay on 101 people serving in the military represented just a portion of the approximately 70,000 "currently serving" lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military personnel. "Today, for the first time in our history, we will welcome the service of any qualified individual who's willing to put on the uniform of our country," said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican credited with corralling support for the repeal. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, called it "a day to celebrate that it does get better, and we are moving toward a more perfect union." Seefried wrote a book on his experiences titled "Our Time: Breaking the Silence of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell." It had been advertised under his cover identify, but now Amazon is ready to substitute his real name on the book, he said. "The book is really important to me because this ties into people finding out that there are other gay military members out there serving," Seefried earlier told CNN. "I remember a book I read when I was in college done by a gay military officer and it gave me courage and I hope this book does the same." He admitted a lot of people will be

NEW: Defense, military chiefs say the repeal is about the integrity of the force . Gay activist First Lt. Josh Seefried reveals his orientation, now that he can . "Don't ask, don't tell" policy ends Tuesday . Opponent of the change predicts loyal troops will leave in the future .

Washington (CNN) -- Rep. Charlie Rangel temporarily stepped down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, a decision forced by a growing storm of ethics controversies threatening the longtime congressman. The 20-term New York Democrat told reporters he had submitted a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting a temporary leave of absence until a broad-reaching House ethics committee investigation concludes. "In order to avoid my colleagues' having to defend me during their elections, I have this morning sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi asking her to grant me a leave of absence until such time as the ethics committee completes its work," Rangel said Wednesday. In a statement, Pelosi said she had accepted Rangel's request and praised the congressman for "his decades of leadership on jobs, health care and the most significant economic issues of the day." Read Rangel's letter to Pelosi The night before Rangel said he had no plans to step aside from his powerful post. The Ways and Means Committee is responsible for drafting the nation's tax policies. Rangel is being investigated for, among other things, failing to pay taxes on a home in the Dominican Republic. The congressman also has admitted failing to report several hundred thousand dollars in assets on federal disclosure forms. In addition, he is under scrutiny for the purported misuse of a rent-controlled apartment for political purposes, as well as for allegedly preserving tax benefits for an oil-drilling company in exchange for donations to a project he supported at the City College of New York. Rangel was formally admonished Friday by the House ethics committee for violating rules on receiving gifts. Specifically, the committee found that Rangel violated House gift rules by accepting reimbursement payments for travel to conferences in the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008. Rangel's staff, according to the committee, knew that corporations had given money to the Carib News, which sponsored the events. That fact had not been divulged to the ethics committee when Rangel asked for and received approval to attend the trips, according to the committee's report. The committee found that while Rangel did not know about the contributions, he was nevertheless responsible. A source told CNN on Tuesday that if Rangel stepped aside, senior Ways and Means Democrat Pete Stark would take over as the committee's chairman "on a temporary basis." House Republicans plan to introduce a resolution Wednesday calling on Rangel to permanently step down and again force House Democrats to go on record defending him. They issued a statement after Rangel's announcement, calling his decision to temporarily step aside an "embarrassing episode" for the Democratic majority. "Nancy Pelosi's promise to run the 'most ethical Congress in history' has been reduced to a punch line, and as a result she is presiding over a caucus in chaos," said GOP spokesman Ken Spain. "The Democrats -- under Speaker Pelosi's leadership -- are incapable of leading the United States Congress." House Democrats have blocked previous GOP resolutions on the House floor, but several Democrats in competitive districts have come out publicly in recent days, saying they thought it was time for Rangel to step down. Rangel is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, which has 42 members in the House. CNN's Brianna Keilar and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report

NEW: Republicans plan to call for Rep. Charlie Rangel to step aside permanently . Rangel investigated for failing to pay taxes on Dominican Republic home . House ethics committee admonished him for violating rules on receiving gifts . House Ways and Means Committee responsible for drafting nation's tax policies .

Washington (CNN) -- Rep. Edward Markey on Monday challenged the assertion by oil giant BP's chief executive that no underwater oil plumes have formed because of the Gulf of Mexico spill. In a letter to BP, Markey, D-Massachusetts, said scientific evidence showed such plumes have formed and he asked for BP CEO Tony Hayward to provide evidence to back up Hayward's claim Sunday that the spilled oil had gone to the surface. On Sunday, Markey, who heads the House Energy and Environment subcommittee, had accused BP of issuing false statements about the oil spill. "BP in this instance means 'Blind to Plumes,'" Markey said in a statement Monday. There was no immediate response from BP. Markey's letter to BP said "the confirmation of the presence of large quantities of oil sub-surface could help to inform clean-up and response efforts, and it is vital that there is unfettered access to all relevant data or analysis." The letter noted that University of South Florida researchers recently reported finding a 22-mile-long plume of dispersed oil. In a separate letter Monday to BP, Markey called for complete transparency regarding video feeds of the company's underwater operations. BP is launching a new effort to cut an opening to the leaking equipment so that a containment dome can be lowered on it. "There cannot be any delay or gaps in our understanding of this situation, given that thousands of barrels of oil are spewing forth each day into the Gulf, with catastrophic long-term consequences," said Markey's letter to BP America head Lamar McKay, later adding: "BP should not be controlling the view the American public has of this disaster in our ocean."

Rep. Edward Markey calls for BP to prove claim of no underwater oil plumes . Markey also says BP must provide more information on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill . Markey is head of the House Energy and Environment subcommittee . BP CEO Tony Hayward said Sunday all the spilled oil was rising to the surface .

Washington (CNN) -- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords joined about 50 dignitaries and family members Thursday in Washington to mark the retirement of her husband, Capt. Mark Kelly, from the U.S. Navy. Kelly, 47,enlisted the military in 1987 and served as a combat and test pilot before joining the U.S. space program. He was part of space shuttle flights in 2001 and 2006, and then commanded ones in 2008 and again in May. The last one took place several months after Giffords was among 13 people wounded in a shooting at a constituent event outside a Tucson, Arizona, supermarket. Six others -- including a federal judge and a child -- were killed. Since then, the Arizona Democrat has been mostly out of the public eye and in intense rehabilitation in Arizona and Texas. One exception, prior to Thursday, was her August 1 return to the Capitol to cast a vote to raise the nation's debt ceiling. She attended Thursday's event inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located next to the West Wing of the White House, along with her congressional chief of staff, Pia Carusone, plus her and Kelly's mothers and his two teenage daughters from a previous marriage. Sporting glasses, black pants, running shoes and a brace on her right hand, Giffords smiled as she entered to prolonged applause and sat in the front row. Kelly officially retired from the Navy on Saturday. Thursday's event to commemorate the occasion was attended by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and several other members of Congress. At one point, Giffords helped present her husband with the Legion of Merit and Distinguishing Flying Cross medals, in honor of his fourth space shuttle mission. Vice President Joe Biden presided over the ceremony, attaching a Legion of Merit pin to Kelly's jacket and later offering remarks. "It's not every day you encounter examples of sheer, sheer courage and selflessness and dedication like you see in this couple," he said of Giffords and Kelly. Kelly also spoke, extending thanks to those who have offered their "boundless friendship and optimism" over the past eight, trying months. And he made a plea for NASA to "remain a permanent part of the fabric of this great country." The former astronaut gave flowers to his daughters and wife, then addressed her in front of the crowd. "Gabby, you remind me every day to deny the acceptance of failure," he said. "I look forward to the next phase of our life together and watching all of your future achievements." Kelly announced his retirement in June, writing then on his Facebook page that he wanted to devote more time to helping Giffords recover from her injuries and spend more time with his daughters. "This was not an easy decision. Public service has been more than a job for me and for my family," he wrote.

Captain formally retired from the U.S. Navy on Saturday . Vice President Biden presides over formal retirement ceremony . Kelly's wife, Gabrielle Giffords, shot last January, takes part in the event . The ex-astronaut says Giffords reminds him not to accept failure .

Washington (CNN) -- Republican Scott Brown was sworn in Thursday as the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts to fill the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, and immediately signaled opposition to President Obama's spending plans. Brown's new Senate colleagues applauded after the ceremony on the floor of the Senate chamber conducted by Vice President Joe Biden, in his capacity as president of the Senate. Democratic Sen. John Kerry, also of Massachusetts, and Brown's wife, Gail Huff, accompanied Brown into the chamber. At a news conference after the ceremony, Brown thanked Massachusetts voters who gave him a surprise victory in the January 19 special election in a state that had not elected a Republican senator since 1972. "I can't promise I'll be right in every vote I make. I'm sure I'll make mistakes from time to time," Brown said. "But I will try to learn and grow and do the very best job I can on a day-to-day basis." Brown's election victory stripped Senate Democrats of their 60-seat Senate supermajority, imperiling the ability of Obama and Democrats to push major legislative priorities such as health care reform through Congress. The Republican upset in Massachusetts also raised fears among many congressional Democrats of a potential GOP landslide in November's midterm elections. A fiscal conservative who holds some moderate views, Brown was noncommittal on whether he would support a Republican filibuster in coming Senate consideration of some Obama nominees for government posts. He also said he needed to talk to generals in the field before deciding to support Obama's call, supported by top military leaders, to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding a ban on gays in the military. Brown made clear he opposes the spending policies of the Obama administration, stating that the $862 billion stimulus bill passed last year "didn't create one new job" in Massachusetts or across the country. He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks, instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate. That prompted a response later from Jay Carney, spokesman for Biden, who said, "Anyone can go to recovery.gov (on the Internet) and see that Massachusetts state and local government, businesses and community organizations have already reported directly funding over 9,000 jobs in the state last year -- and that's based on a only a portion of the total $8.4 billion in (stimulus) funds that have already gone to Massachusetts." He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks, instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate. At the same time, Brown said he would consider each piece of legislation on merit, rather than whether it was proposed by one party or another. "If I see a bill that's good for my state first, I don't care where it comes from," Brown said. "If it's good for Massachusetts, I'll consider it." Thursday's ceremony occurred a week earlier than originally planned. Massachusetts officials had said it would take a few weeks after the election to certify the result of Brown's victory. In a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Secretary of State William Galvin on Wednesday, Brown's attorney said the senator-elect had planned on being sworn in on February 11, but had been told that several Senate votes would be held before then. "For this reason, he wants certification to occur immediately," attorney Daniel Winslow wrote. The certification occurred Thursday, allowing Brown to officially fill his seat later in the day. "There's no hidden agenda," Brown said of his push to get certified this week instead of next. "It's because I want to get to work." Asked why his daughters didn't attend the swearing-in, Brown explained one of them, Ayla, had a college basketball game to play Thursday and the other, Arianna, had a college exam. "The Bibles I used for today's swearing-in belong to

NEW: Newly sworn-in senator stresses opposition to President Obama's fiscal policies . NEW: Brown noncommittal on prospect of filibustering over some Obama nominees . Scott Brown is sworn into office Thursday, becoming crucial 41st GOP vote . Brown won a special election to fill the remainder of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's term .

Washington (CNN) -- Senate Democrats proposed Friday tax incentives for businesses hiring veterans as well as job training for all service members leaving the military. The measure was unveiled as the next piece in President Obama's jobs bill and as a remedy to unemployment among veterans. "It would basically make sure that our veterans are not standing at the back of any unemployment line," Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) told reporters. "It's important that we support our troops not just by lip-service but by action, and we intend to act next week." Noticeable absent from Friday's Democratic proposal is the job bill's controversial millionaire's surtax, which would increases taxes on those with incomes of more than $1 million. Republicans have roundly rejected the surtax, saying it would hurt small businesses and stunt economic growth. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington), chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, told reporters they would utilize "existing pay-fors," or revenue streams, that have been used to fund veterans' issues. "What we did is bring together Republican and Democrat, House and Senate, congressional and administration ideas in putting this package forward. I think it uses the best of everyone's ideas and will make a real difference for veterans," said Murray. "Veterans are not a partisan issue. They are something we can all get behind." A major component of the bill would offer tax credits to companies hiring jobless veterans -- up to $2,400 in credits for hiring veterans out of work for more than 4 weeks, up to $5,600 for hiring veterans out of work for more than six months, and up to $9,600 credit for employing veterans with service-connected disabilities looking for work for more than six months. The bill would also make mandatory jobs skills training for every service member moving into civilian life and also offer older veterans additional Montgomery GI benefits for training programs at community colleges and technical schools. "It is quite frankly shameful that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have a higher unemployment rate than the rest of America," said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana). A cost estimate for the bill was not immediately available. Murray said Democrats plan to attach the veterans' measure as an amendment to House-passed bill that eliminates the 3% withholding requirement for government contractors -- a bill that House and Senate Republicans say would create jobs. While Senate Republican aides indicated the veterans' assistance proposal and the absence of the millionaire's surtax were encouraging, they were cautious and said they would need to see the proposal's details, including how it would be funded. CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

Senate Democrats eliminate controversial millionaire's surtax from jobs bill . Republicans opposed the surtax . The jobs measure would offer tax incentives to firms hiring veterans . The bill would also provide job training to everyone leaving the military .

