Pushing weight: National Review is reporting that unlike a lot of possible 2016 presidential contenders, Gov. Bobby Jindal is looking to pack on a few pounds to look a little more presidential. While New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush have all slimmed down in recent months, Jindal has gained some weight. “According to a source close to Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal, the governor has gained 13 pounds over the past few months,” National Review reports. “At 5′10″, Jindal has always looked slight; this is the first indication that, with the 2016 election on the horizon, he is looking to beef up. Read the full story.
Capping it: Big Oil’s prized projects won’t face major cuts unless oil prices fall below $70 a barrel, BP’s chief financial officer told investors today. “We’re not expecting to adjust capital expenditures in response to oil prices,” BP CFO Brian Gilvary said in a conference call. “That would put in peril the future growth. The balance sheet could more than comfortably handle $80 a barrel.” Sinking oil prices have put oil company investors and suppliers on watch for any signs that they’ll trim spending next year. FuelFix.com has the full story.
A federal offense?: In a rare public accounting of its mass surveillance program, the U.S. Postal Service says that it approved nearly 50,000 requests last year from law enforcement agencies and its own internal inspection unit to secretly monitor the mail of Americans for use in criminal and national security investigations. The New York Times reports the number of requests, contained in a 2014 audit of the surveillance program by the Postal Service’s inspector general, shows the surveillance program is more extensive than previously disclosed and that oversight protecting Americans from potential abuses is lax. Read the full story.
