 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers fed up with the lingering war in Afghanistan launched a new challenge to President Barack Obama's plan for a measured U.S. troop withdrawal over the next year as they resumed debate on Wednesday on a $649 billion defense spending bill. | |
| Minnesota governor offers ideas, Republicans balk Wed,6 Jul 2011 06:48 PM PDT Reuters - MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Minnesota's Democratic Governor Mark Dayton offered two tax proposals on Wednesday to end a budget impasse that has shut down the government, but Republicans rejected the ideas as a step backward. Full Story1 | |
| Deal to end 45-cent ethanol credit seen this week Wed,6 Jul 2011 04:06 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. senators working on a framework to replace the $6 billion a year ethanol tax credit with far less costly incentives could strike a deal as soon as Thursday, Senate and industry sources said. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama took to Twitter on Wednesday to press his economic agenda, using the popular social media site to tweak Republicans and advocate for a deal to reduce the deficit. | |
| Senate panel to try again to move trade deals Wed,6 Jul 2011 01:59 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said on Wednesday the panel would try to restart action on Thursday on three long-delayed free trade deals, after Republicans boycotted talks over a program to help workers displaced by trade. Full Story1 | |
| U.S. firearms head admits Mexico gun sting mistakes Wed,6 Jul 2011 12:43 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The acting head of the U.S. firearms agency admitted during secret talks at Congress that mistakes were made in a botched operation to track the illegal movement of guns to Mexico, lawmakers said on Wednesday. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Signs of economic improvement could bolster President Barack Obama's re-election hopes as he tries to beat back Republican attacks over his failure to create enough jobs. | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Announcing a change of protocol, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he would write condolence letters to families of military personnel who take their own lives in combat zones. | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Wednesday the debate over raising the debt ceiling should not be used as a gun against the heads of American people in an effort to secure tax breaks. | |
| Militants may try bomb implants to attack Wed,6 Jul 2011 11:47 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Militants are showing renewed interest in using a bomb surgically implanted inside a passenger's body to blow up a commercial flight, though there is no indication an attack is imminent, a U.S. security official said on Wednesday. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney raised more than $18 million over the last three months, a total that dwarfed his Republican rivals but lagged some predictions. | |
 NEW YORK (Reuters) - As the standoff over raising the government's borrowing limit enters its final month, it's becoming harder for investors to avoid thinking the unthinkable: the world's most trusted borrower could soon renege on its debt. | |
| Mexico to cut duties on U.S. after trucking deal Wed,6 Jul 2011 11:19 AM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico will cut in half retaliatory duties on more than $2 billion of U.S. farm and industrial goods this week after signing a deal with Washington on Wednesday to allow Mexican truckers onto American roads. Full Story1 | |
| Factbox: 2012 presidential cash race ramps up Wed,6 Jul 2011 06:45 AM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - The race for cash among Republican candidates aiming to unseat Democratic President Barack Obama has begun in earnest and most hopefuls are lagging far behind Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday pulled a resolution to authorize the U.S. military conflict in Libya from the Senate schedule, after Republicans said they wanted to focus on the debt crisis instead. | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama rejected proposals on Tuesday for a short-term deal to raise the U.S. debt limit and pressured congressional leaders to reach a broad agreement within two weeks to avoid a government default by August 2. | |
| Mondale and others seek to end Minnesota shutdown Tue,5 Jul 2011 03:50 PM PDT Reuters - MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Former Vice President Walter Mondale, calling Minnesota's budget crisis a "deadlocked train wreck," on Tuesday offered expert help to end his home state's government shutdown. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. senator from Montana asked Exxon Mobil Corp on Tuesday for details about the pipeline that ruptured over the weekend spilling about 1,000 barrels of oil into the rain-swollen Yellowstone River. | |
| Factbox - Raw materials covered by China loss at WTO Tue,5 Jul 2011 03:27 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - A World Trade Organization panel ruled on Tuesday that various quotas, duties and other devices used by China to restrict exports of key raw materials violated commitments it made to join the world trade body. Full Story1 | |
