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Reporting from Sacramento - State lawmakers pushed forward today with an agreement to keep nearly 700,000 children from being yanked off a government health insurance program for the working poor. The state Senate passed a measure that would create a tax on health insurance companies and bring in federal money to rescue the program, which had been deeply cut in recent months as lawmakers scrambled to balance the state budget

By John Gever, Senior Editor Military doctors can use a portable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing device to diagnose novel H1N1 flu infections in troops overseas, the FDA announced. The emergency authorization was approved "to better protect our troops," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, in a statement. The device, called JBAIDS (Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System), is a rugged, suitcase-sized instrument that can run PCR-based molecular diagnostic tests. It has been under development for several years by a consortium of military health research centers, the CDC, and academic medical laboratories. The development program began in the...

(IsraelNN.com) The Ministerial Committee on Legislation has approved a proposed a bill banning the commemoration of Independence Day as a day of mourning. The bill was originally proposed by MK Alex Miller (Israel Our Home). It addresses the increasingly widespread practice, by Arab citizens of Israel, of marking Israel’s Independence Day as a day of mourning, or Naqba Day

ROME – The U.N.'s food agency will slim down its bureaucracy, work to cut costs and make investments that will improve efficiency as part of a reform plan adopted by member nations on Wednesday. The Rome-based agency's director-general, Jacques Diouf, also called on members to come up with an immediate $21.8 million (euro17.26 million) as part of the funding needed for the three-year plan, which was approved by the agency's highest governing body. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization was founded in 1945 with a mandate to raise nutritional standards and living conditions around the world. It has 191 member...

WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund's executive board has approved a broad financial overhaul plan that could lead to the eventual sale of a little over 400 tons of its substantial gold supplies. The sale cannot occur without congressional approval as well as legislative action in many of the 184 other nations that are members of the Washington-based lending institution. IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn welcomed the board's decision Monday to propose a new framework for the fund, designed to close a projected $400 million budget deficit over the next few years. It is "a landmark agreement that will put...

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Tuesday approved the final elements of a clean air initiative aimed at reducing pollution from trucks hauling cargo through the Port of Long Beach. The commissioner voted unanimously to adopt several facets of the so-called clean trucks program, which looks to replace and modernize older-model trucks with ones that spew fewer harmful emissions. An after-hours call to the California Trucking Association was not immediately returned. The program sets up a system for identifying and monitoring the trucks that enter the port so they can be monitored for compliance with security, maintenance and...

BAGHDAD - Iraq's Cabinet on Wednesday approved the draft of a general amnesty bill for detainees being held in Iraqi prisons, a measure which could go a long way toward reconciling Iraq's warring sects and factions. But the measure will not be brought to parliament for debate until March at the earliest, said Sami al-Askari a key adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Many key draft laws — including measures to share oil revenue and to allow some members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to hold government jobs — have remained mired for months in Iraq's gridlocked parliament. There was...

WASHINGTON - The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to overturn a 32-year-old ban and allow broadcasters in the nation's 20 largest media markets to also own a newspaper. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin was joined by his two Republican colleagues in favor of the proposal, while the commission's two Democrats voted against it. Martin pushed the vote through despite intense pressure from House and Senate members on Capitol Hill to delay it. The chairman, however, has the support of the White House, which has pledged to turn back any congressional action that seeks to undo the agency vote. At Tuesday's meeting,...

WASHINGTON - The House handed President Bush a victory Saturday, voting to expand the government's abilities to eavesdrop without warrants on foreign suspects whose communications pass through the United States. The 227-183 vote, which followed the Senate's approval Friday, sends the bill to Bush for his signature. He had urged Congress to approve it, saying Saturday, "Protecting America is our most solemn obligation." The administration said the measure is needed to speed the National Security Agency's ability to intercept phone calls, e-mails and other communications involving foreign nationals "reasonably believed to be outside the United States." Civil liberties groups and...

