Congress: "Not quite as bad as we thought it looked"? New budget deal passed

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/18/bipartisan-budget-agreement-clears-us-congress

Obama Presidential Power, Foreign Policy, EXOP (NSA)

Drone wars and state secrecy – how Barack Obama became a hardliner | World news | The Observer: ""Obama did not reverse what Bush did, he went beyond it. Obama is just able to wrap it up in a better looking package. He is more liberal, more eloquent. He does not look like a cowboy," said James Bamford, journalist and author of numerous books about the NSA including 2008's The Shadow Factory."

'via Blog this'

Why did one Senator require a bucket on the floor of the Senate whilst making a speech? Podcast on the filibuster?

13 Feb 11: The American Filibuster
Mon, 14 Feb 11
Duration:29 mins
The American Filibuster: As the row over filibustering in the UK heats up, Americana takes a look at the history of this increasingly popular senatorial tactic in the U.S. Can it be put to good use - or is it really just the resort of the time-wasting obstructionist? Melting Pot Myth? The BBC's Matthew Wells tests out the immigrant's dream of melting-pot New York. Are the streets paved with gold - or is the myth finally wearing thin? Reclaiming Racist Language: Throughout America's struggles with integration, the vocabulary of "us" and "them" has spawned some unutterable words. Students from Maryland explain how they are reclaiming the language of racism. Joyce Carol Oates: And one of America's pre-eminent authors, Joyce Carol Oates, talks about her new memoire; a raw and candid appraisal of life after her husband's death in 2008.

CLICK BELOW:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/americana/americana_20110214-1130a.mp3