EXCLUSIVE! Kevin Jonas Gushes About Married Life At ‘Camp Rock 2′ Premiere!

SPL173967_003 We got to talk to Kevin at the NYC premiere of his new movie Camp Rock 2 — and he couldn’t stop gushing about his wife Danielle!
Kevin Jonas, 22, loves being in love! We spoke with the leader of the Jonas crew Aug. 18 at the Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam premiere at New York’s famous Lincoln Center, and he revealed that he loves being married to his new bride Danielle Deleasa!

“It’s wonderful having my best friend everywhere with me,” he told HollywoodLife.com. “Having Danielle on the road has changed the entire dynamic but it’s amazing!”

Aww, that is just so sweet! Kevin and Danielle met in 2007 while vacationing in the Bahamas and were married two years later!

Even Kevin’s little brother Nick Jonas, 17, chimed into to talk about fame and how lucky they all are!

“I didn’t realize being famous would be this fun,” says Nick. “As things get busy and crazy some people can lose their minds, but thankfully we have a good family around us!”

So listen up ladies, there are only two Jonas bros left to tie down — so you better act fast!

Don’t forget, Camp Rock 2 debuts Sept. 3 on the Disney Chanel at 8pm EST!

Vets Call On Obama To Fire Alan Simpson

s-OBAMA-large300 A major veterans organization called on President Obama to remove Alan Simpson from the deficit commission for questioning why veterans are not "helping us to save the country" by foregoing health care benefits promised in return for their military service.

On Tuesday, Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming and currently the co-chair of a deficit commission looking into spending cuts, decried "the irony that the veterans who saved this country are now, in a way, not helping us to save the country in this fiscal mess."

Simpson wants to cut the national debt by slashing benefits for veterans. VoteVets.org, which represents 50,000 veterans and family members, has had enough. The group's chairman, Jon Soltz, said that veterans had been concerned by comments Simpson made disparaging Social Security, calling it "a milk cow with 310 million tits!" and suggesting that military pay be frozen.

The "final straw," writes Soltz, was Simpson calling for veterans' benefits to be cut.

"President Obama, this week you called for all Americans to honor and thank our troops. I know you agree that honoring our troops can't just be lip service. And the best way to honor those who serve our country is to make sure that we take care of them once they return home," he writes. "It has become all too clear that Senator Simpson cannot be trusted to objectively review the budget and make impartial recommendations about our nation's economic priorities. We ask that you remove him from his current position so that the commission can continue its work in a way that will give the military community--and all Americans--confidence in the conclusions it reaches."

Robert Gates: History Will Judge If Iraq War Was Worth It

s-ROBERT-GATES-IRAQ-WAR-large300 RAMADI, Iraq — Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that history will judge whether the war in Iraq was worth it.

In Iraq to mark the formal close of the U.S. combat mission and the departure of the top U.S. war commander, Gates visited troops at Camp Ramadi in western Iraq.

Asked whether the U.S. was still at war in Iraq, Gates answered succinctly, "I would say we are not."

Fewer than 50,000 U.S. troops are still in Iraq, down from more than 165,000 at the height of the fighting.

Gates was less definitive about whether the 7 1/2-year war was worthwhile. That judgment "really requires a historian's perspective," and will depend in part on whether Iraq emerges as a democratic anchor in the Middle East, Gates told reporters after his Ramadi visit.

"I believe our men and women in uniform believe we have accomplished something that makes the sacrifice, the bloodshed, not to have been in vain," he said. "How it all weighs in the balance remains to be seen."

Although the remaining troops' main role is to help train Iraqi forces over the next year, they are not out of harm's way. Recent U.S. deaths in Iraq have come from homemade explosives that deliberately target U.S. vehicles or soldiers, or attacks on gatherings where insurgents knew Americans would be.

Several thousand U.S. special operations forces will continue to hunt al-Qaida and other terrorist fighters, accompanying Iraqi commandoes. U.S. forces will remain armed, and will return fire or fight in self-defense.

Gates said the United States would consider keeping some military forces in place past next year, if the Iraqi government requests it. All U.S. forces are set to leave by the end of 2011 under an agreement with the Iraqi government.

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Health Care Reform Hypocrisy: States Suing Government Willing To Claim Subsidies From Law

s-HEALTH-CARE-REFORM-LAWSUIT-large300 WASHINGTON — More than half a dozen states suing to overturn President Barack Obama's health care law are also claiming its subsidies for covering retired state government employees, according to a list released Tuesday by the administration.

