http://www.mail.com/subjects/1678-governments.html Mail.com - the best personalized free web-based Email en en http://sec-s.uicdn.com/mail.com/2.23/img/mailcom_logo_rss.png http://www.mail.com/subjects/1678-governments.html http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1862506-scott-brown-wont-seek-kerrys-senate-seat.html BOSTON (AP) — Former Sen. Scott Brown said Friday he would not run in a special Senate election in Massachusetts, dealing a setback to Republican hopes of winning the seat being vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry. Brown, who electrified his party with an upset win in a 2010 special election but lost his re-election bid in November, ended weeks of in... Sat, 02 Feb 2013 03:58:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1862506-scott-brown-wont-seek-kerrys-senate-seat.html 2013-02-02T03:58:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1862528-oil-bottleneck-rockies-cheaper-gasoline.html CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A boom in domestic oil drilling has helped lower U.S. gasoline prices, though the steepest drops have missed California commuters, Midwestern farmers and even New York commodities traders who know all about oil and gasoline pricing. You have to be in the Rocky Mountains to see the lowest prices — ideally in Casper, the Wyoming city o... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:35:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/1862528-oil-bottleneck-rockies-cheaper-gasoline.html 2013-02-01T17:35:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1862256-puerto-rico-teeters-fiscal-edge-pensions.html SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Office clerk Lillian Marti hopes to retire one day with a decent pension. Now, like many other employees of Puerto Rico's government, she's beginning to fear she might not get that chance. "Of course, I'm worried," said the 61-year-old, who has worked for the government for 20 years. Some experts are calling for cutting benefi... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:57:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1862256-puerto-rico-teeters-fiscal-edge-pensions.html 2013-02-01T19:57:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1861254-hawaii-lawmakers-propose-shielding-celeb-privacy.html HONOLULU (AP) — More than two-thirds of Hawaii's state senators have signed onto a bill to protect celebrities from paparazzi, giving them power to sue over unwanted beach photos and other snapshots on the islands. The bill's author says he's pushing the law at the request of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, the former "American Idol" judge who recentl... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:02:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/music/1861254-hawaii-lawmakers-propose-shielding-celeb-privacy.html 2013-02-01T22:02:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1860562-us-action-china-cyberattacks.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is considering more assertive action against Beijing to combat a persistent cyber-espionage campaign it believes Chinese hackers are waging against U.S. companies and government agencies. As The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that their computer systems had been infiltrated by China-base... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:30:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1860562-us-action-china-cyberattacks.html 2013-02-01T00:30:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/1859714-hispanics-to-surpass-whites-california.html SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Hispanics will become the largest ethnic group in the nation's most populous state early next year, the California Department of Finance said Thursday, marking a big milestone in a long-running demographic shift that has already deeply altered the political balance of power, the economy and culture. The prediction that Hispanics ... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:15:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/1859714-hispanics-to-surpass-whites-california.html 2013-01-31T23:15:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1860582-ark-senate-passes-measure-to-ban-abortions.html LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Senate voted Thursday to prohibit most abortions if a heartbeat is detected, ignoring warnings from opponents that banning the procedure as early as six weeks into a pregnancy would invite lawsuits. If enacted, the ban would be the most stringent in the nation. The Ohio House passed a similar ban in 2011, but it was s... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:38:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1860582-ark-senate-passes-measure-to-ban-abortions.html 2013-01-31T22:38:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1859710-arizona-lawmakers-struggle-to-stay-priorities.html PHOENIX (AP) — One Republican proposal would ban state enforcement of federal gun laws. Another would require that hospitals check the citizenship of anyone treated in an emergency room. Still another would call for students to pledge loyalty oaths to the Constitution before high school graduation. It's early on in t... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:24:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1859710-arizona-lawmakers-struggle-to-stay-priorities.html 2013-01-31T21:24:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/celebrity/1860180-nj-gov-christie-appearing-monday-with-letterman.html NEW YORK (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will soon be crossing the Hudson River to appear on "Late Show with David Letterman." CBS says the colorful, outspoken Christie will make his first appearance with Letterman on Monday. The guest shot follows numerous jokes by Letterman at the expense of Christie and his ample girth. Christie termed his plumpn... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:09:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/celebrity/1860180-nj-gov-christie-appearing-monday-with-letterman.html 2013-01-31T20:09:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856110-ex-ill-governor-returns-prison-release.html CHICAGO (AP) — Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan was released from prison before dawn Wednesday, stopping only briefly at a halfway house before he was allowed to travel home to serve the rest of his sentence for corruption. By midday, the 78-year-old was sitting in the living room of his spacious home in a leafy northern Illinois neighborhood in Kankakee,... