Italy's Senate definitively approves austerity budget

2011-12-22T07:00:32Z

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's Senate Thursday definitively approved Prime Minister Mario Monti's 33-billion-euro austerity package aimed at restoring market confidence in the euro zone's third-biggest economy.

Gingrich, Romney barnstorm New Hampshire

2011-12-22T02:30:40Z

Republican presidential frontrunners Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney barnstormed high-stakes New Hampshire, with Gingrich vowing to roll back President Barack Obama's "radical socialism" and Romney warning against "a path to make us more like White House hopeful Ron Paul, courting Iowa voters who are key to his campaign, called Wednesday for a "minding our own business" US foreign policy and an end to "perpetual war."

"No more wars unless you declare them, and fight them, and win them, and get them over w...

Gingrich's nods to history don't impress scholars

2011-12-21T13:00:11Z

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - "I'm speaking as a historian."

It's a common refrain in Newt Gingrich's speeches, a not-so-subtle reminder of the image he seeks to build as a Republican presidential candidate: that of a serious think...

Republicans under pressure over payroll tax cut

2011-12-21T09:30:29Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Republicans were under growing pressure on Wednesday to agree to a 60-day extension of an expiring payroll tax cut for 160 million workers and end a stand-off with Democrats that threatens to undercut a fragile U.S. economic recovery.

The Repub...

Payroll tax cut in doubt with stand-off in Congress

2011-12-21T06:00:30Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A payroll tax cut for 160 million American workers was in limbo on Wednesday with Democrats and Republicans in Congress accusing each other of bringing an extension to a dead stop.

If Congress cannot produce a deal by a December 31 deadline, one of the taxes that workers pay on their wages will rise immediately to 6.2 percent, from the current...

Obama, Boehner lock horns in payroll tax fight

2011-12-20T15:30:19Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama demanded on Tuesday that Republicans in the House of Representatives pass a short-term extension of a payroll tax cut, showing an unwillingness to back down in a fight that could res...

Gingrich fades in Iowa and nationally

2011-12-20T11:00:24Z

DAVENPORT, Iowa (Reuters) - Former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich's status as the front runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination is ...

US seniors turn to community to avoid nursing homes

2011-12-20T10:30:26Z

Determined to avoid ending their days in a retirement center, elderly Washingtonians living in the shadow of Capitol Hill are working together in a village-like community to stay in their homes.

"I wouldn't want to be in a nursing home. I love my independence too much and doing what I want," said Ramon Gonzalez, a dapper blue-eyed and white-haired 86-year-old, who has trouble walking due to persistent knee pain.

Payroll tax cut extension stuck in partisan fight

2011-12-19T18:00:24Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a tax cut for 160 million U.S. workers set to expire in less than two weeks, Republicans and Democrats in Congress on Monday were mired in a last-ditch battle over extending it.

In a surprise turnabout, Republicans in the House of Representatives are...

Palin says not too late to consider presidential run

2011-12-19T14:00:12Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tea Party champion Sarah Palin, who has already ruled out a 2012 presidential run, on Monday attempted to dangle her name anew as a possible Republican candidate, although it's probably too late.

In an interview to air on Fox Busi...

House Republicans oppose Senate payroll tax bill

2011-12-18T14:00:25Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The fate of an expiring tax break for 160 million American workers was in doubt on Sunday after the top Republican lawmaker declared his opposition to a two-month extension passed overwhelmingly by the Senate.

House of Representatives Reuters) - Republican Jon Huntsman, who has based his 2012 campaign for the White House almost exclusively on a strong showing in New Hampshire, has been rewarded with endorsements from two newspapers in the st...

Key Iowa paper backs Romney for president

2011-12-17T17:30:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The main newspaper in Iowa, the Des Moines Register, on Saturday endorsed Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential race, less than three weeks before the state holds the first nominating contest for the 2...