Washington (CNN) -- Several veterans and conservative bloggers are taking issue with President Barack Obama choosing not to attend the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Vice President Joe Biden is attending in his place. "Arlington is a place of tremendous symbolism," said Paul Rieckhoff, founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "On Monday, it's where the eyes of our entire nation will be focused," said Rieckhoff, "and unfortunately, the president and his family won't be there to stand with us." After his Friday trip to the Louisiana coast to check on the oil spill, the president will go to Chicago, Illinois, with his family to spend time with friends. Obama will mark the Monday holiday with remarks at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, about an hour outside of Chicago. "President Obama has a deep respect and appreciation for our service members and veterans, clearly seen in his administration's policies, priorities and actions," said Nick Shapiro, White House assistant press secretary. A conservative blogger disagrees. On Redstate.com, Erick Erickson writes, "going to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns has ... everything to do with a Commander in Chief who seems to not like the military showing some basic respect to the men and women, alive and dead, who have actually kept us free." Erickson is also an analyst for CNN. But some vets groups say it's all right if the president misses this one, noting that he attended wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington last year. Jay Agg, communications director for AMVETS, a veterans service organization, said "this really is a nonissue," calling a lot of the outrage "politically motivated." "It really does seem odd to me that such a big deal is being made out of this because he is going to a national cemetery to observe the holiday in Illinois. Bush sent Cheney to a Veterans Day event in DC," Agg said. Obama's absence from Memorial Day services at Arlington will not be unprecedented, but in recent years, it has been a common practice to attend. President Bill Clinton went every year of his presidency, and President George W. Bush went each year except for the year he was in Europe to commemorate the D-Day anniversary. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush did not attend regularly. "AMVETS recognizes and appreciates the fact that the president has done a lot for veterans," Agg said. "He's behind the largest increase to the VA budget in history and has signed a number of critical pieces of legislation that benefit vets, including the post-9/11 GI bill, and more recently, caregiver legislation," he said. "We're in middle of two wars," argues Rieckhoff, of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "There will be hundreds of children there who have lost parents. Every major veterans group will be there. He should be there with his family." "We understand that President Obama is a very busy man. He has things like the oil spill and the economy to worry about," American Legion spokesman Marty Callaghan told CNN. "Obviously, it is always a good thing for our commander in chief to be in the nation's capital for Memorial Day," he said. "But other presidents have not always been here, including the first President Bush and President Reagan." "We feel like he is going to be here in spirit," Callaghan said. "He is our commander in chief."

Obama to mark holiday at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery outside Chicago . Vice president to attend Arlington National ceremony in Obama's place . Blogger says absence from Arlington shows lack of respect for veterans . But some veterans groups say absence is OK, citing that of other presidents .

Washington (CNN) -- Six days before the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday and challenged U.S. lawmakers to tear down other walls. "Today's generation needs to prove that it can meet the challenges of the 21st century. In a sense, we are able to tear down walls of today," she said. What that means, Merkel said, is "creating freedom and security, creating prosperity and justice. And it means protecting our planet." Merkel, the first German chancellor to address a joint meeting of Congress, emphasized the need for an agreement on global warming. "Icebergs are melting in the Arctic. In Africa, people become refugees because their environment has been destroyed," she said. "We need an agreement on one objective: Global warming must not exceed 2 degrees Celsius." She said she hopes that agreement will be reached at a the climate conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, next month. Merkel also touched on the global financial crisis, saying that the "near collapse of the markets has shown what happens when there is no underpinning order." "A globalized economy needs a global order ... a global framework of rules," she said. "Without global rules and transparency and supervision, we will not gain more freedom, but rather risk the abuse of freedom and thus risk instability." Merkel also recalled her years in East Germany before the wall fell. The United States, "the land of unlimited opportunity was for me, for a long time, impossible to reach," she said. "The wall, barbed wire and the order to shoot at those who tried to leave limited my access to the free world," she said. Merkel said she and her countrymen owed the United States for its friendship and support. "To put it in just one sentence, I know, we Germans know, how much we owe to you, our American friends, and I personally shall never ever forget this," she said. Earlier, President Obama welcomed Merkel and thanked her for her country's "sacrifice" in Afghanistan. He also called her a leader on the issue of climate change. He said her opportunity to speak to the joint meeting of Congress was a "great honor." "It is, I think, a very appropriate honor that's been bestowed on Chancellor Merkel," he said. In 1957, German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer addressed the House and Senate separately, Merkel said.

Angela Merkel is first German chancellor to address a joint meeting of Congress . She stressed protecting the planet, need for an agreement on global warming . Merkel: Near collapse of the markets shows what happens when there is no order .

Washington (CNN) -- Some of the most powerful leaders in American politics came together Thursday to remember Dorothy Height, a woman who dedicated her life to civil rights and justice for the least powerful members of society. President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Attorney General Eric Holder led mourners at a memorial service for Height at a packed National Cathedral. Height, a civil rights pioneer, died last week at the age of 98. She had been chair and president emeritus of the National Council of Negro Women and worked alongside civil rights leaders including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., future U.S. Rep. John Lewis and A. Philip Randolph. She was on the platform when King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington. Height's life was an "unambiguous record of righteous work," Obama said in the service's eulogy. She "deserves a place of honor in America's memory." She was a woman of "quiet, dogged, dignified persistence." Height was born in an era when "Jim Crow ruled the South (and) the Klan was on the rise," Obama said. "Progress came slowly. That progress came from the collective efforts of multiple generations of Americans. ... Men and women like Dr. Height took it upon themselves -- often at great risk -- to change this country for the better." "May God bless Dorothy Height and the union that she made more perfect," he said. Mourners at the service participated in renditions of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the gospel song "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder." Referred to as the "godmother" of the civil rights movement, Height was at the center of countless heated debates over social justice in a changing country beginning in the early days of President Franklin Roosevelt's administration. Among other awards, Height received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 from President Clinton and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. Height led the National Council of Negro Women from 1957 to 1988, when she became the group's chair and president emeritus. She was also a key figure in the YWCA beginning in the 1930s. Height was born in Richmond, Virginia, and grew up in Rankin, Pennsylvania. Her civil rights work began in 1933 when she became a leader of the United Christian Youth Movement of North America. She fought to stop lynchings and worked to desegregate the armed forces. Under Height's leadership, the council worked to help women and low-income families by promoting programs to alleviate hunger and build more affordable housing. The organization also spearheaded voter registration drives and started "Wednesdays in Mississippi" in which female interracial groups helped at Freedom Schools, institutions meant to empower African-Americans and address inequalities in how the races were educated. She experienced personal discrimination, writing in her memoir about being rejected from New York's Barnard College because she was black. "Although I had been accepted, they could not admit me," she wrote in "Open Wide the Freedom Gates." "It took me a while to realize that their decision was a racial matter: Barnard had a quota of two Negro students per year, and two others had already taken the spots." At its 1980 commencement ceremonies, Barnard College awarded Height its highest honor, the Barnard Medal of Distinction.

Memorial service held for civil rights icon Dorothy Height, who died last week at 98 . Obama, Biden, Clinton among the mourners at packed National Cathedral . Obama calls Height's life an "unambiguous record of righteous work"

Washington (CNN) -- State visits to the White House are full of show and symbolism, and Tuesday's visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is no exception. But Singh's visit, the first state visit hosted by the Obama administration, reflects India's growing political and economic importance to the United States and the deepening partnership between Washington and New Delhi. The 2005 civil nuclear cooperation deal between the two countries symbolized a new status in U.S.-India relations. But that deal, yet to be ratified by the Indian parliament, was not in a vacuum. The Bush administration followed that up with agreements for increased cooperation on security, science and technology and education. Singh's visit this week will build on that, with announcements expected on a range of areas from the economy and defense to climate change and energy. India is a fellow democracy, and there is a strong Indian-American community in the U.S. So as it rises to power, India is a natural U.S. ally. On every big global issue today -- from the economy to climate change to fighting terrorism and curbing nuclear proliferation -- Washington needs New Delhi's cooperation. India is one of the biggest donors in Afghanistan, with $1.2 billion in aid. Although this has been met with suspicion in Pakistan, it has helped the United States, sharing some of the burden of stabilizing Afghanistan and providing civilian support. India is also considered a critical U.S. partner in dealing with other instability in the region, in places like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Even as the U.S. deepens its cooperation with China on global issues, both Singh's government and the Obama administration want to manage China's meteoric rise. Strong U.S.-India ties help both countries ensure that the "Asian century" is not merely the "Chinese century." India has also become a major trading partner with the U.S., with $61 billion in trade in 2007. The U.S. is India's second-largest trading partner. And India is a major exporter of technology software and services to the U.S., and that's expected to increase as India strengthens its role as a global leader in technology. The relationship is not without its irritants, however, the biggest one being India's nuclear neighbor, Pakistan. India believes the U.S. has failed to curb Islamabad's backing of anti-India extremists based in Pakistan, and tensions between India and Pakistan remain high, especially with Pakistan's slow progress on the investigation into last year's Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. Before coming to Washington, Singh said that Pakistani objectives in Afghanistan aren't necessarily those of the U.S. Pakistan has long seen instability in Afghanistan as critical to its war strategy against India. India is also nervous about a possible integration of some Taliban into power in Afghanistan. Climate change is another point of friction. The U.S. wants India, one of world's the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, to accept limits on its carbon emissions. India maintains it is still a developing country and wants developed nations, like the U.S., to assume the lion's share of burden in dealing with climate change. Another potential difference looms over Iran. India has been careful not to support Iran's government, but if U.S. diplomacy with Iran fails, it remains to be seen if New Delhi will support tougher sanctions if the U.S. decides to go that route. As India's economy grows, so will its capability to be one of the U.S.' great partners. But as its international position strengthens, New Delhi's interests may not always be aligned with Washington's. Obama must work to convince India that the U.S. sees it as an important ally and that its rise to power is in the U.S.' strategic interest. The symbolism of giving Singh the administration's first state visit will be a good start.

Visit by Indian PM reflects India's growing political, economic importance to the U.S. Visit will build on deals for unity on security, nuclear, science, technology, education issues . U.S. wants good relations with India as it seeks stability, influence in Asia . Nations' frictions include relations with Pakistan, climate change legislation .

Washington (CNN) -- Survivors of the oil rig explosion April 20 that triggered an underwater oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, along with the father of a man who died in the blast, urged members of a House committee Thursday to hold Transocean and BP accountable for the incident. "Please believe me, no amount of money will ever compensate us for Gordon's loss," said Keith Jones, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, attorney whose son, 28-year-old engineer Gordon Jones, died in the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon off the coast of Louisiana. "We know that. But payment of damages by wrongdoers is the only means we have in this country to make things right." Two employees of rig owner Transocean, meanwhile, accused the company of putting profits above lives and cutting back on safety and employees leading up to the explosion. When workers complained of needing more help, "They just kept telling us they'd see what they could do," said engineer Doug Brown, 50, of Vancouver, Washington. Brown suffered head and leg injuries in the explosion and said he now struggles with short-term memory loss and post-traumatic stress disorder. Employee Stephen Stone told committee members that the explosion "was hardly the first thing to go wrong" on the rig. Both men described a horrific scene on board the Deepwater Horizon the night of April 20, with people crying and screaming for help as others scrambled for safety. "I was pretty certain I was going to die," Stone said. After making it onto a lifeboat, being rescued by the Coast Guard and reaching land, some 28 hours after the explosion, survivors "were lined up and made to take a drug test" before being allowed to leave or call their families, Stone said. Transocean asked him to a sign a document -- without his attorney present -- saying he was not injured in the blast in exchange for $5,000 for the loss of his personal possessions, he said. He refused to sign the portion saying he was uninjured, he said, because even though he did not require medical treatment at the time, he must see a doctor for effects of smoke inhalation and is also dealing with mental and emotional aftereffects. Legal representatives for both BP and Transocean said the companies are making payment of claims a priority. "We are going to pay all legitimate claims," said Darryl Willis, vice president for resources for BP America, who is handling claims against the company. "We realize that we're going to be judged by our response to this spill, and we're going to pay for all damage to people, to governments, to the community." BP has already paid out some $37 million in claims, he said, and has opened claim centers in Gulf Coast states. But Jones argued that the federal Death on the High Seas Act unreasonably limits the damages surviving family members can receive. He said the situation makes even less sense considering it was modified after the crash of TWA Flight 800 in 1996 to help the families of air crash victims recover damages. In one of the last pictures taken of Gordon Jones, he was giving his 2-year-old son, Stafford, his first golf lesson. His second son, Maxwell, was born two weeks ago, with his father represented in the delivery room by a family photo. "There's nothing in the High Seas Act that can compensate the loss of a golf teacher," his father told CNN after the hearing. "His sons are not going to have someone to teach them to give a man a firm handshake and look them in the eye." He said his son's wife, Michelle, "cannot recover for the loss of the love of her life." "The loss of Gordon's income is the last thing Michelle grieves for," he told Congress. "When Michelle tells her boys about their dad, she is not going to show them a pay stub." But under the current law, he said, that is all she and the older son are

Transocean attorney denies company had employees sign releases . Survivors of the Deepwater Horizon explosion testify to a House committee on Thursday . Also testifying was a father of one of the 11 workers killed in the April 20 blast . Survivors say the company compromised safety with employment cutbacks .

