Republican senator vows to delay Dempsey nomination as U.S. military chief
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Army General Martin Dempsey’s nomination to a second term as the top U.S. military officer hit an unexpected bump on Thursday when a senior Republican lawmaker denounced his stance on Syria during a Senate hearing and vowed to bl…
Biden: U.S. ready to engage with North Korea if talks ‘genuine’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is ready to engage in dialogue with North Korea, but only if Pyongyang is prepared for “genuine” negotiations and commits to giving up its nuclear ambitions, Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday.
Senate votes to move forward on Gina McCarthy EPA nomination
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate voted on Thursday to move toward confirmation of Gina McCarthy as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ending a months-long standoff on the issue.
Texas governor signs strict abortion law that sparked protests
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Texas Governor Rick Perry on Thursday signed into law tough new restrictions on abortion, including a ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy, marking one of the biggest victories in a decade for opponents of the procedure in the Unit…
Senators reach deal to move student loans to market rates
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A coalition of Senate Democrats and Republicans have reached a tentative deal with President Barack Obama that would roll back a recent spike in interest rates on new federal loans for college students and instead move the loans …
Senate approves Perez as new labor secretary
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate on Thursday confirmed Thomas Perez as the Obama administration’s new labor secretary, despite deep opposition from Republicans who accused him of bending the laws to advance a liberal agenda.
Tennessee lawmaker says DNA shows he is not father of “daughter”
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) – Tennessee Representative Steve Cohen said on Thursday he was “stunned and dismayed” that a DNA test showed he was not the father of a woman he considered his daughter for years.
Obama steps in to push health plan as critical date draws near
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fending off delays and a barrage of political criticism of his signature healthcare law, President Barack Obama on Thursday touted benefits Americans already are reaping from the law and vowed to work through setbacks to fully im…
Treasury official rebuffs accusations in IRS targeting affair
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. Treasury Department official on Thursday rebuffed accusations from congressional Democrats who say he was biased in his investigation of the Internal Revenue Service’s controversial scrutiny of Tea Party-linked political g…
China hits U.S., South Korea with solar material duties, skirts EU decision
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Commerce Ministry issued preliminary anti-dumping duties on imports of U.S. and South Korean solar-grade polysilicon on Thursday, but made no decision on tariffs on European Union exports of the raw material used to make sol…
