DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A group of six Gulf Arab countries expressed “deep concern” Monday over a bill passed by the U.S. Congress that would allow families of Sept. 11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia over the attacks. The head of the Saudi-dominated Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdullatif al-Zayani, said in … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress’ Republican leaders face decisions on averting a federal shutdown, containing the Zika virus and impeaching the head of the IRS, with approaching elections pressuring the GOP to avoid doing anything that could damage its standing with voters. House Republicans were meeting behind closed doors Wednesday to hash out strategy on those … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite formidable opposition across the political spectrum, President Barack Obama is using his final months in office to fight for congressional approval of a 12-nation free trade pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Administration officials say Obama would speak about the trade agreement at each stop during his trip to China and Laos. … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Tuesday faced Senate Democrats skeptical about a rescue package for debt-stricken Puerto Rico, raising doubts about its fate just 10 days before the U.S. territory must make a $2 billion payment to creditors. “The question at the end of the day will be, does Congress act to … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is running out of time and options to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, so officials are scrambling to release as many prisoners as possible and considering novel legal strategies that include allowing some men to strike plea deals by video-teleconference. Another option would be to send … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation Tuesday, May 17, that would allow families of Sept. 11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia despite a White House veto threat and fierce objections from the U.S. ally. The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, approved by voice vote, had triggered a threat from Riyadh to … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — They work for the government and even their closest relatives have no idea what they do. It’s not because they’re spies or nuclear scientists, but because their jobs are so arcane: trying to reinvent Medicare to improve it, and maybe save taxpayers money. In a sprawling, nondescript office park near Baltimore, some … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s nominee for Education Secretary told senators Thursday that the focus of decision-making on elementary and secondary education is “rightly shifting” to the states and away from the federal government. John B. King Jr. is poised to oversee the Education Department as it is losing some of its authority. … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is asking Congress for more than $1.8 billion in emergency funding to fight the Zika virus and the mosquitoes that spread it here and abroad, but says “there shouldn’t be a panic on this.” The virus is spreading rapidly through Latin America. While most people experience either mild or … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Abortion and race, two of America’s most volatile topics, have intersected in recent flare-ups related to the disproportionately high rate of ab ortion among black women. In Congress, Rep. Sean Duffy, a white Republican from rural Wisconsin, lambasted black members of Congress for failing to decry these high abortion numbers. The … Continue reading
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam’s prime minister still retains a slim chance of challenging his rival, the ruling communist party chief, for the top job, according to a new interpretation of complicated rules disclosed at the start of a party congress that will name national leaders next week. The Communist Party of Vietnam began an … Continue reading
BANGKOK (AP) — In a single-party communist state one would expect the process of picking the country’s new leaders to be a smooth-sailing affair with no dramas. Not so this time. Despite the veil of secrecy that the party pulls around its inner workings, it is clear that the Communist Party’s eight-day Congress set to … Continue reading
by Mahogany Waldon President Obama issued an executive order on gun control laws and a plan to expand mental healthcare access in the U.S. on Tuesday, Jan 5. The order comes in light of the recent San Bernardino shooting in December. According to ABC, the U.S. has seen a three-fold increase in mass shootings since … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — After years of stymied efforts to address the nation’s aging and congested highways and transit systems, Congress found the sweet spot for passage on Thursday — a 5-year, $305 billion bill laden with enough industry favors, parochial projects, safety improvements and union demands to gain overwhelming support. The bill was approved 359 … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States remains ill-prepared to combat state-backed cyber intrusions from China and lawmakers should look at whether U.S.-based companies be allowed to ‘hack back’ to recover or wipe stolen data, a congressional advisory body said Tuesday. That’s the primary recommendation of this year’s report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review … Continue reading
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Sam Farr of California will retire at the end of his term in 2017, ending a career in Congress spanning nearly a quarter-century, he announced Thursday in Salinas. Farr, 74, said he decided not to run next year because he has spent more than half his life in … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is trying to rally hundreds of thousands of eBay sellers to get behind a proposed trade deal between the U.S. and 11 other countries. Obama intends to sign the deal, but he could face a tough task in getting Congress to ratify it. Obama says the Trans Pacific Partnership … Continue reading
PARIS (AP) — France’s leadership is bristling at U.S. resistance to making a global climate accord under negotiation in Paris next month legally binding. French President Francois Hollande, whose country is hosting U.N. climate talks Nov. 30-Dec. 11, told reporters in Malta on Thursday that “if the deal is not legally binding, there is no … Continue reading
LONDON (AP) — It’s no fun being in the middle. Heineken, Molson Coors and Carlsberg are storied brewers that trace their roots back hundreds of years and have loyal drinkers around the world. But the merger of their two biggest competitors leaves such mid-size brewers without a clear way forward. They find themselves squeezed between … Continue reading
