FOXNews.com: Nevada strikes down anti-communist law dating back to 1950

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Nevada strikes down anti-communist law dating back to 1950 May 31st 2013, 17:53 Published May 31, 2013 Associated Press CARSON CITY, Nev. –  It's no longer OK to fire someone in Nevada just because they're a Communist. Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a bill Wednesday striking down language in an archaic Nevada law that dates back to the Red Scare. The measure, SB506, is part of an ongoing effort by legislative staff to scratch out obsolete laws still on the books. Before Wednesday, it was legal for employers to take action against a person who's a member of the Communist Party or any other organization required to register with the Subversive Activities Control Board. The board was created by a 1950 federal law sponsored by former U.S. Sen. Pat McCarran, a Nevada Democrat. It investigated people suspected of promoting totalitarian dictatorships in the U.S. Organizations haven't been required to register with the board since 1968.

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FOXNews.com: Furloughed feds can tap jobless benefits, raising questions about sequester savings

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Furloughed feds can tap jobless benefits, raising questions about sequester savings May 31st 2013, 19:44 In Washington, it seems every penny saved is actually a penny spent.  Though sequester-tied furloughs have forced federal employees to cut their hours and their pay, it turns out some of them are eligible for unemployment benefits.  That means that while individual agencies are trimming their own budgets with furloughs, the cost to taxpayers of unemployment benefits could simultaneously rise -- in turn, undermining lawmakers' goal of using the sequester to cut costs.  Already, one local union in Philadelphia reportedly has negotiated with the Navy to rearrange their furlough days so they can claim unemployment checks. The Defense Department did not deny this report when questioned by Fox News, and acknowledged that some of the thousands of civilian workers facing furlough could be eligible for the benefits.  A Labor Department official, too, confirmed to FoxNews.com that some -- but not all -- furloughed workers could be eligible.  "To be clear, it's possible that not all federal employees are eligible for unemployment compensation," the official said in an email.  While the programs are administered by the states, the federal government would cover the cost in this case.  The availability of unemployment checks to furloughed workers highlights a long-running challenge to the government's effort to cut its own budget. Congress can cut money from one pool of funds. But there's nothing stopping beneficiaries from simply going to another pool.  In the case of federal workers, the unions that represent them and even some lawmakers feel their pain. At the Defense Department, the furlough notices continue to roll out, with civilian workers mostly facing a one-day-per-week furlough -- a 20 percent pay cut for that period.  Many lawmakers still want to overhaul the sequester -- automatic spending cuts which were not initially intended to become law -- and the unions are lobbying Congress hard to do so.  American Federation of Government Employees spokesman Tim Kauffman told FoxNews.com the union has been negotiating with federal agencies to limit the impact on workers.  "Obviously we want to make this as painless as possible for the workers," he said. "There's going to be an impact regardless."  He said he did not know to what extent federal workers are seeking unemployment benefits, noting their eligibility will vary by state.  The Labor Department, in official guidance posted for employees, told furloughed workers they "may become eligible for unemployment benefits" under a program known as Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees.  The guidelines appeared to anticipate a big response. "You should expect longer than normal wait times due to the large volume of UCFE claims that may be filed," they said. "Please be patient, states will be doing all they can to accommodate you and to help you correctly file your claim."  A Labor Department official noted that under the eligibility rules, employees who are furloughed for one or two days a week in most cases cannot claim unemployment compensation because their weekly earnings will still be too high.  But a report earlier this week detailed how one union -- a Philadelphia chapter of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers -- had found a way around that restriction.  According to CNNMoney, the union reached an agreement with the Navy to lump their days off into one-week blocks. That way they can claim unemployment benefits for some of their lost income.  The union did not return a request for comment from FoxNews.com, though the Defense Department did not deny the report.    Reliable figures for how many federal workers are claiming the benefits are hard to come by. The Labor Department does not keep those records, and neither does the federal Office of Personnel Management.

