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Former Secretary of State, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” that the Senate needs to work faster in the confirmation process to combat the “brain drain” brought on by former President Donald Trump. Mitchell asked, “I want to also ask you about undoing some of the Trump changes, I don’t mean the Paris Climate Accord, but there has been such a brain drain from the scientists who have quit or been fired all through the federal government, not just the EPA and other related agencies. How do you undo that? Doesn’t...

BELTSVILLE, Md.- President Barack Obama says his mission is to accelerate the economy's recovery. He's calling attention to a proposal he says would create jobs, grow the economy and help businesses.Obama spoke Friday after the government reported that the economy grew at a faster rate from July to September. It was the last snapshot of the country's economic health before voters elect a new Congress on Tuesday.Obama wants Congress to allow businesses to deduct 100 percent of the cost of certain investments, such as new equipment, through the end of 2011. Businesses now can deduct half of such costs.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2007 – The Army is exploring new ways to accelerate the development of leaders prepared for the broad challenges they’ll face in what’s expected to be an era of persistent conflict, the Army’s chief of staff said here yesterday. “We are committed to investing in our officer, warrant officer, noncommissioned officer and civilian leaders,” Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. told attendees at the annual Association of the U.S. Army convention. “In this era of persistent conflict, it is absolutely essential that we develop leaders that can handle the challenges of full-spectrum operations.” Full-spectrum operations include the...

BAGHDAD, April 20, 2007 – U.S. provincial reconstruction teams are helping accelerate progress in many provinces of Iraq, Rick Olson, the director of the PRT national coordination team, said here. Olson said there are now 10 “full-up” teams in Iraq. Led by State Department officials, the teams are an interagency approach to helping Iraqi provincial governments take control of their areas. The teams have representatives from the Defense Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Justice Department, the Army Corps of Engineers and other U.S. agencies. Each established team has between 35 and 40 members. The largest team...

OSLO (Reuters) - Rising temperatures trigger a runaway melt of Greenland's ice sheet, raising sea levels and drowning Pacific islands and cities from New York to Tokyo. In Siberia, the permafrost thaws, releasing vast frozen stores of greenhouse gases that send temperatures even higher. In the tropics, the Amazon rainforest starts to die off because of a warmer, drier climate. Such scenarios may read like the script of a Hollywood disaster movie but many scientists say there are real risks of "tipping points" -- sudden, catastrophic changes triggered by human activities blamed for warming the planet. "Even small risks in...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured , along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 March 8 Solar Sail Credit: NASA / MSFC Illustration Explanation: Nearly 400 years ago astronomer Johannes Kepler observed comet tails blown by a solar breeze and suggested that vessels might likewise navigate through space using appropriately fashioned sails. It is now widely recognized that sunlight does indeed produce a force which moves comet tails and a large, reflective sail could be a practical means of propelling...