Alabama official ordered to issue marriage licenses to gay couples
MOBILE, Ala. (Reuters) – A federal judge on Thursday ordered an Alabama official to comply with her earlier ruling striking down the state’s ban on same-sex matrimony by beginning to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.
Senators launch fresh bid for sugar policy overhaul
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Three senators on Thursday introduced a bill to overhaul the U.S. government’s controversial sugar program, aiming to lower price-support levels and change domestic supply restrictions.
Obama and Pakistan’s Sharif agree to meet: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke by telephone on Thursday about counterterrorism and other issues, and agreed to meet, the White House National Security Council said on Twitter.
Senators introduce bill to lift Cuba embargo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A group of Democratic and Republican U.S. senators introduced a bill on Thursday seeking to lift the half-century-old trade embargo against Cuba, nearly two months after President Barack Obama announced moves toward normalizing r…
Battle lines emerge in Congress over Obama Islamic state war plan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Thursday Republicans want a “strong, robust” authorization for military action against Islamic State, underscoring sharp differences with Democrats over President Barack Obama…
Potential Republican candidates tread carefully on Islamic State
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans exploring a 2016 White House run are pounding away at President Barack Obama’s strategy for stopping Islamic State militants but, wary of Americans’ war fatigue, are so far providing few specifics on what they would d…
Vote on U.S. attorney general delayed as Republicans ask more questions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Senate panel delayed a vote on Thursday on President Barack Obama’s pick for his next attorney general as Republicans demanded more answers to their questions from career prosecutor Loretta Lynch.
California’s Gavin Newsom says he will run for governor in 2016
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) – California’s Lieutenant Governor said Wednesday he would run for governor in 2018, staking an early claim to fund-raising and endorsements as the most populous U.S. state faces an unprecedented generational shift in polit…
Bill to abolish some mandatory prison sentences gets another shot
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Several U.S. senators from far-reaching ends of the political spectrum, including some with presidential aspirations, will reintroduce on Thursday a bill to abolish mandatory minimum sentences for certain non-violent drug offende…
Corruption probe closes in on Oregon governor
PORTLAND, Ore. (Reuters) – Embattled Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, the focus of a criminal corruption probe involving his fiancee’s role in his office, repeated on Wednesday that he had no intention of resigning as pressure mounted on him to step dow…