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• To be sure, conservatives looking to pare the government have had their pick of examples to make Obama the poster boy for overreaching, bloated government -- think "Obamacare," bailouts, the stimulus, universal pre-kindergarten and environmental regulations, to name a few. The perception that Obama has let government grow out of control has been bolstered in the rocky first few months of his second term by word that the Justice Department was aggressively snooping on reporters in leak investigations and an admission by the IRS that its agents unfairly targeted conservative groups.
• But on other policy fronts, unmet needs are forcing Republicans to concede more publicly than usual that minimalist government isn't necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution.
• "You've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that's at the root of all our problems," Obama recently told graduates at Ohio State University. "You should reject these voices," he added, promoting the positive role government can play.
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• HOUSTON (AP) -- Four firefighters searching for people they thought might be trapped in a blazing Houston motel and restaurant Friday were killed when the part of the structure collapsed and ensnared them, authorities said.
• At least five other firefighters were hospitalized in the blaze that became the deadliest in the 118-year history of the Houston Fire Department.
• Flames were shooting from the roof of the Southwest Inn, along one of Houston's most heavily traveled freeways, U.S. Highway 59, and black smoke was blanketing the area as firefighters tried to extinguish the fire.
• Three firefighters were killed at the scene, while the fourth died at a hospital, according to the mayor's office and a medical examiner. Five other people were injured and were hospitalized for treatment of chest pains or leg injuries.
• "We took the highest amount of risk possible because we thought we had civilians in the structure," Fire Chief Terry Garrison said. "The structure collapsed and our members who were trying to save lives were lost."
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