| WTO rules China curbs on raw material exports illegal Tue,5 Jul 2011 03:27 PM PDT Reuters - BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China broke international law when it curbed exports of coveted raw materials, the World Trade Organization ruled Tuesday, in a landmark case threatening Beijing's defense for similar export brakes on rare earths. Full Story1 | |
 TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - An aide to Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords made an emotional return to work on Tuesday, nearly six months after he was seriously wounded in the Tucson shooting rampage. | |
| House Republicans defy Obama on trade bill add-on Tue,5 Jul 2011 03:06 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers set the stage on Tuesday for a second showdown with the White House over the Obama administration's demand Congress pass legislation to help workers hurt by trade as part of a package of long-delayed trade deals. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Tuesday that debt-reduction talks will be "fruitless" as long as President Barack Obama continues to call for closing $400 billion in tax breaks as part of the deal. | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell accepted an invitation to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday amid efforts to cut a bipartisan deal to raise the U.S. debt limit, aides said. | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that he spoke over the weekend with both Democratic and Republican congressional leaders on their impasse over the U.S. debt and deficits and that the discussions are yielding progress. | |
| U.S. dismisses "clumsy" Iran threat of rights trials Tue,5 Jul 2011 01:02 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday dismissed an Iranian threat to try U.S. officials in absentia on human rights charges as a clumsy attempt to deflect international attention from Tehran's own rights record. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - You would never know it from all the hot air rising out of Washington, but President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans could easily reach a deal to raise the debt limit and avoid an early August default. | |
| Russia criticizes U.S. over abuses in wars abroad Tue,5 Jul 2011 08:32 AM PDT Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia urged the United States on Tuesday to give more scrutiny to allegations of human rights violations by U.S. soldiers and agents during conflicts abroad, pointing to reported abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan. Full Story1 | |
 CHICAGO (Reuters) - The nation's largest teachers union voted on Monday to recommend that President Barack Obama be elected for another term. | |
| Montana governor reviewing oil, gas pipeline safety Mon,4 Jul 2011 03:27 PM PDT Reuters - KALISPELL, Montana (Reuters) - Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer on Monday said authorities will review safety of all oil and gas pipelines which cross waterways in the state and close those that did not meet standards. Full Story1 | |
 (Warning: Use of strong language in paragraph 3) | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday it will pay $37,121,463 in salaries for 454 employees in 2011. | |
| Myanmar diplomat defects in Washington: report Sun,3 Jul 2011 09:14 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The deputy chief of mission at Myanmar's embassy in Washington is seeking political asylum in the United States, Radio Free Asia reported Sunday. Full Story1 | |
 KABUL (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's decision to bring troops home from Afghanistan faster than the military recommended could jeopardize the next major push of the war, to unseat insurgents in the east, U.S. senator John McCain said on Sunday. | |
 Jul (Reuters) - By Leila Abboud | |
 MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - As day three of the Minnesota state government shutdown began on Sunday, residents shut out of state parks and historical sites had one option restored over the holiday weekend -- the Minnesota Zoo. | |
| California calls on citizen to redraw political lines Sun,3 Jul 2011 05:02 AM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When Stanley Forbes is not helping to redraw California's electoral map, he is growing almonds at his ranch or running his independent book store. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thaddeus McCotter, a guitar-playing Michigan congressman with an independent streak, formally launched a longshot bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination on Saturday. | |
 NEW YORK (Reuters) - A special election to replace disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who resigned after lying about sending lewd photos of himself to women over the Internet, has been set for September 13. | |
| Massachusetts lawmakers OK $31 billion budget Fri,1 Jul 2011 03:06 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Massachusetts legislature enacted a nearly $31 billion budget on Friday, which shuts a $1.9 billion budget gap without raising taxes by cutting spending and relying on one-time revenues. Full Story1 |
