U.S. sets birth control rule for employers with religious ties
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration on Friday made it final that employees of religiously affiliated, nonprofit institutions would receive insurance coverage for birth control amid mounting legal challenges to a rule in the recent healthcar…
The Snowden affair: Whatever happened to the blame game?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Edward Snowden’s revelations about top-secret U.S. surveillance programs and his globe-trotting flight from prosecution have created an international furor, but there is one place the outcry has been muted: Capitol Hill.
Obama pledges to help Africa, pays tribute to Mandela
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama paid tribute to anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela as he flew to South Africa on Friday but played down expectations of a meeting with the ailing black leader during an Africa tour promoting …
Senators want public answers on government surveillance
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – More than a quarter of the Senate’s members asked the top intelligence official on Friday to release more information on the government’s bulk collection of data on Americans’ communications.
Obama’s environmental nominee in jeopardy from Senate Republicans
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama made a plea this week for the U.S. Senate to confirm his choice to head the agency that will oversee the core of his new climate change plan, but nominee Gina McCarthy’s prospects seem increasingly in doubt…
Obama taps Ron Binz to lead energy regulatory body
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama has tapped renewable energy advocate Ron Binz as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency that has made headlines in the past year with tough enforcement actions against Wall Street …
U.S. watchdog raps Pentagon for buying aircraft for Afghan unit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A government watchdog criticized the Pentagon on Friday for forging ahead with controversial helicopter purchases from a Russian arms dealer despite warnings the Afghan special forces unit due to receive the aircraft could not fl…
Obama has short list of potential Bernanke successors: source
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House has assembled a short list of candidates to succeed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, a source familiar with the process said on Thursday, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is running the search.
Former senior U.S. general targeted over leak investigation: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Retired U.S. General James Cartwright is the target of a Justice Department investigation into the leaking of secret information about the Stuxnet virus attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in 2010, NBC News reported on Thursday,…
Senate passes sweeping immigration legislation
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate approved a landmark immigration bill on Thursday that would provide millions of undocumented immigrants a chance to become citizens, but the leader of the House of Representatives said the measure was dead on arri…