U.S. Senate rejects bid to overhaul how military handles sexual assault
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate voted down a bill on Thursday seeking to overhaul the way the U.S. military handles cases of sexual assault by giving authority to prosecute sexual assault cases to an independent military prosecutor instead of to…
U.S. House advances bill curbing EPA power plant emission limits
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A bill to curb the ability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set limits on carbon emissions from power plants cleared a hurdle in the House of Representatives on Thursday but faces bleak prospects of becoming law.
Swaps regulator hopefuls jump a U.S. Senate confirmation hurdle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Three nominees to head the U.S. derivatives regulator met little pushback in the Senate on Thursday as the agency heads into quieter waters after the departure of Gary Gensler, the former chief who was deemed overly aggressive by…
Florida mayor fights backyard gun ranges in ‘Gunshine State’
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) – Every Wednesday afternoon, Doug Varrieur steps into his backyard in the Florida Keys, aims his .380 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol and fires shots that ricochet through city halls around the state.
Acting CFTC head pleads with U.S. Congress for more funding
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The acting head of the U.S. derivatives regulator pleaded with federal lawmakers on Thursday to give his agency more funding, saying a tight budget has prevented staff from completing compliance exams and threatens to hobble enfo…
U.S. Senator introduces bill to go slow on U.S. LNG exports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, introduced a bill on Thursday opposing efforts to push the Obama administration to speed up liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approvals in light of Russia’s threats to Ukrain…
CIA probing allegations it improperly monitored Senate committee: reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The CIA’s internal watchdog has begun a probe of whether members of the agency secretly monitored a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation of Bush-era detention and interrogation policies, according to media reports on Wedne…
Ex-nurse behind U.S. Congress mail threat gets two years in prison
PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) – A former nurse from Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday for mailing more than 100 threatening letters containing white powder to members of Congress and media organizations in February o…
White House national security adviser to visit Israel in May
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. national security adviser Susan Rice will visit Israel in May as head of a U.S. delegation consulting on a range of issues involving the two countries, the White House said on Wednesday.
Obama tells Democrats to focus on November midterms, not 2016
BOSTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama gently chided Democratic donors on Wednesday for paying too much attention to the next presidential race in 2016 and not enough attention to the upcoming midterm elections in 2014.