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:14:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856110-ex-ill-governor-returns-prison-release.html 2013-01-30T23:14:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856272-mass-govs-ex-aide-cowan-named-interim-us-senator.html BOSTON (AP) — Although his time in the U.S. Senate will be brief — less than five full months — William "Mo" Cowan could find himself in the thick of major policy debates from the federal budget to immigration reform and gun control. Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick on Wednesday appointed Cowan, his former chief of staff, to serve as the interim U.S. senator... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:42:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856272-mass-govs-ex-aide-cowan-named-interim-us-senator.html 2013-01-30T21:42:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1854988-sandra-day-oconnor-steps-carefully-ny-gun-case.html NEW YORK (AP) — Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor warned Tuesday against a rush to judgment in a New York gun ownership dispute, citing the recent killings of 20 Connecticut schoolchildren and six educators. Sitting on a federal appeals court panel, O'Connor cited the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre in commenting on the role that cou... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:02:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1854988-sandra-day-oconnor-steps-carefully-ny-gun-case.html 2013-01-30T00:02:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1854490-dems-agree-candidate-to-challenge-njs-christie.html TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — You might not have heard of New Jersey state Sen. Barbara Buono, though you've probably heard of the man she's itching to take on in the November election — Gov. Chris Christie. Expect to hear more about her. Buono picked up endorsements Tuesday from the Democratic Governors' Association, southern New Jersey's seven county Democratic ... Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:46:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1854490-dems-agree-candidate-to-challenge-njs-christie.html 2013-01-29T23:46:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1855148-4-illinois-7-governors-went-to-prison.html Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan will be leaving prison and heading to a halfway house after serving more than five years for corruption. His departure from prison follows a rich, if ignominious, history in Illinois of ex-governors arriving in and departing from prison. Of Illinois' last seven governors, four have ended up going to prison. They are: —Rod ... Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:15:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1855148-4-illinois-7-governors-went-to-prison.html 2013-01-29T23:15:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1854194-ark-gov-announces-11-billion-steel-mill-plan.html LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The wraps came off Arkansas' largest ever economic development project Tuesday as Gov. Mike Beebe unveiled plans for a $1.1 billion steel mill along the Mississippi River that private investors are poised to build -- so long as legislators approve millions in startup funding. Big River Steel, LLC, would employ 525 people at a new ... Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:15:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1854194-ark-gov-announces-11-billion-steel-mill-plan.html 2013-01-29T23:15:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1854382-school-shooting-conn-debates-mental-health.html HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut lawmakers on Tuesday began reviewing mental health care following the deadly Newtown school shooting, even though they and the public have little insight into the mental state of the 20-year-old gunman. The prosecutor in the case, Danbury State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky III, said he cannot release information about Ada... Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:57:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1854382-school-shooting-conn-debates-mental-health.html 2013-01-29T22:57:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1853766-ex-michigan-justice-pleads-guilty-to-bank-fraud.html ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A former Michigan Supreme Court justice pleaded guilty to bank fraud Tuesday for concealing assets, including a Florida home she and her husband owned, while urging a bank to let her unload a Michigan house in a short sale, claiming financial hardship. Diane Hathaway could face up to 18 months in prison under the terms of her deal ... Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:08:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1853766-ex-michigan-justice-pleads-guilty-to-bank-fraud.html 2013-01-29T20:08:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1852294-newtown-parents-urge-enforcement-gun-laws.html HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Parents of children killed in the Newtown school shooting called for better enforcement of gun laws and tougher penalties for violators Monday at a hearing that revealed the divide in the gun-control debate, with advocates for gun rights shouting at the father of one 6-year-old victim. Neil Heslin, whose son Jesse was killed in last... Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:03:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1852294-newtown-parents-urge-enforcement-gun-laws.html 2013-01-28T23:03:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1849578-washington-proposal-to-sell-naming-rights.html OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — As many state and local governments across the nation deal with the aftermath of severe budget cuts prompted by the Great Recession, a Washington state lawmaker has put forth a plan to increase revenue without raising taxes: Allow the sale of naming rights to publicly owned facilities. "I'm trying to think out of the box and come up ... Sun, 27 Jan 2013 17:37:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1849578-washington-proposal-to-sell-naming-rights.html 2013-01-27T17:37:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1849518-push-futuristic-guns-builds-embattled.html NEW YORK (AP) — It sounds, at first, like a bold, next-generation solution: personalizing guns with technology that keeps them from firing if they ever get into the wrong hands. But when the White House called for pushing ahead with such new technology as part of President Obama's plan to cut gun violence, the administration did not mention the concept's ... Sun, 27 Jan 2013 