Obama making record use of presidential memos - Fed judge: Obama immigration actions "unconstitutional"

President Obama reportedly is using a unique form of executive action known as the “presidential memorandum” at a historic pace – a tactic that allows him to, technically, claim he’s not over-using executive orders while still pursuing high-level policy changes without involvement from Congress.

A review by USA Today, published Wednesday, shows that, in fact, Obama has issued more memoranda than any U.S. president in history. He’s issued 198 – more than the 195 executive orders from his White House.

The executive action is strikingly similar to an executive order, with only slight differences. But by using the memos, this is how Obama and his advisers have claimed the president is not over-using executive orders.

According to USA Today, when the memos and executive orders are combined, Obama is on pace to issue more “high-level executive actions” than any president since Harry Truman.

As noted in the review, Obama’s most controversial executive action of late – an overhaul of the U.S. immigration system including de facto legal status for up to 5 million illegal immigrants – was done through memoranda.

Those actions already have led to legal challenges – and one judicial rebuke. On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Arthur Schwab, in Pennsylvania, issued an opinion claiming some of Obama’s actions were unconstitutional.

The opinion, though, was delivered in a case not directly related to those actions, and the Justice Department downplayed Schwab’s opinion as “unfounded” and “flatly wrong.”

According to the USA Today review, Obama has used memoranda to take a number of other actions, including directing the Labor Department to collect salary data from federal contractors to see what they’re paying women and minorities, and directing federal law enforcement agencies to trace firearms that are part of federal probes.

The differences between an order and a memorandum are slight. According to the USA Today review, executive orders are numbered and memoranda are not. Executive orders have to cite the law they’re based on, and memoranda do not. Both actions can be used for similar purposes, though.

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Obama making record use of presidential memos - Fed judge: Obama immigration actions "unconstitutional"

Outcome of JTA presidential election not yet clear

There’s uncertainty about the outcome of the hotly contested election for President of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) for the 2015/2016 administrative year, after the initial announcement of the results was recalled.

A preliminary count of  the votes and a subsequent release from the Association’s Public Relations Officer has been recalled and withdrawn by the President.
A statement issued on Tuesday night by Leon Nash, JTA Public Relations Officer, said following a preliminary count, Georgia Waugh Richards, Principal of Harmon’s Primary School, had  received 6079 votes in last month’s election, beating Norman Allen, Principal of  Four Paths Primary and Junior High, into second place with 5,996 votes.   
But, in a swift response, JTA President Dr Mark Nicely told RJR News states that the results were not final, so the contents of the release should be disregarded.

“By virtue of the closeness of the result, we have received indications from one candidate already that that candidate will be requesting at least a recount, and might also take other action,” he said.

Accordingly, he advised, the press release should not be regarded as an official announcement of the election result. It was a “premature and unauthorised” press release, he asserted, which “is not really to be regarded as the result.”

The process of determining the result was still underway, Dr. Nicely added. He said that because of the closeness of the margin of victory, determined by the preliminary count, there will have to be a recount of the votes.

The president-elect will initially succeed Doran Dixon in that capacity next month when he takes up duties as President of the JTA. Similarly, at the end of Mr. Dixon’s one-year presidency in 2015, the incoming president-elect will become the new president.

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Outcome of JTA presidential election not yet clear

Costa Rica holds presidential poll

2 February 2014 Last updated at 22:12 ET Voters in Costa Rica could be called to cast their ballots again in an April run-off The governing party’s candidate has taken a clear lead in early results as votes are counted in Costa Rica’s presidential election.

Johnny Araya of the National Liberation Party is on 36% with centrist Luis Guillermo Solis on 21% and left-winger Jose Maria Villalta on 17%.

If no candidate wins outright, there will be a run-off on 6 April.

Mr Araya has promised too distance himself from the scandal-hit government of President Laura Chinchilla.

He has served as mayor of the capital San Jose for 20 years and ran on a pledge to reduce poverty.

Sunday Mass

Correspondents say polling stations were empty in the morning but the turn out picked up in the afternoon. No disruptions have been reported.

Mr Villalta was the only one of the main candidates not to attend a Sunday Mass.

“I don’t usually go to church. It would be hypocritical of me to go now, just because we are holding elections,” Mr Villalta told reporters.

His opponents accuse him of being a “communist” and planning to legalise abortion.

Another leading contender, right-wing candidate Otto Guevara, promised to rebuild the “social fabric” and lower electricity prices.

Laura Chinchilla became the first female president of Costa Rica in 2010.

But with unemployment rising and the government involved in a string of corruption allegations, the president saw her popularity fade.

Correspondents say her successor will have to tackle not only the country’s economic woes but a deeply divided Congress.

Voters are electing both a new president and members of Congress.

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Costa Rica holds presidential poll

Platini not sure he"ll run for FIFA presidential office

Sport

Thursday, August 29, 2013

PARIS, France (AFP) — UEFA president Michel Platini says he remains unsure whether he will run for the same post at the head of world governing body FIFA when current president Sepp Blatter’s mandate expires in 2015.“I am in the middle of thinking whether it is good or not good, but I will certainly say something at Dubrovnik (the Croatian city where the next UEFA executive committee meetings will be held on September 19 and 20),” the Frenchman told sports daily L’Equipe.“I am obliged to say something because everyone is expecting me to express myself,” added the 58-year-old, who enjoyed a glorious playing career that peaked in 1984 when he captained France to their first European Championship.“It is not a simple decision. People will fight each other to have the position of FIFA president, but not me.“I have to determine whether it is a good thing for football. I was Michel Platini, I won three Ballon d’Ors, I was the best player in the world. To be number one in the world, I’ve already done that in football but not in the corridors.“I have to convince myself that it’s my destiny and it’s good for football, because I am very happy at UEFA.“In any case, to choose between FIFA and UEFA is not to be condemned to prison or a work camp.”Platini replaced Sweden’s Lennart Johansson in 2007, while Blatter has been in office since 1998 when he succeeded Brazilian Joao Havelange.The Swiss, 77, says his fifth term will be his last, but there are rumours he may be set to change his mind and run for re-election.“I don’t know what he will do,” continued Platini.“I will take my decision alone without worrying about Sepp. In the beginning (2011), he said he would stop in 2015. Now he is saying he will explain his decision in one year in Brazil.“He has said I am his natural successor, but there is no deal between us even if it’s true that today I am a legitimate candidate to go to FIFA.” PLATINI… people will fight each other to have the position of FIFA president, but not me

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Platini not sure he"ll run for FIFA presidential office