Budget-less Illinois takes piecemeal approach to funding
CHICAGO (Reuters) – The Illinois House on Wednesday passed a bill to send $3.11 billion to local governments, lottery winners, bondholders and others while the state continues to operate without an approved spending plan.
Supreme Court blocks Hawaii ballot counting
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A divided U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday prevented ballots from being counted in an Hawaii election that could lead to people of native Hawaiian ancestry setting up their own governmental body.
NAACP sues Alabama over state’s voter identification law
(Reuters) – A civil rights group in Alabama targeted the state’s voter identification law in a federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday, saying the requirement that a photo ID be shown at the polls in order to vote discriminated against minorities.
Some Bush donors think he needs a heavyweight political adviser
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Some of Republican Jeb Bush’s financial supporters think he needs a heavyweight political adviser to help him navigate the campaign trail and deliver more dynamic performances.
White House says working with U.S. lawmakers on visa waiver program changes
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Wednesday it was working with U.S. lawmakers on the “visa waiver” program and that calibrated changes to the entry requirements for foreign travelers would help strengthen U.S. national security.
Republican Cruz calls deal to renew Export-Import Bank a ‘mistake’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican presidential candidate, on Wednesday called a new deal reached by lawmakers to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank a “mistake.”
White House says Obama would sign long-term transportation bill if passed
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama would sign the five-year, $305 billion transportation bill that has support from leading Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the White House said on Wednesday.
Congress wants VTech details on child data it collects
(Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday asked digital toymaker VTech Holdings Ltd why it collects data on children, and how it secures that information, following a cyber attack that exposed records on 6.4 million youngsters in company databases.
White House urges Congress to abandon riders, fund government
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration on Wednesday called on Congress to quickly pass legislation to fund the federal government, saying proposed riders would undermine Wall Street reform, carbon curbs for power plants, and Obamacare health i…
U.S. justices cast doubt on scope of Vermont healthcare data law
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Members of the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated that Vermont and 17 other states could be prevented from collecting healthcare information from certain employee health plan administrators.