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FOXNews.com: White House: Asteroid 'poses no threat' to Earth

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White House: Asteroid 'poses no threat' to Earth May 31st 2013, 19:18 Published May 31, 2013 Associated Press Have no fear: The White House says an asteroid more than 1 1/2 miles long poses no threat to planet Earth.  The big rock called Asteroid 1998 QE2 was making its closest approach to Earth on Friday, keeping a safe distance of 3.6 million miles, or 15 times the distance between Earth and the moon.  White House spokesman Josh Earnest was asked about the asteroid during a briefing. He says scientists have concluded the asteroid "poses no threat to planet Earth."  He added, to laughter, "I never really thought I'd be standing up here saying that."  The asteroid is believed to be about 1.7 miles long.  The White House was hosting a "We The Geeks" Google+ Hangout Friday, bringing together NASA's deputy administrator and scientists to talk about asteroids.

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FOXNews.com: Administration aims to bring detainee to US for military trial, sources say

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Administration aims to bring detainee to US for military trial, sources say May 31st 2013, 18:30 The Obama administration is looking to transfer a detainee who is being held overseas and is said to have "blood on his hands" to the U.S. for a military trial, sources close to the military commission process tell Fox News.  The move could be a test case for bringing detainees captured overseas to America for military commissions. It comes as the administration claims to be reining in its drone program, which critics say amounts to a kill program -- with top terrorists rarely being captured for interrogation or trial.  Sources say the detainee in this case is a relatively new capture, who has "no taint associated with interrogations" that could complicate a military proceeding inside the U.S. The detainee would likely be prosecuted on war crimes charges.  The administration has already moved to prosecute some alleged terrorists captured overseas in federal court. But Fox News is told that prosecuting this detainee in federal court was deemed unlikely based on the available evidence.  The identification of the detainee came after a fact-finding team traveled overseas. Sources told Fox News the team's destination was believed to be Afghanistan where detainees, described as EST's (enduring security threats), are being held.  At a May 15 hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Republican Iowa Rep. Steve King asked Attorney General Eric Holder if he was aware "of any plans or any discussion" to transfer one of more detainees from Afghanistan to the United States for trial.  "Nothing immediately comes to mind," Holder responded. "I'm not aware of that."  When King pushed further, and asked if there were any discussions to bring detainees "out of the theater in the global war on terror" to the U.S. for trial, Holder again insisted he didn't know.  "Not that I'm aware of as we speak. I'd have to look into that, and if I have a contrary answer to that, I will get you something in writing," he said.  Asked for comment, Defense Department spokesman for legal affairs Todd Breasseale reiterated that President Obama has asked the Defense Department to designate a site inside the U.S. for military commissions, and is appointing a group of envoys to negotiate the transfer of detainees to third countries.  "As for the specifics of any future state-side prosecutions in such a system, I'm afraid I simply have nothing for you on this," he told Fox News.  Obama made the call for a military commissions site in a major counterterrorism policy speech last week. It's unclear where the detainee in this case would be sent.  A White House spokeswoman for the National Security council had no comment and referred Fox News to the Defense Department.

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FOXNews.com: Naval Academy probing alleged sexual assault by members of football team

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Naval Academy probing alleged sexual assault by members of football team May 31st 2013, 18:30 Published May 31, 2013 Associated Press The U.S. Naval Academy is investigating allegations that three members of its football team sexually assaulted a female midshipman at an off-campus house last year, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday, and a lawyer for the woman says she was "ostracized" on campus after she reported it. The names of the players were not made public and the athletic director deferred comment to a Naval Academy spokesman, who said school leadership were monitoring the investigation but declined further comment. The allegation is the latest in a string of sexual assault cases that has drawn attention in Congress and at the highest levels of the Pentagon. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the chiefs of each military branch, are scheduled to testify next week at a Senate hearing. The alleged assault occurred in April 2012 at an off-campus house in Annapolis. The women woke up after a night of heavy drinking and later learned from friends and social media that three football players claimed to have had sex with her while she was intoxicated, her attorney Susan Burke said in a statement Friday. She said her client reported the allegations to Navy criminal investigators, but was disciplined instead for drinking. The athletes were permitted to continue playing. She said the Naval Academy Superintendent closed the investigation without bringing charges. The Navy agreed to reopen the investigation this year after the woman sought legal help, Burke said. Naval Academy spokesman Cmdr. John Schofield declined to respond to Burke's statements. Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren confirmed the investigation Friday but said he had no further details. He said academy officials are monitoring the investigation and evaluating options for adjudicating the case. Warren said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is determined to stamp out the problem.