Washington (CNN) -- Tables set in apple green, ruby and gold with arrangements of roses, hydrangeas and sweet peas awaited guests to Tuesday's White House state dinner. The place settings in fine china from three previous administrations -- Eisenhower, Clinton and George W. Bush -- are flanked by crystal glasses and five pieces of silverware. Place cards are handwritten, including two that read "The President" and "Mrs. Obama." The first state dinner of Barack Obama's presidency, in honor of visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will take place in a tent set up on the White House South Lawn, with a view of the Washington Monument. Guests will sit at round tables for 10, with the floral arrangements intended to pay homage to the state bird of India, the Indian peacock, and the dinner featuring a seasonal menu reflecting American and Indian flavors, according to the White House. The first course will be a potato and eggplant salad made with White House-grown arugula and accompanied by an onion-seed vinaigrette. Red lentil soup with fresh cheese follows, and then a choice of entrees: roasted potato dumplings with tomato chutney, chickpeas and okra for vegetarians, or green curry prawns and caramelized salsify with smoked collard greens. Dessert will be pumpkin pie tart or pear tatin with whipped cream and caramel sauce. Each course is paired with its own wine, all of American vintage. Michelle Obama worked with guest chef Marcus Samuelsson and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford to "create a menu that reflects the best of American cuisine, continues this White House's commitment to serving fresh, sustainable and regional food, and honors the culinary excellence and flavors that are present in Indian cuisine," the White House said. The herbs and lettuces were harvested from the White House Kitchen Garden started by the first lady, and honey from the White House beehive is being used to poach the dessert pears.

Dinner in honor of Indian premier will take place on White House South Lawn . Floral arrangements intended to pay homage to the Indian peacock . Dinner reflecting Indian and American flavors uses herbs from White House garden .

Washington (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of people turned out on Washington's National Mall on Sunday to support the Obama administration in its next big battle, a renewed effort to overhaul U.S. immigration laws. Speaking by video to the crowd, President Obama said he would do "everything in my power" to get a bipartisan deal within the year. "You know as well as I do that this won't be easy, and it won't happen overnight," Obama said. "But if we work together across ethnic, state and party lines, we can build a future worthy of our history as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws." Obama's appearance was followed by comments from Gustavo Torres, executive director of the Baltimore-based immigrant advocacy group CASA de Maryland. Torres told the crowd, "Mr. President, we are going to hold you accountable." Though overshadowed by the historic debate on health care taking place in the nearby halls of Congress, Sunday's rally set the stage for a revival of efforts to reshape U.S. immigration law. The issue has been largely sidelined since a similar push by the Bush administration failed in 2007. "You are a spectacular sight," Ali Noorani, chairman of the coalition that organized the demonstration, told the crowd. Noorani said the rally had drawn more than 150,000 people "from across the country, and we are demanding comprehensive immigration reform now." Noorani's figure could not be verified immediately. The crowd packed more than two blocks of the Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Then-President George W. Bush supported a bipartisan effort to overhaul U.S. immigration laws four years ago, proposing to set up a path to legal status for the estimated 11 million people in the United States without authorization. But those measures were criticized as establishing amnesty for illegal immigrants, and legislation Bush supported died with a Senate filibuster -- one led by members of his own party but joined by more than a dozen Democrats. Sunday's event followed last week's publication of a new plan backed by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina. The plan would create a "tough but fair" path to legalization, as well as a temporary worker program and tighter border controls, the sponsors wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece Friday. Obama called the senators' plans promising and said it should be the basis for moving forward. He called on Congress to act on that plan at the earliest possible opportunity. Obama's push on immigration also helped secure a key vote for his health care bill. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, announced his support for the bill after receiving a commitment to move forward on immigration "as soon as possible." "The wait is over. The time is now," Gutierrez told Sunday's rally. "We're ready to turn our hope into victory." CNN's Sandra Endo contributed to this report.

Demonstrators call for overhaul of U.S. immigration laws . Push comes four years after failed effort at reform . Two senators recently proposed new plan, calling for "tough but fair" path to legalization . President has called on Congress to act on plan "at earliest possible opportunity"

Washington (CNN) -- The 17-year sentence given to convicted terrorist plotter Jose Padilla was ruled too lenient by a federal appeals court on Monday, a legal victory for the Obama administration. A divided 2-1 panel of the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said the federal judge presiding over the 2007 conspiracy trial did not properly take into account the former gang member's past criminal history when sentencing him. Padilla and two others were found guilty of conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens and provide material support to terrorists. "Padilla's sentence is substantively unreasonable because it ... does not adequately account for his risk of recidivism, was based partly on an impermissible comparison to sentences imposed in other terrorism cases, and was based in part on inappropriate factors," said the majority. "First, the district court acknowledged that Padilla had a criminal history but then unreasonably discounted this criminal history when it imposed a sentence. The presentence investigation report classified Padilla as a career offender, pursuant to [federal law] because of his extensive criminal history, which included 17 arrests and a murder conviction." Padilla was originally arrested nearly a decade ago on accusations he planned to set off radioactive "dirty bombs" in the United States. He had been held for 3 ½ years as an "enemy combatant" in military confinement, without being charged in that alleged plot. His later convictions were not related to those accusations, and prosecutors did not present the "dirty bomb" plot to the jury. He and co-defendants Adham Hassoun and Kifan Jayyousi were also found guilty of the three counts charged: conspiracy to murder, kidnap, and maim people in a foreign country; conspiracy to provide material support for terrorists; and providing material support for terrorists. The appeals panel upheld the convictions and sentences of the other two defendants but said Padilla's prison term was too light, ordering the trial judge to resentence him. The judges supporting the tougher sentence were Chief Judge Joel Dubina -- a George H.W. Bush appointee -- and William Pryor, a George W. Bush appointee. The order did not include a deadline for resentencing. A federal court jury in Miami in August 2007 had deliberated for just under two days before handing down the guilty verdicts. Padilla received a "fair trial and a just verdict," the Bush White House said in a statement at the time, but the administration decided to appeal the sentence. The Obama administration picked up the case in 2009. There was no immediate reaction to the appeals ruling from either Padilla's legal team or the Justice Department. During the trial, prosecutors played more than 70 intercepted phone calls among the defendants for jurors, including seven that featured Padilla, now 40. He is a Brooklyn-born convert to Islam who also is referred to in court papers as Abu Abdullah al Mujahir. FBI agent John Kavanaugh testified that the calls were made in code, which Padilla used to discuss traveling overseas to fight with Islamic militants, along with side trips to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Padilla's lawyers had argued he never spoke in code. His voice is heard on only seven of 300,000 taped conversations. In dissent in Monday's ruling, Judge Rosemary Barkett questioned Kavanaugh's testimony, saying his "opinion testimony should have been excluded because he was never qualified as an expert and did not have the requisite firsthand knowledge to offer his lay opinion." She also said the appeals court should not have questioned the trial judge's discretion over the sentence. The Supreme Court in 2004 had heard Padilla's original appeal over his former enemy- combatant status, claiming he deserved a chance to contest his prior military detention on constitutional grounds. He was arrested in May 2002 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as he returned from overseas, where he had been living. He was detained as a material witness in the September 11, 2001, attacks investigation. President George W. Bush designated him an "enemy combatant" the following month and turned him over to the military. He was one of the few terror suspects designated by the U.S. as an enemy combatant since 9/11. Padilla was held in a

17 years too little time for convicted terror plotter, federal appeals court rules . Ruling: Federal judge in 2007 trial didn't weigh criminal history adequately . Dissenter: Lower-court judge's sentencing discretion shouldn't be question . Jose Padilla, 40, a former gang member, plotted to set off "dirty bombs"

Washington (CNN) -- The Air Force admitted Thursday that it sent more sets of military personnel remains to a Virginia landfill than it originally acknowledged. Backtracking on initial information about how it handled the remains of American service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Air Force now says the cremated body parts of hundreds of the fallen were burned and dumped in the landfill. Earlier, the Air Force said only a small number of body parts had been buried in a commercial landfill and claimed it would be impossible to make a final determination of how many remains were disposed of in that manner. The Washington Post broke the story Thursday, and the Air Force now confirms that body fragments linked to at least 274 fallen military personnel sent to the Dover Air Force Base Mortuary were cremated, incinerated and buried with medical waste. That procedure was in place between November 2003 and May 1, 2008. The Air Force also said that 1,762 body parts were never identified and also were disposed of, first by cremation, then by further incineration and then buried in a landfill. Congressman Rush Holt, D-New Jersey, Thursday accused the Pentagon of what he called "willful blindness" in not acting faster to identify and correct the problems and fully report them. "For years, this has been handled unceremoniously and insensitively and, I would say, dishonorably," Holt said in a telephone interview. He said he had been asking the Pentagon for months about information about Dover, on behalf of a constituent whose husband was killed five years ago. "They don't get it. They don't understand the degree of dishonor involved in all of this," Holt said. Last month, the Defense Department told the congressman that exact numbers could not be determined. "Without individual case-by-case review, the exact number of Service-directed disposition of subsequent remains cannot be determined," said a fact sheet sent to Holt in November. "It would require a massive effort and time to recall records and research individually." When bodies are not intact -- for instance, in the aftermath of a crash or explosion -- a body may be released to the family before some parts have been identified by the Air Force Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Families can elect to be notified when parts are identified or leave it up to the military to dispose of them appropriately. Since the policy was changed in 2008, the unclaimed body parts are buried at sea. An earlier report found instances of mismanagement and inadequate accounting at Dover, noting that some body parts were missing from the mortuary and in one case an arm was sawed off so a body would fit in a casket. An independent group of experts is now investigating what happened at the mortuary and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has ordered the Air Force to look at how mortuary employees there were disciplined. Two civilians were transferred to other jobs and a military officer received a career-ending letter of reprimand. Holt pointed to how the United States spends millions each year searching for the remains of service members missing in action from previous wars, for instance in Southeast Asia. "That makes us proud to be an American, that we would do that," Holt said. "It is a level of response that honors our soldiers." The mistakes at Dover send a different message, Holt said. "It sends shudders to think that we engage in this kind of desecration." But at the Pentagon, aides to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Panetta is satisfied with how the Air Force responded in regard to the landfill policy and new information about how many of the American fallen were involved. "I think the secretary is comfortable with the way the Air Force has handled this," said Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby. And Kirby strongly pushed back against criticism by Rep. Holt. "I don't think there is another federal agency in this town, I don't think there is another institution in this country," that understands more about how to properly treat the remains of fallen troops, said Kirby, tapping the briefing room

Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base handles remains of returning war dead . New Jersey congressman says the Pentagon should have acted faster . An earlier report found mismanagement at the mortuary . Service members' body parts incinerated, buried with medical waste .

Washington (CNN) -- The Democratic-controlled Senate on Wednesday rejected two proposed versions for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution -- a setback to GOP leaders and conservative activists who say the measure is necessary to end the federal government's spiraling deficit spending. A Democratic version opposed by Republicans fell on a 21-79 vote. Then a Republican version also failed to get the two-thirds majority required with a 47-53 vote. Last month, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives failed to pass a GOP-proposed amendment, falling 23 votes shy of the two-thirds majority required for passage. The congressional votes on the amendment were agreed to by both parties in August as part of the agreement raising Washington's debt ceiling. Democratic leaders, however, are vehemently opposed to the idea, arguing that it would force the government into an economically destructive cycle of massive spending cuts. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said Wednesday that a step as historically significant as a constitutional amendment was unnecessary. Getting government spending under control "takes political will, even political courage," Durbin said, but "it doesn't take a constitutional amendment.'' Conservative Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah disagreed, saying Congress has repeatedly proved it's unable to control itself on spending. "We are taxing and spending this country into bankruptcy," Hatch said, later adding, "We don't have any restraint around here." Despite the proposal's defeat, it has been favored by the public. Nearly three in four Americans favored passage of the amendment in a July 18-20 CNN/ORC International Poll, while 24% were opposed. Sixty percent of Americans say they believe a balanced budget amendment is necessary to get the deficit under control, according to the poll. The House passed a balanced budget amendment in 1995, but the measure fell one vote short in the Senate in both 1995 and 1997.

Two versions fail to get the two-thirds majority required . The votes were required under the debt ceiling agreement reached in August . A Republican version of the amendment previously failed to pass the House .