HEILIGENDAMM, Germany - Leaders of the Group of Eight agreed Friday on a $60 billion package to fight AIDS, TB and malaria in Africa and warned Iran over its disputed nuclear program, closing out a summit of the world's richer nations. But a deal could not be reached on the the independence-seeking Serbian province of Kosovo during three days of talks at the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm. About half of the $60 billion was pledged earlier by the U.S., and other nations will contribute the rest, Germany's development minister said. "It was a very candid and open discussion," said...

The US House of Representatives has voted to approve a bill tying extra cash for military operations to a timetable for pulling US troops out of Iraq by a goal of March 31, 2008. George Bush, the US president, has said he will veto the bill if it reaches his desk after passing the house and senate.

GENEVA - Switzerland on Wednesday followed Italy and Germany in raising the threat of criminal prosecution of CIA operatives involved in anti-terrorism operations in Europe. The Swiss Cabinet authorized the start of criminal proceedings against those responsible for the abduction in Italy of an Egyptian Muslim preacher allegedly taken on CIA flights through Swiss airspace. Switzerland, which has cooperated closely in U.S. investigations and attempts to shut down terrorists' funding networks, has generally avoided open disputes with the U.S. government. But the wording of the seven-member Cabinet's statement was sharp. "In the view of the Federal Council, the use of...

WASHINGTON - The House passed a $463.5 billion spending bill Wednesday that covers about one-sixth of the federal budget as Democrats cleared away the financial mess they inherited from Republicans. Before the 286-140 vote, Republicans made modest objections to Democrats' spending decisions but protested greatly over how the new majority muscled the measure through the House. Democrats said the legislation would increase spending on education, veterans, health research and grants to state and local law enforcement agencies. Among the trade-offs were cuts to President Bush's budget requests for NASA, foreign aid and aid for communities affected by the latest round...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Thursday formally approved rebuilding plans for the site of the World Trade Center destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attacks. The deal with developer Larry Silverstein, approved at the authority's monthly board meeting, gave the developer four and a half years and an additional one-year grace period to complete the building of Towers 2, 3 and 4 on the site, or lose his lease. In addition, the Port Authority agreed to pay Silverstein $300,00O a day if it failed to prepare the site for rebuilding by...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The House Judiciary Committee today approved two landmark bills fighting the War on Terror. The first, H.R. 6054, the "Military Commissions Act," establishes terrorist tribunals and was approved without amendment by a 20-to-19 margin. All 17 Democrats today voted against this legislation, which overwhelmingly passed the House Armed Services Committee last week by a 52-to-8 margin. The second bill, H.R. 5825, the "Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act," updates and reforms the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to fight the modern terrorist threat and provides increased congressional and FISA Court oversight of surveillance operations. After adopting...

JERUSALEM - Israel's prime minister declared Monday there would be no cease-fire with Hezbollah guerrillas, saying "we will not give up on our goal to live a life free of terror." His Security Cabinet approved widening the ground offensive. Although Israel suspended most airstrikes on south Lebanon for 48 hours, its warplanes struck deep inside the country early Tuesday. They hit an area that is a stronghold of Hezbollah guerrillas, witnesses said. Warplanes also hit Hezbollah fighters battling with soldiers near the border as the guerrillas fired mortars into Israel. The cutback in Israeli airstrikes and a pause by the...

WASHINGTON The House approved legislation Monday to create about 277,000 acres of federal wilderness in far northern California, one in a series of bills to protect national forest land in Western states. The bills would create nearly 670,000 acres of new wilderness areas and protect 47 miles of wild and scenic rivers in California, Idaho and Oregon, as well as ban drilling in northern New Mexico's Valle Vidal. The House also passed legislation to establish National Heritage Areas in several states, including New Mexico, Utah and Nevada. The three wilderness bills would protect about 277,000 acres in California, 315,000 acres...

