Senators weigh tax ‘holiday’ to help fund highway repairs
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Top Senate Democrats and Republicans on Tuesday said they were considering offering American companies a one-time tax break if they repatriate profits stashed abroad.
Lawmakers seek to halt Guantanamo transfers, amid Bergdahl furor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A congressional committee voted on Tuesday to bar the use of federal funds to transfer detainees from the Guantanamo prison, as lawmakers fumed about the White House’s failure to tell them in advance about the swap of Taliban pri…
Fischer, two other Fed nominees advance in Senate
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Stanley Fischer’s nomination to be vice chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve advanced in the Senate on Tuesday, along with two other nominees to the U.S. central bank, setting the table for their expected confirmation later this …
Top N.Y. lawmaker must face harassment suit against ex-assemblyman
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver must face claims that he “aided and abetted” a former assemblyman’s sexual harassment of two young female employees by failing to take official action, a U.S. judge ruled on Tuesday.
Justice Department strikes deal with Montana prosecutor over rape cases
(Reuters) – Prosecutors in Missoula, Montana, will improve their treatment of rape victims and allow the state attorney general to review any sexual assault cases they decline to pursue as part of an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department released …
Obama says ‘we should be ashamed’ of failure to enact modest gun control measures
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama expressed deep frustration on Tuesday at the inability by Washington to enact even modest gun control measures, in the aftermath of a rash of shootings around the United States.
Massachusetts governor unveils plan to tackle opioid drug abuse
BOSTON (Reuters) – Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on Tuesday unveiled a $20 million package of proposals to tackle what he described as a crisis of addiction to opioid drugs in the state, and called for a summit of all six New England governors t…
U.S. spokeswoman Psaki rebukes ‘Russian propaganda machine’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s spokeswoman shrugged off a campaign to denigrate her personally in the Russian media and said she took it as “a badge of honor.”
Senate panel seeks $2.28 billion to aid immigrant children
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Senate panel, responding to what President Barack Obama calls an urgent humanitarian situation, on Tuesday advanced legislation significantly increasing funds to handle a surge of foreign children entering the United States ill…
Supreme Court to weigh next steps in Argentina bonds case
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Supreme Court is due to meet behind closed doors on Thursday to consider how to act on Argentina’s appeal of lower court decisions ordering the country to pay $1.33 billion to hedge fund creditors.