Senators propose sentencing reform to reduce prison overcrowding
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. senators on Thursday proposed a bipartisan plan for reforming criminal justice, aiming to ditch harsh sentencing laws that lead to prison overcrowding and to limit solitary confinement for juveniles.
Clinton says to boost city, state funds for addiction treatment
BOSTON (Reuters) – Democratic White House front-runner Hillary Clinton laid out her $10 billion plan on Thursday to tackle drug and alcohol addiction in the United States by boosting spending on treatment for addicts.
House passes sweeping defense policy bill; measure’s future is cloudy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives passed the $612 billion annual defense authorization bill on Thursday, but the measure’s future was clouded by a dispute between Republicans and Democrats over government spending policy.
Lawmakers push measures to influence Iran nuclear deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two weeks after efforts to kill the Iran nuclear deal failed in the U.S. Congress, lawmakers were still developing legislation on Thursday seeking to influence, or undermine, the international agreement.
White House issues veto threat for Senate military construction bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House issued a veto threat on Thursday for a Senate appropriations bill for military construction, Veterans Affairs and related agencies, saying the bill would lock in cuts and prevent it from closing the Guantanamo Bay…
Govt. shutdown threat is a fixture of U.S. politics but unknown elsewhere
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Bureaucrats in Brazil keep stamping visas and collecting taxes when the president and Congress battle over spending. In Romania, regulators keep issuing permits while the prime minister faces corruption charges.
Obama confident in Secret Service despite latest incident: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama has not lost confidence in leadership of the U.S. Secret Service despite an investigation that revealed 45 employees accessed the personal information of a lawmaker investigating a string of security lapses…
Senate panel passes bill to lift U.S. oil export ban
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A bill to lift the 40-year-old ban on U.S. oil exports passed the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, but the future of the measure is uncertain in the full chamber, after a controversial amendment was added to it.
Russian air strikes targeted CIA-backed rebels in Syria: Senator McCain
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senator John McCain on Thursday said Russia’s initial air strikes in Syria targeted recruits in the Free Syrian Army rebel group backed by the United States.
Democrat Sanders raises $26 million in last three months in presidential bid: MSNBC
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont raised $26 million over the last three months as he wages a populist challenge to become the Democratic presidential nominee, MSNBC television reported on Thursday, citing a spokesperson wit…