Jennifer Harper

Inside the Beltway Weekly Feb. 15, 2016

Swiss researchers develop rescue drone that navigates forest trails better than a human

It could prove a boon to the thousands of hikers and climbers who become lost or injured on some remote forest trail. Meticulous Swiss researchers have developed a rescue drone which can autonomously recognize and follow the passageways through the undergrowth and rough terrain, using sophisticated artificial intelligence.

Inside the Beltway: A conservative oasis continues to flourish on Capitol Hill

Amid continued political turmoil, there is an oasis of calm and confidence on Capitol Hill, this led by a group of conservatives intent on transparency and purpose problem-solving. They keep calm and carry on. A monthly event titled "Conversations with Conservatives" showcases free market and liberty-minded lawmakers who bristle with conservative credentials and doggedly parse out the important issues of the day before the press.

Inside the Beltway: Reckless, irresponsible: The 2017 budget reviews are in

"The fact that President Obama has only submitted two budgets on time in his eight years in office clearly demonstrates the importance he places on actually having a budget. It's ironic that he is quick to use his pen and phone, but slow to put forward a fiscal blueprint," declares Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling, one of many Republicans irked by the budget blueprint released Tuesday. Mr. Obama, incidentally, departs the nation's capital Wednesday for a weeklong jaunt out west that includes fundraising, an appearance on late-night TV and a weekend in Rancho Mirage, California.

Inside the Beltway: Opening early: Donald Trump’s hotel near White House

Donald Trump's new luxury hotel in the nation's capital is monumental, sumptuous and could prove an effective campaign tool for the Republican presidential front-runner in the future. It's also opening two years ahead of schedule. With much ado, the mighty doors swing open in September, a mere six blocks from the White House. Mr. Trump has dropped $200 million on the redevelopment of this 1899 Romanesque structure -- the fourteenth in his collection of international hotels. Does he have a date in mind, perhaps? At 13,200 square feet, the Presidential Ballroom will also be the largest in town, and a prime spot for an inauguration gala when the time comes on Jan. 20, 2017.

Inside the Beltway: Fundraising calls: Obama heads west

Rev up Air Force One, it's fundraising time again, along with symbolic moments and scenic views. In 48 hours President Obama departs the nation's capital for points west and an extended stay. Here's what's on the big travel agenda, beginning Wednesday:

Unnerving numbers: How America has changed since the first Super Bowl

With the 50th Super Bowl upon us, one federal agency has a reminder about how much America has changed since that very first game, staged in Los Angeles on Jan. 15, 1967. Behold, some startling numbers about the nation, all from official federal sources:

Beer and a big TV: Americans spend $15.5 billion on their Super Bowl splurge

It is a big, bustling, hungry audience: media analysts anticipate that 189 million U.S. fans are expected to watch the fiftieth Super Bowl on Sunday, with another 100 million tuning in worldwide. Big game culture is in force: the National Retail Federation says Americans will spend $15.5 billion on team apparel, decorations and of course the traditional menu of pizza, nachos, beer, hoagies, chili and other goodies - like chicken wings. Americans will scarf down 1.3 million of them according to the National Chicken Council, a meticulous industry group which says this figure is up by 3 percent since last year. Not to be outdone, Dominos expects to sell 12 million pizzas.

Inside the Beltway: Ronald Reagan gets 11-foot statue, 21-gun salute for 105 birthday

Saturday marks what would have been Ronald Reagan's 105th birthday, a significant and heartfelt occasion still celebrated with much ado. Consider the major event at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, complete with the Camp Pendleton Marine Division Band, a color guard, the blessings of a chaplain, a brass quintet, a 21-gun salute, an aircraft flyover, the placing of a White House wreath at the grave site and remarks by Brigadier Gen. Edward D. Banta, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and Marlin Fitzwater, Reagan's press secretary.

Inside the Beltway Weekly Feb. 8, 2016

Inside the Beltway: How America has changed since the first Super Bowl

With the 50th Super Bowl almost upon us, one federal agency has a reminder about how much America has changed since that very first game, staged in Los Angeles on Jan. 15, 1967. Behold, some startling numbers about the nation, all from official federal sources:

Inside the Beltway: Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio take 60 percent of the vote in Iowa caucuses

The insular political press consider themselves a "powerful weapon that benefits Democrats," writes John Nolte, editor-at-large for Breitbart News. "But if this same media truly believed in science and objectivity, the results in Iowa would forever end their relentless smears against conservatives as racists. Tuesday night, one of the whitest and most conservative states in the country -- Iowa -- gave 60 percent of the Republican vote to two Hispanics and a black man."

The most profitable match-up: Political advertisers hope it’s Clinton Vs Bush in 2016

The 2016 race is projected to generate $6 billion in political advertising, drawing keen interest from those who create and manage the campaign. And some candidates are more lucrative than others, apparently. "A Jeb Bush versus Hillary Clinton presidential race would be best for business for the nation's leading political advertising firms," notes a new survey of national political ad agencies.

Inside the Beltway: Gary Johnson: ‘Be Libertarian with me’

For those voters fatigued with Iowa and already bracing for New Hampshire, there's always Gary Johnson to consider. Let us recall that the Libertarian presidential hopeful garnered 1.2 million votes when he ran in 2012 -- about 1 percent of the total vote. This time around, Mr. Johnson is not jetting from one state to the next like his establishment rivals; his campaign budget is very slim. Nevertheless, the tenacious candidate is presenting his case with considerable verve -- and he's casting a wide net.

Inside the Beltway: The great Iowa stampede now underway

Step aside, the last-minute Iowa caucus stampede is underway. Fourteen Republican and Democratic presidential hopefuls race though Iowa on Monday — their hoofbeats punctuated by speeches, melodrama, proclamations, accusations, vows, handshakes and all the other hallmarks of a ramped-up campaign. In the 48 hours preceding the vote, the candidates collectively staged 104 town halls and meet and greets; all three Democrats and three optimistic Republicans will stage some sort of "victory" party in Des Moines in the evening. But it ain't over until it's over.

George H.W. Bush pays a call on the CIA to mark an anniversary

The CIA had a noteworthy visitor Friday. Former President George H.W. Bush returned to the agency's headquarters just outside the nation's capital to mark the 40th anniversary of his swearing-in as Director of Central Intelligence, and almost to the day. "He is credited with restoring focus and boosting morale in the institution, and he remains one of the most beloved Directors in the agency's history," the CIA stated in a historic overview.

Bears, lizards, flaming hair dryers: The nation’s most outrageous excuses for being late to work

There's a poll for everything. CareerBuilder -- a workplace research group -- recently surveyed 2,600 human resource managers around the nation who revealed that a third of their employees typically come in late for one reason or another. And some of those reasons are pretty unusual.

The Right Side Forum with Armstrong Williams looks at Snowzilla and its aftermath

The Right Side Forum, an hour-long conservative live news and talk show hosted by columnist Armstrong Williams, this week will address "Snowzilla , the Aftermath." His guests are Ron Busby, Sr., president of U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. and Michael A. Jackson Maryland state delegate, and former Prince George's County sheriff.

Inside the Beltway: Ben Carson seen as most religious presidential candidate

"The conventional wisdom in American politics has long been that someone who is not religious cannot be elected president of the United States. Most Americans have consistently said that it is important to them that the president have strong religious beliefs," says a Pew Research Center survey released Thursday.

Inside the Beltway Weekly Feb. 1, 2016