WASHINGTON The House voted Thursday to end a quarter-century offshore drilling ban and allow energy companies to tap natural gas and oil beneath waters from New England to Alaska. Opponents of the federal ban argued that the nation needed to move closer to energy independence and insisted the gas and oil could be taken without threatening the environment and coastal beaches. They said a state choosing to keep the moratorium could do so. The measure was approved 232-187. But the bill's prospects in the Senate were uncertain. Florida's two senators have vowed to filibuster any legislation that would allow drilling...

WASHINGTON - In an election-year bid to polish their credentials as fiscal conservatives in an election year, Senate Republicans on Tuesday advanced a bill designed to force cuts in the spiraling growth of federal benefit programs while also reviving the line-item veto. The measure, written by Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and approved by that panel by a 12-10 party-line vote, combines several ideas aimed at putting the brakes on spending. Most striking, the bill would force mandatory cuts to the deficit, enforced by across-the-board cuts to benefit programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and unemployment insurance if Congress can't...

PHOENIX — Oh, say, can you see the flag in the classroom? You definitely should be able to no later than July 1, 2007. That's the date by which, state senators declared Tuesday, every public school, community college and university classroom must have an American flag. Oh, and it must be at least 2 by 3 feet and U.S.-made only, thank you. The measure is not likely to have a major impact on public schools, where most classrooms already have flags so students can recite the Pledge of Allegiance each day. The real effect will be at state universities and...

Legislation that would give 1.4 million minimum wage earners a $1-an-hour pay raise and then tie their wages to increases in inflation was approved by the Assembly Wednesday night, setting the stage for a possible election-year fight with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 43-30 vote sent the measure by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Santa Clara, to the Senate, which planned to vote on an identical increase by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, on Thursday. Both bills would raise the minimum wage from $6.75 to $7.75 an hour in two 50-cent steps - the first on July 1, 2007 and the second on...

House approves oil drilling in Alaska refuge; Prospects in Senate slim.By H. JOSEF HEBERT/Associated Press Writer Published: Friday, May 26, 2006 3:51 AM CDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Citing the public outcry over $3-a-gallon gasoline and America’s heavy reliance on foreign oil, the House on Thursday voted to open an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling, knowing the prospects for Senate approval were slim. Drilling proponents argued that the refuge on Alaska’s North Slope would provide 1 million barrels a day of additional domestic oil at peak production and reduce the need for imports. But opponents to developing what environmentalists argue...

As several hundred immigrants rallied on the west steps of the Capitol, the Assembly on Monday voted for a resolution calling on President Bush and Congress to reject extreme immigration laws. The party-line vote was symbolic, but the debate showcased the ideological emotions that have divided lawmakers in California and Washington, D.C. On one side, Democrats led by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez of Los Angeles said Congress should give an estimated 12 million immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally a path to citizenship. But Republicans insisted that immigrants who have crossed the border illegally should not be rewarded for...

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved today a resolution authorizing an agreement between the county and the Multicultural Institute, which will now operate the county's Day Worker Program. The San Mateo County Human Services Agency noted in a report that members of the Redwood City community have voice concern about day workers congregating to seek employment. To mitigate those concerns, the county, in contract with El Concilio, launched a pilot day worker program in the North Fair Oaks unincorporated area of Redwood City, according to the report. Now, as a result of today's unanimous vote, the Multicultural...

SACRAMENTO – State lawmakers early Friday approved a series of bills that would place a record public works spending plan before voters in November, reviving a proposal that had broad public support but failed to pass the Legislature earlier this year. The $37.3 billion package would be the largest bond issue in California history and now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor, who proposed an even larger spending plan in January, called the votes in each house “a landmark accomplishment that will yield benefits for generations to come.” “For the first time in a generation, we are making a...

