Maine governor, Democratic challenger face off amid tight race
PORTLAND Maine (Reuters) – Maine Governor Paul LePage, a Tea Party-backed Republican who is locked in a tight re-election battle, scrapped with his Democratic challenger on Wednesday in a debate that focused on economic issues, while an independent can…
Appeals court wrestles with secret U.S. demands for telecom records
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court grappled on Wednesday with a lawsuit challenging the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s ability to force Internet and telecommunications firms to turn over customer records without revealing the government’…
Havana sees no sign Obama will change U.S. policy on Cuba
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba has received no indication the Obama administration might change U.S. policy toward Cuba despite increasing support within the United States for closer ties, a top Cuban official said on Wednesday.
Supreme Court weighs worker pay for security checks
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court appeared divided on Wednesday over whether companies must pay workers for time spent undergoing security checks at the end of their shifts in a case involving an Amazon.com Inc warehousing contractor.
Gay marriage bans fall in Idaho, Nevada after high court decision
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Legal momentum for extending U.S. marriage rights to same-sex couples accelerated on Tuesday as a federal appeals court struck down bans on gay matrimony in Idaho and Nevada a day after the U.S. Supreme Court let stand similar…
Republicans descend on Kansas to revive floundering Senate campaign
WASHINGTON/TOPEKA (Reuters) – The Republican Party is making an 11th-hour push to hold a historically conservative U.S. Senate seat in Kansas, where some polls show independent Greg Orman pulling ahead of incumbent Pat Roberts just weeks before the Nov…
Connecticut governor’s race a dead heat, poll finds
BOSTON (Reuters) – The Connecticut governor’s race, a rematch between incumbent Democrat Dannel Malloy and Republican businessman Thomas Foley, is a dead heat with each candidate holding the support of 43 percent of likely voters, a Quinnipiac Universi…
U.S. judicial panel rejects Virginia congressional district map
(Reuters) – A panel of federal judges in Virginia has ruled that the state’s 2012 congressional map, which packed black voters into a single district, was drawn up with race being the main factor.
U.S., Japan eye closer security ties in Japan defense pact update
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan and the United States agreed on Wednesday to map out how they will work together if Tokyo needs to use force to help protect a friendly country under attack, as they update defense cooperation guidelines for the first time in ne…
Mitt Romney for president in 2016? Not entirely out of the question
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Mitt Romney, day in and day out, hears it wherever he goes, whether at campaign events for Republican congressional candidates, restaurants, or private dinners, the message is the same – run for president in 2016.