Gingrich newcomer team takes on Romney stronghold

2011-12-17T17:30:07Z

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters)- As he surged from also-ran to a front-runner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Newt Gingrich put a 29-year-old newcomer in charge of his US Senate approved a deal Saturday to avoid a federal shutdown, voting for a spending bill worth roughly $1 trillion to fund the government through fiscal year 2012.

Senators voted 67 to 32 to approve the massive bill, which after approval Friday by the House of Representatives now goes to

Romney raises doubts about Gingrich in South Carolina

2011-12-17T13:30:16Z

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney sought to create doubts about rival GREENVILLE, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney warmed up his tepid campaign in South Carolina on Friday with the endorsement of Republican Governor SIOUX CITY, Iowa (Reuters) - Front-runner Newt Gingrich came under sharp attack from rival Republican presidential candidates on Thursday at the last debate before Iowa launches the U.S. 2012 election season.

Gingrich ...

Gingrich to face attacks at Iowa 2012 debate

2011-12-15T17:00:41Z

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (Reuters) - Front-runner Newt Gingrich was braced for attacks from rival Republican presidential candidates at a debate on Thursday as they make their case one last time before Iowa launches the U.S. 2012 el...

Congress negotiators nearing spending bill deal

2011-12-15T16:00:19Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional negotiators neared agreement on Thursday on a spending bill to fund many U.S. government agencies through September 30, 2012, Democratic aides said.

A deal would pave the way for Senate and House of Representative votes in coming days on legislation to avert a government shutdown. Current funding for the agencies expires at midnight on Friday...

Gingrich at center stage in Iowa debate

2011-12-14T21:30:12Z

DES MOINES (Reuters) - Republican front-runner Newt Gingrich, buffeted by attacks, gets his chance to fight back on Thursday at a debate that may help clarify who will win Iowa's looming contest to choose a presidential candidate.

...

Special Report: Tea Party grassroots army readies for battle

2011-12-14T21:30:09Z

MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (Reuters) - For insight into the conservative Tea Party movement's battle plan in 2012, check out Joe Dugan's Google spreadsheets.

Dugan, 66, a retired manufacturing executive and chairman of the Myrtle Beach T...

US lawmakers target Pakistan aid, Iran central bank

2011-12-14T18:30:23Z

With the White House's blessing, the US House passed legislation to freeze some Pakistan aid, slap harsh new sanctions on Iran, and endorse indefinite imprisonment of suspected terrorists.

The Republican-led House of Representatives ...

Candidate Gingrich vows fidelity to wife

2011-12-12T17:00:38Z

DES MOINES (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich pledged on Monday to remain faithful to his third wife, fighting back against rivals who have raised his past infidelity as an issue.

Gingrich made the vow on a day his poll numbers in Iowa

Tea party group drops depiction of Obama as skunk

2011-12-12T10:30:34Z

KANSAS CITY, Mo (Reuters) - In the wake of criticism, a Kansas tea party group has removed from its web site home page a comparison of President Obama to a skunk.

The Patriot

US Republican hopeful Huntsman blasts rivals, Obama

2011-12-08T20:30:35Z

Struggling Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman lashed out Thursday at his top two rivals for the nomination and took a swipe at US President Barack Obama, saying all of them lacked solutions.

Suffering from a drag that has him polling in the single digits in most states, Huntsman is placing his bets on

Gingrich takes New Hampshire fight to Romney

2011-12-08T18:00:05Z

LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich is ramping up his campaign in the key early primary state of New Hampshire in an attempt to undercut a stronghold of ...

Republicans oppose U.S. funds for IMF/Europe bailout

2011-12-08T14:00:07Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Republicans are taking aim at any International Monetary Fund move to bailout European countries in their debt crisis, saying they don't want American funds involved. The lawmak...

Iowa pastor sends out anti-Gingrich video

2011-12-08T12:00:40Z

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - An evangelical pastor in Iowa sent state voters on Thursday a music video slamming Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich for his three marriages and admitted marital infidelities.

Cary G...

