U.S. consumer financial watchdog official defies Trump from within agency
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two days after a federal court endorsed President Donald Trump’s deregulatory pick for a consumer watchdog, a rival official was encouraging agency staff to keep up the pressure on the lending industry, several current and former…
More Republicans back Senate tax bill but holdouts remain
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two more U.S. senators signed on to support a sweeping Republican tax bill on Friday but party leaders struggled to address the concerns of lawmakers worried about its impact on the federal deficit, healthcare and property taxes….
House ethics panel launches wide-ranging probe into sexual harassment claims
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives ethics committee has begun a sweeping probe into possible sexual harassment and discrimination by the chamber’s 434 lawmakers and their staff, requesting on Friday a wide range of documents from …
Ex-Trump adviser Flynn charged with lying to FBI in Russia probe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn was charged with lying to the FBI, according to court documents released on Friday, in an escalation of an investigation into alleged ties to Russia that has cast a cloud over P…
House intel panel advances NSA spying bill despite privacy objections
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. House panel on Friday approved legislation that would renew the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance program, despite objections from the technology sector and civil liberties groups over inadequate privacy protection.
Tillerson dismisses talk of his departure as ‘laughable’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday dismissed reports that the White House is weighing a plan under which he would be replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo as “laughable.”
Ex-Trump adviser Flynn charged with lying to FBI, expected to plead guilty
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn lied to the FBI about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, the U.S. special counsel’s office charged in a court filing made publi…
Massachusetts officials seek probe into claims against Senator’s husband
BOSTON (Reuters) – Massachusetts officials called for an independent investigation into accusations that state Senate Majority Leader Stanley Rosenberg’s husband used his political connections to sexually harass men, following a Boston Globe report on …
Senate grapples with tax cut plan’s impact on U.S. deficit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Republicans will grapple on Friday with the possibility of adding a tax increase to sweeping legislation meant to cut taxes on businesses and individuals, aiming to win support from fiscal conservatives worried about …
Trump plans to meet oil industry reps on U.S. biofuel policy: sources
(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with representatives of the oil refining industry and their legislative backers to discuss the nation’s biofuels program, according to two sources briefed on the matter.