Senator Grassley to meet Garland despite opposition to nominee
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has invited Judge Merrick Garland to breakfast, but absent from the menu will be any promise of hearings on President Barack Obama’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Senate unanimously approves trade secrets bill
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate on Monday approved legislation to give companies greater legal protections for their commercial secrets and allow them for the first time to sue in federal court if they are stolen.
U.S. to raise payments to insurers for Medicare Advantage 2017 plans
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. government will pay U.S. health insurers who provide Medicare Advantage plans to elderly and disabled Americans about 0.85 percent more on average in 2017 than in 2016, reflecting mostly stable medical costs, a government …
Republican Ryan is raising big money but not for White House race
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Overlooked in all the speculation about running for president, Republican Paul Ryan has quietly laid to rest doubts about his ability as a campaign fundraiser for congressional colleagues.
New Jersey sues Atlantic City over school money
(Reuters) – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s administration sued cash-strapped gambling hub Atlantic City on Monday, seeking to freeze city spending until it remits the millions of dollars it owes to its school district.
Virginia governor vetoes bill to label books ‘sexually explicit’ in schools
RICHMOND, Va. (Reuters) – Virginia’s governor vetoed a bill on Monday that would have made the state the first in the country to require that parents be notified if students were assigned readings labeled “sexually explicit.”
Creditors sue to block Puerto Rico development bank withdrawals
SAN JUAN (Reuters) – Creditors of Puerto Rico’s Government Development Bank on Monday sued to stop it from distributing money to creditors in what they call “preferential transfers” ahead of the GDB’s May 1 debt payment that Puerto Rico’s governor says…
Planning group puts $43 billion price tag on Illinois transportation fix
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Cash-strapped Illinois needs $43 billion over 10 years to repair and improve its transportation network and boost the state economy, according to a report released on Monday by the Metropolitan Planning Council.
New York’s Cuomo signs two-tier minimum wage law in push for state-wide $15/hour
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday signed into law a minimum wage increase that takes a two-tier approach, setting a higher $15 per hour minimum for New York City and its environs and a lower legal minimum for less-costly are…
Exclusive: Democrats Clinton, Sanders promise to include Latinos in cabinet
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders vowed to nominate Latinos into key cabinet posts in their administrations if elected, according to their answers to a questionnaire organized by the nation’s largest Latino coalition.
