Hagel to make decisions on Guantanamo detainees ‘fairly soon’
ANCHORAGE Alaska (Reuters) – – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday he will make decisions fairly soon about detainees at Guantanamo Bay detention center who Uruguay has offered to accept.
U.S. veterans health probe confirms cover-up of care delays
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Calls for U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign grew louder on Wednesday as the agency’s inspector general confirmed “systemic” and widespread VA scheduling abuses to cover up long wait times for veterans’ healt…
California Senate passes bill to boost response to oil train spills
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – California’s Senate approved a bill on Wednesday to tap the state’s $30 million a year oil spill fund to tackle any oil train derailments, as growing output in landlocked states leads to increased crude delivery to coastal ref…
U.S. Navy secretary defends new warship program
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus defended the embattled $34 billion Littoral Combat Ship program on Wednesday and said the ability to reconfigure the ships to carry out different missions would help the Navy keep pace with rapidly c…
Film tax credit bill unanimously passes California Assembly
SACRAMENTO Calif. (Reuters) – A bill to lure filmmakers into California with tax incentives passed unanimously in the state Assembly on Wednesday, bringing the state a step closer to extending and increasing existing tax credits for the entertainment industry. 
Obama fights foreign policy critics, pledges aid to Syria groups
WEST POINT, N.Y., Reuters) – President Barack Obama fought back against critics of his foreign policy on Wednesday by insisting U.S. reliance on diplomacy over military intervention was working to resolve global crises like Ukraine and Iran, and he ple…
Edward Snowden says he was trained ‘as a spy’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked details of massive U.S. intelligence-gathering programs, said in a U.S. TV interview he “was trained as a spy” and had worked undercover overseas for U.S. government ag…
Veterans health probe confirms cover-up of care delays
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Calls for U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign grew louder on Wednesday as the agency’s inspector general confirmed “systemic” and widespread VA scheduling abuses to cover up long wait times for veterans’ healt…
House passes bill seeking Venezuela sanctions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday to impose sanctions on Venezuelans responsible for human rights abuses during anti-government protests, despite Obama administration worries that they could threaten ta…
Obama fights foreign policy critics, pledges aid to Syria groups
WEST POINT, N.Y., Reuters) – President Barack Obama fought back against critics of his foreign policy on Wednesday by insisting U.S. reliance on diplomacy over military intervention was working to resolve global crises like Ukraine and Iran, and he ple…
