U.S. firearms bureau director confirmed, fulfilling Obama demand
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate on Wednesday confirmed a director for the federal agency that regulates firearms, fulfilling one of the demands President Barack Obama made after the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting.
House passes Iran sanctions bill to slash oil exports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House of Representatives easily passed a bill on Wednesday to tighten sanctions on Iran, showing a strong message to Tehran over its disputed nuclear program days before President-elect Hassan Rouhani is sworn in.
Mayor says didn’t get training, San Diego should pay for sex harassment defense
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, under mounting pressure to resign over sexual harassment accusations, deserves to have the city pay for his defense because he never received workplace behavior training, his lawyer has told the city at…
Congress finally votes to cut student loan interest rates
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. college students will likely pay a reduced interest rate of 3.86 percent on their student loans for the new school year, after lawmakers on Wednesday finally passed a compromise bill that would reverse a recent rate hike.
New Snowden leak upstages U.S. move to declassify documents
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New revelations from former security contractor Edward Snowden that U.S. intelligence agencies have access to a vast online tracking tool came to light on Wednesday, as lawmakers put the secret surveillance programs under greater…
Yemen’s president meets senators as U.S. grapples with Guantanamo detainee issue
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi talked to U.S. senators on Wednesday as he to tries to persuade Washington to repatriate dozens of Yemeni detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison.
Hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay shows signs of weakening
GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) – The hunger strike that began nearly six months ago at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba and spread to include two-thirds of its 166 prisoners has tapered off with a Ramadan pardon that has allowe…
Pentagon warns of tough trade-offs in face of looming cuts
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Wednesday pledged $40 billion in new Pentagon spending reductions over the next decade, but warned that additional cuts required by law posed stark choices that could bend or break the president’s…
Obamacare technology testing slated for September: official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration is preparing to subject the information technology backbone of the new state and federal healthcare exchanges to final “dress rehearsal” testing that could continue until just before the online marketplac…
Obama defends Summers as he mulls Fed pick
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama defended Lawrence Summers on Wednesday in the face of concerns by fellow Democrats that the president may name his former economic adviser as chairman of the Federal Reserve, lawmakers said.
