Government and politics news and stories by mail.com

Government and politics

Iowa brokerage head gets 50 years for $215M theft
For years, Russ Wasendorf Sr. enjoyed the perks of being a successful businessman: a corporate jet, a fancy swimming pool at his mansion, an extensive ...
Congress sends bill to Obama averting govt default
Congress sent President Barack Obama drama-free legislation on Thursday raising the debt ceiling, averting a government default and putting off the ...
Menendez says he reimbursed donor for 2 jaunts
Sen. Robert Menendez's office says he reimbursed a prominent Florida political donor $58,500 on Jan. 4 of this year for the full cost of two of three ...
Ark. Senate passes measure to ban most abortions
The Arkansas Senate voted Thursday to prohibit most abortions if a heartbeat is detected, ignoring warnings from opponents that banning the procedure ...
Biden: Gun curbs can't end killings but can help
Curbing guns can't ensure an end to mass slayings like December's killings of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Conn., but it will reduce firearm deaths, ...
Union agrees to back off Wal-Mart protests
Labor groups say they will end their picketing at Wal-Mart stores for at least 60 days as part of a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board
Republicans hammer defense nominee Chuck Hagel
Republican senators hammered former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel at his confirmation hearing Thursday on issues ranging from Israel and Iran to his support ...
Syria threatens retaliation for Israeli airstrike
Syria threatened Thursday to retaliate for an Israeli airstrike and its ally Iran said the Jewish state will regret the attack. Syria sent a letter ...
Nashville DA says grand jury foreman was felon
Nashville's top prosecutor said Thursday he is expecting a flood of appeals of criminal cases after it was discovered that a grand jury foreman was ...
Israel may feel need to strike Syria again
An Israeli air attack staged in Syria this week may be a sign of things to come. Israeli military officials appear to have concluded that the risks ...
Former NYC mayor Koch moved to intensive care
Former Mayor Ed Koch has been moved to intensive care for closer monitoring of the fluid in his lungs and legs, his spokesman said Thursday.
Arizona lawmakers struggle to stay on priorities
One Republican proposal would ban state enforcement of federal gun laws. Another would require that hospitals check the citizenship of anyone treated ...
Dow logs best January in nearly 2 decades
The Dow logged its best start to the year in almost two decades. Stocks rallied in the first week of the year after U.S. lawmakers reached a deal to ...
Pfizer disputes suit claiming Zoloft doesn't work
The maker of Zoloft is being sued in an unusual case alleging the popular antidepressant has no more benefit than a dummy pill and that patients who ...
Senate group focuses on border security
A bipartisan group of senators working to craft immigration legislation is focusing on how to define when the border is secure, one of several ...
Brazil nightclub fire prompts regional reaction
Brazilian authorities inspected and shuttered night spots around the country on Thursday as part of a crackdown on unsafe public spaces after a deadly ...
Report: Small business hiring edged up in January
Small businesses nudged up their hiring during January for a second straight month, according to a survey released Thursday. The survey by the ...
Iran says it will speed up nuclear program
In a defiant move ahead of nuclear talks, Iran has announced plans to vastly increase its pace of uranium enrichment, which can make both reactor fuel ...
Latvia takes big step to joining euro
Unemployment, recession, debt, crisis and bailouts: These have been the sort of words that have been associated with the euro currency over the past ...
NJ Gov. Christie appearing Monday with Letterman
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 ...
APNewsBreak: Afghan massacre trial set for Sept.
A military judge has scheduled a Sept. 3 court martial for Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the U.S. soldier accused of massacring 16 Afghan villagers during ...
Egypt's police regain Mubarak-era notoriety
With near impunity and the backing of the Islamist president, Egyptian police have been accused of firing wildly at protesters, beating them and ...
Beyonce admits she lip synced at Inauguration
Beyonce says she did lip sync when she performed the national anthem on Inauguration Day. The singer held a press conference Thursday in New Orleans ...
Sept. 11 judge rules on censor but little else
The second round of pretrial hearings in the Sept. 11 case sputtered to a close Thursday with the judge ordering the government to remove censorship ...
FACT CHECK: Gun-control claims miss target
The intensifying gun-control debate has given rise to sloppy claims on both sides. Here's a sampling, with the first two examples from the Senate ...