Pentagon to send about a dozen Guantanamo inmates to other countries soon
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon plans to transfer about a dozen inmates of the Guantanamo military prison to at least two countries that have agreed to take them, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, the latest move in President Barack Obama’s final …
Senator Wyden pledges to fight limits on encryption
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden pledged on Wednesday to fight legislation expected shortly in Congress that would limit encryption protection in American technology products.
Plan to raise California minimum wage to $15 clears key panel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) – A plan to raise California’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022 cleared its first legislative hurdle on Wednesday, putting the state on track to become the first in the nation to commit to such a large pay hike for the w…
Senator concerned over U.N., Iran missiles and nuclear pact
UNITED NATIONS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Wednesday the U.N. Security Council’s refusal to respond to Iran’s ballistic missile tests defied Obama administration assurances that a ban on su…
Connecticut governor signs bill to close $220 million budget gap
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Connecticut’s governor signed on Wednesday legislation to close a $220 million budget gap by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, as the state battles a fiscal crisis set to worsen next year with a projected budget deficit of nea…
Obama could decide on greater troop presence in Iraq soon: general
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will have the chance to decide on whether to increase the number of U.S. forces in Iraq in the “coming weeks,” the top U.S. general said on Wednesday.
Exclusive: Most Americans support torture against terror suspects – poll
(Reuters) – Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe torture can be justified to extract information from suspected terrorists, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, a level of support similar to that seen in countries like Nigeria where militant attacks ar…
Draft of Puerto Rico legislation could be improved: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The draft bill introduced in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday to steer Puerto Rico through its economic crisis represents a constructive, good-faith effort but could be improved, the White House said on Wednesday.
Supreme Court sympathetic to property owner in wetlands dispute
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared likely to rule that property owners can challenge the federal government in court over the need for permits under a national water protection law in a case involving a company’s plans …
Trump idea of Japan, South Korea with nuclear weapons is destabilizing: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The prospect of Japan and South Korea obtaining nuclear weapons would be incredibly destabilizing, the White House said on Wednesday, a day after leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said the two U.S. allies sho…