About 2,000 employers have been approved for the extra help to cover early retirees, mainly private businesses. But the list also includes seven states suing to overturn the health care overhaul as an unconstitutional power grab by the federal government.

The seven are Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Nevada.

They are part of a group of 20 states that have challenged the law's requirement for most Americans to carry health insurance or face fines from the IRS. They argue that government cannot order individuals to buy a particular product. The administration counters that the mandate falls within broad powers conferred on Congress to regulate interstate commerce.

A spokeswoman said Indiana's Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels disapproves of Obama's overhaul, but will take advantage of specific provisions that benefit his state.

"Congress approved health care reform and the president signed it into law. Gov. Daniels does not agree with it, but Indiana will seek funds that help Hoosiers when there are no complicated strings or costs attached," said press secretary Jane Jankowski.

The list of employers who have expressed an interest in the subsidies includes about half the Fortune 500 companies, as well as state and local governments, educational institutions, unions and nonprofit organizations, the administration said. A total of 16 states have been approved, and more are expected to apply.

As medical costs soared in the last 20 years, employers have dramatically scaled back retiree health coverage. The share of large companies providing the benefit dropped from 66 percent in 1988 to 29 percent last year.

"Not only has this coverage disappeared, but individuals between 55 and 64 who are pre-Medicare are really struggling with the private health insurance market," said Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius. "This is one of the most vulnerable populations." Insurers usually charge older adults several times more than what people in their 30s and 40s pay.

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ACLU, CCR Sue Obama To Block 'Targeted Killings'

s-OBAMA-TARGETED-KILLINGS-large300 NEW YORK — Two civil liberties groups sued the federal government on Monday to try to block its targeted killing overseas of a U.S.-born cleric believed to have inspired recent attacks in the United States.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for the father of cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who's believed to be hiding in his parents' native Yemen. Defendants were President Barack Obama, CIA Director Leon C. Panetta and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.

The groups, both based in New York, said it was unconstitutional to intentionally try to kill al-Awlaki unless he presents a specific imminent threat to life or physical safety and only killing him will eliminate the threat. The Obama administration cited al-Awlaki's growing role with al-Qaida when it placed him on the CIA's list of targets.

Al-Awlaki was put on the list after U.S. intelligence authorities tied him to Sept. 11 hijackers and concluded he had provided inspiration for those who carried out shootings in Fort Hood, Texas, a failed Times Square car bombing and an attempted Christmas Day bombing of a jetliner approaching Detroit.

The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring that the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government's targeted killings of U.S. citizens, including al-Awlaki, unless there's a concrete and imminent threat to life and there's no other way to prevent it.

In a statement, Department of Justice spokesman Matthew Miller defended the U.S. position. He said Congress has authorized the use of all necessary and appropriate force against al-Qaida and associated groups.

"The U.S. is careful to ensure that all its operations used to prosecute the armed conflict against those forces, including lethal operations, comply with all applicable laws, including the laws of war," Miller said.

He said the U.S. government has the authority under domestic and international law and the responsibility to its citizens to use force to defend itself "in a manner consistent with those laws."

"This administration is using every legal measure available to defeat al-Qaeda, and we will continue to do so as long as its forces pose a threat to this nation," Miller said in the statement.

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Take A Walk On The Wild Side In Leopard Print!

082710_leopard_print_teaser_544 Break out a hot print on a cool summer night just like these glam gals!
While leopard sometimes evoke images of Peg Bundy, the print is going to be everywhere come fall — and just because it seems extreme doesn’t mean it can’t look seriously chic! Stylish ladies like Nikki Reed, Sophia Bush, Lily Cole, Khloe Kardashian, Kelly Osbourne, and Serena Williams have already pulled out the look on the red carpet. In varying colors and styles, there’s so many ways to work this trend — I recommend steering clear of a tight leopard dress — instead go for a less extreme silhouette. If you want to show off your figure, choose the pattern in a different color or opt for a skirt or top in the print to give your look a fresh take.

And, even if you think leopard isn’t for you, you can still look stylish working shoes, a belt, a bag, or even a piece of jewelry with the print! Check out our dresses below if you want to start your fall shopping!

Congressional Budget Office: Sometimes Wonks Have To Explain Their Work To Morons

s-CBO-LOGO-largeAllow me to state for the record that I have great sympathy for the dedicated professionals at the Congressional Budget Office. In Washington's partisan environment, they are everybody's fair-weather friend. When the CBO tells one tribe the precise thing they want to hear, there's no end to the hallelujahs about how a CBO confirmation is the equivalent of the Word of God. But when the CBO's estimates run afoul of the same tribe, the praise chorus abruptly stops, and is replaced by no end of angry rending and gnashing. Sometimes these shifts take place in a matter of days. It can be intensely frustrating to witness.