Republicans block vote on consumer nominee

2011-12-08T09:00:22Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republicans thwarted Democrats' attempt on Thursday to confirm Richard Cordray to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The Senate vote to overcome a Republican filibuster was 53 to 45 and 60 votes were neede...

In Hispanic-heavy Colorado, Obama must work to win

2011-12-08T09:00:13Z

DENVER (Reuters) - Though demographic trends lean in his favor, President Barack Obama has work to do in Colorado to woo Hispanics, the voting bloc that holds the key to victory in this battleground state and, potentially, nationwide.

Strong support from Latinos helped Democrats win the governorshi...

Corzine to make remarks to panel on MF Global

2011-12-07T13:31:00Z

(Reuters) - Former MF Global chief Jon Corzine plans to deliver opening remarks when he appears before a congressional panel on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.

The situation is still fluid. It is not yet clear if he will at some point during the hearing invoke his right to avoid self-incrimination under the

Obama channels Roosevelt, eyes 2012

2011-12-06T21:30:32Z

US President Barack Obama said Tuesday the "gaping inequality" facing the middle class was the "defining issue of our time" in a passionate outline of his 2012 reelection message.

Obama traveled to Kansas in a bid to commandeer the aura of barnstorming president Theodore Roosevelt, who battl...

Romney to pick up Dan Quayle's endorsement

2011-12-05T15:00:26Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will pick up the endorsement of former Vice President Dan Quayle at an event in Arizona on Tuesday, a Romney campaign official said.

Quayle was vic...

Can Gingrich Derail Romney?

2011-12-05T11:30:29Z

He’ll make it interesting, but GOP voters will find Romney the better bet to beat President Obama.

It's hard to ignore Newt Gingrich’s return fr...

Will the new Newt Gingrich have staying power?

2011-12-05T08:00:39Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - During his quick ride to the top of voter surveys, Newt Gingrich has cast himself as the more conservative alternative to a flip-flopping Mitt Romney, the other leading Republican candidate for president.

But the rise of Gingrich, a former speaker of the

Mitt Romney flexes New Hampshire muscle

2011-12-03T15:30:06Z

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney flexed his campaign's organizational muscle in the key early voting state of New Hampshire on Saturday, unleashing hundr...

Romney promises to "earn it" in New Hampshire

2011-12-03T11:30:06Z

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney flexed his campaign's organizational muscle in the key early voting state of New Hampshire on ...

Gingrich surge sets up key Iowa battle with Romney

2011-12-03T03:31:40Z

White House hopeful Newt Gingrich's surge in the polls has upended the race for the Republican nomination, setting up a key showdown between him and Mitt Romney in the first caucus vote in Iowa.

Gingrich has pledged to make near-daily appearances in the state ahead of the January 3 caucus, while longtime frontr...

Obama administration backs education diversity

2011-12-02T14:00:09Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration released new guidelines on Friday aimed at promoting diversity and reducing racial isolation in education, replacing the policy adopted in 2008 under then-President George W. Bush.

Administration officials said the ne...

White House urges Cuba to release U.S. contractor

2011-12-02T11:30:21Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Friday urged Cuba to immediately release jailed U.S. contractor Alan Gross, saying it was "past time" to allow him to return home.

"Cuban authorities have failed in their effort t...

Romney tougher on rival Gingrich in election race

2011-12-02T07:30:14Z

(Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney toughened his rhetoric against Newt Gingrich on Friday in a sign he is starting to take seriously the challenge from his surging rival.

Gingrich, the latest conservative alternative to the more moderate Romney, ...

Pelosi backs bill to curb lawmakers' insider trading

2011-12-01T15:30:50Z

US President Barack Obama's top ally in the House of Representatives on Thursday backed a bill to curb any insider trading by lawmakers and predicted it would "fly" to passage.

Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters she supported proposed legislatio...

Biden not 'ready to close the door' on 2016 run

2011-12-01T10:30:24Z

US Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he is keeping his options open about a 2016 White House bid.