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FOXNews.com: TSA gets rid of full-body scanners at US airports

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TSA gets rid of full-body scanners at US airports May 31st 2013, 19:57 Published May 31, 2013 FoxNews.com WASHINGTON –  The full-body scanners that caused an uproar for taking semi-scandalous snapshots of fliers at security checkpoints have been removed from America's airports.  The move comes after a congressional mandate and several complaints lodged by privacy-rights activists who likened the scanners to a virtual strip search. Instead, airports will now use scanners that only show generic images of bodies, according to a letter released Thursday from TSA officials to members of the House Homeland Security Committee. "As of May 16, 2013, all AIT units deployed by TSA are equipped with (the body-masking) capability. Additionally, TSA's procurement of next generation AIT requires" the same body-obscuring capability, TSA Administrator John Pistole wrote in the letter, according to The Hill. The scanners were first rolled out in 2007 and most had been pulled by May 16. The TSA told a congressional committee last year that the agency had spent $40 million on the Rapiscan machines and another $100 million on the less invasive model. The government had bought about 800 machines which were in use at 200 U.S. airports.

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FOXNews.com: Smoke? Overweight? New regulations could raise your insurance rates

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Smoke? Overweight? New regulations could raise your insurance rates May 31st 2013, 08:15 If you smoke or you're overweight, have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, you could be forced to pay a lot more for health insurance, according to new regulations just issued by the Obama administration. "For smoking, for being overweight, for being obese and basically, for generally not meeting the health guidelines, the employer can charge 30 percent more - for smoking, 50 percent more," explains John Goodman, President of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas. ObamaCare does prevent insurers from charging more for pre-existing conditions, or from charging as much as they currently do for older people who use more health care. But when it comes to smoking and being overweight as well as other health problems, if employees don't participate in wellness programs, they could pay more. Ed Haislmeier of the Heritage Foundation says "on the one hand they're trying to ban discrimination based on health status, but on the other hand they're trying to say that some discrimination based on health status is good discrimination." Goodman adds that "it is definitely the nanny state trying to tell us what we're going to do, and unleashing the employers to be the agent of the government in telling us what we're going to do." Smokers, of course, run up more health care bills than non-smokers. But that habit and some other unhealthy conditions are associated with lower incomes, so higher rates would hit those the administration was aiming to help. "Allowing premium differentials based on these factors will push premiums higher primarily on people that will be struggling to pay the premiums in the first place," says Jim Capretta of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Many employers already offer wellness programs, but the new 123-page regulation tells them exactly how they must operate. "This is just one more massive regulation on top of the thousands and thousands of pages that have already been issued that employers have to deal with," says Capretta. "I think the whole system is starting to choke on so many rules." Ironically, on the day officials released the new regulations, a Rand Corporation study about wellness programs was released – and not with good news. Goodman noted it was "a Rand Corporation study, which was paid for by the Obama administration, and called for in the affordable care act. "And the Rand Corporation has studied wellness programs all over the country, and basically says they don't work." In fact, the study found that those trying to lose weight in these programs lost an average of a pound a year. And although some employers offer gym memberships, those who take them are the ones using the gym already -- not those who need it most.

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FOXNews.com: Obama to launch fresh push on student loan rates

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Obama to launch fresh push on student loan rates May 31st 2013, 11:28 Published May 31, 2013 Associated Press College students are joining President Obama at the White House as he calls on Congress to keep federally subsidized student loan rates from doubling on July 1.  Friday's White House event marks the beginning of a public campaign by Obama to temporarily extend current rates or to find a long-term compromise that avoids the scheduled rate increase.  Obama has proposed linking the rates to the financial markets. The Republican-controlled House passed a similar plan last week. But the differences between Obama's proposal and the House bill prompted a White House veto threat.  Obama's plan, unlike the Republican proposal, would lock in the rates for borrowers. The Republican plan would set a cap.  Obama mounted a campaign last year to extend the rates for one year.