17:00:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1849518-push-futuristic-guns-builds-embattled.html 2013-01-27T17:00:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1847828-penalties-smokers-obese-sense.html NEW YORK (AP) — Faced with the high cost of caring for smokers and overeaters, experts say society must grapple with a blunt question: Instead of trying to penalize them and change their ways, why not just let these health sinners die prematurely from their unhealthy habits? Annual health care costs are roughly $96 billion for smokers and $147 billion for... Sat, 26 Jan 2013 22:21:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1847828-penalties-smokers-obese-sense.html 2013-01-26T22:21:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1847478-gop-stronghold-west-veers-dems-column.html DENVER (AP) — A political generation ago, the West signaled the nation's rightward swing, from the emergence of Ronald Reagan to the success of tax-limitation ballot measures in California and Colorado. Now, however, the fabled expanse of deserts, jagged peaks, and emerald coastlines is trending in a different direction. The West has become largely Democr... Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:55:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1847478-gop-stronghold-west-veers-dems-column.html 2013-01-26T14:55:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1846590-sp-lowers-illinois-credit-rating-blames-pensions.html CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois' already disastrous financial situation worsened Friday as another credit rating agency downgraded its rating to the worst of any state in the country, blaming lawmakers' ongoing failure to resolve a multibillion-dollar pension crisis. Standard & Poor's rating service said Friday that the rating on the state's general obligation bo... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:31:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1846590-sp-lowers-illinois-credit-rating-blames-pensions.html 2013-01-25T22:31:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1846252-gop-senators-will-oppose-va-electoral-change.html RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The prospects appear doomed in Virginia this year for Republican-backed legislation that would replace the state's winner-take-all method of apportioning presidential electoral votes with one that awards one vote to the winner of each congressional district. Virginia is the first of several states carried in November by President Bara... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:31:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1846252-gop-senators-will-oppose-va-electoral-change.html 2013-01-25T20:31:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1845094-religious-exemptions-key-to-ri-gay-marriage-debate.html PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The fate of gay marriage legislation in Rhode Island could hinge on the exemptions it affords religious groups that oppose it, the state Senate president said Friday, a day after the House overwhelmingly passed the bill. Teresa Paiva Weed said she remains opposed to the bill and has heard that the sticking point for many senators i... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:51:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1845094-religious-exemptions-key-to-ri-gay-marriage-debate.html 2013-01-25T17:51:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1845444-ap-interview-ohios-kasich-enthuses-davos.html DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Embarking on what he called a reluctant trade mission, Ohio Governor John Kasich said Friday that his state's economic comeback was generating interest — and potential new business opportunities — on the world stage in Switzerland. Ohio's blue-collar voters have made it arguably the most important swing state in recent U.S. presi... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:38:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1845444-ap-interview-ohios-kasich-enthuses-davos.html 2013-01-25T17:38:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1842142-practically-human-smart-machines-your-job.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Art Liscano knows he's an endangered species in the job market: He's a meter reader in Fresno, Calif. For 26 years, he's driven from house to house, checking how much electricity Pacific Gas & Electric customers have used. But PG&E doesn't need many people like Liscano making rounds anymore. Every day, the utility replaces 1,200 old-fash... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:24:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1842142-practically-human-smart-machines-your-job.html 2013-01-25T17:24:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1846228-reset-gop-pushing-election-changes.html Around the country, Republicans are trying to change state laws to make it easier for them to win presidential elections. In Washington, Senate Democrats are trying to rein in the chamber's hallowed filibuster rules to make it easier for them to prevail. Both efforts, fueled by President Barack Obama's re-election victory, naturally are drawing flak from ... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:54:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1846228-reset-gop-pushing-election-changes.html 2013-01-25T16:54:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1844728-bill-filed-miss-seeks-to-nullify-federal-laws.html JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi defied the union during the Civil War and civil rights era, and at least two lawmakers think it is time to do so again. Republican state Reps. Gary Chism and Jeff Smith, both of Columbus, filed a bill this month to form the Joint Legislative Committee on the Neutralization of Federal Laws. Chism said Thursday that the tea... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:06:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1844728-bill-filed-miss-seeks-to-nullify-federal-laws.html 2013-01-25T03:06:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1843744-jindal-gop-stupid-party.html CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal called on the Republican Party to "stop being the stupid party" on Thursday as GOP leaders promised fundamental changes to help stave off future losses. In the keynote address at the Republican National Committee's winter meeting, Jindal said the GOP doesn't need to change its values but "might need to ch... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:24:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1843744-jindal-gop-stupid-party.html 2013-01-25T01:24:00Z