Washington (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday extended permission for hundreds of pilots to carry firearms -- just hours before their certification to carry the weapons was to expire, according to an organization which represents the pilots. "A few hundred" Federal Flight Deck Officers -- or FFDOs -- were to lose their certification to carry firearms effective midnight on New Year's Eve, said Mike Karn, executive vice president of the Federal Flight Deck Officer Association. The loss would have come at a time of heightened concern about air security because of the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day. But Karn said the DHS's Federal Air Marshal program notified him Thursday afternoon that the pilots' certification would be extended. A Transportation Security Administration official confirmed that certifications had been extended for six months "in light of recent events." The official said that "due to an internal miscommunication, scheduled notifications to these officers were prematurely issued," but he offered no further explanation. FFDOs are commercial pilots who volunteer to undergo training so they can carry weapons to protect their aircraft. They undergo initial training at federal law enforcement training academies and must re-qualify with firearms every six months, and undergo a two-day recurrent training every three to five years. "I'm grateful [for the extension] because that will keep the most cost-effective last line of defense [of aircraft] in place," Karn said. "But I'm still concerned that such a limited budget has been approved for this program, and volunteers who want to protect the American public will be turned away." Karn said the budget for the program has not increased since 2003, effectively capping the number of armed pilots. The exact number of FFDOs is classified, but government officials have said in the past the number greatly exceeds the number of federal air marshals -- plain-clothed officers who fly in the cabin of the plane to protect aircraft. Several FFDOs contacted by CNN said DHS has made getting recurrent training onerous for pilots, limiting the number and sizes of classes. Pilots also must pay for their own hotels and food during training -- "our own time and our own dime," said one pilot -- placing a further burden on them. Had the loss of certification occurred, it would not have affected the pilots' flight clearance, only their ability to carry weapons.

Federal Flight Deck Officers were to lose certification effective midnight tonight . Certifications have been extended for six months "in light of recent events," official says . Officials have said there are more FFDOs than federal air marshals, number is classified . Pilot organization concerned that limited budget will deter pilots from volunteering .

Washington (CNN) -- The FBI attained "actionable intelligence" from bombing suspect Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab in the first hours after his arrest on Christmas Day, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday. "AbdulMutallab spent a number of hours with FBI investigators in which we gleaned useable, actionable intelligence," Gibbs told reporters. According to authorities, Nigerian-born AbdulMutallab tried to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear as a flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, made its final approach to Detroit, Michigan, December 25. The device failed to fully detonate, instead setting off a fire at the man's seat. Gibbs declined to elaborate on the nature of the intelligence. AbdulMutallab, 23, has been tied to the Yemen-based group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In a statement to reporters after meeting with his national security team, President Obama said U.S. officials had enough information in their possession before the failed bombing attack to have prevented the suspect from getting on the plane, but had been unable to "connect the dots." Obama said he could accept the imperfect nature of intelligence work, "but it is increasingly clear that intelligence was not fully analyzed or fully leveraged," he said, adding: "That's not acceptable, and I will not tolerate it." "Time and again we've learned that quickly piecing together information and taking swift action is critical to staying one step ahead of a nimble adversary," Obama said. "So we have to do better, and we will do better, and we have to do it quickly. American lives are on the line." In one step, senior State Department officials told CNN on Tuesday that new criteria for information collected on possible terrorists would make it easier to ban them from U.S.-bound flights. Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the material, the officials said the United States has lowered the threshold for information considered important enough to put suspicious individuals on a no-fly list or revoke their visas. If the new criteria had been in place before Christmas, AbdulMutallab would have been added to the no-fly list, the officials said. AbdulMutallab is being held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan, Michigan, where he's still being treated for the burn injuries he received in the failed bombing. He faces charges of attempting to destroy an aircraft, and will face his first court hearings Friday. The suspect apparently arrived in Amsterdam already carrying the explosives he planned to use, Dutch prosecutors said Tuesday. "The suspect traveled through Ghana before he arrived via Lagos [Nigeria] at Schiphol," prosecutors said, referring to the airport where AbdulMutallab boarded the flight to Detroit. "So far, it seems he already had the explosives with him before he landed at Schiphol." Also Tuesday, British officials announced that London's Heathrow Airport will introduce more body scanners within weeks, and that all British airports must have equipment to detect explosives by the end of the year. British Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the British government had no evidence AbdulMutallab had been planning an attack. Johnson added that British authorities were directing airports to carry out more random searches of passengers because metal detectors cannot spot explosives without metal parts. Last week, Obama blamed human error and security lapses for the failure by officials to act on information that AbdulMutallab was a possible terrorist threat. He had a valid multiple-entry U.S. visa. His father, a leading banker in Nigeria, had warned U.S. authorities before the attack that his son might be involved with Islamic extremists, but the information failed to prompt a response such as canceling the visa. Tuesday's White House meetings were held just hours after the United States reopened its embassy in Yemen. It's believed that AbdulMutallab may have received training in Yemen from the group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The United States' decision to close the embassy came after intelligence suggested that four al Qaeda operatives could have been planning an attack on the compound, a senior administration official said Monday. A statement posted on the Embassy's Web site said "

White House press secretary: Suspect gave FBI "actionable intelligence" Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab has been linked with al Qaeda group . Dutch authorities: Suspect apparently arrived already carrying explosives . British officials: Heathrow to introduce more body scanners within weeks .

Washington (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration Wednesday proposed a $2.9 million fine against American Eagle Airlines for allegedly conducting more than 1,100 flights using planes with landing-gear doors that had not been repaired as prescribed by the FAA. The proposed fine comes just weeks after the FAA proposed a $2.5 million fine against the airline for allegedly operating flights without adequately ensuring that the weight of baggage was properly calculated. The Fort Worth, Texas-based American Eagle -- a regional affiliate of American Airlines -- flew four Bombardier regional jets on more than 1,100 flights between February and May 2008, with main landing-gear doors that had not been repaired as ordered by the FAA in August 2006, the FAA said. "Following Airworthiness Directives [repair orders] is not optional," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement. "The FAA does not hesitate to levy fines if maintenance standards are violated." American Eagle responded that it was disappointed in the FAA's actions, saying the airline did not endanger the public and it considered a fine unwarranted. The repair order required airlines to inspect landing-gear doors and take necessary action, fixing the doors or replacing them with new ones. In this case, American Eagle found damage on four aircraft, but rather than removing the doors as required, the airline repaired them while they remained on the planes. American Eagle said it self-disclosed to the FAA that repairs were performed while the landing-gear doors remained on the aircraft, a process that the FAA and the aircraft manufacturer subsequently approved, the company said. American Eagle subsequently removed the landing-gear doors on each of the affected aircraft and repaired them in accordance with the Airworthiness Directive. The airline said it will meet with the FAA to discuss the matter. The proposed fines are the latest in a string of multimillion dollar fines the FAA has proposed against airlines for failing to follow repair orders. In October, the FAA proposed to fine US Airways $5.4 million and United $3.8 million for other maintenance violations. In March, Southwest Airlines agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a complaint that it flew unsafe planes.

FAA seeks $2.9 million from Texas-based regional affiliate of American Airlines . FAA: Aircraft with bad repairs on landing gear doors used on more than 1,100 flights . FAA also has proposed $2.5 million fine for flights without proper baggage weight check .

Washington (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration is changing a generations-old policy banning pilots from taking antidepressants, saying the new policy will improve safety by bringing to the surface pilots who either ignore signs of depression or lie about their use of medication for fear of losing their licenses to fly. Beginning Monday, pilots with mild to moderate depression will be allowed to fly while taking antidepressants if they can demonstrate they have been satisfactorily treated for at least 12 months. The FAA also will begin a six-month amnesty period, during which pilots who use antidepressants can step forward without fear of penalties. The pilots will be grounded until they can demonstrate they have been stable for a year, although those who can prove a history of successful medical treatment should be able to fly "within a few months," the FAA said. The new policy will "absolutely" improve safety, said Randy Babbitt, head of the FAA and a former airline pilot and union chief. "The concern that we have today is we have people who are either self-medicating or not seeking a diagnosis. Either of those is unacceptable," Babbitt said. "This change ... will allow those people to get the treatment, allow us to monitor and return them to the cockpit [as] safer, better pilots." FAA officials said that they do not know the extent of depression among pilots but that pilots are probably representative of the larger population, in which 10 percent are believed to suffer from depression. Nor does the FAA know how many pilots have removed themselves from flying status because they suffer from depression, a condition that now bars them from flying. Nor do they know how many take antidepressants in violation of FAA policy. Commercial pilots under the age of 40 are required to undergo a medical exam by an FAA-certified physician every year; those over 40, every six months. But the examination focuses largely on the pilots' physical health, and there is no formal assessment of the pilots' mental health. The FAA says pilots have a regulatory duty and professional responsibility to not fly if they know they have a physical or mental condition that makes them unsafe to fly. But the FAA concedes pilots aren't always forthcoming, especially if honesty could cost them their job. "We know that there are people out there who are not taking antidepressants because they know they would be grounded if they are. We know there are people out there who are taking them and lying to us about that," said Dr. Fred Tilton, the FAA's federal air surgeon. "We think it's safer to [make sure pilots are treated for depression] than to continue to drive it underground," he said. Under the new policy, the FAA will, on a case-by-case basis, issue special medical certificates to pilots who take one of four antidepressants: fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa) and escitalopram (Lexapro). All four drugs can be used safely without side effects, the FAA said, and other medications will be considered as the agency gains experience and data under its new policy. FAA officials say that they have been studying the issue for a decade, and that the change comes with improvements in medication and as the stigma of depression has diminished. One of the concerns is the risk of suicide by airplane. Between 1993 and 2002, there were 16 "aircraft-assisted suicides," according to a National Transportation Safety Board report, as recounted in a recent FAA medical bulletin. All involved smaller aircraft. In addition, the NTSB ruled that in 1999, the pilot caused the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 by forcing the plane into the Atlantic Ocean, although the board could not determine the pilot's motives and did not use the term "suicide." The pilot's medical certificate had been renewed 10 days before the crash. All 217 on board were killed. "Depression is a disease, and it's treatable just like any other disease. And there is a stigma out there that we want

FAA cites safety concerns, says policy applies to pilots with mild to moderate depression . To fly while on antidepressants, pilots must have been treated for at least 12 months . FAA says policy will expose pilots who ignore depression or lie about medication use . For 6 months, pilots who use antidepressants will be able to step forward without penalties .

Washington (CNN) -- The House of Representatives approved a plan Friday that would pave the way for an eventual repeal of the military's controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which bars openly gay and lesbian soldiers from military service. The measure passed in a largely party-line, 229-186 vote as part of a larger defense authorization bill despite a growing controversy over allegations of wasteful spending in the legislation. Most Democrats backed the bill while most Republicans opposed it. Attention now shifts to the Senate, where the Armed Services Committee approved a "don't ask, don't tell" repeal earlier in the week. As in the House, the committee was divided sharply along partisan lines. The plan is a compromise under which the repeal would occur only after a military review of the question and subsequent approval by Obama, the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Opponents of the repeal language argue the military should first carry out the review ordered by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that is scheduled to be completed in December. Only then would military leaders have the necessary information from force members to develop a plan for carrying out the repeal, they claim. Under the compromise, the military would be given time to complete its review as sought by Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen. Gates and Mullen both said this week they could accept the compromise language. A recent CNN poll seemed to suggest that Americans are ready for the change. The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Tuesday indicated that 78 percent of the public supports allowing openly gay people to serve in the military, with one in five opposed. Threatening to derail the plan, however, is House members' insistence on spending almost $500 million on a fighter engine that neither the White House nor the Pentagon wants. Funding for the engine was included in the House's version of the legislation but not the Senate's. A White House spokesman warned before the House vote on Friday that President Barack Obama would veto the bill if funding for the engine isn't removed. Gates has blasted the proposed funding for the extra F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine, calling it a "waste of money" that doesn't meet the fighter's performance needs. The chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee said Friday that he hopes Obama wouldn't veto the plan if Congress failed to remove the controversial funding. "It's difficult to believe the president would do anything other than look at the entire bill, not just one provision," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan. Levin wouldn't predict if the engine funding would still be in the bill by the time it reaches Obama's desk. "We are a long way from having a product," he said. "Some of the things which I would think (Obama) may not like may be dropped along the way." Supporters of repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy have been pressuring congressional Democrats to act now, fearing the party will lose its House or Senate majority in November's midterm election and be unable to pass the measure afterward. The compromise emerged late Monday from a meeting at the White House involving administration officials, gay rights groups and Pentagon officials, sources told CNN. There were also talks on Capitol Hill involving White House lawyers, Pentagon officials and staff from the offices of influential House and Senate Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the sources added. A senior U.S. military official with direct knowledge of the Pentagon review process told CNN it is well under way, with a survey going out shortly to about 70,000 troops and families to solicit their views. In addition, the official said, town hall meetings already have been held around the country and more are expected, while a website provides a place for troops to write in their views. The military needs until the end of 2010 to figure out how to implement the repeal in terms of housing, medical and marriage benefits, as well as issues involving the reinstatement of gay soldiers previously discharged

NEW: The House of Representatives passed a repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" Obama has threatened to veto the bill due to a dispute over Pentagon spending . The Senate Armed Services Committee has also passed a repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" The compromise plan to repeal the policy emerged on Monday.