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FOXNews.com: Republicans seek IG probe into Sebelius over ObamaCare group donations

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Republicans seek IG probe into Sebelius over ObamaCare group donations May 31st 2013, 08:00 May 20, 2013: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius attends the 66th World Health Assembly at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.AP Congressional Republicans on Thursday escalated their call for an independent investigation into whether Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius broke the law when she sought donations from private companies for an independent ObamaCare project.  Three top Senate Republicans wrote a letter to the HHS inspector general asking his office to launch a probe. It follows a previous GOP call for a review by another internal watchdog, the Government Accountability Office.  At issue is Sebelius' effort to solicit donations and other assistance from various charities and executives for a nonprofit group that is helping sign up people for benefits under the federal health care overhaul.  HHS argues the practice was legal, since the Public Health Services Act allows a secretary to seek funding for nonprofits operating in public health.  But Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; and Tom Coburn, R-Okla., questioned whether Sebelius had crossed an ethical or legal line.  "These activities call into question whether appropriations and ethics laws are being followed," they wrote to Inspector General Daniel Levinson.  Specifically, the senators noted that the Antideficiency Act bars agencies from accepting voluntary services in excess of the money budgeted. Plus another ethics rule bars officials from fundraising from any entity their agency might regulate.  The senators noted that the law also allows for officials to fundraise in some circumstances. They said the IG is "well-positioned to impartially examine" this case.  "We believe a systematic, independent investigation of the matter is necessary to confirm the facts in the case, as well as to detail to what extent any laws, regulations, or internal guidance were not adhered to," they wrote.  An IG investigation would be significant. It was a review by the inspector general's office that oversees the IRS that uncovered conclusive evidence that the tax agency had been improperly singling out conservative groups.  That controversy caused a major headache for the administration, but the questions over Sebelius' activity have quietly grown in the background.  The Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee has also started to probe the issue, asking for the names of those contacted by Sebelius.  Sebelius was apparently trying to raise money for a group called Enroll America. The secretary reportedly went to H&R Block and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for donations, while asking others for nonfinancial support.

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FOXNews.com: Fox News, other media outlets refuse off-record meeting with Holder

