US, Europe back new economic sanctions against Russia
BRUSSELS — The United States and Europe agreed on Thursday to place additional economic sanctions on Russia over its role in promoting separatist warfare in eastern Ukraine despite a fragile new cease-fire that went into effect last week.
Ukraine rebels are retreating for last stand
KIEV, Ukraine — Separatist rebels retreated Monday from positions in eastern Ukraine, apparently blowing up bridges, and began building barricades in the two largest cities, Donetsk and Luhansk, in anticipation of a final stand against advancing government troops.
Protestors in Ukraine’s East call on Putin to send troops
MOSCOW — Under the watchful eye of Russian state television, several hundred pro-Russian demonstrators in the city of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, declared Monday that they were forming an independent republic and urged President Vladimir Putin to send troops to the region as a peacekeeping force, even though there are no obvious threats to peace in the area.
Ukrainian protesters control landmark plaza
KIEV, Ukraine — Even as thousands of protesters occupied Independence Square, blockaded the Cabinet Ministry and continued to demand his resignation, President Viktor F. Yanukovych of Ukraine on Monday defended his refusal to sign accords with the European Union, said he was on the verge of securing lower gas prices from Russia, and urged opposition politicians to wait for presidential elections in 2015 to challenge him.
Observers differ on fairness of election in Azerbaijan
BAKU, Azerbaijan — A prominent delegation of international election observers on Thursday sharply criticized Azerbaijan’s presidential election as unfair and rife with fraud, amid aggressive efforts by the Azerbaijani government and its allies to portray the vote as legitimate.
FBI agents pore over bombing suspect’s trip to Russia in 2012
FBI agents are working closely with Russian security officials to reconstruct Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s activities and connections in Dagestan during his six-month visit last year, tracking meetings he may have had with specific militants, his visits to a radical mosque and any indoctrination or training he may have received, law enforcement officials said on Sunday.
Gorbachev criticizes Putin and his restrictions
MOSCOW — Mikhail Gorbachev, the first and last president of the Soviet Union, now 82 and increasingly frail, may have needed a helping hand to climb on stage for a speech at the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency. Oratorically, however, he seemed nimble enough, delivering a sharp poke in the gut to President Vladimir V. Putin and the Kremlin.
International observers denounce the Ukrainian election
KIEV, Ukraine — International observers delivered scathing criticism Monday of Ukraine’s parliamentary election, saying the vote was heavily tilted in favor of President Viktor F. Yanukovych’s Party of Regions through the abuse of government resources, the dominance of media coverage and the jailing of two prominent opposition leaders.
Republican spells out policy agenda in “Pledge to America”
WASHINGTON — House Republicans will issue a legislative blueprint Thursday called “A Pledge to America” that they hope will catapult them to a majority in the November elections. Its goals include a permanent extension of all the Bush-era tax cuts, repeal of the newly enacted health care law, a cap on discretionary federal spending and an end to government control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Obama says passing health bill is more important than politics
PHILADELPHIA—President Barack Obama challenged wavering members of his party on Monday not to give in to political fears about supporting health care legislation, asserting that the urgency of getting a bill through Congress should trump any concern about the consequences for Democrats in November.
On health care bill, a roadmap by the Grand Old Party
WASHINGTON—When Republicans take President Barack Obama up on his invitation to hash out their differences over health care this month, they will carry with them a fairly well-developed set of ideas intended to make health insurance more widely available and affordable, by emphasizing tax incentives and state innovations, with no new federal mandates and only a modest expansion of the federal safety net.
CBO Says Senate Health Bill May Cut Cost for Many
The Congressional Budget Office said Monday that the Senate health bill could significantly reduce costs for many people who buy health insurance on their own, and that it would not substantially change premiums for the vast numbers of Americans who receive coverage from large employers.
Pressed, Sen. Reid Says Health Bill May Have Public Option
Under immense pressure from the liberal wing of his caucus, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, has told colleagues that he may include a government-run health insurance plan in a health care bill he will soon take to the Senate floor, Democratic senators said Thursday.
