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 News Around the Americas
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US Democrats Urge Torture Probe by Special Counsel
 Larry Margasak
Congressional Democrats turned up the pressure on the Obama administration Tuesday to start a criminal investigation by a special counsel into harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects.
Flyover Photo Op Scares, Angers New Yorkers
 Ula Ilnytzky & Sara Kugler
It was supposed to be a photo op that captured images of an Air Force One plane with a majestic Statue of Liberty in the background. Instead, it turned into a public relations nightmare that led to recriminations from the president and mayor and prompted thousands other to ask, "What were they thinking?"
Socialist Rafael Correa Re-Elected in Ecuador
 Tyler Bridges & Stephan Kueffner
Socialist President Rafael Correa tightened his grip on power in politically volatile Ecuador by winning re-election Sunday, exit polls showed.
Leahy Calls for Investigation of US Torture
 Agence France-Presse
A senior US lawmaker has called for a special commission to investigate the US government's alleged torture of terror detainees, amid calls by some that the country bury the controversy.
US Advises Against Mexico Trips as Flu Cases Rise
 Lauran Neergaard & Tom Raum
Confirming 40 cases of swine flu in the U.S., the Obama administration said Monday it was responding aggressively as if the outbreak would spread into a full pandemic. Officials urged against most travel to Mexico as the virus that began there spread to the US and beyond.
Swine Flu Leads U.S. to Declare Emergency
 Keith Darcé
San Diego residents are being urged to take precautions against swine flu at schools, offices and other public places after a weekend of escalating infections triggered global concerns and prompted U.S. officials to declare a public health emergency.
Obama's Health OK After Mexico Trip
 Politico
Robert Gibbs said on Saturday that "the President's trip to Mexico has not put his health in any danger," the Associated Press reports. According to reports, Obama was guided through a Mexico City museum by Felipe Solis, who passed away the next day and reportedly had flu-like symptoms.
 Obama's Weekly Address: Calling for Fiscal Discipline
 White House Blog
This week the President reiterates a theme that has been a hallmark of his career, namely that "old habits and stale thinking" will simply not help us solve the new and immense problems our country faces.
US Plan Would Deploy Guard Near Mexico
 Mary Beth Sheridan, Spencer S. Hsu & Steve Fainaru
The Pentagon and Homeland Security Department are developing contingency plans to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexican border under a $350 million initiative that would expand the U.S. military's role in the drug war, according to Obama administration officials.
Flu Pandemic Fears Spreads to America
 Jason Gale & Tom Randall
Disease trackers are asking U.S. hospitals to help follow a new strain of swine flu and are trying to determine whether it’s related to hundreds of illnesses and 57 deaths in Mexico.
Member of UAE Royal Family Tortures Man
 ABC News
A video tape smuggled out of the United Arab Emirates shows a member of the country’s royal family mercilessly torturing a man with whips, electric cattle prods and wooden planks with protruding nails.
Olbermann: Congress Debates Fresh Investigation of Interrogations
 MSNBC
On MSNBC's "Countdown" with Keith Olbermann, Elizabeth de la Vega, a former federal prosecutor and Truthout contributor, advises that the administration should not immediately appoint a special prosecutor to investigate torture.
US Congress Debates Fresh Investigation of Interrogations
 Dan Balz & Perry Bacon Jr.
The legacy of George W. Bush continued to dog President Obama and his administration yesterday, as Congress divided over creating a panel to investigate the harsh interrogation techniques employed under Bush's authorization.
Arizona Feels the Heat of Immigration Debate
 Valeria Fernández
Thousands of people poured into the streets of Phoenix this past Sunday in one of several nationwide marches scheduled through May to pressure President Barack Obama to act on immigration reform.
Top Bush Officials Promoted Torture
 Agence France-Presse
Top US officials, not a "few bad apples" of low rank, were behind harsh military interrogation tactics that spread from Guantanamo Bay to Afghanistan to Iraq, a new Senate report said.
Death Penalty Losing Favor Around the World
 Marina Litvinsky
Though most of the world is moving a step closer to the abolition of the death penalty, death sentences continue to be handed out in the hundreds around the globe, says a new report from Amnesty International.
Families of America's Veterans Get Some Good News
 David Lord
If you're struggling with an elderly loved one, who also happens to be one of America's veterans, relief is around the corner. The Veterans Administration has increased its payment in the 'Veterans Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit' program.
