worse not better reduce for the better so thanks for your thoughts on the program for institute for policy studies that appreciated thank you. in syria the first part of the country's chemical weapons stockpile meantime has been removed by ship a danish vessel with the port of latakia for international waters where it talks of cargo said to be destroyed this is turkey's prime minister or two and insisting we are coming peace talks in geneva should seek the removal of assad no i spoke earlier to independent political analyst go to coleman he believes that request is quite absurd. it's hardly surprising that arizona would come out with such a ridiculous line he's been behaving mostly radically since the very start of the war. talking about regime change is not on the agenda obviously though in this himself under threat of regime change in turkey so he's probably the last man in the region who would want to talk about regime change at this stage of course you can't have political negotiations if one side say it's ridiculous preconditions and of course regime change is never really been an option in s

question joined by retired brigadier general david rieff sed he's vice president the potomac institute for policy studies strategy and planning division. brigadier general raised thanks for joining me let's let's start with iraq a brutal two thousand and thirteen do you believe that this violence is a consequence of the u.s. invasion of iraq in two thousand and three in the occupation that followed years after. sam i don't think it's a there's a direct correlation between our occupation and what's happening today i believe more than anything else it's the way the situation in iraq was left and then the power brokers inside iraq settling disputes or grasping for those elements which will give them control in the future within that country which is a very rich country relative towards natural resources and i think that's what a lot of the fights about at this point in time when you say how we left i remember in the two thousand election mccain john mccain caught a lot of flak because he said you know i'd stay there fifty years one hundred years as long as as long as it takes are you saying that the u.s. le

general david reste he's also the vice president strategy and planning at the potomac institute for policy studies thank you and as we transition into the new year there's at least one person who is grateful for the end of two thousand and thirteen are here david looks at president obama's trouble there and some of the stumbling blocks he faced. in the last few days billions of people around the world have been raising their glasses and saying cheers to the start of twenty fourteen but perhaps no one is excited to kiss two thousand and thirteen goodbye and more than president barack obama in fact it's something he addressed in his end of the year press conference after being asked if he thought it was the worst year of his presidency i have now been in office five years close to five years. was running for president for two years before that and for those of you who've covered me during that time we have had ups and we have that had downs and. if i look at this past year there are areas where there obviously been some frustrations where i wish congress had moved more aggressively while the preside

iran the doctors and see how director of middle east and north africa center at aspen institute for policy studies think you very much for joining us. here's what dr charlotte store with the undressing each it nearly three years have passed since mubarak had been ousted. i teach it seems to have come full circle with the overwhelming support of its new constitution but does it did when she sits in the clear or does it have many unresolved issues that remain. i use it that the country's varied interests are polarized under the new tent that governments may last a week. the country approved a reference on a new constitution. and obviously damien say that the government and army chief and cc really use the tweezers and a source of the families to see how great he was hired me you know can start exercising not a reader toys or consensus based unity to it. so that country will remain very polarized the week out you prolly soon democracy in this area the much delayed peace talks are set to be held in switzerland. um what we see much progress in talks with the brain in and to the civil war. mooney alike

syria based extremists who declared islamic state their support to phyllis bennis from the institute for policy studies she told me the crisis in the ranks being fueled by the syrian war over the border and washington's pledged to baghdad will only aggravate the situation she said. we risk the possibility of the extension of this militarization that we're seeing in iraq right now we're seeing it already in syria where a civil war has expanded to a regional war and it's now spilling over into iraq the increasing militarization by the united states to the iraqi government is only going to make that worse not better of course the irony is on the one hand you've got the united states supporting the rebels in syria have not come over the border into iraq and we're also hearing this week no offering drones or military support not personnel but military support to fight these very same people before them they're against them indirectly you have this scenario where the sunni population which is the minority but a large minority in iraq feel completely disenfranchised disempowered disconnected from their own go

