The promise of $60 billion can do a lot to calm outrage. That point was underscored Wednesday, when House leaders met with irate representatives from New York and New Jersey who felt they had been ignored by House Speaker John Boehner, when he scrapped a planned vote late Tuesday on the massive package to aid package for victims of Superstorm Sandy.
POL-King-Sandy-Relief
Republican Rep. Peter King of New York had blistering criticism Wednesday for his own party's leadership following their decision in the House not to vote on a relief measure for Superstorm Sandy in this congressional session. The GOP House leadership, he said, "has turned its back on those people" who continue to suffer after the late October storm devastated parts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
POL-House-Sandy-Christie
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn't know why House Speaker John Boehner didn't allow a vote on a $60 billion aid package to help Superstorm Sandy victims Tuesday or Wednesday, but he was steamed about it.
POL-Sandy-Boehner-Speakership
Certain Republican lawmakers said Wednesday they'll now vote for John Boehner's re-election as House Speaker, despite earlier offering uncertainty over whether they'd cast their vote for the top Republican.
POL-Fiscal-Cliff
The bill that backs the United States away from its fiscal cliff awaited President Barack Obama's signature Wednesday, but new battles over taxes and spending await Washington in the next few weeks.
POL-Clinton-Hospitalized
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been speaking with her staff and is active on the phone as she recovers from a blood clot in a vein between her skull and brain, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
MED-Hillary-Clinton-blood-clot-future
Hillary Clinton's blood clot is called a cerebral vein thrombosis and is relatively rare. Anyone who has had a blood clot in the past is at a higher risk of getting one again.
POL-Mark-Kirk-Returns
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) will make a triumphant return to the Senate Thursday, following a year's recuperation from a stroke.
POL-White-House-Swearing
The R-rated insult House Speaker John Boehner hurled upon Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week at the White House was a deviation from the normally diplomatic language of official Washington.
MONEY
MONEY-tax-refunds
The nation didn't go over the fiscal cliff, but tax refunds remain up in the air. Congress' late action on the fiscal cliff tax provisions has caused headaches for the Internal Revenue Service, which now has to program its systems and issue tax forms based on the revised laws. It has not announced when taxpayers can start filing their 2012 returns, which means refunds will most likely be delayed. Filing usually begins in mid-January.
MONEY-fiscal-cliff-ratings
Credit rating agencies are likely to hold off passing judgment on the U.S. credit rating until they have a clearer picture about the fate of the debt ceiling and longer term plans to reduce borrowing.
MONEY-stocks-markets
U.S. stocks surged into the New Year, after U.S. lawmakers reached a last minute deal to avert the fiscal cliff.
MONEY-Manufacturing-Data
U.S. manufacturing expands in December, rebounding from one-month contraction, purchasing managers say.
MONEY-ftc-robocalls
The Federal Trade Commission is currently running a contest to find a solution to block pesky robocalls on landlines and cell phones.
MONEY-avis-zipcar
It might be easier to get a Zipcar rental on weekends now that the popular urban car-sharing service is being acquired by traditional car rental company Avis Budget Group.
MONEY-ubuntu-smartphone-linux
Ubuntu has long been a favorite Linux desktop operating system for open-source fanatics and those who like to tinker with their technology. Now it's stepping out into a new frontier: mobile. Ubuntu developer Canonical unveiled a new interface on Monday reimagined for touch devices, with a design that borrows cues from Android and Windows 8. Canonical hopes that future devices will not only run the new mobile OS, but will also boot the desktop variant of Ubuntu when docked to a keyboard, mouse and monitor. That would let you use your phone to power your PC.
TECH-Razer-gaming-laptop
The new Razer Blade gaming-centric laptop is sleek and powerful, but it's not for every gamer looking to take their action on the go. The second-generation edition is an upgrade from the original, released in February 2012. Razer wanted to bolster the hardware specs without detracting from what makes the Blade unique in portable computer gaming -- its size.
MONEY-portugal-budget
Portugal's president has referred the 2013 budget to the constitutional court, warning the country is becoming trapped in a vicious circle of austerity and recession.
FEATURES AND COMMENTARY
ENT-California-Bieber-Paparazo-Death
Paparazzi have had nasty run-ins with pop star Justin Bieber, including a high-speed chase in July that prompted a city councilman to predict that such an encounter could end tragically. It happened Tuesday. A photographer, who thought he spied Bieber sitting in his parked white Ferrari, was struck and killed by oncoming traffic as he walked across a Los Angeles freeway to get back to his car after snapping photos.
ENT-Tavi-Gevinson-profile
