by Marshall Cohen | Mar 12, 2013 | Business, Politics
The Senate Banking Committee held two confirmations today: Mary Jo White, right, for chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Richard Cordray, left, for director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (Audrey Cheng/Medill)Republicans blocked...
by Alyssa Howard | Mar 12, 2013 | National Security, Politics
Members of Team 26, a group of cyclists who rode from Newtown, Conn. to Washington to call for gun control laws, wipe each other off after finishing the 400-mile ride. (Tom Meyer/ Medill News Service)Rep. Elizabeth Esty, a Connecticut Democrat, hugs Monte Frank, the...
by Mitchell Armentrout | Mar 12, 2013 | National Security, Politics
WASHINGTON — The military’s top cyber-security fighter said Tuesday that network threats to the nation are on the rise, calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that helps establish lines of authority in cyberwarfare. “When you look at the strategic landscape from our...
by Rachel Janik | Mar 12, 2013 | National Security, Politics
WASHINGTON – Although the more controversial assault weapons ban remains stalled, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill Tuesday that would require universal background checks on gun buyers, sending the measure to the full Senate for a vote. Sen. Chuck...
by Josh Solomon | Mar 12, 2013 | National Security, Politics
WASHINGTON — One day after North Korea threatened a preemptive nuclear strike against the U.S., , intelligence officials testified at a Senate panel Tuesday that it is very possible for the “belligerent” nation to attack its neighbors to the south. In a rare hearing...
by Kris Anne Bonifacio | Mar 12, 2013 | National Security, Politics
WASHINGTON — Chuck Hagel faced an uphill battle winning confirmation as secretary of Defense, but his first few weeks on the job are proving to be an even bigger challenge. For his first foreign trip as defense secretary, Hagel headed to Afghanistan where his visit...
by Rachel Janik | Mar 7, 2013 | Politics
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama signed the Violence Against Women Act into law Thursday after a 500-day journey to reauthorization that was fraught with controversy. Even now, some of the most significant gains of the new law may be the least talked-about. The...
by Kimberly Railey | Mar 7, 2013 | Politics
WASHINGTON — Despite a Supreme Court decision to hear new challenges to campaign spending limits, campaign finance reformers are doubling down on efforts to restrict the role of money in politics. The country’s highest court agreed Feb. 19 to hear McCutcheon v....
by Marshall Cohen | Mar 7, 2013 | Living, Politics
WASHINGTON — “Elections have consequences,” politicians often say, but the long lines at polling places in November have triggered a debate on voting reform that could outlast the re-elected president and his agenda. In the wake of problems on Election Day, President...
by Rachel Janik | Mar 7, 2013 | Politics
WASHINGTON—The Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday approved a gun trafficking bill over Republican opposition. The proposal would combat illegal movement of firearms across state lines, and also hit straw purchasers — those who buy guns from licensed dealers for...
by Kris Anne Bonifacio | Mar 7, 2013 | National Security, Politics
WASHINGTON – The Senate voted Thursday to confirm John Brennan as the next CIA director, ending a rare talking filibuster by Sen. Rand Paul after nearly 13 hours. The 63-34 tally included 13 Republicans voting for Brennan and three Democrats voting against his...
by Marshall Cohen | Mar 5, 2013 | Business, Politics
WASHINGTON — Jack Lew has accumulated a few gray hairs after four decades in Washington. Now that he’s Treasury secretary, he’s in store to grow a few more. Lew enjoyed a surprisingly smooth nomination process and the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed him last week to...
