Free Republic

House leaders seek GAO probe of State Department failure to report Russian nuclear missile treaty violationsTwo senior House leaders on Friday requested an investigation by Congress’ General Accountability Office (GAO) into the State Department’s failure to report Russian violations of a 1987 nuclear missile accord.“It is clear from my subcommittee’s oversight that the administration did not fully disclose what it knew about Russian arms control violations when it was trying to get the New START treaty ratified,” said Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces.“Its all-consuming drive to protect its Russia reset...

Some western parts of the Rio Grande are nearly dry and U.S. officials blame it on Mexican farmers diverting water for irrigation. Water flow from Presidio to El Paso has nearly stopped, and water officials claim that a makeshift earthen dam about 50 miles upriver from Presidio is the cause. Ken Rakestraw, chief of water accounting with the International Boundary and Water Commission in El Paso, said that very little water is flowing on that segment of the river. "They (Mexican farmers) pushed dirt across the river near Candelaria and there is very little water coming down right now," he...