McClatchy DC

Obama speech suggests possible expansion of drone killings

A mechanic works on one of the Marine Corps' two K-MAX unmanned helicopter sat Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. The two drones are used for supply missions and are proving drones can be used for more than spying and missile strikes.

President Barack Obama on Thursday defended his administration’s use of drone strikes to kill terrorists as effective, lawful and “heavily constrained,” but he also appeared to be laying groundwork for an expansion of the controversial targeted ...

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Archive by category ''McClatchy DC

MCCLATCHY DC

Shadows of dishonor cast on the U.S. military

Is the respect that America holds for its military — a pride shown Saturday in Armed Forces Day observances — being undercut by acts of mayhem, a growing sexual abuse scandal and a flurry of other misconduct cases grabbing headlines?
MCCLATCHY DC

Congress, fired IRS chief clash

The embattled and departing head of the IRS on Friday defended as proper the actions taken by IRS employees who selected for close scrutiny tea party groups and other conservative organizations.
MCCLATCHY DC

FBI starts criminal probe of IRS as report details unfair treatment

The Internal Revenue Service asked “unnecessary, burdensome questions” of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, questions that unfairly delayed the applications, according to an investigative report obtained by McClatchy.
MCCLATCHY DC

In Cairo, desperate Egyptian men search in vain for Syrian brides

On the outskirts of the vast Egyptian capital, Egypt ends and the latest Syria enclave begins. Women tie their headscarves in a distinctly Syrian way. They buy Syrian spices and trinkets from vendors whose shops are now tables lined along the streets. There is a constant murmur of stories about ...
MCCLATCHY DC

Ambassador Stevens twice said no to military offers of more security, U.S. officials say

In the month before attackers stormed U.S. facilities in Benghazi and killed four Americans, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens twice turned down offers of security assistance made by the senior U.S. military official in the region in response to concerns that Stevens had raised in a still secret...
MCCLATCHY DC

Obama calls Benghazi talking points criticism a 'sideshow'

President Obama today decried reports that the IRS targeted conservative groups and dismissed Republican criticism of his administration's handling of talking points about the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi, Libya, charging the GOP is using it a political weapon to raise money.
MCCLATCHY DC

Obama, Congress promise probe of IRS

Political Washington reacted with bipartisan outrage Monday to reports that the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative organizations applying for special tax-exempt status – though questions have been raised about politics and tax status since at least 2006.
MCCLATCHY DC

SC voters send former governor Mark Sanford back to Congress

Mark Sanford is headed back to Congress after trouncing Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch with 54 percent of the votes, a 9 percentage point victory that dashed predictions of a close race.
MCCLATCHY DC

Syrian rebel leader Salim Idriss admits difficulty of unifying fighters

The defected Syrian general whom the United States has tapped as its conduit for aid to the rebels has acknowledged in an interview with McClatchy that his movement is badly fragmented and lacks the military skill needed to topple the government of President Bashar Assad.
BUSINESS

Senate approves online sales tax; House support isn’t so certain

A bill that would authorize states to collect sales taxes for online purchases easily passed the Senate on Monday with bipartisan support, but it faces a tougher hurdle in the House of Representatives.