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Fox News, other media outlets refuse off-record meeting with Holder May 31st 2013, 09:45 Uproar over Holder's 'off-the-record' meeting offer to media Some media outlets refuse to go to Holder off-record meeting Holder attempts damage control amid snooping scandal fallout Fox News joined several other major media outlets Thursday in refusing to send a representative to a meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder on the department's surveillance of reporters if Holder continues to insist that the session be off the record.  Michael Clemente, Fox News' executive vice president, decided that Fox News will not attend the off-record talks. Fox News had been invited to a Friday session at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington.  With the decision, the two news outlets known to have been targeted by the Justice Department for surveillance -- the other being the Associated Press -- are now declining to participate in the first phase of Holder's internal review over the controversy. Several other outlets are also refusing to attend.  Both the Associated Press and Fox News had their phone records pulled by the Justice Department, in the course of two separate leak investigations. The department went a step further in the Fox News case, seizing the personal emails of correspondent James Rosen, while accusing him of being a criminal "co-conspirator" in the application for the search warrant.  Holder, who agreed to conduct a review of DOJ guidelines over investigations that involve journalists, had set up meetings with members of the media for Thursday and Friday. He ran into immediate resistance, though, after calling for the meetings to be off the record, meaning the discussions would not be reportable.  AP media relations manager Erin Madigan White said that if the session is not on the record, the news cooperative will offer its views in an open letter on how Justice Department regulations should be updated.  If the AP's meeting with the attorney general is on the record, AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll will attend, White said. She said AP expects its attorneys to be included in any planned meetings between the attorney general's office and media lawyers on the legal specifics.  New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson said in a statement: "It isn't appropriate for us to attend an off the record meeting with the attorney general. Our Washington bureau is aggressively covering the department's handling of leak investigations at this time."  The Huffington Post also announced it would not attend the meeting at DOJ headquarters. CNN similarly said it would not attend an off-record meeting, but would agree to go if the attorney general made the session on the record. On Thursday afternoon, CBS News made the same call.  "CBS News does not plan to participate in the off-the-record meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder. We would be willing to consider an on-the-record discussion," CBS News spokeswoman Sonya McNair said.  Politico's editor-in-chief, John Harris, though, said on Thursday that he would attend. ABC News also announced that they would attend, but would press for the meeting to be held on the record.  The planned meetings are to take place over the coming weeks. The department said Holder plans to engage with news media organizations, including print media, wire services, radio, television, online media and news and trade associations. Discussions are to include news media executives and general counsels as well as government experts in intelligence and investigative agencies.  The meetings come as Holder faces intense scrutiny from lawmakers over his May 15 testimony in which he claimed to be unaware of any "potential prosecution" of the press, despite knowing about the investigation that targeted Fox News' James Rosen.  House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Rep. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., R-Wis., voiced "great concern" in a letter to Holder on Wednesday, asking a number of questions about the department's dealings with the press, and alleging that the Fox News case "contradicts" his testimony at the hearing two weeks ago.  The committee confirmed earlier this week it was looking into Holder's testimony. Appearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Holder insisted that "the potential prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material" is not something he was involved in or knew about.  It emerged days later that the Justice Department obtained access to Rosen's emails -- after filing an affidavit that accused him of being a likely criminal "co-conspirator" in the leak of sensitive material regarding North Korea. Rosen was never charged, and never prosecuted. But he was effectively accused of violating the federal Espionage Act.  A Justice Department official told Fox News late Thursday that criminal charges were never sought against Holder and that the department does not anticipate bringing any additional charges in the case. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Wednesday that it appears Holder testified truthfully. He said President Obama "absolutely" has confidence in him.  Obama has asked Holder to report to him on any recommended policy changes on Justice Department investigations involving reporters by July 12.  The Associated Press contributed to this report. Related Opinion Self-flagellation from Holder, Obama needed when it comes to the press

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FOXNews.com: Education Department walks back controversial sexual harassment guidelines

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Education Department walks back controversial sexual harassment guidelines May 31st 2013, 11:33 Published May 31, 2013 Washington Free Beacon The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a letter Wednesday in response to mounting criticism over new sexual harassment guidelines that critics claim raise more questions than it answers.  After two weeks of continued pressure from the nonpartisan Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), coverage in the media, letters from students, faculty and administrators sent to the OCR regarding its new speech codes, the OCR responded with another letter.  As previously reported, FIRE claimed the new guidelines would make nearly every student a sexual harasser. The new mandate would make flirting, sexual jokes, and even many debates, presentations, and other expressions on campus fall under the expanded definition of sexual harassment.  "OCR's regulations and policies do not require or prescribe speech, conduct or harassment codes that impair the exercise of rights protected under the First Amendment," the agency stated in its letter.  The office said its May 9 letter to the University of Montana and the subsequent agreement between the OCR and the school "are entirely consistent with the First Amendment, and did not create any new or broader definition of unlawful sexual harassment under Title IX or Title IV."  The DOJ and DOE's explanation letter appears to contradict its original letter sent on May 9, which called for sexual harassment to include "verbal" conduct and suggested the new guidelines would serve as a "blueprint" for all universities and colleges. Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon.

