U.S. Navy deployments, readiness eroded by budget cuts: Navy chief
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Budget cuts have prompted the U.S. Navy to trim the number of warships deployed overseas and eroded the readiness of forces at home, undercutting its ability to respond rapidly to future crises around the globe, the top Navy offi…
U.S. court renews surveillance program exposed by Snowden
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government said on Friday a secret court that oversees intelligence activities granted its request to continue a telephone surveillance program – one of the two data collection efforts leaked by former security contracto…
U.S. will not file with Supreme Court in Argentina debt case
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States will not file a brief next week asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review Argentina’s case in a decades-old battle between the South American country and “holdout” creditors, a Justice Department spokesman said on…
Hobby Lobby wins a stay against birth control mandate
(Reuters) – A federal judge has temporarily exempted Hobby Lobby Stores Inc from a requirement in the 2010 healthcare law that it offer workers insurance coverage for birth control, which the retailer said violated its religious beliefs.
No budget talks until Democrats drop revenue demands: Cantor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the House of Representatives will not enter into any budget talks unless Democrats drop their demands for increased taxes, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said on Friday
McCain: ‘We are not winning’ push for immigration reform
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senator John McCain said on Thursday that he and other backers of immigration reform “are not winning,” and must boost efforts to get the House of Representatives to pass such a bill.
Mideast envoys’ U.S. meeting would launch peace talks: U.S. official
AMMAN (Reuters) – A meeting of Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Washington expected in the near future would in effect mark the resumption of peace talks, a U.S. official said on Friday.
Biden: ‘We don’t know’ if White House can help Detroit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House is looking for ways to help the city of Detroit after the city filed for bankruptcy protection on Thursday, but Vice President Joe Biden said it was unclear what the administration could do.
U.S. defends IRS tax-exempt review in pro-Israel group lawsuit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration on Friday defended the Internal Revenue Service’s process for reviewing applications for tax-exempt status and contested a lawsuit filed by a pro-Israel group that is arguing its application was discrimin…
Two U.S. senators suggest moving G20 from Russia over Snowden
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two U.S. senators asked President Barack Obama on Friday to consider recommending a different location for the September G20 summit in St. Petersburg if Russia does not hand over fugitive former spy agency contractor Edward Snowd…
