California city weighs minimum wage of $12.30, among nation’s highest
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A California city in the pricey San Francisco Bay Area will vote on Tuesday on a bid to raise its minimum wage to $12.30, which if passed would be among the highest municipal “living wage” rates in the United States.
Proposed release of Israeli spy raises U.S. spies’ ire
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. proposal to consider freeing a jailed Israeli spy caught many American intelligence officials off-guard and will face stiff opposition if the Obama administration decides to go ahead with it in a bid to salvage Middle East…
Republican Ryan’s budget sets political course for party in 2014
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Representative Paul Ryan, the leading Republican voice on budget policy, rolled out a fiscal blueprint on Tuesday that calls for deep cuts in domestic programs, increased defense spending and a goal of erasing annual deficit…
U.S. focuses on cheaper, more reliable F-35 jet: Air Force official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military is working closely with Lockheed Martin Corp and other suppliers to lower the per-plane cost of the F-35 fighter jet and improve its reliability, the chief weapons buyer for the U.S. Air Force said in interview …
Cigna says signed up 75,000-100,000 for Obamacare
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Cigna Corp has enrolled between 75,000 and 100,000 people in Obamacare health plans for 2014, Chief Executive David Cordani said on Tuesday at the Reuters Health Summit.
Obamacare enrollment exceeds seven million target despite setback
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s national healthcare program signed up more than 7 million people by the end of March, the president said on Tuesday, notching a rare victory after a months-long, glitch-filled rollout of the law.
Rubio to decide on 2016 White House run ‘around this time next year’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, a potential Republican candidate for president in 2016, said on Tuesday he would make a decision about his political future around this time next year.
Congress renews annual temporary tax laws fight
(Reuters) – The annual battle in the U.S. Congress over renewing scores of temporary tax breaks, including the corporate research tax credit and individual deductions for teachers’ supplies and college tuition costs, got under way on Tuesday.
West Virginia bill signed to regulate storage tanks after spill
(Reuters) – West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin on Tuesday signed a bill regulating above-ground chemical storage tanks, a measure prompted by a spill in January that tainted water supplies for some 300,000 people.
Fate of scandal-tinged Washington, D.C., mayor in hands of voters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – District of Columbia residents voted on Tuesday in a crowded Democratic mayoral primary, with the scandal-tarnished incumbent, Vincent Gray, facing a stiff challenge from a city councilor.