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FOXNews.com: Inspire attempts to capitalize on Boston Marathon bombings

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Inspire attempts to capitalize on Boston Marathon bombings May 31st 2013, 00:45 Published May 30, 2013 FoxNews.com The latest edition of Inspire Magazine -- an English-language online magazine published by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula-- appears to show an effort to capitalize on the Boston Marathon bombings. "O American people, your security will not be attained by denying security to other peoples, attacking them or oppressing them," according to Inspire, The New York Post reported. "Your security is in the hands of the fools among you who rule you with oppression and aggression. Know that oppression and aggression come back upon the heads of those who use them." A U.S. official told Fox News in April that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and his brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, built the Boston bombs with instructions from Inspire. The publication is believed to have been started by Samir Khan, a U.S. citizen who moved in 2009 from his family's home in North Carolina to Yemen, where he was later killed in a U.S. drone strike along with Al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki. The magazine includes articles penned by Khan and others, like "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom." The magazine is released through online jihadist forums -- some of which are open, while others are password protected, according to terrorism researchers.  But one issue of Inspire encourages readers to seek out its information from non-jihadist websites, like blogs and even news outlets -- which publish the magazine's content -- so as not to attract the attention of law enforcement monitoring the forums, a counter-terrorism source previously told FoxNews.com. Click for more from The New York Post

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FOXNews.com: Smoke? Overweight? New regulations could raise your insurance rates

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Smoke? Overweight? New regulations could raise your insurance rates May 31st 2013, 00:48 If you smoke or you're overweight, have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, you could be forced to pay a lot more for health insurance, according to new regulations just issued by the Obama administration. "For smoking, for being overweight, for being obese and basically, for generally not meeting the health guidelines, the employer can charge 30 percent more - for smoking, 50 percent more," explains John Goodman, President of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas. ObamaCare does prevent insurers from charging more for pre-existing conditions, or from charging as much as they currently do for older people who use more health care. But when it comes to smoking and being overweight as well as other health problems, if employees don't participate in wellness programs, they could pay more. Ed Haislmeier of the Heritage Foundation says "on the one hand they're trying to ban discrimination based on health status, but on the other hand they're trying to say that some discrimination based on health status is good discrimination." Goodman adds that "it is definitely the nanny state trying to tell us what we're going to do, and unleashing the employers to be the agent of the government in telling us what we're going to do." Smokers, of course, run up more health care bills than non-smokers. But that habit and some other unhealthy conditions are associated with lower incomes, so higher rates would hit those the administration was aiming to help. "Allowing premium differentials based on these factors will push premiums higher primarily on people that will be struggling to pay the premiums in the first place," says Jim Capretta of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Many employers already offer wellness programs, but the new 123-page regulation tells them exactly how they must operate. "This is just one more massive regulation on top of the thousands and thousands of pages that have already been issued that employers have to deal with," says Capretta. "I think the whole system is starting to choke on so many rules." Ironically, on the day officials released the new regulations, a Rand Corporation study about wellness programs was released – and not with good news. Goodman noted it was "a Rand Corporation study, which was paid for by the Obama administration, and called for in the affordable care act. "And the Rand Corporation has studied wellness programs all over the country, and basically says they don't work." In fact, the study found that those trying to lose weight in these programs lost an average of a pound a year. And although some employers offer gym memberships, those who take them are the ones using the gym already -- not those who need it most.

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FOXNews.com: Study shows 'red' states rank highest in economic potential

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Study shows 'red' states rank highest in economic potential May 30th 2013, 20:22 When it comes to economic growth and potential, it's better to be "red."  So says a new study out of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, which ranked all 50 states in terms of their economic outlook -- and found those that tend to vote Republican had the most potential.  The "Red States, Poor States" study, the sixth of its kind to be released by the conservative think tank, measured states based on 15 factors, ranging from minimum wage laws to tax rates to labor policy.  Almost all of the top 10 tend to vote "red" in presidential and state elections. At the top of the list, for the sixth year in a row, was Utah.  "The real key to Utah is low tax rates, but more than that a predictable tax climate," said Jonathan Williams, with ALEC. "Utah legislators are very conscientious about the fact that they don't spend beyond their means and also they don't make changes in tax policy retroactively.  They make changes very gradually and they generally make them in a lower tax direction."  The bottom 10 states in economic outlook, Williams said, tend to be "blue" states with higher taxes and more restrictions on business development.  New York and Vermont round out the bottom two.  But not everyone thinks those states on the bottom are getting it wrong.  Tracy Gordon, with the Brookings Institution, said: "It's hard to say that states should try to pattern themselves after Utah."  Gordon noted states have different strengths and weaknesses.  "So for example, I know the authors are not fans of the income tax, but in good years the income tax performs very well in states like New York and California that rely on it heavily. So should California and New York try to look more like Utah? Probably not," Gordon said.  Another part of the ALEC study looked at the states' economic performance from 2001-2011.  The state that grew the most during that time was Texas, and the state that struggled the most was Michigan, according to ALEC's calculations. This part of the study was based on the states' gross state product growth, population shifts and job growth.  ALEC says this shows where states have been, and the 2013 economic outlook rankings show where the states are likely to go. This study did not take into account factors such as natural resources, weather and social policies, Williams explained.

