US, Cuba to Reopen Embassies as Countries Enter ‘New Chapter’
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US, Cuba to Reopen Embassies as Countries Enter ‘New Chapter’

President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that the United States and Cuba would restore full diplomatic relations and reopen their respective embassies in Washington, D.C. and Havana on July 20—a move he said would begin “a new chapter with our neighbors in the Americas.” “We don’t have to be imprisoned by the past,” Obama said in…

China, US Clash Over Islands in South China Sea
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China, US Clash Over Islands in South China Sea

Tensions between China and United States continue to rise over the South China Sea as a Chinese government newspaper warns that war may be ‘inevitable’ if the U.S. and its allies do not back off from the heavily disputed territory. Last week, the Chinese government condemned the actions of the U.S. military after the P8-A…

US to Remove Cuba from State Sponsors of Terrorism List
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US to Remove Cuba from State Sponsors of Terrorism List

U.S. President Barack Obama intends to remove Cuba from the American government’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, news outlets reported Tuesday afternoon. The news came after a much-anticipated meeting between Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro during last weekend’s Summit of the Americas meeting in Panama, the first such formal session between leaders of…

US to Slow Down Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan
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US to Slow Down Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan

The U.S. is slowing down its withdrawal from Afghanistan, despite long-held promises that the military would be out of the country by 2016, new Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Saturday. Carter told reporters in Kabul that the Obama administration is “rethinking” its counter-terrorism mission in Afghanistan and that the U.S. military wants to ensure…

2014 Best Year for Job Gains Since 1999 as US Adds 252,000 Jobs in December

2014 Best Year for Job Gains Since 1999 as US Adds 252,000 Jobs in December

The United States economy last year experienced the strongest job growth since 1999 with nearly 3 million jobs created in 2014. New government data shows that the economy added 252,000 jobs in December. That helped the unemployment rate dip to 5.6 percent, down from 6.6 percent in January 2014. The unemployment rate is at its…

Senator Sanders Demands Release of Controversial TPP Trade Agreement Text

Senator Sanders Demands Release of Controversial TPP Trade Agreement Text

With Congress on the verge of taking up the controversial, corporate-friendly Trans Pacific Partnership, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is demanding that the chief trade representative for the United States turn over the full text of the proposed trade agreement. “It is incomprehensible to me that the leaders of major corporate interests who stand to…

Methane Plume the Size of Delaware Hovering Over Western US
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Methane Plume the Size of Delaware Hovering Over Western US

A monstrous cloud of accumulated methane—a potent greenhouse gas—is now hovering over a large portion of the western United States according to satellite imagery analyzed by NASA and reported by the Washington Post. Created by years of intentionally released and errantly leaked natural gas during fossil fuel drilling operations, the cloud — invisible to the…

Afghanistan War Officially Ends But 11,000 American Forces Will Remain in 2015

Afghanistan War Officially Ends But 11,000 American Forces Will Remain in 2015

With little fanfare, the United States and NATO formally ended the longest war in U.S. history with a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, leaving observers to wonder what — if anything — was achieved. Over 13 years, U.S.-led war in Afghanistan claimed the lives of about 3,500 foreign troops (at least 2,224 of them…

Senator Donnelly Calls for More Bipartisanship in US Senate
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Senator Donnelly Calls for More Bipartisanship in US Senate

Senator Joe Donnelly is calling for more bipartisanship in the United States Senate. The senator joined more than 30 of his colleagues in urging Democratic leader Harry Reid and Republican leader Mitch McConnell to host monthly lunches between the two party caucuses to help “build stronger and more productive relationships among all members of the…