"I am never ready to close the door on anything. That is a foolish thing to do. I learned a long time ago," he said in an interview with NBC television's "

Former Wisconsin governor Thompson makes Senate run official

2011-12-01T10:00:32Z

MADISON, Wis (Reuters) - Former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson officially launched his campaign Thursday for the Senate seat being vacated by four-term Democratic

Senate pushes to hurry up Afghanistan pullout

2011-11-30T18:30:24Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate voted on Wednesday to require President Barack Obama to devise a plan for expediting the pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, signaling growing impatience in Congress.

Obama in June called for about a third of U.S. forces, or 33,000 ...

Clinton arrives in Myanmar on historic visit

2011-11-30T10:30:30Z

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Myanmar Wednesday on the first top-level US visit for half a century, seeking to encourage a "movement for change" in the military-dominated nation.

Clinton and her entourage flew into a little-used airport in Naypyidaw, the remote city where Myanmar's generals abruptl...

Cain reassesses campaign after affair charge: adviser

2011-11-29T10:00:10Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential contender Herman Cain told his staff on Tuesday he was reassessing the future of his campaign after a woman accused him of having a 13-year affair, a senior adviser said.

Cain, a former pizza executive who has already been hit by allegations of sexual harassment, has denied he ha...

Cain reassesses campaign after affair charge-adviser

2011-11-29T09:30:23Z

Cain, a former pizza executive who has already been hit by allegations of sexual harassment, has denied he ha...

Quietly, Obama getting reorganized in Nevada

2011-11-29T02:30:13Z

As most of the political world's attention is captured by the circus of the Republican presidential primary, Barack Obama's campaign has been assiduously reactivating the formidable infrastructure that helped drive him to victory four years ago.

Obama and the Democratic Party have been pouring organizing resources into battleground states such as Nevada

Influential New Hampshire newspaper backs Gingrich

2011-11-28T13:00:28Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New Hampshire's largest newspaper endorsed Newt Gingrich in the Republican presidential race on Sunday, giving the former House speaker a boost in a state where Mitt Romney has been...

Gingrich rises to the fore in US Republican debate

2011-11-23T08:30:46Z

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich cemented his place as the main rival to Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination with a solid debate performance on foreign policy.

Buoyed by opinion polls that gave him a four percent lead over the former Massachusetts governor, Gingrich, whose campaign had been all but written off a few months ago, came out o...

Analysis: Gingrich's stumble on immigration?

2011-11-22T20:30:52Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich finally reached front-runner status this week after a long climb and may now have drawn the wrath of conservatives by professing a moderate position on illegal immigration.

The former speaker of the Newt Gingrich has a chance to solidify his position atop the pack of US Republican presidential hopefuls on Tuesday as candidates duel it out over foreign policy, national security and the economy.

The former House of Representatives speaker has surged in opinion polls in the run-up to the MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sought to turn up the heat on congressional Republicans in a campaign-style visit to

Romney picks up important New Hampshire endorsement

2011-11-20T14:30:33Z

LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Republican Mitt Romney, looking to close the deal in the early primary state of New Hampshire, picked up an important endorsement on Sunday from U.S. ...

Ron Paul Out Of Step On Gay Marriage Amendment At Christian Forum

2011-11-20T07:30:05Z

Texas Rep. Ron Paul was the only candidate at a Christian forum on Saturday to oppose a gay marriage amendment

Texas Rep. Ron Paul was the only candidate at a Christian forum on Saturday opposed to amending the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as a heterosexual union.

Also appearing at the Thanksgiving Family Forum in Rick Perry's short, unhappy Nevada campaign life:¥ The GOP's new dynamic Strip duo: Don't ask me who is Batman and who is Robin because that could end the new, beautiful friendship, but US Congress are reaching out to Facebook to help develop online tools to connect with their constituents.

They announced plans on Thursday to host a "hackathon" next month featuring members of Congress, their staffers, Facebook developers and others.

