Senate fails to pass three-month extension of jobless aid
WASHINGTON — The Senate failed to move forward on a three-month extension of assistance for the long-term unemployed Thursday, leaving it unlikely that Congress would approve the measure soon while undercutting a key aspect of President Barack Obama’s economic recovery plan.
House votes for tighter restrictions on federal payments for abortions
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to impose tighter restrictions on federal payments for abortions, thrusting the issue of a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy into the polarizing politics of an election year.
Landmark Senate vote weakens the filibuster
WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Thursday to eliminate the use of the filibuster against most presidential nominees, a move that will break the Republican blockade of President Barack Obama’s picks to Cabinet posts and the federal judiciary. The change is the most fundamental shift in the way the Senate functions in more than a generation.
Republicans block another Obama nominee for judgeship
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Monday denied President Barack Obama his third nominee in as many weeks to the nation’s most powerful and prestigious appeals court and insisted they would not back down, inflaming a bitter debate over a president’s right to shape the judiciary.
Bill on workplace bias clears Senate hurdle
WASHINGTON — A measure that would outlaw workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity overcame a significant obstacle in the Senate on Monday as seven Republicans crossed party lines and voted to begin debate on the bill.
Senate Republicans block two Obama nominees
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked the confirmation of two of President Barack Obama’s nominees, one to a powerful appeals court and another to a housing lending oversight post, setting up a confrontation with Democrats that could escalate into a larger fight over limiting the filibuster and restricting how far the minority party can go to thwart a president’s agenda.
US government is shutting down in fiscal impasse
WASHINGTON — A flurry of last-minute moves by the House, Senate and White House late Monday failed to break a bitter budget standoff over President Barack Obama’s health care law, setting in motion the first government shutdown in nearly two decades.
NSA chief to release details on surveillance program
WASHINGTON - The director of the National Security Agency said Thursday that he would release more information about the top secret programs that sweep up vast quantities of communications data on people here and abroad, and vowed to clear up what he said were inaccuracies and misperceptions about how the programs work.
After defeat, gun bill’s backers seek to keep issue alive
WASHINGTON — The last whimpers of the gun control debate in the Senate played out in anticlimactic fashion on Thursday as lawmakers began the process of formally moving on.
Senate set to test support for vote on Defense nominee Chuck Hagel
WASHINGTON — The Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to cut off debate on the nomination of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary, testing whether there is support for a final vote to confirm President Barack Obama’s embattled nominee.
GOP Senators urge Hagel withdrawal as Democrats move to vote
WASHINGTON — A group of 15 Republican senators insisted Thursday that President Barack Obama withdraw the nomination of Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary, the latest move in a contentious battle to block the confirmation of their former colleague.
Papers find recession relief in marijuana advertisements
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — When it hit the streets here last week, the latest issue of <i>ReLeaf</i>, a pullout supplement to <i>The Colorado Springs Independent</i> devoted to medical marijuana, landed with a satisfying thud.
New York Governor Offers Bill To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
Gov. David A. Paterson introduced a bill on Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage, vowing to personally involve himself in the legislative debate at a level that is rare for a New York governor.
Shorts (left)
The fallout from last week’s global stock dive showed few signs of letting up on Monday, as markets from Hong Kong to New York deepened their losses.
Market Nearly Recovers From Record Losses, Buoyed by High Energy Prices
The stock market recovered almost all of its losses from Tuesday’s sharp sell-off as investors went bargain-hunting on Wednesday at Wall Street’s equivalent of a late summer sale.