ACLU seeks details on government’s phone tracking

AFP

In a massive coordinated information-seeking campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and 33 other affiliates across the nation today are sending requests to more than 375 local law enforcement agencies large and small demanding to know when, why and how they are using cell phone location data to track Americans. The Virginia affiliate…

Webb joins group of senators urging end to ethanol tariffs, subsidies

AFP

A bipartisan group of 12 senators, led by Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), today sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kent.) urging them to make full elimination of costly ethanol subsidies and tariffs a priority. In June, a measure offered by Sen. Dianne Feinstein…

Kathleen Rogers: Don’t turn out lights on bulb innovation

AFP

In a close vote, the House recently passed a provision that undercuts one of the most successful environmental programs of the decade – one that requires all bulbs – including the incandescent – to achieve higher efficiency levels. The amendment, which was tacked on to the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 2012, delays…

20th century presidency class among OLLI offerings

Chris Graham

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum (WWPL) is pleased to partner with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Virginia (OLLI at UVA) to present “Late 20th Century Presidents and Their Families: Personal Observations and Reflections,” a three-meeting class taught by WWPL President and CEO Don W. Wilson beginning in October at…

Webb, Warner introduce offshore-drilling legislation

Chris Graham

U.S. Sens. Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner today introduced legislation that would allow oil and natural gas exploration and production off of the Virginia coast. Both senators have consistently supported safe and responsible energy exploration on Virginia’s outer continental shelf. The Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2011 would also expand the…

Warner introduces spending accountability, transparency proposal

Chris Graham

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) today introduced legislation that increases federal fiscal transparency and accountability by establishing a single web-based platform to allow taxpayers and policymakers to more easily track all federal spending. The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA) is a Senate version of legislation introduced earlier this week by Rep. Darrell Issa…

Senators urge implementation of safety regs for bus industry

Chris Graham

Following deadly tour bus crashes that claimed dozens of lives in New York, Virginia and Washington state this year, a group of six senators wrote to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood calling for swift implementation of safety standards aimed at preventing driver fatigue. “The pattern of enforcement by DOT has been uneven, inconsistent…