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FOXNews.com: Former IRS chief Shulman reportedly visited White House at least 157 times

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Former IRS chief Shulman reportedly visited White House at least 157 times May 30th 2013, 18:31 Published May 30, 2013 FoxNews.com May 22, 2013: Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington.AP The former head of the IRS visited the White House more times than any Cabinet member, according to an analysis by The Daily Caller, raising questions about the nature of those visits -- particularly around the time the agency was targeting conservative groups.  The Caller analysis of White House visitor logs showed former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman visited the White House at least 157 times under the Obama administration.  Even Attorney General Eric Holder, one of Obama's closest allies, visited only 62 times according to the records.  The records may not reflect every single visit, as some officials do not have to sign in every time they come to the White House.  But they could lend weight to concerns voiced by lawmakers at a hearing last week about the frequency of Shulman's White House contact. During the time period when the IRS was singling out Tea Party and other groups for extra vetting -- as they applied for tax-exempt status -- Shulman visited the White House 118 times.  Asked to explain the visits, Shulman gave lawmakers a list of possible reasons.  "The Easter Egg roll with my kids ... questions about the administratibility of tax policy ... our budget, us helping the Department of Education streamline application processes for financial aid," he said.  According to the Caller analysis, no other top official logged more than 100 visits.  The official with the next-highest number of visits -- close to 90 -- was Rebecca Blank, former deputy secretary and now acting secretary of the Commerce Department. Next in line was Thomas Perez, a top Justice Department official who has since been nominated to lead the Labor Department.  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner each logged fewer than 50 visits.  Former IRS officials have testified that the scrutiny of conservative groups, while inappropriate, was not politically motivated.

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FOXNews.com: Louisiana Democratic Party chief says ObamaCare critics motivated by race

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Louisiana Democratic Party chief says ObamaCare critics motivated by race May 30th 2013, 19:46 Published May 30, 2013 FoxNews.com The head of the Louisiana Democratic Party said on the floor of the state Senate this week that opponents of the federal health care overhaul are motivated by President Obama's race -- a remark that drew the scorn of state Republicans who now want her to apologize.  State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, who is also chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, repeatedly invoked race as she railed against ObamaCare critics.  "I have talked to so many members both in the House and the Senate, and you know what? You ready? You ready? What it comes down to? It's not about how many federal dollars we can receive, it's not about that. You ready? It's about race," she said. "I know nobody wants to talk about that. It's about the race of this African-American president.  She tried to argue that because former House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- who is white -- offered a "similar" overhaul in the past, the criticism this time "comes down to the race of the president of the United States which causes people to disconnect and step away from the substance of the bill."  The Republican Party of Louisiana is calling on Peterson to apologize for the comments.  "Bottom line is it's wrong to call someone a racist just because they disagree with you. There are a plethora of reasons why we disagree with ObamaCare ... and the race of the president or of anyone else has absolutely nothing to do with it," Ryan Cross, communications director for the state GOP, told FoxNews.com. "It's appalling and it has no place on the floor."  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, also told local affiliate WBRZ that it's "wrong to call people racists" simply over opposition to the health law.

