U.S. drone-strike policy inflames Senate vote on David Barron
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s choice of David Barron to serve as a U.S. federal appeals court judge will undergo a crucial test on Wednesday when the Senate takes a procedural vote amid controversy over the nominee’s role in authorizi…
McConnell coasts to Kentucky win, Tea Party falls in key primaries
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell easily beat a Tea Party primary challenger in Kentucky on Tuesday, setting up one of November’s most expensive and hard-fought Senate races against Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes.
Rural Oregon voters back ban on GMO crops amid U.S. labeling uproar
PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) – Voters in two small Oregon counties on Tuesday approved controversial ballot measures to ban cultivation of genetically engineered crops within their boundaries, though one measure is vulnerable to legal challenge under a n…
Nevada to move online healthcare enrollment to federal site
(Reuters) – Nevada’s health insurance exchange board on Tuesday voted to transfer control over its online program from its vendor, Xerox, to the federal government’s enrollment system.
Pennsylvania businessman wins Democratic race to challenge governor
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Pennsylvania businessman and former Peace Corps volunteer Tom Wolf claimed victory on Tuesday in a four-way Democratic primary race to challenge Republican Governor Tom Corbett in the November general election.
U.S. judge strikes down Pennsylvania law barring gay marriage
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – A federal judge struck down Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage on Tuesday in the latest court decision extending the rights of matrimony to gay and lesbian couples in the United States.
Probe of U.S. Veterans Affairs facilities expands: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of U.S. Veterans Affairs facilities being investigated for problems involving delays in treating patients has more than doubled to 26, CNN reported on Tuesday.
Lawmakers clash over budget priorities in U.S. defense bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives clashed over spending priorities in the annual defense policy bill on Tuesday, with a top Republican saying the measure prevented “false short-term savings” and a key Democrat warnin…
U.S. to disclose legal justification for drone strikes on Americans
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government will disclose its legal justification for the use of drones against U.S. citizens suspected of terrorism, a senior Obama administration official said on Tuesday.
Judge strikes down Pennsylvania law barring gay marriage
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage was struck down by a federal judge on Tuesday in the latest court decision in the United States confirming gay couples’ rights to wed.