The first-ever "Congressional Facebook Developer Hackatho...

House approves stopgap spending bill

2011-11-17T13:30:43Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives Thursday voted to extend government funding through December in a sign that lawmakers may have moved past the white-knuckle spending fights that have paralyzed Washington for much of ...

US lawmakers vote for concealed weapon bill

2011-11-16T20:30:35Z

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved legislation to make it easier for people with a concealed firearm permit in one state to take their weapon to another.

The Republican-held chamber voted 272-154 for the measure, which drew some Democratic support but faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

The bill would allow people with a permit to carry a concealed ...

Obama: Asia-Pacific defence immune from budget cuts

2011-11-16T17:30:26Z

President Barack Obama Thursday pledged he would not let a Washington budget crunch compromise an expansive vision and military presence designed to cement America as a top Pacific power.

In a message aimed both at a dynamic region he sees as key to the US economic future and warring lawmakers at home, Obama told the Australian parliament the Reuters) - Congressional negotiators agreed late on Monday to extend funding for many U.S. government programs to mid-December in a bipartisan move to avert any shutdown of agency operations that would otherwise occur by this weekend.

The funding measure crafted by House of Re...

Romney to visit Iowa next week but skip forum

2011-11-14T10:30:16Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney plans to skip a forum of social conservatives in Iowa this weekend but will campaign in the state next week, his campaign said on Monday.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, is high in the polls ...

"Super Committee" hasn't given up on debt deal

2011-11-13T07:00:21Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers on the deficit-reduction "Super Committee" said on Sunday they were at a difficult point in negotiations but had not given up reaching an agreement by this month's deadline.

The special congressional committee is tasked with finding at least $1.2 trillion in budget savings over 10 years, but with a November 23 deadline looming, Republicans and Democrats have ...

With no end in sight, Guantanamo work goes on

2011-11-11T13:30:43Z

In the midst of the barbed wire and watchtowers dotting Guantanamo's green hills, construction workers continue to build despite US President Barack Obama's promise to close the prison.

Nearly 10 years since the first handful of detainees arrived at the US naval base in southern Cuba from MOUNT PLEASANT, South Carolina (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was about 10 minutes into a foreign policy speech in South Carolina on Thursday when she was drowned out by the shouting o...

Perry vows to press on with 2012 bid

2011-11-10T07:30:05Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry vowed to press on with his campaign on Thursday a day after a devastating debate stumble that rocked his already endangered 2012 White House bid.

"The fact of the matter is, one error is...

Cain looks to move past controversy at debate

2011-11-09T04:30:42Z

ROCHESTER, Michigan (Reuters) - Republican Herman Cain will try to move past an escalating sexual harassment controversy on Wednesday during a U.S. presidential debate on economic issues held in the hard-hit manufacturing state of Michigan.

The debate...

Obama meets NATO chief, aides laud Libya role

2011-11-07T18:30:40Z

President Barack Obama on Monday met NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, as top officials again defended the US role in the western alliance's campaign that helped topple Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.

Obama and Rasmussen spo...

South Korea Koreas Clash

2011-01-05T01:31:08Z

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, right, shakes hands with U.S. special envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth before their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Jung Yeon-je, Pool)

Hawks Kings Basketball

2011-01-04T22:01:19Z

Sacramento Kings forward Carl Landry, center, goes to the basket against Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford, right, as Hawks center Zaza Pachulia, left, of Columbus Blue Jackets' R.J. Umberger (18) scores a goal against Phoenix Coyotes' Ilya Bryzgalov, of Russia, during the second period of an Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, left, shoots over Iowa forward Andrew Brommer during the first half of an NCAA college basketb...

Archdiocese Bankruptcy

2011-01-04T16:30:52Z

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki answers questions at a news conference Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, in St. Francis, Wis. Listecki said the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee is directing its attorneys to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying that pending sexual-abuse lawsuits have left it w...

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