Washington (CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted unanimously Thursday to impeach Judge G. Thomas Porteous Jr. of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, making him the nation's 15th federal judge ever impeached. "Our investigation found that Judge Porteous participated in a pattern of corrupt conduct for years," said U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Task Force on Judicial Impeachment. "Litigants have the right to expect a judge hearing their case will be fair and impartial, and avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Regrettably, no one can have that expectation in Judge Porteous' courtroom." After the impeachment vote, Schiff and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, were named the lead impeachment managers for the Senate trial, which will decide whether to remove Porteous from the bench. "Today's vote marks only the second time in over 20 years that this has occurred," Goodlatte said in a House news release. "However, when evidence emerges that an individual is abusing his judicial office for his own advantage, the integrity of the entire judicial system becomes compromised." In a statement, Porteous' lawyer Richard W. Westling said the Justice Department had decided not to prosecute because it did not have credible evidence. "Unfortunately, the House has decided to disregard the Justice Department's decision and to move forward with impeachment. As a result, we will now turn to the Senate to seek a full and fair hearing of all of the evidence." In a telephone interview, Westling said he did not know when the Senate trial would be held. "There are no clear rules that dictate timing," he said. Last year, the Task Force on Judicial Impeachment held evidentiary hearings that led to unanimous approval of the four articles of impeachment, citing evidence that Porteous "intentionally made material false statements and representations under penalty of perjury, engaged in a corrupt kickback scheme, solicited and accepted unlawful gifts, and intentionally misled the Senate during his confirmation proceedings," the House release said. Porteous was appointed to the federal bench in 1994. In 2007, after an FBI and federal grand jury investigation, the Justice Department alleged "pervasive misconduct" by Porteous and evidence "that Judge Porteous may have violated federal and state criminal laws, controlling canons of judicial conduct, rules of professional responsibility, and conducted himself in a manner antithetical to the constitutional standard of good behavior required of all federal judges." The complaint said the department opted not to seek criminal charges for reasons that included issues of statute of limitations and other factors. But Westling said the statute of limitations was not applicable. An Impeachment Task Force held four hearings late last year that focused on allegations of misconduct by Porteous, including: -- Involvement in a corrupt kickback scheme -- Failure to recuse himself from a case he was involved in -- Allegations that Porteous made false and misleading statements, including concealing debts and gambling losses -- Allegations that Porteous asked for and accepted "numerous things of value, including meals, trips, home and car repairs, for his personal use and benefit" while taking official actions on behalf of his benefactors -- Allegations that Porteous lied about his past to the U.S. Senate and to the FBI about his nomination to the federal bench "in order to conceal corrupt relationships," Schiff said in his floor statement as prepared for delivery Porteous was invited to testify, but he declined to do so, Schiff said. "His long-standing pattern of corrupt activity, so utterly lacking in honesty and integrity, demonstrates his unfitness to serve as a United States District Court judge," he said. Porteous, 63, has not worked as a judge since he was suspended with pay in the fall of 2008, Westling said. The last federal judge impeachment occurred last year, when Judge Samuel B. Kent of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas resigned after being impeached on charges of sexual assault, obstructing and impeding an official proceeding, and making false and misleading statements, according to the Web site of the Federal Judicial Center.

Judge G. Thomas Porteous Jr. was impeached by U.S. House of Representatives . Porteous is from U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana . Rep. Adam Schiff: Porteous "participated in a pattern of corrupt conduct for years"

Washington (CNN) -- The Justice Department remained tightlipped Friday as criticism mounted over the decision to hold the the September 11 terrorist attack trial in a civilian court in lower Manhattan. Earlier, senior Obama administration officials confirmed that the White House is considering moving the site of the trial if the Justice Department sees fit. "Conversations have occurred within the administration to discuss contingency options should the possibility of a trial in lower Manhattan be foreclosed upon by Congress or locally," a senior administration official said. Justice Department officials refused to acknowledge whether they are being pressed to find an alternative location, despite bipartisan concern that holding the trial in Manhattan would be too costly and disruptive. "We're reviewing our options," said Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd in a statement Friday. The administration's turnabout comes after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other politicians expressed great concern over the costs and disruption of holding the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four accomplices at a courthouse near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. White House officials said President Obama agrees with Attorney General Eric Holder's decision in November to try the suspects in a civilian criminal court in the United States, not a military tribunal. "Currently our federal jails hold hundreds of convicted terrorists, and the president's opinion has not changed on that," White House spokesman Bill Burton said Thursday. White House officials say the decision about any possible alternate sites to try Mohammed and the others will come from the Justice Department. One government official close to the case said other New York locations, including a military site on New York Harbor's Governor's Island, are possibilities. And while Virginia sites also were mentioned as alternatives by former counterterrorism officials, Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, a Democrat, opposed moving the trial to his state. "Bringing enemy combatants for detention or trial in Washington, D.C., or Northern Virginia would unnecessarily burden these communities from both a financial and security perspective," Webb said. New York police estimated the cost to the city would be over $200 million per year in what could be a multi-year trial and that over 2,000 checkpoints would need to be installed around Lower Manhattan. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said additional protection would have to be deployed for the city, not just the core area of Manhattan. Residents like Pat Moore contemplated what it will be like to live through the trial. "Those people would virtually be held prisoner in their homes," Moore said of New Yorkers who live near the courthouse. "We've all been traumatized, any of us who were there that day" referring to September 11. Bloomberg initially supported the move, saying "it is fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered." But this week he used different rhetoric when asked about a community agency's proposal's to relocate the trial, saying he would prefer the trial be held elsewhere, perhaps at a military base where it would be easier and cheaper to provide security. "It's going to cost an awful lot of money and disturb a lot of people," Bloomberg said. On Thursday, a group of New York politicians urged the Obama administration to thoroughly re-examine locating the trials in downtown Manhattan. "We are concerned that the administration has not fully considered the impact that the trials would have on lower Manhattan in choosing the Moynihan Courthouse in Foley Square," U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Nydia Velazquez, both Democrats, and several state and local officials said in a letter dated Thursday to Holder. Also, a spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson cited his "hesitation" with the decision, citing the burdens it would pose on city residents. A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand raised financial concerns, saying her "single biggest concern is making sure that the federal government cover the hundreds of millions of dollars per year cost to New York City for security during the trials." Julie Menin, chairwoman of a city community advisory agency, proposed four alternative locations for the trial within the Southern District of Manhattan: Governors Island,

Moving site of 9/11 trial from Manhattan under consideration, administration officials say . New York lawmakers urging White House to re-examine plan to try terror suspects there . Justice Department will make decision about any alternate sites, officials say . Officials: Obama agrees with move to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in civilian court .

Washington (CNN) -- The North Korean government informed the State Department on Friday that it is holding a second American citizen who the North Koreans say entered the country from China, a State Department spokesman said. The American, who has not been identified, was detained Monday for trespassing on North Korea's border with China, state-run Korea Central News Agency reported Thursday. The incident is under investigation, according to the agency's report. Spokesman P.J. Crowley had said Thursday afternoon that the department had been unable to get information on the reported incident. North Korea announced December 29 that it was holding an American who had entered the country illegally from China on Christmas Eve. The news agency did not identify the man, who it said was "now under investigation by a relevant organ." At the time, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Washington was concerned by reports that a Korean-American missionary, Robert Park, had gone into North Korea, but could not confirm them. Washington and Pyongyang have no diplomatic relations. The United States relies on the Swedish Embassy to look after U.S. interests in North Korea. Crowley has said the United States continues to seek consular access to Park.

North Koreans say U.S. citizen entered the country from China . North Koreans also still holding American they say entered illegally on Christmas Eve . Neither person has been identified; U.S. worried about missionary Robert Park .

Washington (CNN) -- The Obama administration made public all information available throughout the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday in response to a preliminary report that criticized how it handled the disaster. "This was an unprecedented environmental disaster met with an unprecedented federal response which prevented any of the worst-case scenarios from coming to fruition," Gibbs told reporters when asked about the report made public the previous day. "When we had information, we gave it to the public." According to the working paper released Wednesday from the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, the administration vastly underestimated the tens of thousands of barrels of oil pouring into the Gulf after the April 20 oil rig explosion that caused the disaster, despite contrary information from scientists using better methodologies. The explosion claimed 11 lives and led to more than 60,000 barrels of oil being spewed into the Gulf daily for almost three months. According to the working paper, the White House Office of Management and Budget squelched higher worst-case estimates accepted by government officials, preventing the public from hearing them. In addition, the commission staff sharply criticized later White House estimates that 75 percent of the oil had been scooped up, burned or naturally dispersed, saying an operational tool -- known as the oil budget -- used by responders failed to accurately account for biodegradation and was not peer-reviewed by scientists. Gibbs acknowledged that some mistakes were made, in particular citing comments regarding the estimated oil dispersal by former White House environmental adviser Carol Browner in one of "hundreds" of interviews she gave. However, he insisted that the administration worked with the information available at all times, noting that it was impossible to see or measure the oil spill rate in the initial weeks after the explosion. "Throughout this process, we got better information," Gibbs said. "When the rig exploded and the blowout preventer failed 5,000 feet below the ocean, nobody could see what happened." The installation of video cameras and other technology improved the ability to estimate the spill flow in ensuing months, Gibbs said. At the insistence of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the administration required BP to install pressure monitors to provide the "best available data on the flow rate," he added. The commission working paper said the government's low estimates of oil flow from the spill, as well as the apparent underestimation of how much oil remained in the Gulf, "created the impression that it was either not fully competent to handle the spill or not fully candid with the American people about the scope of the problem." Gibbs echoed federal officials who say the low flow-rate estimates did not negatively affect their operations to stop the oil spill, describing the overall effort as the "most robust federal response that we've ever seen" to such an accident. However, the 29-page report said: "Even if responders are correct, however, loss of the public's trust during a disaster is not an incidental public relations problem. The absence of trust fuels public fears, and those fears in turn can cause major harm, whether because the public loses confidence in the federal government's assurances that beaches or seafood are safe, or because the government's lack of credibility makes it harder to build relationships ... that are necessary for effective response actions." The report is considered a working paper. The commission will issue a formal report on January 12, 2011. The president appointed the commission in June and tasked it with providing recommendations on how to prevent future spills and mitigate the impact of any that do occur. The commission is headed by former Florida governor and former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, a Democrat, and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator William K. Reilly from the Republican administration of President George H.W Bush. Rep. Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts, chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, said BP was providing too-low figures for the oil flow in effort to escape liability. "Low-balling the flow rate numbers was BP's attempt to hide both the truth and

NOAA official calls aspects of critical report incorrect . Gibbs says the government made public all information it had throughout the crisis . Preliminary report indicates the White House ordered worst-case figures withheld . The April 20 explosion claimed 11 lives, resulted in millions of barrels of oil going into Gulf .

Washington (CNN) -- The Obama administration on Monday announced a 20-year ban on new mining claims on more than 1 million acres of public land near the Grand Canyon, a move meant to protect the iconic landmark from new uranium mining. Previously approved operations will be allowed to continue, as will new projects on valid existing claims. "People from all over the country and around the world come to visit the Grand Canyon. Numerous American Indian tribes regard this magnificent icon as a sacred place and millions of people in the Colorado River Basin depend on the river for drinking water, irrigation, industrial and environmental use," said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. "We have been entrusted to care for and protect our precious environmental and cultural resources, and we have chosen a responsible path that makes sense for this and future generations," he added. The administration said the move will give officials more time to monitor the impact of uranium mining on the vital watershed, and in the mineral-rich area in general. Conservation groups cheered the decision, which was slammed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and Sen. John McCain. "This is a great day for Grand Canyon National Park and all those who care about the park and the surrounding public lands and waters," said Sandy Bahr, Grand Canyon chapter director of the Sierra Club, a California-based environmental organization. "Today's decision protects not only the area around the Grand Canyon, but water that helps feed the Colorado River, which provides drinking water for millions of people downstream." Brewer similarly stressed the significance of the park, but argued the move will needlessly cost Arizona jobs and stall economic growth. "The 20-year ban comes at the expense of hundreds of high-paying jobs and approximately $10 billion worth of activity for the Arizona economy," she said. "Nobody wants to see it (the Grand Canyon) harmed. But I believe that environmental protection and economic growth are not mutually exclusive. We could and should have both." The Grand Canyon National Park is a major tourist attraction in Arizona; close to 5 million people visit it each year. McCain, speaking Sunday before the ban's official announcement, said he had expected the decision and was disappointed. "It's clearly another victory for the radical environmental community," he said.

The 20-year ban affects more than 1 million acres of public land . The area is rich in uranium . Environmentalists cheer the decision as a way to protect the park and water supplies . Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says it will stall economic growth .