PHOENIX - Siding with public sentiment over prosecutors, Gov. Janet Napolitano signed legislation Monday to make it easier for those who kill others to claim self-defense. The action on SB 1145 came despite a plea from the association that represents prosecutors from around the state who urged her to reject the measure because of provisions that would put new requirements on them to convict those who say they had no choice but to shoot another person. But gubernatorial press aide Jeanine L'Ecuyer said Napolitano received more than 1,200 e-mail messages in the last 24 hours urging her to sign the...

California's smog-fighting agency on Thursday approved a sweeping plan to reduce air pollution caused by the ports, rail lines and roadways that move goods around the state. The Air Resources Board's plan sets out long-term goals and strategies to roll back air pollution levels from cargo movement to what they were five years ago. Diesel-related pollution alone would be reduced 85 percent. With the amount of goods entering California ports expected to triple in 15 years, "now is the time to take action," board Chairman Robert F. Sawyer said during a public meeting. "This problem did not occur overnight and...

WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee approved election-year immigration legislation Monday that clears the way for millions of undocumented workers to seek U.S. citizenship without having to first leave the country. After days of street demonstrations that stretched from California to the gounds of the U.S. Capitol, the committee also voted to strip out proposed criminal penalties for residents found to be in this country illegally. The panel's vote cleared the way for the full Senate to begin debate Tuesday on the emotional immigration issue. "All Americans wanted fairness and they got it this evening," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy...

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- The Naval Historical Center’s (NHC) search for Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones' ship Bonhomme Richard received further support in early February, when it was recommended for funding through the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration's competitive grant process. The NHC and Ocean Technology Foundation (OTF) plan to launch a search for Bonhomme Richard off the coast of England in July. "You cannot find an underwater archaeological site more important to the U.S. Navy than that of John Paul Jones' Bonhomme Richard," said Dr. Robert Neyland, head of the NHC's...

WASHINGTON – Congress sent President Bush a ban on harsh treatment of foreign terrorism suspects in U.S. custody and directed him to send lawmakers quarterly reports on Iraq as it completed a voluminous bill Wednesday that rebuffed some of his war policies. The Senate approved the measure on a voice vote and Bush was considered certain to sign it. That would be a reversal for a White House that initially threatened to veto any bill limiting how the United States detains, interrogates or prosecutes terror suspects. Bush reluctantly endorsed the ban on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of foreign detainees...

After almost two years without a contract for police officers, the San Jose City Council on Tuesday voted 10-1 to approve an agreement that would pay experienced officers more than $100,000 in 2007. The contract also enables officers to retire after 30 years at 90 percent of their final salary, matching most public safety agencies in the state. Until now, maximum pensions for officers were 85 percent of final pay. While the contract is not final until officers approve it, Don DeMers, president of the Police Officers Association, which represents 1,344 sworn officers, said his union board unanimously backs it....

SACRAMENTO (AP) - California's campaign watchdog agency approved a four-year operations plan Thursday that hopes for a significant increase in funding but prepares for continued tight budgets. A declining budget forced the California Fair Political Practices Commission to drop 225 enforcement cases this year. "It's really an effort to kind of wave the flag a little bit to say we really need more resources to do what we do," said Liane Randolph, chairwoman of the five-member commission. Commission officials said in October that they had to drop the cases because of budget cuts that have cost the agency about a...

Black caucus suing over budget cutsBy ELLEN TANDY etandy@wbrz.com 2theadvocate.com staff From a report by News 2's John Pastorek jp@wbrz.com Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco gestures during her address at the opening of a joint session of the state legislature in the House chambers of the State Capitol Sunday evening Nov. 6, 2005 in Baton Rouge, LA.. The Govenor called a special session of the legislature to deal with hurricane recovery efforts in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. (AP Photos/Stephan Savoia) A Baton Rouge judge Wednesday put off hearing a lawsuit against Gov. Kathleen Blanco's budget cuts. The Legislative...

