#preachpiece

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Governor Andrew Cuomo is proposing Las Vegas-styled casinos being built in the Upstate regions of New York. New York City would be left out of this proposal for at least five years in an effort to allow six upstate regions to fully establish their facilities. In the proposition, resorts would also be built around the casinos in order to attract more tourism. Cuomo says that in a time where Upstate New York is in dire need of jobs, this is one of the biggest assets that can be brought there. New York State does have Indian  tribes who run their own casinos, however they have not upheld their part of the bargain which states they pay the state a portion of their earnings. Governor Cuomo says that if the tribes do not honor the contracts they have with the state, he will be free to locate state casinos right on their turf. The six upstate regions which will turn into casino regions have not been chosen, but there is a committee in place to accept bids for this proposal. Leaving New York City out of the equation for at least five years is for the purpose of giving the upstate regions a chance to thrive first.

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Russia may be the key to getting answer’s regarding April 15’s Boston Bombings, but is the Cold War tension still too thick for cooperation between the U.S. and the former Soviet nation. One of the bombing suspects was being wiretapped by Russia in 2011, and Russian Officials have told the media of a conversation where he was vaguely discussing Jihad with his mother. Russian authorities previously brought Tamarlan Tsarnaev to the FBI's attention, however there wasn't enough material to keep the case over. The FBI is saying if they had received notice about the wiretapped conversation, they would have continued their investigation on the older brother. Many have wondered now if the U.S. and Russia will build a working relationship to get to the bottom of this; and even to stop any future plans against either nation.

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North Korea sentences an American citizen to 15 years of "compulsory labor" for crimes against the state. Kenneth Bae was detained for nearly six months in North Korea, and was finally put on trial to get his sentencing. Bae is the sixth American since 2009 to be detained by North Koreans. Many believe that North Korea will use Kenneth Bae as bargaining chip for negotiations since the nation has been giving tough talk regarding using nuclear weapons as of late. So far, the U.S. State department has not made any comments regarding this situation. Bae is described by friends as a Korean American devout Christian who often would travel to North Korea from China to feed orphans in that nation. North Korea trialed Kenneth Bae, stating that he committed "hostile acts" against the state.

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Senior Army officials have stated they do not require money for new tanks. However, Congress is acting persistently in attempting to make sure new Abrams tank will be produced. It comes as a shock that both sides of the aisle have been working tirelessly in pursuing this goal, despite the discouragement to do so from military aficionados. The Army's Chief of Staff has already expressed that if it were up to him and his colleagues, the money would be used in various other manners besides for producing tanks. Elected officials have been accused of pursuing this strictly for political reasons. Abrams is conveniently located in the most sought after presidential swing state, Ohio. Many believe that Congress is trying to ensure that one of the highest employers in the swing state is well funded, in a manner which would erase the impacts of the sequester on that particular company, Abram. Senators and Members of the House have stated that this has nothing to do with politics, but it is strictly about national security and protecting jobs. The Army's plan for the sequester was to stop buying tanks until 2017, when the new Abram models come out. But it seems like Congress has a different idea in store for the direction of the military's purchases. 

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U.S. Senator Marco Rubio shared of the ins on the new immigration reform being negotiated. The Senator made a concerted effort to mention that the new proposal being put together by a group of eight Senators will not be an amnesty bill. Rubio said that there will be a fine that illegal immigrants pay, and then they will have a wait period before they can receive a green card. The Senator also mentioned that the pathway to citizenship would be more onerous under this proposal than the current law, but it forgives illegals who decide to pay the fine. Voices have echoed saying that they feel the pathway to citizenship should be easier for those who have not caused any harm to society.Though it seems that immigration reform is knocking at the door, the details are still as clouded as ever. 

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North Korea’s military says it has the final approval to hit the U.S. with a nuclear strike. Such statements have prompted the United States to send defensive missiles to Guam in case North Korea tries to attack it or its allies. Though experts say that North Korea is years away from the ability to place a nuclear weapon on a missile, Pyongyang is claiming to have new technologies that it will unleash on the U.S. and its allies. With a clash between the U.S. and North Korea seeming more like a reality everyday, China becomes a big player. As one of two North Korean allies, the other being Iran, China has a stake to think about if North Korea engages in war. It seems that lately China has been very upset with North Korea's rhetoric which has been more provocative as of late. Beijing even signed on to U.N. sanctions that were placed against Pyongyang. However, North Korea's territory is important to China in order to have some type of control of U.S. influence in Asia. If North Korea were to fall, and a unified Korean peninsula forms, then it is likely that the strategic balance of Eastern Asia would tilt to the United States. 

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President Obama has decided that he will give up a certain percentage of his pay as the sequester begins to hit federal workers. The president's salary cannot be changed unless it is done by law, so he will write a paycheck to the US treasury every month that will amount to about 5% of his pay. The Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel, has also decided that he will  give two weeks worth of his pay to show support of his workforce who will be furloughed. Some other high-end officials who will not see their salaries effected, have decided that they will give up certain percentages of their pay to share in the sacrifice that other federal workers will be forced to make. There have not been any significant signs from Congress showing that a law may be passed to stop any additional cuts that may come from the sequester.

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The first female director of the Secret Service was sworn in by President Obama and Vice President Biden on Wednesday, marking a historic event in the agency's 148 years of existence. Julia Pierson is replacing her old boss, Mark Sullivan, whom she was the Chief of Staff for. President Barack Obama noted that Pierson will serve the position with a well-rounded view since she has climb through the ranks during her tenure at the agency. Vice President Joe Biden says he couldn't have placed his life in better hands, stating Pierson now has more control over his and the president's lives besides their wives. Just as some were criticizing Obama for not appointing enough women to top posts in his administration, Pierson is being promoted to head the top operational security agency in the world.