Washington (CNN) -- The Obama administration raised the stakes in the health care debate Monday, releasing a new blueprint that seeks to bridge the gap between measures passed by the Senate and House of Representatives last year. If enacted, the president's sweeping compromise plan would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago. The White House said it would extend coverage to 31 million Americans. Among other things, the White House said it would expand Medicare prescription drug coverage, increase federal subsidies to help people buy insurance and give the federal government new authority to block excessive rate hikes by health insurance companies. It increases the threshold -- relative to the Senate bill -- under which a tax on high-end health insurance plans would kick in. As with both the House and Senate plans, it includes significant reductions in Medicare spending in part through changes in payments made under the Medicare Advantage program. President Obama's plan does not include a government-run public health insurance option, an idea strongly backed by liberal Democrats but fiercely opposed by both Republicans and key Democratic moderates. It also eliminates a deeply unpopular provision in the Senate bill worked in by Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, that would exempt his Midwestern state from paying increased Medicaid expenses. Administration officials said Obama's measure would cut the deficit by $100 billion over the next 10 years. They estimate the total cost of the bill to be $950 billion in the next decade. The Senate bill would cost an estimated $871 billion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, while the more expansive House plan has been estimated to cost more than $1 trillion. The release of Obama's plan sets the stage for a critical televised health care summit Thursday with top congressional Republicans. The White House is trying to pressure GOP leaders to present a detailed alternative proposal in advance of the meeting. "We view this as the opening bid for the health meeting" on Thursday, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer told reporters. "We took our best shot at bridging the differences" between the House and Senate bills. "It is our hope the Republicans will come together around [their] plan and post it online" before the meeting. President's health care blueprint Pfeiffer said Obama will come to Thursday's meeting "with an open mind." The president's willing to back decent Republican ideas if the two sides can have an "honest, open, substantive discussion" in which "both parties can get off their talking points," he said. GOP leaders have indicated they will attend the meeting but have urged Democrats to scrap the Senate and House bills completely. They characterized Obama's proposal Monday as setting the stage for a meeting that will amount to little more than political posturing. "The president has crippled the credibility of this week's summit by proposing the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "This new Democrats-only backroom deal doubles down on the same failed approach that will drive up premiums, destroy jobs, raise taxes and slash Medicare benefits. This week's summit clearly has all the makings of a Democratic infomercial." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, released a statement calling the plan "disappointing that Democrats in Washington either aren't listening or are completely ignoring what Americans across the country have been saying." White House press secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed the GOP criticisms, arguing that Republican leaders had asked for this week's meeting for months. "If they're not the party of no, Thursday's the perfect venue to be the party of yes," Gibbs said. Highlights of Obama's proposal Under Obama's plan: • The health and human services secretary would work with a seven-member board of doctors, economists and consumer and insurance representatives to review premium hikes. This Health Insurance Rate Authority would provide an annual report to recommend to states whether

NEW: House GOP leader: Health care summit has "all the makings of a Democratic infomercial" Administration plan seeks to bridge gap between House, Senate bills . President Obama's plan doesn't include public option . Plan would seek to block excessive rate hikes by health insurance companies .

Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon is blocking public release of photos apparently depicting abuse of suspected terrorists and foreign troops in U.S. custody, and urging the Supreme Court to dismiss a lower court ruling ordering the photos to be publicly disclosed, according to court documents. Defense Secretary Robert Gates notified the high court late Friday that he was issuing an order to block the release. The photos have been at the center of a years-long lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. Congress last month gave the Obama administration specific authority to prevent any release of the 44 photos. Afterward, Gates signed a certificate of authorization, or order, to prevent the photos' release, saying their disclosure would endanger U.S. troops serving abroad. The order covers all photographs taken of people captured or detained in overseas military operations between September 11, 2001, the day of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, and January 22, 2009, shortly after President Obama took office. The Pentagon initially was set to release the images of Iraqi and Afghan prisoners in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the ACLU. But Obama and the Justice Department objected to the court-ordered release, reversing an earlier executive decision. Obama had initially agreed to the release, but changed his mind after military leaders privately and intensely urged him to block it. The ACLU criticized the administration's about-face, saying it "makes a mockery" of Obama's campaign promise of greater transparency and accountability, and damages efforts to hold accountable those responsible for abusing prisoners. A homeland security appropriations bill passed October 29 by Congress and signed by the president grants the Department of Defense authority to withhold the photographs. The images were gathered as part of a military investigation into allegations that detainees held in Afghanistan and Iraq were tortured and physically abused. According to the government legal brief filed with the high court, several of the photos show "soldiers pointing pistols or rifles at the heads of hooded and handcuffed detainees." Other images described by military reports show prisoners in restrained and humiliating positions. Military investigations led to criminal charges against some of the soldiers shown in the images. The photos currently at issue are separate from those first publicly released in 2006 showing abuse of Muslim men held at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in September 2008 that the photos must be released. The president later said that doing so "would pose an unacceptable risk of danger to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq." Newest Justice Sonia Sotomayor had served on that appeals court until August, but was not involved in that particular case. The high court has delayed for weeks a decision on whether it would accept the ACLU appeal on the broader issues associated with government authority to block release of potentially embarrassing and inflammatory material by the military. The justices will now probably wait to hear from the ACLU over Gates' order before deciding whether to take the case. The Senate in May voted for the Detainee Photographic Records Protection Act, which would limit the reach of the Freedom of Information Act request in this instance. The House adopted a similar provision in October. Other photos could be released under the earlier appeals court ruling. The case is Department of Defense v. ACLU (09-160). Separately, the administration also urged the high court to dismiss a pending lawsuit by several Guantanamo Bay detainees, over their claims of torture and religious discrimination. A brief was filed by the Justice Department late Friday, the same time as the separate photograph disclosure case. Four British men, all Muslims and former detainees at the military prison at the Navy base in Cuba, had sued onetime Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other top Pentagon officials, saying they knew of and condoned physical abuse and denial of rights guaranteed under international law. A federal appeals court had dismissed the lawsuit -- the second one filed by the men -- saying the officials had immunity from such claims. But in June 2008, the Supreme Court allowed Guantanamo prisoners to challenge their captivity in federal court, and the justices in December

Documents show Pentagon urging Supreme Court to dismiss ruling ordering photos' release . Defense secretary says showing photos would endanger U.S. troops abroad . Obama, Justice Department have objected to release, reversing executive decision . Separately, administration wants Gitmo detainees' suit alleging torture, discrimination dismissed .

Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon is making detailed plans to send about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in anticipation of President Obama's decision on the future of the eight-year-old war, a defense official said Tuesday. Obama held a lengthy meeting with top advisers Monday night and said Tuesday that he would announce plans for Afghanistan after the Thanksgiving holiday. A Defense Department official with direct knowledge of the process said there has been no final word on the president's decision. But planners have been tasked with preparing to send 34,000 additional American troops into battle with the expectation that is the number Obama is leaning toward approving, the official said. Obama ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in March. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, reportedly has called for up to 40,000 more to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the Taliban, the Islamic militia originally ousted by the U.S. invasion in 2001. The president has weighed several options for bolstering the American contingent, ranging from sending a few thousand troops to sending the 40,000 McChrystal requested. McChrystal was among those who took part in Monday's conference with Obama and other top advisers, which broke up at 10 p.m. Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen and Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, were among the other senior officials in the meeting. Obama said Tuesday that the deliberations have been "comprehensive and extremely useful." "It's going to be important to recognize that in order for us to succeed there, you've got to have a comprehensive strategy that includes civilian and diplomatic efforts," he said at a news conference Tuesday with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The military has planning under way to send these units: three U.S. Army brigades, totaling about 15,000 troops; a Marine brigade with about 8,000 troops; a headquarters element of about 7,000; and between 4,000 and 5,000 support troops -- a total of approximately 34,000 troops, according to a defense official with direct knowledge of Pentagon operations. CNN reported last month that this was the preferred option within the Pentagon. The troops would be dispatched throughout Afghanistan but would be focused mainly on the southern and southeastern provinces, where much of the recent fighting has taken place. Currently, brigades from Fort Drum in upstate New York and Fort Campbell in Kentucky are among those that are next in line to deploy. About 68,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, along with about 45,000 from the NATO alliance. Two U.S. military officials said NATO countries would be asked to contribute more troops to fill the gap between the 34,000 the Pentagon expects Obama to send and the 40,000 McChrystal wanted. The request is expected to come during a December 7 meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell would not discuss specific numbers, but he said NATO would be asked for additional help. "Clearly, if the president decides to commit additional forces to Afghanistan, there would be an expectation that our allies would also commit additional forces," Morrell said. U.S.-led troops invaded Afghanistan in response to the al Qaeda terrorist network's September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The invasion overthrew the Taliban, which had allowed al Qaeda to operate from its territory, but most of the top al Qaeda and Taliban leadership escaped the onslaught. Taliban fighters have since regrouped in the mountainous region along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, battling U.S. and Afghan government forces on one side and Pakistani troops on the other. Al Qaeda's top leaders, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, remain at large and are suspected to be hiding in the same region. The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 900 Americans and nearly 600 allied troops. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday suggests that the U.S public is split over whether more troops should be sent to Afghanistan. Fifty percent of those polled said they would support such a decision, with 49 percent opposed. The poll found that 66 percent of Americans believe the war is going badly, up 11 percentage points

NEW: NATO allies will also be asked to send more troops, officials say . Announcement on troop increase to come after Thanksgiving . Obama met with national security team Monday night to discuss Afghanistan . Obama wanted clarification on how, when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility .

Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon moved closer Wednesday to its next military trial on the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the suspected ringleader of the deadly bombing of the USS Cole. Saudi-born former millionaire Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri is charged with the 2000 bombing in the Yemeni port of Aden that killed 17 sailors, wounded dozens and crippled the warship. The "referral of charges" by the Defense Department Military Commissions unit sets in motion a chain of events that will lead to the appointment of a military officer as the trial judge in the case and a meeting of the judge, prosecutors and defense lawyers in coming weeks. The arraignment will take place within 30 days. A statement from the Defense Department said the charges against al-Nashiri allege that he was in charge of planning the attack, which took place October 12, 2000. "The convening authority referred the charges to a capital military commission, meaning that if convicted, al-Nashiri could be sentenced to death," the Defense Department statement said. The news release also mentions charges against al-Nashiri related to an attempted attack on the USS The Sullivans in Yemen in January 2000 and an attack on a French tanker in 2002 that resulted in the death of one crew member. One of al-Nashiri's civilian defense lawyers said his legal team was disappointed in the government action. "We are disappointed the United States will now descend further down the path of expedient and secret justice that military commissions have come to represent," Rick Kammen said in an e-mail. "We're not talking about a constitutionally adequate trial, and we are disappointed that the U. S. government will use the constitutionally inadequate military commissions process to seek the death penalty against Mr. al-Nashiri," Kammen wrote. He added that the decision to move forward with the case "regrettably confirms to the world that the United States intends to render second-class justice to the men imprisoned in Guantanamo." Earlier, lawyers for al-Nashiri argued that his waterboarding and other mistreatment while in U.S. custody and delays in his case should have forced the government to drop any plans for a military trial that could end in a death sentence. "By torturing Mr. al-Nashiri and subjecting him to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, the United States has forfeited its right to try him and certainly to kill him," the brief said. "Through the infliction of physical and psychological abuse, the government has essentially already killed the man it seized almost 10 years ago." Al-Nashiri's legal team, comprising military and civilian lawyers, made the arguments to the "convening authority" of the military court, retired Vice Adm. Bruce MacDonald. The commission was brought into existence by President George W. Bush and overhauled by President Barack Obama. In legal papers obtained by CNN, al-Nashiri's lawyers presented details of their client's treatment, saying that, in addition to subjecting their client to waterboarding, his questioners revved a power drill by his ear and chambered a round in a handgun, all while he was naked and hooded. "The government has admitted to waterboarding Mr. al-Nashiri and subjecting him to verbal and physical threats to his life and threats to the safety of his family," the brief says. "Both set of acts constitute torture." If it goes to trial, the case will be the first full prosecution under the military commission system. It is seen as the latest fine-tuning of the system before the military commission moves ahead with prosecution of other terrorist suspects, especially the four men accused of plotting the September 11 attacks. The American Civil Liberties Union issued a news release restating its "concerns about the inherent unfairness of the military commissions." "Unlike federal courts, military commissions have unfairly lax rules for allowing evidence, except when it comes to torture -- the commissions may admit coerced testimony, while evidence of the torture that produced it can be censored," said Denny LeBoeuf, director of the ACLU Capital Punishment Project. This latest step for the Guantanamo

The man suspect of being behind the attack on the USS Cole will go on trial . The formal "referral of charges" is the first step in the military commission process . His attorneys and the ACLU criticize the decision to use a military commission .

Washington (CNN) -- The State Department condemned Iran's persecution of religious minorities on Friday following the Iranian authorities' detention of Baha'is and Christians in recent months. Iranian authorities have detained more than 45 Baha'is in the last four months, and as many as 60 Baha'is are imprisoned in Iran on the basis of their religion beliefs, the State Department said. Iranians have also recently detained more than a dozen Christians, according to the State Department. "The United States is increasingly concerned about the Iran's ongoing persecution of Baha'is and other religious minority communities," said Philip J. Crowley, assistant secretary for public affairs, in a statement on Friday. The State Department's condemnation comes a day after it released a human rights report on Iran that blasted the country's government for abusing religious minorities, among other criticisms. "Government rhetoric and actions created a threatening atmosphere for nearly all non-Shia religious groups, most notably for Baha'is, as well as for Sunni Muslims, evangelical Christians, and members of the Jewish community," Thursday's report said. Iran is an Islamic Republic where Shia Islam is the state religion. The Iranian government did not respond directly to the State Department on Thursday or Friday. However, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized the West on Friday for ignoring religious principles like monotheism. At a meeting with Iranian intellectuals, "the president stressed that [many] efforts should be made to ... promote justice and support [a] campaign against oppressors and help monotheism flourish," Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported. Thursday's State Department report said that Iran's government prevents Baha'is from gathering in homes to worship and bans Baha'is from public schools, universities, the social pension system and government leadership posts unless they conceal their faith. "The government repeatedly pressured Baha'is to recant their religious beliefs in exchange for relief from mistreatment," the report said. All seven members of Iran's Baha'i national leadership body, who were arrested in 2008, remained in prison at the end of 2009, according to the report. The Baha'i faith was founded in Iran in the 19th century. Today, Baha'is are the country's largest religious minority, with 300,000 members, according to the official Baha'i Web site. Thursday's State Department report also accused the Iranian government of destroying a Sufi library and religious hall in Isfahan; demolishing several Sunni mosques; and requiring evangelical Christian groups to submit congregation membership lists to the government. The report was part of a broader State Department release of human rights reports on 194 countries.