syria based extremists who declared islamic state that put the phillies brandeis from the institute for policy studies sheet over the crisis in iraq's been fuelled by the city more over the border at washington's pledge of aid to baghdad will only aggravate the situation he said. we risk the possibility of the extension of this militarization that we're seeing in iraq right now we're seeing already in syria where the civil war has expanded to a regional war and is now spilling over into iraq the increasing militarization by the united states to the iraqi government is only gonna make that worse not better and with the idea of some one handed goal the united states supporting the rebels seem certain to come over the bowl into iraq and will post it here this week now. that of all three drums and that is to pull out the snow but it is a tool to fight these very same people the folded against the skin directly you have the scenario where the sunni population which is the minority large minority and in iraq feel completely disenfranchised dis empowered disconnected from their own governments and so the us

this after pulling out of six senior research fellow at the aspen institute for policy studies of different beast to the sink is no doctor but what are the odds that south korea a way to absorb north korea or with the principles of democracy fully intact. oh what conditions would make that possible. well assisting the commission enough hard numbers would be almost impossible but hey i would say that it's a pretty good handle on what kind of path that unification and with it pay to calm him down he'll achieve. the edition on the premise i should be based upon the three principles politically he should be top political leadership the other the book democracy in an economically speaking of the unified korea should be market caps of this system and third movie tie in terms of national security. he should be commenced on the principle of nuclear free graham commencement in seoul wouldn't this be the most ideal condition in terms of identification. speaking of the most ideal conditions kendall's the frame. how droll avoid the worst call form of unification. on the experience of the front sight of

spoke with retired brigadier general david williams is the vice president in the potomac institute for policy studies strategy and color printing division first ask him if you believe that the violence in iraq resulted from the us is two thousand three invasion and occupation that followed. our seminal tickets or there's a direct correlation between our occupation what's happening today. i believe more and anything else. it's the way the situation in iraq was well. and then the power brokers inside iraq. settling disputes or grasping for those elements which will give them control in the future within a country which is a very rich country bulletin boards natural resources and i think that's what a lot of points about at this point we say how we laughed i remember the two thousand election mccain and john mccain caught a lot of flak as you said you know i'd stay there fifty years a hundred years as long as the as long as it takes. are you saying that the us left iraq too soon. our. i don't think we left too soon because obviously the way our nation conduct war is engaged is based on the up local weat

last year the institute for policy studies that basically writes the obama platform for them and i mingled with the marxists. because i wanted to know what they were talking about. you know what they were talking about all day? it bored me, i got sick of it. you guys, tea party this, tea party that, they stopped us here, they did this, they held us up. they talked about nothing else all day. nothing. [applause] because you have got to understand folks you saved your country. you saved your country and gave it a second chance. and that's a pretty important thing, people. now where are you now? you have been betrayed. you have been let down. you have been marginalized. you have been criticized and you are still fighting. where are you now, folks? i want you to think back to 1976. you had the carter years. no, you hadn't happened yet. 76 a man came out of california, ronald reagan. he stood for the values that you stand for. he stood for the same things and he articulated them so well. hundreds of thousands of people young and old got behind him. they loved his message. you have been losing y

, a distinguished fellow at the institute for international studies here at the heritage foundation. he praises serve as the vice president for foreign and defense policy studies and director of the davis institute for international studies. he is the founding editor of the "index of economic freedom." from 2002-2005 he served in the george w. bush administration as assistant secretary of state for international organization for this. widely recognized as america's leading conservative, one of america's leading conservative voices in national security policy. is also the author of rebound, getting america back to greatness. >> thank you. good morning, everybody. welcome to the heritage foundation. i would like to certainly thank senator demint and paul for getting us off to a good start. very glad they could be here. this is a special day for me. senator demint mentioned i was here 20 years ago when we first started the index. i'm looking at all the covers of the index. one, 1995 on the top left corner, knowledge and design i think has improved over the years but i think also the content has certainly gotten more sophisticated and better as the years h

