Political News from Yahoo
AP sources: Former senators set to introduce Hagel
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two former chairmen of the Senate Armed Services Committee — one a Democrat, the other a Republican — are set to introduce Chuck Hagel at his confirmation hearing for defense secretary.
U.S. job growth likely modest but steady in January
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hiring by U.S. employers likely held steady in January, pointing to modest growth in the economy despite worries that budget battles in Washington could derail the recovery. Nonfarm payrolls are expected to have risen 160,000, a marginal step up from December's 155,000 job gain, according to a Reuters survey of economists. The unemployment rate is seen holding steady at 7.8 percent. Many economists think companies would create more jobs if Washington could resolve a seemingly intractable fight over how to tame the federal budget deficit. ...
US military deaths in Afghanistan at 2,045
As of Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, at least 2,045 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.
Syria "breaking up before everyone's eyes:" envoy tells U.N.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N.-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may be able to cling to power for now but the country is "breaking up before everyone's eyes," diplomats told Reuters. "The Syrian regime's legitimacy has been seriously, probably irreparably, damaged," Brahimi told the 15-nation council behind closed doors, council diplomats present at the meeting quoted him as saying. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Will Dunham)
SD senator seeks to get rid of alienation lawsuits
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota state senator had hoped a sensational trial that aired details of a prosecutor's romance would help him in his decade-long quest to get rid of a state law that allows people to seek financial damages from someone for stealing a spouse.
Senate poised to approve Kerry nomination
Details of Obama, Senate immigration proposals
President Barack Obama endorsed a framework for immigration reform Tuesday that largely mirrored one unveiled a day earlier by a bipartisan group of senators — with a few important differences. A look at the elements included in each of the plans:
Florida man's license restored as state drops fraud allegation
MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida's Department of Motor Vehicles said on Tuesday it had lifted the suspension of a South Florida man's driving license after it accused him of fraud for adopting his wife's last name. "It was a mistake on our part," Florida DMV spokesperson Kirsten Olsen-Doolan said. "The suspension will be lifted." The DMV stripped Boca Raton real estate investor Lazaro Dinh, 40, of his license in December after he changed his last name from Sopena to help his wife's Vietnamese family perpetuate their family surname. ...
NRA head to Congress: Don't blame gun owners for violence
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Rifle Association will argue that greater restrictions are not the answer to gun violence at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, which is likely to stoke skepticism that legislation to tighten controls will advance very far this year. NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, in testimony released on Tuesday on the eve of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, showed no signs of backing down from opposition to gun controls advocated by President Barack Obama and Democratic lawmakers after a mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school in December. ...
