Democrats in U.S. Senate block Obama civil rights lawyer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Seven of President Barack Obama’s Democrats in the U.S. Senate broke ranks on Wednesday and joined Republicans to block Obama’s nominee to a top Justice Department job after complaints that the lawyer, Debo Adegbile, had helped r…
Kerry says meetings agreed to continue talks with Russia, Ukraine
PARIS (Reuters) – Foreign ministers from Ukraine, Russia and Western nations agreed on Wednesday to continue discussions in coming days on how to stabilize Ukraine and presented a number of ideas for how to reach that goal, U.S. Secretary of State John…
Obama plugs popular minimum wage hike plan in Connecticut
NEW BRITAIN, Connecticut (Reuters) – A day after unveiling a budget that stands little chance of passing Congress, President Barack Obama traveled to Connecticut on Wednesday to campaign for another proposal that has been dismissed by Republicans: rais…
U.S. Supreme Court seeks middle ground in securities case
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday appeared to look for a compromise that would give publicly traded companies better defenses against securities class actions without overruling a 26-year-old precedent that made it easier …
Republican unveils bid to challenge New York Governor Cuomo
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Rob Astorino, a little-known Republican county executive, launched a bid on Wednesday to challenge New York’s popular Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, promising to make the state more affordable, to open more charter schools and t…
U.S. lawmakers say to vote on Ukraine aid package soon
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – In a rare show of support for President Barack Obama, Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Wednesday they would work with the White House to address the crisis in Ukraine and vote on legislation offerin…
U.S. House hearing on IRS scandal dissolves in shouting
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A brief congressional hearing ended in shouting and confusion on Wednesday after a former U.S. Internal Revenue Service official refused to answer questions about a 10-month-old controversy involving IRS scrutiny of conservative …
Pentagon boosts training, NATO air policing amid Ukraine crisis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military said on Wednesday it will bolster training with Poland’s air force and provide more U.S. aircraft to a NATO air policing mission in the Baltics, as it eyes ways to reassure allies without escalating the Ukraine …
Former N.Y. mayor Bloomberg tapped as Harvard commencement speaker
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) – Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will address this year’s crop of Harvard University graduates at their May 29 commencement, the Ivy League university said on Wednesday.
Western Republicans urge U.S. appeals court to back gay marriage
(Reuters) – Republicans from Western states on Tuesday urged a U.S. appeals court to rule state bans on gay marriage unconstitutional, an aide said, citing shifts in the cultural standpoints of some conservatives in a broad national debate.
