We have used our rainy-day fund because we considered it to be pouring down rain, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire said at the National Governors Association meeting.
Gregoire, a Democrat, has needed to cover a combined 12 billion shortfall in Washington over three years, on an annual budget of roughly 32 billion.
A biannual report, The Fiscal Survey [...]
Massachusetts had argued DOMA denied benefits to same-sex couples in the state, where such unions have been legal since 2004. Four other statesVermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Iowa — also allow same-sex marriage, as does Washington, D.C.
Tauro agreed with the states argument and said DOMA forces Massachusetts to discriminate against its own citizens.
The federal government, [...]
The winner of the November election will inherit a state burdened by double-digit unemployment, a budget tens of billions of dollars in the red and a profoundly unpopular, polarized legislature.
The gubernatorial race in California, the nations most populous state, may also serve as a political bellwether in a year when political analysts say the still-lagging [...]
Lingle, a Republican, said in a statement that she opposed same-gender marriage and that the bill would have created marriage by another name.
State voters rather than the legislature should decide the issue, she added.
Nationwide, voters have consistently rejected same-sex marriage.
Five statesIowa, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont — and the District of Columbia allow same-sex [...]
We call on China to grant Dr. Xue humanitarian release and immediately deport him back to the United States, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. The U.S. government is deeply concerned for Dr. Xues well-being.
The U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, said he was disappointed by the sentence and that the prosecutors case appeared flimsy [...]
I came to Georgia with a clear message from President Obama and myself The United States is steadfast in its commitment to Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity, Clinton said at a briefing with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The White House consistently urges Russia to comply with the ceasefire that ended the 2008 war, including ending the [...]
S.-mediated peace talks. Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on July 6.
Obama said his lunch with King Abdullah ranged over various strategic issues, including Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as the importance of moving forward in a significant and bold way in securing a Palestinian homeland that [...]
Incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer holds a slight edge over Republican Carly Fiorina45 percent to 41 percent — in Boxers bid for a fourth term in the November 2 congressional elections.
Former California Governor Jerry Brown leads Republican candidate Meg Whitman by 45 percent to 39 percent in their race to succeed Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor.
Ipsos [...]
S. police who arrested 10 suspected spies in four cities in the eastern the United States on Sunday had gone out of control.
I hope that all the positive gains that have been achieved in our relationship will not be damaged by the recent event, Putin told visiting ex-U.S. President Bill Clinton in Moscow.
An 11th suspect [...]
The group, dubbed the Illegals, was accused of being tasked by the Russian intelligence agency SVR to enter the United States, assume false identities and become deep-cover Americans, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Their goal was to become sufficiently Americanized such that they could gather information about the United States for Russia and can successfully [...]