Word: briefing
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Proponents of term limits argued that installing fresh lawmakers every few years would make them more accountable. Legislators would see their jobs not as careers but as brief opportunities to make tough decisions and get things done. Opponents feared lobbyists would gain even more influence. None of the above happened. Lobbyists struggled as their long-term relationships with veteran pols became meaningless. Veteran staff members in the state capitals have had their power enhanced by guiding the rookies. In Maine, the number of bills has almost doubled in recent years, as rookies try to make a mark. But the number...
...BRIEF EXCHANGE Ever wonder what's underneath those Mickey and Goofy costumes at Disney World? Communal underwear, it seems. Magic Kingdom "cast members" just negotiated the right to wear their own skivvies, which they can take home and launder themselves. Under the old system, workers turned in uniforms each night, underwear and all, and got another outfit the following day. Some complained the undies were less than alpine fresh and gave them lice. Even at Disney, the world can get a little too small...
After all-too-brief hiatus, the perennial battle over the Patients? Bill of Rights begins again this week on Capitol Hill. And while lawmakers on both sides of the aisle claim to be more than ready to sign a bill into law, the crucial question remains: Whose bill will they sign...
...brief: The Cold War military and political alliance bound the U.S. and most of Western Europe, but tension within the group over its size, scope and purpose has mounted in the years since the collapse of the Soviet Union. While Washington has pushed hardest for incorporation of former Soviet satellites into the alliance, the Western Europeans are generally more wary of provoking the Russians, particularly when it comes to the Baltic states and Ukraine. Peacekeeping missions such as those in the Balkans have also caused tensions - Washington in the Clinton years pushed the reluctant Europeans for more decisive action...
...brief: As a bloc, the European Union is Washington's largest trading partner, and together they constitute the 500-pound gorillas of world trade. That has meant that ongoing trade spats over issues ranging from bananas to airplane engines have at times bedeviled global trade talks such as those at the World Trade Organization. And the slowdown of the U.S. economy will sharpen the focus on trade issues in Washington's relations with Europe over the next few years...