State Department concerned over Iran's ongoing persecution of Baha'is, Christians . U.S. report claims Iranian government creates "threatening atmosphere" for religious groups . President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad decries West for ignoring monotheism .

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court appeared ready to give government regulators the continuing authority to regulate profanity and sexual content on broadcast television after a lively hour of arguments Tuesday. The justices and lawyers all stayed polite, not actually using any obscene words, preferring the legally acceptable "f-bomb" or "s-word" to describe the controversial content at issue in the high-stakes free speech dispute. The court will decide whether the Federal Communications Commission may constitutionally enforce its policies on "fleeting expletives" and scenes of nudity on television programs, both live and scripted. The agency had imposed hefty fines on broadcasters. In many televised instances, "one cannot tell what is indecent and what isn't" said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. "It's the appearance of arbitrariness about how the FCC is defining indecency in concrete situations," she added. But with so many programming choices on broadcast, cable and satellite TV, "All the government is asking for is a few (broadcast) channels where you can say -- they are not going to hear the s-word, the f-word. They are not going to see nudity," Chief Justice John Roberts said. The court's ruling, which will come in a few months, could establish important First Amendment guidelines over explicit content on the airwaves. The Justice Department had filed an appeal, and helpfully provided the justices with a DVD of a 2003 episode of the now-canceled "NYPD Blue" on ABC in which a naked woman was shown. The content of that program is central to the ongoing legal dispute. Lawyer Seth Waxman representing ABC said the FCC's tough action against the network was "a shot out of the blue." A federal appeals court last year for a second time struck down the government policies, concluding they were vague and inconsistently applied. Pending fines against the broadcasters were dismissed. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are all parties in the case. Controversial words and images have been aired in scripted and unscripted instances on all the major over-the-air networks in the past eight years, dating back to when the FCC began considering a stronger, no-tolerance policy. The policy became known as the Golden Globes Rule, for singer Bono's 2003 acceptance speech at the live awards show on NBC, where he uttered the phrase "really, really, f---ing brilliant." The commission specifically cited celebrities Cher and Nicole Richie for potty-mouth language in the 2002 and 2003 Billboard Music Awards, which aired live on Fox. Richie, in an apparent scripted moment said, "Have you ever tried to get cow s--t out of a Prada purse? It's not so f---ing simple." Justice Stephen Breyer dryly noted the language from the two women "seems to be naturally part of their vocabulary." That drew laughter in the courtroom. The CBS complaint involved dirty language on "The Early Show," a news and interview program. The high court two years ago ruled in favor of the FCC on the issue of "fleeting expletives," concluding federal regulators have the authority to clamp down on broadcast TV networks airing isolated cases of profanity. The court, however, refused at the time to decide whether the commission's policy violates the First Amendment guarantee of free speech, ruling only on the agency's enforcement power. The justices ordered the free-speech aspect to be reviewed again by a New York-based federal appeals court, which subsequently ruled in favor of the broadcasters. The Justice Department, in its new appeal, lumped both the expletives and nudity cases together, saying the court should decide the free speech questions as one. Explicit language is heard with greater, albeit varying, frequency on cable television, the Internet, and satellite radio, which do not use public airwaves. But the federal government is charged with responding to viewer complaints of "indecent" language and images on broadcast television and radio, which is subject to greater regulation. That is especially relevant during daytime and early evening hours,

NEW: Justice Scalia: "The government is entitled to insist upon a ... modicum of decency" The court looks at whether the FCC can limit expletives and nudity on broadcast TV . Sometimes it's hard to tell "what is indecent and what isn't," Justice Ginsburg says . The FCC just wants a few channels free of such material, Chief Justice Roberts says .

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court declined to intervene Monday in a dispute over a public school's refusal to allow an instrument-only version of "Ave Maria" at a graduation ceremony. Officials feared the piece would be an endorsement of religion in that limited public forum. Without comment, the justices rejected the appeal of Kathryn Nurre, who was a high school senior in Everett, Washington, in 2006. By tradition, graduating members of the school's wind ensemble could choose a piece from their repertoire to play at the June ceremony. They chose an arrangement of Franz Biebl's well-known "Ave Maria," which had been performed previously in choir recitals. School district officials said they feared complaints similar to those that followed the previous year's choir performance of a vocal piece that included references to God, heaven and angels. "Ave Maria" was banned even though the performance would have contained no lyrics. The school district told principals to approve only musical selections that were "purely secular in nature." Nurre and others sued, saying their free speech rights were being violated, and said their choice of the piece was made on purely artistic, not religious, grounds. They also cited previous examples where a limited use of religious imagery in a public setting was considered acceptable. Such examples are Ten Commandments monuments in city parks and opening legislative sessions with a prayer. Justice Samuel Alito publicly dissented with the high court's rejection of the appeal. "When a public school purports to allow students to express themselves, it must respect the students' free speech rights," he said. "School administrators may not behave like puppet masters who create the illusion that students are engaging in personal expression when in fact the school administration is pulling the strings." The high court declined to explore whether those attending a graduation ceremony constituted a "captive audience" that might feel forced to hear a religious message with which they may disagree. The case is Nurre v. Whitehead (09-671). In other Supreme Court action: • The justices agreed to decide whether a district attorney's office can be held liable after a former death row inmate in Louisiana said prosecutors withheld key evidence leading to his conviction. At issue is a federal law that can place the burden on the state with a "failure to train" standard when one of its prosecutors unconstitutionally withholds exculpatory evidence from a criminal defendant. Then-New Orleans-area District Attorney Harry Connick Sr. claimed his office should not be held fully responsible after one of his staff attorneys violated long-standing, accepted procedures on handling evidence in criminal trials. The defendant, John Thompson, was freed from state prison after 18 years behind bars for the murder of a hotel executive. He came within weeks of execution before being granted a new trial. He was then acquitted in 2003 and won a $14 million judgment against the state. Oral arguments in the appeal will be heard in the fall. The case is Connick v. Thompson (09-571). • In another case, current and former Chinese Muslim detainees at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, lost another round at the high court. The justices are staying out of the latest dispute about the prisoners' demand of a 30-day notice before any proposed transfer from the detention center. The men, known as Uyghurs, wanted advance notice of which country they were being sent to, fearing they could be sent to a place where they would be tortured, imprisoned or harassed about their religious beliefs. The U.S. government, which says the prisoners are no longer considered "enemy combatants" or a national security threat, reiterated they would not be sent to places where they might face torture or continued imprisonment. Many of the Uyghurs released so far have been sent to the Pacific nation of Palau, with others going to Bermuda or Albania. The justices had previously agreed to hear the Uyghurs' broader constitutional claims over their years-long detention, but the case was tossed out as moot, since most of the men have been freed or are in the process

In 2006, school district disallowed instrument-only version of well-known song . District cited complaints about performance of other piece that included religious references . High school senior and others sued, saying free speech rights were being violated . Court rejects appeal without comment; Samuel Alito publicly dissents .

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court for the third time this year has stopped the pending capital punishment of a Texas inmate, giving lawyers for the man more time to file their appeals. The justices on Tuesday issued an order granting a stay of execution for Cleve Foster, about 2 1/2 hours before his scheduled lethal injection. The Gulf War veteran was convicted along with another man of the 2002 murder of Nyanuer "Mary" Pal, a Sudanese immigrant he met at a Fort Worth bar. The court indicated it would need more time to rule on the inmate's claims of prior ineffective assistance of counsel, and related claims of innocence of the murder. This is the third time Foster, 47, has been granted a high court reprieve. His previous scheduled execution was stopped in January and April, once after he had already been given his last meal. His April procedure was to be the state's first execution using a new sedative, the first in the lethal drug cocktail. A nationwide shortage of sodium thiopental forced corrections officials to announce they would use pentobarbital, a barbiturate that has alternately been used to put animals to sleep. Foster's lawyers had challenged that change, saying Texas foisted the new protocols so late, with little time for legal or medical review. The state has since executed several inmates with the new drug mixture, without noted complications. Foster has blamed his co-conspirator for the murder. His lawyers in their Supreme Court appeal presented letters from three fellow inmates who said co-defendant Sheldon Ward told them he acted alone in Pal's murder. The state countered Ward's statements to a psychologist implicating Foster as the mastermind behind the killing. They also said DNA from both men were found in the victim. Texas has a planned lethal injection Wednesday. Lawrence Brewer, 44, was one of two white men convicted in the 1998 dragging death of James Byrd Jr., an African-American. That widely reported crime led to national movement to step up prosecutions and penalties for hate crimes. Brewer has no pending appeals. It would be the 11th execution this year in Texas, the most active death-penalty state. The current case is Foster v. Texas (11-6427).

Court grants Cleve Foster his third stay of execution . The order came just 2 1/2 hours before the scheduled lethal injection . He was scheduled to die for the 2002 murder of a Sudanese woman . Court said it needed more time to rule on his claims of ineffective counsel .

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court granted a temporary stay of execution late Wednesday for a condemned Texas inmate who is requesting DNA testing of evidence in his case. The order was handed down less than an hour before Henry "Hank" Skinner, 47, was scheduled to be executed by injection for the New Year's Eve 1993 killings of his live-in girlfriend and her two sons. The Supreme Court granted the temporary stay while it considers whether to take up Skinner's broader appeal. It was not immediately clear when the court might consider the case, but there was no indication a decision would be made before Thursday. Skinner's attorneys maintain that DNA testing of the evidence could establish his innocence and determine the real killer. "This action suggests that the court believes there are important issues that require closer examination," defense attorney Robert Owen said of the temporary stay. "We remain hopeful that the court will agree to hear Mr. Skinner's case and ultimately allow him the chance to prove his innocence through DNA testing." Skinner heard the news while he was eating what was to be his last meal, according to Michelle Lyons, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He expressed relief and surprise, saying, "I had made up my mind I was going to die" and "I feel like I really won today," according to Lyons. Skinner said he is "eager to get the DNA testing so I can prove my innocence and get the hell out of here," according to Lyons. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has received more than 8,000 letters from Skinner's advocates urging a stay, according to the Innocence Project and Change.org, whose members and supporters have sent the letters through their Web sites. State Sen. Rodney Ellis and state Rep. Elliott Naishtat were among those who have called for a reprieve. "It has come to my attention that there are numerous problems with Mr. Skinner's case that raise serious questions regarding the fairness of his trial and whether or not he is guilty," Ellis wrote in a letter to Perry on Tuesday. Word about the case has spread as far as France, where demonstrations were planned Wednesday at the U.S. Embassy in Paris by supporters of Skinner's French wife, Sandrine Ageorges. Since Skinner's conviction in 1995, he "has tirelessly pursued access to the untested physical evidence," according to court documents filed with the Supreme Court in February. That evidence includes vaginal swabs and fingernail clippings from Skinner's then-girlfriend Twila Busby, hairs found in her hand and two knives found at the scene, along with a dish towel and a windbreaker jacket, according to the filing. Skinner has never denied being in the home when Busby and her sons -- Elwin Caler, 22, and Randy Busby, 20, -- were killed. However, he maintains he was incapacitated because of the "extreme quantities of alcohol and codeine" that he had consumed earlier that evening, according to the documents. Prosecutors maintain forensic evidence gathered at the scene and witness statements point to Skinner. A female friend of Skinner's who lived four blocks away testified at Skinner's trial that he walked to her trailer and told her that he may have kicked Twila Busby to death, although evidence did not show she had been kicked. The neighbor has since recanted parts of her testimony. Authorities followed a blood trail from the crime scene to the female friend's trailer and found Skinner in the closet, authorities said. He was "wearing heavily blood-stained jeans and socks and bearing a gash on the palm of his right hand," according to the Texas attorney general's summary of the case. In addition, authorities said cuts on Skinner's hand came from the knife used to stab the men. Skinner said he cut it on glass. Some DNA testing was done, which implicated Skinner, but not on the items he now wants tested. "DNA testing showed that blood on the shirt Skinner was wearing at the time of his arrest was Twila's blood, and blood on Skinner's jeans was a mixture of

U.S. Supreme Court issues stay of execution for Henry "Hank" Skinner . Skinner, 47, was to be executed by lethal injection Wednesday . He was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and her two sons in 1993 in Pampa, Texas . Skinner's attorneys say DNA testing of the evidence could establish his innocence .