for workers. the employment policy institute did a follow-up study on san jose's 25% minimum wage hike and found it led to higher prices for consumers and fewer hours for workers at restaurants. when san jose's base pay was increased from $8 to $10 an hour, two-thirds of the city's restaurants raised their prices to compensate. another 44% of restaurants surveyed reduced staff hours. 42% cut staff entirely. richmond and san francisco are currently considering minimum wage hikes. >> something that's been hiking around here, obviously our temperatures, mike. >> definitely haven't been at minimum wage levels, have they. they have been at the upper end of the scale. our roof cam showing how quiet the embarcadero is and the wonderful artist reof the western span of the bay bridge this morning. let's take a look at our day planner. we start off chilly in our valleys as we drop down to 30, 32 degrees. we're about 46 in san francisco for the warm spot. 12:00 we'll still have a few lingering high clouds but look at that low to mid-60s, well above average. we'll be near records but like yesterday probably fa

institute of international studies here at the heritage foundation. he previously served as the vice president for foreign and defense policy studies and director of the davis institute for international studies. the founding editor of the index of economic freedom from 2002 2005 serving in the george w. bush administration, as these to secretary of state or fish for international and organizational affairs, widely recognized as america's leading conservative voices international security policy. he is also the author of "rebound." >> thank you. good morning, everybody. welcome to the heritage foundation. i would like to thank the senators demint and paul for getting this off to a good start. very glad that they could be. this is a special day for me. senator demint was here 25 years ago when we first started the index, and looking at all the covers, 1995 is in the top left corner. technology and design has improved over the past few years but certainly the content has become more sophisticated and better in the years past. there is an essay, by the way -- i think it is here on the front here an essay i have written about the 20 years history of the i

lady from the koch-chaired institute for humane studies talking to students from a koch-funded organization last year. she's talking about sending koch fellows to the state policya group of think tanks which includes the foundation for government accountability. that group in florida that the kochs say they have nothing to do with. state policy network says it is very excited about these liberty-loving interns who get a stipend, housing assistance, and travel scholarships as part of their koch fellowship. in full disclosure i should tell you that a lot of corporations also give money to the state policy network including our corporate owners at comcast. but not all of them send interns to these groups as charles koch fellows. >> you can use, like, the koch summer fellow program if you go to our website, we've got what we call the host search. and it's a listing of all of the organizations that we work with. >> that's how the koch fellows people tell you to find out where you can work if you get one of these paid koch fellowships. you go to the koch fellows host search page. you can search it by policy interest or by region. and oh, hey, look, that group that th

for middle east studies at the university of oklahoma. and andrew tabler, a senior fellow in the program on arab politics at the washington institute for near east policy. joshua landis, let me start with you. what do you take there first round of talks? >> well, i think many people were expecting-- were expecting that the united states would be willing to take half a loaf, that it would be willing to compromise to the point of not asking for regime change in syria in order to get, perhap, some access to stafbing people, to victims inside syria, and perhaps the beginnings of a cease-fire nor to alleviate the suffering of the syrians and the big outflow of refugees that risks to bring down and trouble neighboring states but the u.s. stuck to its guns and said that there has to be regime change in syria. as soon as the assad regime sensed this and heard the opening speech, it began to take away offers of cease-fire access to humanitarian agencies and the conversation became one of accusation, counteraccusation, very heated. and we haven't seen any progress. and we've seen stalling on chemical weapons. i think that the regime want to geneva, i believe the

study obesity related diseases disparities. and the current policy proposals of supervisors mar and weiner reflect the best current science, with regards to the institute of medicine and the recommendation for example. about how local governments can work to reduce consumption and work to mitigate the impacts of obesity related disease. and we know that from the search the children of color are disproportionately exposed to sugary drinks advertising, and we know that san francisco is low income communities consume soda and suffering from diabetes and other obesity related disease. and the soda tax policies, proposed, charging a fee for the distribution of this, and using the dollars to increase the access to healthy food, public drinking water, and improving the parks and providing other physical activity opportunities and so, i ask you to support these policies tonight, for the health of san francisco's children. and san francisco's families thank you very much. >> >> good evening, my name is todd david and i am the parent of three public school children in san francisco. and i am also the co-foupd founder of the san francisco political action committee where about a month ago, we were vis

