Alaska lawmaker ordered to repay $60,000 for improper gifts
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House Ethics Committee on Friday ordered Representative Don Young to repay nearly $60,000 for trips to hunting lodges that involved improper gifts or the use of campaign funds, but the committee stopped short of issuing the A…
White House announces funding to address immigrant surge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House on Friday announced tens of millions of dollars of new funding and expanded enforcement facilities to step up efforts to deal with the surge of children arriving illegally from Central America.
Obama says hopes for Pacific trade pact in November
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pacific trading partners hope to have a free trade agreement ready to present to the public and stakeholders in November, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday.
Medical pot bill wins final passage in New York state legislature
ALBANY N.Y. (Reuters) – New York state lawmakers gave final approval on Friday to allow limited access to medical marijuana and make New York the 23rd U.S. state to make the drug available for therapeutic purposes.
California governor signs $156.3 billion budget with rainy day fund
SACRAMENTO Calif. (Reuters) – California Governor Jerry Brown signed a $156.3 billion budget plan on Friday that includes funding for a controversial high-speed rail project and a so-called rainy day fund in line with the governor’s vision of fiscal re…
Firing a ‘warning shot’ at an attacker legal in Florida
TALLAHASSEE Fla. (Reuters) – Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a law on Friday that builds on the state’s controversial “stand your ground” self-defense rules by allowing citizens to brandish weapons and fire warning shots to ward off attackers.
Florida law seeks to change rules for Cuban baseball players
TALLAHASSEE Fla. (Reuters) – Major League Baseball must allow players in Cuba to sign contracts directly with professional teams in the United States in order to receive tax breaks in Florida under a new law signed by Governor Rick Scott on Friday.
U.S. tax chief won’t apologize to Republicans in ‘Tea Party’ probe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service refused to apologize on Friday for the loss of emails that Republican investigators want as part of a year-old inquiry into the tax agency’s scrutiny of politically conservative group…
Central America presses Biden on migrant rights as U.S. vows aid
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – Central American leaders on Friday pressed visiting U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden to improve migrant rights, even as the United States committed tens of millions of dollars in extra aid to the region in a bid to stem a surge …
Virginia governor will veto bid to block Medicaid expansion
RICHMOND Va. (Reuters) – Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said Friday he will veto a Medicaid amendment to the state budget advanced by a Republican-dominated legislature that could prevent him from expanding access to the program through executive ac…
