| Obama taps insider as fossil energy chief Fri,8 Jul 2011 08:13 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has tapped the current chief operating officer at the Energy Department's office of fossil energy to lead the unit as assistant secretary. Full Story1 | |
| NY and Connecticut governors push unions on layoffs Fri,8 Jul 2011 04:33 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Though the governors of New York and Connecticut parted company on some of their budget-fixing strategies, both Democrats are still struggling to persuade their unionized workers to accept cuts. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Limiting the tax break for employer-provided health insurance became a bargaining chip on Friday in congressional negotiations to beat an August 2 deadline for averting a U.S. default. | |
| U.S. considers removing all tariffs for poor nations Fri,8 Jul 2011 11:45 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government said on Friday it is investigating the probable economic effects of eliminating all tariffs and quotas on goods from the world's least-developed countries (LDCs). Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Friday's bleak unemployment report boosts Republicans hoping to oust President Barack Obama from the White House next year, but translating a difficult economy into election results will not be easy. | |
| House approves $649 billion for defense in 2012 Fri,8 Jul 2011 11:03 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A $649 billion defense spending bill for next year easily passed the House of Representatives on Friday after four days of debate in which war-weary lawmakers sought to curb President Barack Obama's combat operations in Afghanistan and Libya. Full Story1 | |
| Democrats back power to block state consumer laws Fri,8 Jul 2011 09:33 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Democratic senators are defending a top U.S. regulator's power to shield the nation's largest banks from certain state consumer financial laws. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama cited gloomy jobs numbers as one more reason lawmakers must strike a deal soon to raise the debt limit, saying the impasse was fueling uncertainty within financial markets and in the business sector. | |
 CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Tea party kingmaker Senator Jim DeMint said he will use a new book about his lonely campaign to cut government spending and reduce the size of government as a tool to recruit more Americans to his cause. | |
| Minnesota shutdown, impasse draws debt downgrade Thu,7 Jul 2011 05:45 PM PDT Reuters - MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Minnesota's government shutdown reached a seventh day on Thursday with no end in sight, and a major debt rating agency stripped the state of its AAA bond rating, citing the budget battle as a reason. Full Story1 | |
 BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry warned U.S. officials on Thursday not to meet with visiting exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, saying it hoped Washington "appropriately dealt" with Tibet-related issues. | |
| Minnesota shutdown, impasse draws debt downgrade Thu,7 Jul 2011 04:10 PM PDT Reuters - MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Minnesota's government shutdown reached a seventh day on Thursday with no end in sight, and a major debt rating agency stripped the state of its AAA bond rating citing the budget battle as a reason. Full Story1 | |
| New York governor pressures union with more layoffs Thu,7 Jul 2011 03:46 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ramped up the pressure on union officials to concede hundreds of millions of dollars in savings on Thursday with the delivery of layoff notices to more than 300 state workers. Full Story1 | |
| California credit outlook revised to stable by S&P Thu,7 Jul 2011 03:45 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's revised California's credit outlook to stable on Thursday, one of the first significant pieces of good news for U.S. state and local governments as they work their way out of the Great Recession. Full Story1 | |
| US trade bills advance but clash clouds future Thu,7 Jul 2011 03:43 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama cleared initial hurdles in Congress on Thursday, but a party-line clash over a program to help workers displaced by trade threatened future action. Full Story1 | |
| Analysis: Taxes only symbolic in debt talks so far Thu,7 Jul 2011 02:18 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Symbolic gestures and agreements in principle, but not substantive reforms, are likely to be the main tax policy result of urgent talks about raising the U.S. debt ceiling. Full Story1 | |
| Union campaign spending off sharply in 2011: report Thu,7 Jul 2011 02:03 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donations to federal political candidates by labor unions are down sharply this year, an analysis found on Thursday, in an ominous sign for the Democratic Party heading into next year's elections. Full Story1 | |
 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Minnesota lost its top credit rating on Thursday as Fitch Ratings downgraded the state's general obligation bonds one notch to AA-plus, citing the budget impasse. | |
| China warns U.S. officials not to meet Dalai Lama Thu,7 Jul 2011 12:57 PM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry warned U.S. officials on Thursday not to meet with visiting exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, saying it hoped Washington "appropriately dealt" with Tibet-related issues. Full Story1 | |
| U.S. ambassador in Hama to support Syria protesters Thu,7 Jul 2011 12:37 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Syria traveled to the restive city of Hama on Thursday to show solidarity with protesters concerned that Syrian security forces ringing the city could stage a new crackdown. Full Story1 | |
 AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Among political insiders in the Texas state capital, one thing is considered certain: Governor Rick Perry will jump into the Republican presidential race in the next few weeks. | |
| Factbox: Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry Thu,7 Jul 2011 12:11 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Texas Governor Rick Perry is considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. Full Story1 | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three senators reached a deal on Thursday to repeal the $6 billion per year ethanol tax credit by the end of July, an agreement that must still be passed by Congress. | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional leaders are still far apart on a wide range of budget issues but agree on the need to raise the debt ceiling, and will meet again in three days, President Barack Obama said on Thursday. | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Comprehensive tax reform that would close breaks and lower rates for businesses and individuals is under discussion in budget talks, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Thursday. | |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives Republican leader Eric Cantor said on Thursday he believed "both sides can come together" to reduce the debt. | |
| China warns U.S. officials not to meet Dalai Lama Thu,7 Jul 2011 02:47 AM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry warned U.S. officials on Thursday not to meet with visiting exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, saying it hoped Washington "appropriately dealt" with Tibet-related issues. Full Story1 | |
| Varney to step down as top antitrust official Thu,7 Jul 2011 02:06 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Christine Varney, the top antitrust official in the U.S. Justice Department, is stepping down, the department said on Wednesday. Full Story1 | |
 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. |