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court has again indefinitely blocked plans to disseminate video of an important federal court case involving same-sex marriage in California. The justices in an unsigned order Wednesday prevented any distribution of the live video stream outside the San Francisco, California, courthouse where the case is being heard, and any real-time or delayed posting on the Internet. In a trial that began Monday, a federal judge in San Francisco will decide whether the state's Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage is constitutional. California voters approved the measure in November 2008, prompting an appeal by several homosexual couples. As part of a pilot program, the judge had agreed to allow video of the trial to be sent live to other rooms within the courthouse and to five other federal courthouses, and to be posted several hours later on the popular video site YouTube.com. Opponents of same-sex marriage had asked the Supreme Court to intervene, saying witness testimony could be affected if cameras were present. It is extremely rare for a federal trial to be televised to the broader public. The Supreme Court's latest order allows distribution only to designated "overflow" rooms in the San Francisco courthouse, where people who want to view the trial but are unable to fit into the courtroom can watch the proceedings on closed-circuit television. A majority of Supreme Court justices concluded expanded broadcast should not permitted because, they wrote, "It appears the courts below did not follow the appropriate procedures set forth in federal law before changing their rules to allow such broadcasting." There has been much internal debate in federal courts around the country about the televised experiment, with several judges and administrators privately expressing concern that it could eventually lead to the entire judiciary being televised, including the Supreme Court. In dissent to the ruling, Justice Stephen Breyer and three liberal colleagues complained the public would be deprived of watching "a nonjury civil case of great public interest to five other federal courthouses located in Seattle [Washington], Pasadena [California], Portland [Oregon], San Francisco [California], and Brooklyn [New York]." He was supported by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Paul Stevens and Sonia Sotomayor. Breyer said the Supreme Court traditionally has stayed out of what he called another court's administrative discretion on such matters, saying, "I believe this court should adhere to its institutional competence, its historical practice, and its governing precedent -- all of which counsel against the issuance of this stay." The case is Hollingsworth v. Perry (09A648).

Lower court had OK'd posting videos of trial on Internet . Supreme Court says no, but cameras can send trial to overflow rooms . Four members of court dissent, led by Justice Stephen Breyer .

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court has decided that the family of a slain professional wrestling personality can continue its lawsuit against Hustler magazine, a case that tested privacy concerns and the competing right to publish "newsworthy" material. The justices without comment Monday turned aside an appeal from the publishers of the men's magazine, which featured old nude photos of Nancy Benoit, who was killed nearly three years ago by her husband and fellow wrestling superstar Chris Benoit. The couple's young son also was slain in the family's Georgia home. The order is a victory for the estate of Nancy Benoit, which is seeking damages from Hustler. At issue was whether the constitutional right of privacy indirectly referenced in the 14th Amendment trumps the First Amendment protections of the media and publishers in this "right-of-publicity" dispute. The original lawsuit was brought by Maureen Toffoloni, whose daughter, Nancy Benoit, had posed nude for a photographer more than two decades ago. Toffoloni claims that her daughter, who was also known by the wrestling moniker Woman, had asked immediately after the shoot to have the photos and video destroyed and believed that photographer Mark Samansky had done so. He later sold stills from the video to Hustler, a men's magazine founded by Larry Flynt that publishes racy material. The photos were published in the March 2008 issue. The murders had occurred the previous summer. At the center of the crimes was Chris Benoit, a Canadian-born athlete who worked for several professional wrestling circuits, including the popular World Wrestling Entertainment. In 2000, he married Nancy Sullivan, a Florida native who had become a well-known wrestling manager after her time in the ring. Their son, Daniel, was born earlier that year. Police say the crimes occurred over a three-day period in June 2007 at the Atlanta-area home of the Benoits. Investigators concluded that Chris Benoit first bound his 43-year-old wife and strangled her. The 7-year-old boy was then drugged and strangled. The man then committed suicide by hanging himself with a weight machine. No formal motive was ever established. CNN reported at the time that doctors found testosterone, painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs in the body of 40-year-old Chris Benoit, according to Georgia's chief medical examiner. Performance-enhancing anabolic steroids were later found in the home. Weeks after the killings, a study of Chris Benoit's brain showed damage from "prior repetitive injury." His father, Michael Benoit, said on CNN's "Larry King Live" that a series of concussions from his high-flying moves in the ring were in part to blame. Georgia has a law similar to many states' recognizing the right to privacy against "the appropriation of another's name and likeness ... without consent and for the financial gain of the appropriator." That would include "a private citizen, entertainer, or a public figure who is not a public official" like a legislator. The state's high court ruled against Hustler magazine in June, finding that a "brief biography" of Nancy Benoit and her murder accompanying the nude photos did not represent a "newsworthy article." "The photographs published by [Flynt] neither relate to the incident of public concern conceptually [the murders] nor correspond with the time period during which Benoit was rendered, against her will, the subject of public scrutiny," the state court wrote. "Were we to hold otherwise, [Flynt] would be free to publish any nude photograph of almost anyone without their permission, simply because the fact they were caught nude on camera strikes someone as 'newsworthy.' Surely that debases the very concept of a right to privacy." The state justices said "crude though the concept may seem," Nancy Benoit's mother is now entitled to control such images "in order to maximize the economic benefit to be derived from her daughter's posthumous fame." Such power is known legally as the "right of publicity." Flynt and the photographer, Samansky, later filed the appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court and had the support

Supreme Court turns aside appeal over Nancy Benoit nude photos . Hustler published pictures months after Benoit's husband killed her, son, himself . Nancy Benoit's mother sued, saying daughter thought materials destroyed . Case centers on rights of media, privacy .

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court has refused a lower court's unusual request to decide whether a shocking 45-year-old civil rights crime can be prosecuted decades later. The justices Monday dismissed an appeal involving James Ford Seale, convicted in the 1964 kidnapping of two teenagers whose bodies were found in a backwater area of the Mississippi River. The reputed former Ku Klux Klan member had long been suspected in the crime, but it was officially unsolved until Seale was indicted in 2007, and later convicted. He is serving three life sentences. The move by the high court not to get involved keeps in place Seale's original indictment, but does not resolve the larger question of whether similar cases can be prosecuted. The issue could have enormous implications for several dozen "cold cases" involving racially motivated crimes dating back to the 1950s. Seale had appealed his conviction, claiming the statute of limitations had expired five years after the crime. The confusion arises over the fact that kidnapping could be considered a capital offense in 1964, and thus had no time limit for a prosecution. The high court in 1968 eliminated the federal death penalty for that crime, and Congress four years later changed the law to reflect that ruling. But lawmakers 15 years ago reinstated kidnapping as death penalty-eligible. So the justices were being asked to decide when the statute of limitations kicked in, if ever. Justice John Paul Stevens, supported by his conservative colleague Justice Antonin Scalia, thought the court should get involved. "I see no benefit and significant cost to postponing the question's resolution," Stevens wrote in dissent. "A prompt answer from this court will expedite the termination of this litigation and determine whether other similar cases may be prosecuted." Seale, a former sheriff's deputy, was convicted in June 2007 of kidnapping and conspiracy in the disappearances of Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee, both 19. Federal officials had initially trumpeted reopening the Seale case. "Today's indictment is one example of the FBI's strong and ongoing commitment to re-examining and investigating unsolved civil rights era murders and other crimes," FBI Director Robert S. Mueller said in January 2007. "Under our Cold Case Initiative, we will continue to identify and pursue these cases of racially motivated violence to ensure justice is served wherever possible." Seale was not tried for murder, but prosecutors alleged that he and fellow Klansmen conspired to abduct, beat and murder Dee and Moore in May 1964. An indictment accused Seale and his cohorts of picking up the two men hitchhiking and driving them into the Homochitto National Forest in Franklin County, Mississippi, where the teenagers were beaten and interrogated at gunpoint. Dee and Moore were then bound with duct tape and weighted down by an engine block and railroad rail. They were still alive when they were thrown into the Old Mississippi River, where they drowned, according to the FBI. Their decomposed bodies were found two months later during a search for three other missing civil rights workers that would later be known as the Mississippi Burning case. Seale and another man, Charles Edwards, were arrested in the slayings in 1964, but were released on bond and never tried. The FBI turned the case over to local authorities, and the investigation was dropped after a justice of the peace said witnesses had refused to testify. The case was revived in 2007 when Moore's brother -- during a visit to Franklin County to help research the case for a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary -- discovered Seale was still alive. Thomas Moore told CNN in January 2007 that he gave the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi FBI files on the case, which he had obtained from a Mississippi reporter. U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton helped form a task force that led to Seale's indictment. Seale was the only person convicted in the Moore and Dee murders, the Justice Department said. Since then, other notable cold cases from the civil rights era also have gone to trial. In 2005, Edgar Ray Killen was convicted of manslaughter for his role in the Mississippi Burning case. Adding to the unusual nature of the Seale case is

Appeals court asked high court if a civil rights crime can be prosecuted decades later . Justices dismissed appeal involving man convicted in 1964 kidnapping of two teens . James Ford Seale appealed conviction in case, saying statute of limitations had expired . Indictment stands, but question of whether similar cases can be prosecuted is unanswered .

Washington (CNN) -- The Transportation Security Administration Tuesday said it is launching a "full review" of an incident in which the agency posted on the Internet a sensitive manual outlining screening procedures for law enforcement officers, diplomats, prisoners, federal air marshals and others. In a statement Tuesday night, the TSA sought to minimize the impact of the unintentional release -- calling the document "outdated," "unclassified" and unimplemented -- while saying that it took the incident "very seriously," and "took swift action" when it was discovered. Congressional critics, meanwhile, lambasted the agency and called for an independent investigation. "Undoubtedly, this raises potential security concerns across our transportation system," House Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, wrote in a letter to TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, called the release of the information "shocking" and reckless. "This manual provides a road map to those who would do us harm," she said. At issue is a 93-page manual giving instruction to airport screeners on how to screen individuals. It also gives details on how screening is conducted and the limitations of X-ray machines. The TSA posted the manual on a Federal Business Opportunities Web site that provides information for government contractors and redacted sensitive parts. But the redacted information was not properly protected, and the information was restored by people familiar with the computer program. The TSA said the posted manual -- dated May 28, 2008, with an implementation date of June 30, 2008 -- was never implemented and has been revised six times, although it did not elaborate on the extent of the revisions. "While the document does demonstrate the complexities of checkpoint security, it does not contain information related to the specifics of everyday checkpoint screening procedures," the TSA said Tuesday. "The traveling public should be assured that appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure the continued implementation of a strong security screening program," it said. The TSA said it removed the report as soon as it learned of the problem. But it was too late. The full, un-redacted version of the report appeared on at least one Web site on Sunday, and was even more widely distributed on Tuesday.

TSA said posted document is "outdated," "unclassified" and unimplemented . Congressional critics called for independent investigation . TSA posted the manual and redacted sensitive parts . Redacted information was not properly protected, information was restored .

Washington (CNN) -- The Transportation Security Administration is upgrading security clearances for 10,000 of its airport personnel, giving them access to "secret" intelligence to help them better detect threats and stop terrorists, the agency said Friday. To date, the agency has granted access to secret-level classified information to 744 front-line supervisors, managers and behavior-detection officers. It now hopes to be able to give that clearance to all 10,000 supervisory personnel in the next two years, it said. The change does not involve airport screeners, the people responsible for inspecting people and luggage at airport checkpoints. "It's a natural progression," TSA spokeswoman Sterling Payne said. "It's the next step in professionalizing our work force. What this will do is give them a leg up and a little more detail than what they're getting in the [current] briefing." The change will empower the employees and make sure they have up-to-date and accurate information about intelligence threats, she said. The majority of the agency's headquarters managers already have secret- or higher-level clearances for classified information. James Carafano, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said it is a good idea to increase the number of aviation security officials with access to intelligence. The move could decrease the chance that information will be leaked because employees who are given clearance are trained to treat the information appropriately, he said. Officers also must undergo additional background checks before receiving the upgraded status, the agency said. The Transportation Security Administration said personnel granted security clearances are educated about their responsibility to protect classified information, sign a non-disclosure agreement and take annual refresher training. Under the federal government's system of classifying information, "secret" clearance is above "restricted" and "confidential" but below "top secret." Randall Larsen, director of the Institute for Homeland Security, was enthusiastic about the expanded base of people with access to "secret" intelligence, saying it is particularly needed by behavior detection officers, who look for travelers exhibiting unusual behavior. "Just think, if we had pulled that Christmas bomber aside and spoken to him for just a few minutes, he would have never gotten on that plane," Larsen said. But support for the move isn't universal. "Our members are screaming because the problem is, as it always has been, that [airline pilots] are being left behind," said David Mackett, president of the Airline Pilots Security Alliance. "I'd much rather have the critical information get to the flight crews" and flight attendants, he said. Mackett said airport security personnel "see passengers for several seconds, and yet they're not sharing [information] with air crews who see them for several hours." He also said the TSA has "a very high turnover rate" compared with that of flight crews, so sensitive information will migrate away from the government. Mike Karn, security chairman for the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association, agreed that flight crews should receive "secret" information, saying terrorists have proved that they can still get on aircraft. "You have to strengthen them all the way up to that last line of defense," Karn said.

TSA says access to "secret" intelligence will help them better detect threats . Change does not apply to airport security screeners . New clearances will be above "confidential" but below "top secret"