House deals shock defeat to Republican farm bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican budget-cutters joined Democratic defenders of food stamps on Thursday to deal a shocking defeat to the $500 billion farm bill backed by Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, undermining hopes of enacting …
Senator says Booz Allen hired convict for classified job
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senator Bill Nelson said contractor Booz Allen Hamilton had hired an employee convicted of lying to the U.S. government for a position in which he would handle classified documents.
New Obama climate plan may draw from panel’s recommendations
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Clues about what to expect in a White House package of climate measures expected within weeks might be found in a report given to the president in March by a blue-chip team of scientists and business leaders.
Senate immigration deal would double number of U.S. border agents
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Thousands of federal agents with high-tech surveillance devices would be dispatched to the U.S.-Mexican border under a deal unveiled on Thursday aimed at winning more Republican support for an immigration bill in the Democratic-l…
Obama to nominate Jim Comey as next FBI chief on Friday
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will nominate Jim Comey to be the next FBI director on Friday, picking a former Justice Department official who has deep experience in the U.S. battle against terrorism, a White House official said on Thurs…
Boehner asks Obama to press Democrats to act on student loan rates
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner urged President Barack Obama on Thursday to push Democrats in Congress to back a move to switch student loan interest rates to a market-based system before they double on July 1.
Senators urge inclusion of food safety in Smithfield review
(Reuters) – A bipartisan group of 15 U.S. senators urged the Obama administration on Thursday to consider whether the proposed sale of Smithfield Foods Inc to Chinese meat company Shuanghui International posed any threat to U.S. food safety or food sec…
New Jersey court clears the way for U.S. Senate special election
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New Jersey’s special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Frank Lautenberg will go ahead this year as scheduled, after the state Supreme Court declined on Thursday to hear a legal challenge.
Washington State pot regulators favor allowing outdoor cultivation
OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) – The regulatory board overseeing marijuana legalization in Washington State is leaning toward allowing licensed growers to raise the drug outdoors, citing the much higher carbon footprint of indoor and greenhouse cultivat…
Senate bank panel sets confirmation hearing for SEC nominees
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate Banking Committee will hold a confirmation hearing on June 27 for President Barack Obama’s two nominees to serve on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the committee announced on Thursday.