policies. >> they are threatening health care, education, the poor. >> one of the things that upset are cuts to long-term unemployment assistance. a journalist for the progressive institute for studies >> one of the things we have seen as part of the agenda that is being played out in raleigh is constant cuts to the social safety net. it is no longer a priority for the people that control the state. the vote to block the expansion of medicare. >> the republican appraisal to expand medicaid meant the denial of insurance to have a million people. how can you say this is the moral thing to do? >> they were not going to expand medicaid. tothis would do great damage my patients, so i take that personally. i am not a person that just takes care of hearts and livers, but i need to take care of the whole body" and. and infectious disease specialist at university of north carolina. >> april 29, reverend william barber had had a rally against these policies, so i thought, i should check this out. on monday, may 6, i went along and ended up doing civil disobedience, and got arrested. i deliberately made some ,ecisions in subsequent rallies and i stood next to him. i wanted there to be an old o

institute for the study of war and sits on the board of directors for met life and general dynamics. thank you sir for being here. next dr. seth jones associate director of international security and defense policyhe served as plans officer and a budget to demanding general the u.s. special forces in afghanistan as well as representative for commander of the u.s. special operations command to the assistant secretary of defense for special operations. the witness is full written statements will be included in the record. the chair now recognizes senator lieberman for his testimony. >> thank you chairman mccaul and ranking member thompson. thank you for convening this hearing and thank you for inviting me to testify in thank you for putting me in the great company of the other witnesses at the table. i think it's very important that you are holding this hearing and let me briefly explain why. in the aftermath of the attacks of september 11, 2001 the overwhelming focus of our government and of the american people was on the threat of terrorism. 12 years later, this is no longer the case. our loss of focus is in part a consequence of the success we have achieved namely that we have not had another c

policies that are anti-family. but basically, that feminists are anti-children, anti- marriage, and so on. >> the institute for study is for liberal feminist women? >> i did a lot of research. i came to this project because actually, my original spark for this idea was in college. i was in pennsylvania. it was one of the state that was going down. there was a big debate about it. and it really was about feminists and feminism in politics, generally speaking. there were some exceptions. there was a lot of attention to diversity among women, but not a lot of attention to ideological diversity among women. there is a lot of scholarship on them liberal feminism, but not on conservative women. >> what about conservative women in terms of class. did you look at that? >> i did not for this so far. there are surveys. i will eventually incorporate that into my research. but for now, certainly, the woman that i interviewed and the organizations that i'm studying our women from upper income or higher class. i don't like that term. upper income families, generally speaking. there is not a lot of discussion about last diversity

study says that an increase may be higher pay for more than minimum wage workers. >> : a minimum-wage hike could be a raise for most workers. it economic policy institute and think-tank says that boosting and wage could be higher wage for workers and only 2.6 million are minimum-wage workers the group says the other 2 million people will be affected indirectly. many business owners have a mix of employees the can not only raise the pay of minimum-wage workers they have to raise the pay of other workers to. >> : federal minimum-wage currently at $77.25 hasn't been raised since 2005. >> : 13 states boosted minimum- wage january 1st. raising wages isn't cutting dry. small-business owners could actually hurt jobs because it's an added cost for employers. >> : daycare owner says that because but business isn't booming should attack pickup when she gave her workers a raise. >> : marketing company owner says that she has to lay off one worker because he can compensate with higher wages paid >> : more than 2 million people have signed up for health insurance plans to bomb the care. the numbers were released monday. 79 percent of those who signed up received so

policies that are anti-family. but basically those were the stereotypes, that feminists are anti-children, anti-marriage, and so on. >> is there and institute for the study of liberal feminist women? >> i did a lot of research. i came to this project because actually, my original spark for this idea was in college. it was toward the end i was in of the e.r.a. debates. i was in pennsylvania. it was one of the state that was going down. there was a big debate about it. for a women's studies class, i interviewed a woman from stop e.r.a.. completelythen i was fascinated with women who would oppose equal rights amendment. then when i was in graduate school, i had a major field of study about women in politics. and it really was about feminists and feminism in politics, generally speaking. obviously there are some exceptions. there was a lot of attention to diversity among women, but not a lot of attention to ideological diversity among women. so that is what brought me to there is a lot of scholarship on . -- a lot of scholarship out there on liberal feminism, but not on conservative women. >> what about conservative woman in -- conservative women in terms of