TheRepublic.com - Government and politics News

On table in NJ: Using sales tax to preserve land

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:47:56 -0400

TRENTON, New Jersey - Land use experts and preservationists are voicing their support for legislation asking New Jersey voters to fund land preservation purchases through the sales tax.

Indonesia mine collapse death toll rises to 17

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:46:15 -0400

TIMIKA, Indonesia - Rescuers recovered three more bodies Monday from a collapsed underground room at a giant U.S.-owned gold and copper mine in Indonesia, bringing the confirmed death toll to 17, mine officials said. Eleven others were believed buried under the rubble.

Petro America chief's suit hurt by guilty verdict

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:45:16 -0400

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - The founder of Petro America Corp. has little chance of prevailing in a $100 million civil lawsuit he filed against prosecutors and the Department of Justice after a federal jury convicted him on six counts of felony fraud, a former federal prosecutor said.

Gov. Quinn: Illinois has chance to make history

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:43:22 -0400

CHICAGO - Gov. Pat Quinn says Illinois has a chance to make history before the end of the legislative session this month on the issues of pension reform and same-sex marriage.

Trial of former Donovan aide heading to jury

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:43:14 -0400

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut - Defense attorneys have decided not to call any witnesses in the federal corruption trial of Roberty Braddock Jr., a campaign aide to former Connecticut House Speaker Chris Donovan.

Activists say 28 Hezbollah members killed in Syria

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:41:58 -0400

BEIRUT - Fierce street fighting in a Syrian town near the Lebanese border has killed at least 28 elite members of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group, activists said Monday, as Syrian government forces pushed deeper into the strategic, opposition-held town.

High court uphold FCC power in cell tower disputes

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:41:04 -0400

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has affirmed the authority of federal regulators to try to speed local government decisions on proposals to build or expand cell phone towers.

Cartel towns pose challenge for immigration reform

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:38:30 -0400

MATAMOROS, Mexico - Just across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas, stands a dormitory-style shelter filled with people recently deported from the U.S. and other migrants waiting to cross the border.

New Peru police chief: Gender no factor in job

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:35:41 -0400

PERU, Indiana - Peru Police Chief Jonie Kennedy said as a kid she loved baseball, and the fact that it was a sport for boys didn't stop her from playing it.

Stock prices are little changed in early trading

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:34:56 -0400

NEW YORK - Stocks were mixed in early trading on Wall Street after investors pushed indexes to record levels Friday.

End of program doesn't halt Weed and Seed efforts

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:34:37 -0400

LAFAYETTE, Indiana - A Lafayette program designed to help the homeless, victims of domestic violence and nonviolent offenders is carrying on its mission despite the loss of federal funding.

Silver drops despite steady market tone elsewhere

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:31:49 -0400

LONDON - The price of silver was the standout mover in financial markets Monday as it took a hammering for the second trading session in a row, even as stocks remained relatively solid amid hopes over the U.S. economy.

Mo. lawmakers miss votes while vying for Congress

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:31:16 -0400

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri - Republican congressional candidate Jason Smith missed three-fifths of the Missouri House's votes before the final day of this year's legislative session, while his Democratic opponent, Steve Hodges, missed about one-fifth of the votes.

NH firefighters urge House to pass casino bill

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:28:15 -0400

CONCORD, New Hampshire - New Hampshire firefighters are urging the House to pass a casino bill Wednesday to provide more revenue for state programs.

Schweitzer elected chairman of Stillwater board

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:28:06 -0400

BILLINGS, Montana - Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has been elected chairman of the Stillwater Mining Co. board of directors.

Oklahoma governor to tour tornado damage

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:25:12 -0400

SHAWNEE, Oklahoma - Gov. Mary Fallin is touring the areas hit hard by tornadoes Sunday.

Chinese, Indian leaders call for cooperation

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:24:17 -0400

NEW DELHI - The leaders of India and China played down their recent border dispute and other tensions Monday, pledging to work together for regional stability and the economic growth of the world's two most populous nations.

Court: woman can seek lawyer fees in vaccine case

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:23:20 -0400

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court says a woman can seek lawyers' fees from the government even though her lawsuit over damage she said was caused by a vaccine was ruled untimely.

FEMA coordinating disaster response in SD

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:19:48 -0400

PIERRE, South Dakota - Federal officials have been meeting with state and local officials in South Dakota to coordinate the dispersal of emergency funding to help affected areas recover from a three-day snowstorm last month that caused millions of dollars in damage.

US: Pakistan moves to curb dangerous fertilizers

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:19:22 -0400

ISLAMABAD - A top American military officer says Pakistan has taken steps to prevent fertilizers made in Pakistan from being used for roadside bombs targeting American troops in Afghanistan.

Illinois governor reviewing medical marijuana bill

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:17:38 -0400

CHICAGO - Gov. Pat Quinn says he's reviewing a bill that would legalize the medical use of marijuana.

Consumer group flags high SPF ratings on sunscreen

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:17:13 -0400

WASHINGTON - Sunbathers headed to the beach this summer will find new sunscreen labels on store shelves that are designed to make the products more effective and easier to use. But despite those long-awaited changes, many sunscreens continue to carry SPF ratings that some experts consider misleading and potentially dangerous, according to a consumer watchdog group.

Parents fuming over locked doors at graduation

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:14:14 -0400

ATLANTA - Several parents of Spelman College graduates are furious after locked doors prevented them from seeing their children's commencement.

Gov. Patrick, wife, become grandparents

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:11:43 -0400

BOSTON - Gov. Deval Patrick and his wife, Diane, are grandparents for the first time.

German FM criticizes remarks by Hungarian PM

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:10:53 -0400

BERLIN - Tensions between Germany and Hungary have flared over remarks by the two countries' leaders, including references to Hitler's occupation of the eastern European country in 1944 and an irritated German government response condemning Hungary's allusion to the Nazi era as "deplorable derailment" on Monday.