More Americans Calling Afghan War A "Mistake"

A new Gallup poll shows that 43% of Americans surveyed say the decision to send U.S. troops to Afghanistan was a mistake. The poll was conducted following the leak of over 92,000 classified Afghan war documents dating from 2004 to 2009…

Obama To Sign Bill Reducing Penalties For Crack Cocaine

The House and the Senate have passed a bill that would make penatlies for carrying crack cocaine and powder cocaine more similar. Currently the law requirs any person arrested with crack cocaine must serve at least 5 years in federal prison. With powder cocaine, a person needs to be arrested with 500 grams of cocaine to receive 5 years in prison. For more on this story, click here

-Rob Sanna

Obama Calls For New Performance Measures For Teachers

President Obama took a swipe at teacher’s unions during a speech to members of the National Urban League this morning. Obama said installing new performance measures for teachers would produce more accountability, and make the nation’s education system a better one. Critics of Obama’s “Race to the Top” plan claim that pushing states to focus on education will take away from programs that need more attention in this economy. My colleague Benny Martinez will have more on the speech in just a bit…

-Rob Sanna

President Signs Unemployment Extenders

The White House released the following statement from President Barack Obama shortly after he signed into law a measure to continue providing benefits to unemployed Americans:

“Today, I signed the unemployment insurance extension to restore desperately needed assistance to two and a half million Americans who lost their jobs in the recession. After a partisan minority used procedural tactics to block the authorization of this assistance three separate times over the past weeks, Americans who are fighting to find a good job and support their families will finally get the support they need to get back on their feet during these tough economic times. 

Now it’s time for Congress to act on more proposals that support our economic recovery, including passing critical aid to our states and support to small businesses. Small businesses are the engine of job growth, and measures to cut their taxes and make lending available should not be held hostage to partisan tactics like those that unconscionably held up unemployment insurance.”