A less celebrated problem that the CBO faces on a daily basis is that sometimes, they have to explain their work to complete morons.

Sarabeth Guthberg at 1115.org related one such instance, today. See, Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) got a wee bit confused over a matter of grade-school mathematics. So he asked the CBO to clarify: if provisions of the Affordable Care Act that the CBO projected to reduce the deficit by $455 billion (over ten years) were subsequently repealed, what would be the net impact on the deficit?

Snake In A Box Causes 10-Hour Power Outage At Hospital

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — A snake slithered into a switch box outside a New York hospital, where it met its maker and caused a 10-hour power outage.

Officials at Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie say backup generators kicked on Tuesday afternoon when a common-variety snake got into the switch box and disrupted the hospital's main power supply. Workers found the dead snake inside the box.

Hospital officials say there were no patient care disruptions caused by the outage, which lasted from 3 p.m. Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday. Some emergency room cases had to be diverted to other hospitals.

While squirrels and other small animals have been known to get into electrical equipment and cause outages, a utility spokesman says it's the first time he's heard of a snake doing it.

Clinton, Bush And Obama Drug Czars Come Out Against California's Marijuana Legalization Measure

s-DRUG-CZARS-ANTI-MARIJUANA-large300 Six directors of the Office of National Drug Control Policy over the previous 3 administrations penned a cooperative op-ed Wednesday in opposition to California's Proposition 19 ballot proposal to legalize marijuana.

The editorial, written by Gil Kerlikowske, John Walters, Barry McCaffrey, Lee Brown, Bob Martinez and William Bennett -- that's every United States "drug czar," including the current one -- was published in the Los Angeles Times Wednesday, and argues primarily that social costs incurred by legalizing marijuana would outweigh the potential revenue streams gained by taxing drug sales.

First and foremost, the high-profile anti-drug group contends, a potential marijuana legalization will lead to an upswing in use, particularly among minors:

Proponents of marijuana legalization often point to Amsterdam's "coffee shop" marijuana sales, rarely mentioning that the Dutch have dramatically reduced what at one time were thousands of shops to only a few hundred -- after being inundated with "drug tourists," drug-related organized crime involvement and public nuisance problems. During the period of marijuana commercialization and expansion, there was a tripling of lifetime use rates and a more than doubling of past-month use among 18- to 20-year-olds, according to independent research.
This issue, they say, could also manifest itself dangerously by putting an increased number of high people on the roads.

While some argue that legalization could save money spent on law enforcement, the drug czars don't buy this claim, saying instead that such a measure would instead create a complex and confusing set of priorities to police:

Law enforcement officers do not currently focus much effort on arresting adults whose only crime is possessing small amounts of marijuana. This proposition would burden them with new and complicated enforcement duties. The proposition would require officers to enforce laws against "ingesting or smoking marijuana while minors are present." Would this apply in a private home? And is a minor "present" if they are 15 feet away, or 20? Perhaps California law enforcement officers will be required to carry tape measures next to their handcuffs.
Perhaps most interestingly, the narco-foes allege that the potential revenue that could be gained by taxing marijuana sales is overstated due to the fact that cannabis plants can be easily cultivated at home.

Regarding the supposed economic benefits of taxing marijuana, some comparison with two drugs that are already regulated and taxed -- alcohol and tobacco -- is worth considering. People don't typically grow their own tobacco or distill their own spirits, so consumers accept high taxes on them as retail products. Marijuana, though, is easy and cheap to cultivate, indoors or out, and Proposition 19 would allow individuals to grow as much as 25 square feet of marijuana for "personal consumption."

Alvin Greene Kicked Out Of Restaurant Meeting After Altercation

s-ALVIN-GREENE-KICKED-OUT-large300 COLUMBIA, S.C. — Police say longshot Democratic Senate candidate Alvin Greene was kicked out of a South Carolina restaurant after his companion got into a fight with people eating there.

Oconee County Democratic Party officials had asked Greene to speak at their monthly meeting over the weekend in Seneca. But they rescinded the invitation after Greene was indicted Aug. 13 on a felony charge of showing pornography to a college student.

Seneca Police Chief John Covington said Tuesday that Greene showed up anyway and a woman with him got into an argument with people at the restaurant. Party officials called police, who kicked out the pair and ended the party's meeting. No charges were filed.

A message seeking comment was left with Greene, who faces U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint and Green Party candidate Tom Clements in November.