Tensions persist as Rwanda denies Congo rebel charges
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has accused Congo of supporting rebels opposed to his government in an escalation of tensions with a neighbor who in turn accuses Rwandan authorities of supporting a violent rebel group which recently captured a town in eastern Congo.
German leader gathers employers, unions to tackle inflation
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has gathered top employer and labor union representatives at his Berlin office to seek ways of addressing the impact of rising prices while preventing a spiral of inflation in Europe’s biggest economy.
Ruling could dampen government efforts to rein in Big Tech
The Supreme Court’s latest climate change ruling could dampen efforts by federal agencies to rein in the tech industry, which went largely unregulated for decades as the government tried to catch up to changes wrought by the internet.
Google to erase more location info as abortion bans expand
Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics and other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies.
US testing new fire retardant, critics push other methods
U.S. officials are testing a new wildfire retardant after two decades of buying millions of gallons annually from one supplier, but watchdogs say the expensive strategy is overly fixated on aerial attacks at the expense of hiring more fire-line digging ground crews.
UK government faces new boozy scandal as deputy whip quits
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government is dealing with another boozy scandal after the deputy chief whip resigned and then was suspended by the Conservative Party after a drunken incident in which he reportedly groped two men at an event.
Illinois faces major challenges amid COVID fallout as Speaker Madigan struggles to hold on to power
Since no official business can be conducted by the House until a speaker is elected, a lengthy balloting process could ensue while pressing matters such as the state budget and pandemic recovery are held in abeyance. Madigan, some Democrats contend privately, is counting at the very least on attrition to eventually return him as speaker as issues mount.
chicagotribune.comLobbying in Q1 topped a record $938 million, but lobbyists say their profession is misunderstood
In the first quarter of 2020, the total amount spent on lobbying, about $938 million, reached the highest on record, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The health sector, which spent $168 million on lobbying efforts, received $150 billion in coronavirus relief aid, according to Advisory Board. The airline industry, which spent $29 million on lobbying, received $32 billion in relief aid, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, and agribusiness, which spent $38 million, received $19 billion in aid, CRP said. The lobbying industry is arguably the U.S. government's oldest profession and is protected by the First Amendment. The misconception about lobbyists is that "we walk around with bags of money and say, 'Vote our way' or 'Oppose this.'
cnbc.comSheriff on Dorner manhunt: "We know it's a dangerous business"
Sheriff on Dorner manhunt: "We know it's a dangerous business" San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon describes the chaos during the manhunt for cop killer and former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner in February 2013 and concurs with many law enforcement officers' statements in the Dorner report that it was a miracle no one else got hurt.
cbsnews.comVermont Country Store: The business of selling nostalgia
Vermont Country Store: The business of selling nostalgia For three generations the Vermont Country Store has sold hard-to-find, old-fashioned products. CBS News' Lee Woodruff sat down with the store's co-owner Eliot Orton to discuss the mega-million dollar business.
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