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FOXNews.com: Iran support for global terror surged in 2012, administration report says

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Iran support for global terror surged in 2012, administration report says May 30th 2013, 20:40 Iran last year boosted its support for global terrorism to levels not seen for two decades, the Obama administration said Thursday as it released its annual report on international trends in extremist violence. The report said the core elements of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan are headed for defeat but stressed that the network's various affiliates remain severe threats to the U.S.  The State Department's "Country Reports on Terrorism" for 2012 left unchanged the U.S. list of "state sponsors of terrorism." Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria remain on that blacklist, although Iran was singled out as the worst offender and Syria was taken to task for the ongoing brutal crackdown on opponents of President Bashar Assad's regime.  The report said 2012 was "notable in demonstrating a marked resurgence of Iran's state sponsorship of terrorism."  That sponsorship has been largely carried out through the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the militant Shiite Hezbollah movement, Iran's ally and proxy in Lebanon, it said.  "Iran and Hezbollah's terrorist activity has reached a tempo unseen since the 1990s, with attacks plotted in Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa," it said.  Those included an attack on a bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria that killed six, as well as thwarted strikes in India, Thailand, Georgia and Kenya.  The report's "strategic assessment" said core Al Qaeda continues to weaken as its leaders increasingly fight for survival. But it said that leadership losses with the core have driven Al Qaeda affiliates to become more independent by setting their own agendas and targets and raising money on their own, primarily through kidnapping and other crimes.  Because of this, the assessment noted that the U.S. must defend itself from a "more decentralized and geographically dispersed terrorist threat" that has made it more difficult to successfully disrupt plots in some places.  "Though the (Al Qaeda) core is on a path to defeat, and its two most dangerous affiliates have suffered serious setbacks, tumultuous events in the Middle East and North Africa have complicated the counterterrorism picture," it said, pointing out Libya and Yemen in particular.  In Libya, it said a security vacuum in the wake of the 2011 revolution that toppled Muammar Qaddafi combined with weak security institutions "allowed violent extremists to act, as we saw too clearly on September 11 in Benghazi." The U.S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans were killed in attacks that day on the American diplomatic mission and a nearby CIA outpost.

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FOXNews.com: Republicans seek IG probe into Sebelius over ObamaCare group donations

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Republicans seek IG probe into Sebelius over ObamaCare group donations May 30th 2013, 17:09 May 20, 2013: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius attends the 66th World Health Assembly at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.AP Congressional Republicans on Thursday escalated their call for an independent investigation into whether Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius broke the law when she sought donations from private companies for an independent ObamaCare project.  Three top Senate Republicans wrote a letter to the HHS inspector general asking his office to launch a probe. It follows a previous GOP call for a review by another internal watchdog, the Government Accountability Office.  At issue is Sebelius' effort to solicit donations and other assistance from various charities and executives for a nonprofit group that is helping sign up people for benefits under the federal health care overhaul.  HHS argues the practice was legal, since the Public Health Services Act allows a secretary to seek funding for nonprofits operating in public health.  But Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; and Tom Coburn, R-Okla., questioned whether Sebelius had crossed an ethical or legal line.  "These activities call into question whether appropriations and ethics laws are being followed," they wrote to Inspector General Daniel Levinson.  Specifically, the senators noted that the Antideficiency Act bars agencies from accepting voluntary services in excess of the money budgeted. Plus another ethics rule bars officials from fundraising from any entity their agency might regulate.  The senators noted that the law also allows for officials to fundraise in some circumstances. They said the IG is "well-positioned to impartially examine" this case.  "We believe a systematic, independent investigation of the matter is necessary to confirm the facts in the case, as well as to detail to what extent any laws, regulations, or internal guidance were not adhered to," they wrote.  An IG investigation would be significant. It was a review by the inspector general's office that oversees the IRS that uncovered conclusive evidence that the tax agency had been improperly singling out conservative groups.  That controversy caused a major headache for the administration, but the questions over Sebelius' activity have quietly grown in the background.  The Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee has also started to probe the issue, asking for the names of those contacted by Sebelius.  Sebelius was apparently trying to raise money for a group called Enroll America. The secretary reportedly went to H&R Block and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for donations, while asking others for nonfinancial support.

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