North Carolina Senate outlaws disclosure of fracking fluid secrets
(Reuters) – The North Carolina Senate on Thursday voted to make it a crime to disclose the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, even as big U.S. oil companies elsewhere consider releasing more information about the fluids to address pub…
House rejects Pentagon cost-cutting plans in defense policy bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives rejected Pentagon cost-cutting proposals on Thursday with a $601 billion election-year defense policy bill that offered bigger military pay raises and blocked a politically tough bid to eliminate…
Fifty U.S. senators urge NFL to back Redskins’ name change
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fifty U.S. senators urged the National Football League on Thursday to endorse a name change for the Washington Redskins, saying the franchise’s name was a racial slur.
New Jersey’s fiscal woes imperil an already-damaged Chris Christie
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The scandal over a made-up study that badly disrupted traffic at the George Washington Bridge may not be New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s biggest problem after all.
New Jersey economic comeback? Fuhgeddaboudit!
(Reuters) – When New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Tuesday unveiled a massive budget shortfall, he pointed the finger at a steep and unexpected drop in income taxes.
Obama says he will get to the bottom of Veterans mess
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday to get to the bottom of allegations that veterans suffered long delays in getting healthcare and made clear Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki’s job may be on the line, as he scramb…
U.S.-Egypt military ties will depend on Egypt’s actions: U.S. general
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The future of U.S. military ties with Egypt, curtailed after a crackdown on opponents by the army-backed leaders, will depend on the actions of the future government, the top U.S. military officer said ahead of Egyptian elections n…
Lawmakers urge U.S. to shun Brunei in trade talks over sharia law
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A group of lawmakers wants the United States to press Brunei to revoke Islamic criminal laws that they say jeopardize human rights under threat of being kicked out of Pacific free trade talks.
Senator Leahy drops patent reform bill for now
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Wednesday he was shelving a controversial patent bill because the two sides could not agree on a compromise that would prevent abuse of patent litigation …
U.S. lawmakers warned against using private debt collectors for IRS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Making the Internal Revenue Service hire private companies to collect unpaid taxes, as proposed in a U.S. Senate bill, would be a money-loser for the tax agency, a watchdog panel has said.