Michigan is among a growing list of states and local governments moving toward a ban on machines that allow people to inhale alcohol, instead of drink it. The Michigan House voted 102-to-1 today to ban the machines known as Alcohol Without Liquid. The machines vaporize liquor 80-proof or higher and send alcohol quickly to the brain. They're popular on college campuses for getting drunk fast without drinking. The legislation was introduced by Republican Representative Rick Jones of Grand Ledge. The former county sheriff says the machines promote alcohol abuse and underage drinking. Republican Representative Leon Drolet of Clinton Township, was...

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The United States has approved full-rate production of a new Hellfire missile variant, touted by President George W. Bush for its ability to kill guerrillas in urban settings, the missile's manufacturer said on Wednesday. U.S. commanders in Iraq have asked for more of the rounds, said Lt. Col. Kevin Curry, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon, who added that early versions had already been used there in "limited numbers." More than 1,870 Americans have been killed in Iraq since the war began in March 2003. The "thermobaric" Hellfire AGM-114N warhead creates an intense, sustained pressure...

WASHINGTON - Utilities would have to generate at least 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources under a measure the Senate approved Thursday. Separately, a package of environmentally friendly tax incentives was advanced by a committee as senators made clear their intention to fashion a sharply different energy bill from one passed by the House. Electric utilities would have to rely more heavily on wind turbines, solar energy, biomass from garbage or plants and other non-fossil fuels to generate electricity under the provision approved by a 52-48 vote. Opponents argued the mandate, which would begin in 2020, would force...

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - The city voted Wednesday to continue negotiations with a Japanese company that wants to build the first West Coast terminal for liquefied natural gas. During a session that lasted until after midnight, the council voted 5-4 to continue talks with a Mitsubishi subsidiary on a deal that would involve building a pipeline and selling supplies of LNG to the city, said Chris Garner, director of Long Beach Energy, the city's gas utility. No date for the talks was scheduled but Garner said he believed "some kind of business deal" could be crafted by midsummer. In...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Rebuffing pleas from groups representing injured workers, a Senate committee Wednesday approved Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's choice to head the Division of Workers' Compensation. The Rules Committee voted 3-2 to confirm the Republican governor's nomination of Andrea Hoch as the division's director despite testimony that regulations she drafted had hurt injured workers and didn't follow sweeping changes lawmakers made in workers' comp law last year. "Every single regulation that comes out is ... interpreted in the worst possible way for injured workers and the best way for employers," said David Schwartz, president of the California Applicants' Attorneys Association,...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to power a million homes and businesses with the sun moved forward Tuesday, despite concerns that ratepayers would be stuck subsidizing the ambitious expansion of solar energy. The legislation would invest $2 billion in rooftop photovoltaic systems - panels that turn sunshine into electricity. Customers with solar panels would save money by producing their own energy and could sell excess power back to the electric grid. Homeowners and businesses would get a rebate for installing the panels, with 10 percent of the subsidies set aside for low-income homes. Currently, a solar panel system...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a $284 billion, six-year highway and transit construction bill on Thursday, advancing a measure that eluded final passage last year in a fight with the White House over budget deficits. The legislation, which is 18 months overdue, matches the spending demands outlined in the Bush administration's 2006 budget and the cost of a similar version making its way through the Senate. Many lawmakers in both houses would eventually like to see more money committed to road, tunnel and bridge improvements. The House bill includes a provision that would let Congress...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Hoping to pump up sales, California's lottery board voted Tuesday to join the multistate Mega Millions game, giving players a shot at long-odds jackpots in the $200 million to $300 million range. The board voted 3-0 to pick Mega Millions, which is played in 11 other states, over the more popular Powerball, which is available in 27 states. "We are excited to enter into this partnership and look forward to providing our players with what they have asked for - jackpots in the $200 million to $300 million range," said Chon Gutierrez, the lottery's interim director. Cathy...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - An electronic voting system with a paper trail that was used in Nevada elections last year became the first approved for use in California on Friday. Secretary of State Kevin Shelley certified the Sequoia Voting Systems machine for use after Jan. 1, 2006. The machine prints a paper record of a voter's choices, which the voter can inspect through a screen for accuracy. If the paper record is correct and approved by the voter, it winds into the machine. If incorrect, the vote can be voided. San Bernardino County tested the Oakland-based company's machine in one precinct...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Fruit, vegetable and nut farmers in California and nationwide will get $54 million under legislation approved by Congress to promote their products through research, technological improvements, advertising and other methods. The Specialty Crop Competitiveness Act of 2004 won Senate passage in the final hours of the 108th Congress Tuesday night. It had earlier passed the House and now goes to President Bush for his signature. "As globalization of our markets for specialty crops continues, it is exceedingly challenging for U.S. growers to compete in this heavily subsidized arena with foreign producers," said Matt McInerney, executive vice president...