Summit of Americas Ends with a Whimper
 Peter Richards
There is only one signature on the Declaration of Port of Spain, out of 34 slots. Still, host Patrick Manning, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, insists that the Fifth Summit of the Americas which ended here on Sunday was a "success".
Military Chief Says US Troops Won't Go to Border
 Alicia A. Caldwell
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, rejecting a growing number of calls from politicians, said the U.S. military has no plans to send troops to the border with Mexico
Obama's New Cuba Policy
 Carol E. Lee
President Barack Obama said Sunday that America's 48-year economic embargo of Cuba had failed to bring change to the island, and that he hoped the country would move towards embracing democratic values, including freedom of speech and religion, on the path towards launching better relations with the United States.
9/11 Planner Tortured 183 Times
 Reuters
CIA interrogators used the waterboarding technique on Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the admitted planner of the September 11 attacks, 183 times and 83 times on another al Qaeda suspect, The New York Times said on Sunday.
Obama's Weekly Address: Efficiency and Innovation
 White House Blog
With the process of going through the budget line by line in full swing, the President uses his Weekly Address to give some examples, big and small, of how the Administration is working to cut costs and eliminate waste.
Cocaine Highways: Post-NAFTA, Most Drugs Cross U.S. Borders in Trucks
 Richard Esposito, Asa Eslocker, & Brian Ross
Most of the drug shipments smuggled into the United States by the Mexican cartels are hidden in trucks that drive across U.S. border checkpoints in plain sight, with little fear of inspection, U.S. law enforcement officials tell ABC News.
Police Uncover Alleged Plot to Kill Evo Morales
 Carlos Valdez
Bolivian police foiled an alleged plot to assassinate President Evo Morales, killing three men in a 30-minute gunbattle with a mysterious group that included suspects from Hungary, Ireland and possibly Croatia, government officials said Thursday.
Obama Heads to Americas Summit with Cuba Focus
 Mark S. Smith
After backing Mexico's ongoing battle against drug cartels, President Barack Obama is heading to a Western Hemisphere summit with a sudden spotlight on Cuba.
Officials Say US Wiretaps Exceeded Law
 Eric Lichtblau & James Risen
The National Security Agency intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months on a scale that went beyond the broad legal limits established by Congress last year, government officials said in recent interviews.
Obama to Support Anti-Drug Efforts on Mexico Visit
 Jeff Mason & David Alexander
In his second big trip abroad since becoming U.S. president, Barack Obama arrives in Mexico on Thursday to show support for the Mexican government's efforts to fight a devastating drug war and boost security along the U.S. border.
U.S. Names Ex-Justice Official as U.S.-Mexican "Border Czar"
 JoAnne Allen
The Obama administration on Wednesday named a former U.S. Justice Department official who was "border czar" during Bill Clinton's presidency to lead its efforts to crack down on drug-related violence along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Homeland Security on Guard for 'Right-Wing Extremists'
 WorldNetDaily
A newly unclassified Department of Homeland Security report warns against the possibility of violence by unnamed "right-wing extremists" concerned about illegal immigration, increasing federal power, restrictions on firearms, abortion and the loss of U.S. sovereignty and singles out returning war veterans as particular threats.
Obama Signals Support for Mexico
 David Alexander
President Barack Obama's visit to Mexico this week is a signal of support for President Felipe Calderon and his efforts to confront violent drug trafficking gangs, White House officials said on Monday.
Economy, Security High on Americas Summit Agenda
 Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama makes his first official visit to Latin America this week, visiting Mexico on Thursday and then traveling on to Trinidad and Tobago for the Fifth Summit of the Americas. Following are issues likely to come up during the visits.
Even with Rescue, a Solution Remains Elusive
 Lara Jakes
Even in the glow of the U.S. Navy's daring rescue of a cargo ship captain from Somali pirates, the military is still searching for a solution to the epidemic of high seas piracy.
Obama Quietly Abandons Assault Weapons Ban
 Doug Thompson
A new ban on assault-style weapons was part of Presidential candidate Barack Obama's platform. Fear of such a ban sent gun sales skyrocketing and the propaganda machine of the giant National Rife Association went into overdrive. That was then, this is now.
Obama's Weekly Address: Passover & Easter
 White House Blog
This week the President discusses the multitude of problems and opportunities before the world through the prism of Passover and Easter.
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