Senate Leader Vows to Pursue Public Option
The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, sided with his party’s liberals on Monday and announced that he would include a government-run insurance plan in health care legislation that he plans to take to the Senate floor within a few weeks.
Congress Splits on Taxing High-Cost Health Plans
A proposed tax on high-cost, or “Cadillac,” health insurance plans has touched off a fierce clash between the Senate and the House as they wrestle over how to pay for legislation that would provide health benefits to millions of uninsured Americans.
Shorts (right)
President Barack Obama’s speech on health care failed to bridge the gulf with Republicans, but Democrats said on Thursday that the president had largely succeeded in unifying his own party by making a cogent, persuasive pitch to the American public, and by casting his plan to overhaul the health care system as a political and moral imperative.
Internet Money in Fiscal Plan: Wise or Waste?
Perhaps no line item in the nearly $900 billion stimulus program offers a better window into the tricky balancing act of how best to jolt the economy than the billions pegged to expand broadband Internet service to rural and underserved areas.
Detroit’s Plea for Financial Aid Fails in Congress
Democratic congressional leaders on Thursday said that the executives of America’s foundering automakers had failed miserably in persuading Congress or the public that $25 billion in aid from the government would be well spent, and they gave industry leaders 12 days to come back with plans showing otherwise.
Hopes Dim for U.S. Car Manufacturer Bailout
The prospects of a government rescue for the nation’s foundering automakers dwindled Thursday as Democratic congressional leaders conceded that they would face potentially insurmountable Republican opposition during a lame-duck legislative session next week.
Obama Seeks Support for His Plan for the Economy
Two weeks before assuming power, President-elect Barack Obama took his economic recovery package to Capitol Hill on Monday and worked to build a bipartisan coalition to endorse his plan of tax cuts and new spending with an urgent appeal “to break the momentum of this recession.”
House GOP Leaders Wrangle Balky Caucus on Bailout
House Republican leaders struggled Thursday to persuade some of their members to reverse course and support the $700 billion economic bailout package, but both parties said that they were guardedly optimistic about winning final passage of the measure in a vote expected early Friday afternoon.
Congress Overrides Bush Veto 79-14 To Pass $23 Bil. Water Resources Bill
The Senate on Thursday dealt President Bush the first veto override of his presidency, with a resounding bipartisan vote to adopt a $23.2 billion water resources bill that authorizes popular projects across the country.
Obama Returns to Capitol and Tries to Rally Democrats
Sen. Barack Obama began trying to rally the Democratic Party around him on Thursday. He struck a tougher tone against Sen. John McCain, saying McCain was “losing his bearings” in his pursuit of the presidency.
U.S. Senate Is Closer to Agreeing On Economic Stimulus Package
An agreement in the Senate appeared within reach on an economic-stimulus program on Thursday afternoon, increasing chances that the House could also ratify it within hours and speed it to President Bush’s desk.
In Bipartisan Move, Economic Stimulus Deal Passed in House
The House on Tuesday voted to approve a $146 billion fiscal stimulus package, hoping to seal a fast-paced deal with President Bush on a combination of tax rebates and business incentives aimed at jolting the economy with new spending.
Iraq, Gay Rights Prompt Tensions Between Dems., Loyal Party Base
Of the three most recognizable Barneys in America, one is a singing purple dinosaur, another is a prehistoric cartoon character and the third is a gay congressman from Massachusetts.
Bill Passed: U.S. Contractors In Iraq to Be Under U.S. Law
With the armed security force Blackwater USA and other private contractors in Iraq facing tighter scrutiny, the House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would bring all U.S. government contractors in the Iraq war zone under the jurisdiction of U.S criminal law. The measure would a require the FBI to investigate any allegations of wrongdoing.
Dems Warn They May Delay Approval of Bush’s Nominee
Two Senate Democrats warned Monday that they might delay confirming President Bush’s choice to be the next attorney general unless the White House turns over documents relating to several investigations, a move that could provoke the kind of confirmation fight the administration was hoping to avoid.