GENEVA - The World Trade Organization (news - web sites) on Friday approved stiff sanctions on a wide range of American exports intended to punish the United States for failing to repeal what it considers protectionist legislation, a trade diplomat said. "It's been approved," said Amina C. Mohamed, Kenyan ambassador to the WTO and chairwoman of the organization's dispute settlement body. The European Union (news - web sites) and other plaintiffs sought formal WTO authorization to retaliate by imposing new duties against various U.S. products. Among the potential targets are cod, textiles, glassware, mobile homes and apples. The WTO dispute...

WASHINGTON (Nov. 17) - House Republicans wrestled Wednesday with ways to keep Rep. Tom DeLay as majority leader in the event he is indicted by Texas grand jury that has brought charges against three of his political associates. Meeting several hours behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, GOP members discussed compromises that would try to insulate their leader without giving blanket protection to party leaders indicted on felony charges. DeLay, R-Texas, called the campaign finance investigation in Travis County, Texas a partisan attack on him, even though there has been no indication that he faces an indictment. A House Republican...

SACRAMENTO – Almost a month later than Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had hoped, the state Senate approved a $105 billion budget Thursday to end a standoff that had degenerated into name calling and threats of political retaliation. A bipartisan group of senators voted 28-11 for the budget, following a 69-11 vote in the Assembly Wednesday. The budget now goes to Schwarzenegger, who is expected to sign it Saturday. "It's a relief that it's done, although this is a budget we could have had a month ago," said Sen. Wes Chesbro, D-Arcata. "The state can pay its bills, there's no new taxes...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - With support from both parties Wednesday, the California Assembly approved a $105 billion spending plan for next year. While the proposal protects most key programs including education, public health and local government services, it also relies on billions in borrowing and one-time savings that may increase the state's spending imbalance. The Assembly voted 69-11 after a three-hour delay caused when three trailer bills required to help implement the budget struggled to attract the two-thirds majority support needed to pass. The budget bill and 23 trailer laws now goes to the Senate, which is expected to approve it...

TORONTO (CP) - Barely a year after an Ontario court gave its blessing to same-sex marriage, a lesbian couple is trying to untie the knot in what critics dismissed Wednesday as little more than a judicial stunt to test the limits of Canada's divorce laws. The pair, identified in court documents only as J.H. and M.M., were together for five years prior to their decision to get married last June, but were separated just five days later - two weeks after the Ontario Court of Appeal legalized same-sex marriages. "It's clearly a set-up case after five days where they are...

French cabinet approves headscarf bill January 28 2004 at 01:06PM Paris - The French cabinet on Wednesday approved a controversial law banning the Islamic headscarf from schools, opening the way for its passage through parliament. The proposed law states that in schools "the wearing of signs or clothes which conspicuously display a pupil's religious affiliation is prohibited" and that the ban comes into effect at the start of the next school year in September. The bill has its first reading before the National Assembly, parliament's lower house, next Tuesday.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate gave final congressional approval Tuesday to the most sweeping changes to Medicare since its creation in 1965, including a new prescription drug benefit for 40 million older and disabled Americans. The 54-44 vote sends the bill to President Bush, who is eager to sign it into law.</p>