White House cancels annual picnic with lawmakers amid Syria crisis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said Wednesday it had canceled its summer picnic for members of Congress and their families – an annual opportunity for the president and lawmakers to set aside partisan sniping in favor of music and food.
Liberal de Blasio close to clinching New York Democratic mayoral primary
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bill de Blasio, a liberal running against the policies of departing New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, was tantalizingly close to clinching the Democratic nomination for mayor after storming back from fourth in the opinion poll…
House Republicans delay vote on spending, ‘Obamacare’ after split
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Republican plan aimed at averting a government shutdown in less than three weeks ran into a wall of opposition on Wednesday from conservatives in the U.S. House of Representatives, and leaders delayed any votes on it until at l…
Bill to regulate fracking passes California state Assembly
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A hotly contested bill that would impose California’s first regulations on fracking and other oil production practices passed the state Assembly on Wednesday, despite opposition from environmentalists and oil companies.
Researcher cited by Kerry, McCain on Syria fired by think tank
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. researcher whose writings about the merits of moderate opposition forces in Syria were cited by Secretary of State John Kerry has been fired from a non-partisan think tank for misrepresenting her academic record, the gro…
Missouri governor wins battle to prevent tax cuts
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – Missouri’s Democratic governor on Wednesday won a high-profile battle with the state’s Republican-controlled legislature over tax cuts that he vetoed out of concern they would gut funding for education and other ser…
Federal judge rules Wisconsin’s union reforms constitutional
(Reuters) – Wisconsin’s collective bargaining reforms, which prompted strong protests from organized labor, do not violate the free speech and equal protection rights of public sector union workers, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.
House Republicans delay vote on spending, ‘Obamacare’ after split
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Republican plan aimed at averting a government shutdown in less than three weeks ran into a wall of opposition on Wednesday from conservatives in the House of Representatives, and leaders delayed any votes on it until at least …
U.S. told GM to selectively fund pensions: former official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The former head of President Barack Obama’s auto task force acknowledged on Wednesday that he instructed General Motors not to commit money to a pension fund for some former employees during the automaker’s 2009 bankruptcy.
U.S. spent $62 billion on disaster relief in fiscal 2011 and 2012
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government spent nearly $62 billion on disaster relief in the two-year period ending September 30, 2012, to help Americans recover from severe storms, droughts, heat waves and wildfires, a new analysis of federal data ha…
