Lincoln: Senate agriculture committee to hold field hearing in Little Rock

Senate ag committee to hold hearing in Little Rock

Neb. lawmakers begin hearings on plan to deal with $334M shortfall in state’s two-year budget

Public hearings on Neb. budget cuts begin Thursday

South Dakota landowners voice concerns about proposed TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline

SD ranchers voice concerns about Keystone pipeline

South Dakota Public Utilities Commission to hold public hearing on Keystone XL pipeline

SD regulators to hold public hearing on pipeline

Obama administration witnesses kick off Senate hearing on climate bill; GOP opposition firm

Senate hearing kicks off climate bill

WASHINGTON — Top Obama administration officials are looking to make their case before the Senate for aggressive action to combat climate change, even as Republicans show no sign of softening their dislike of a Democratic bill that would dramatically cut heat-trapping pollution.

Mass. casino foes say they’re not giving up fight despite growing political, economic pressure

Mass. casino foes say they’re not giving up fight

Mass. lawmakers plan hearing on more than a dozen bills on casinos, racetracks, slot parlors

BOSTON — The public is being given a chance to weigh on more than a dozen gaming bills, including several allowing the state to license resort style casinos in Massachusetts for the first time.

Federal judge bars public attendance at pretrial proceedings in Blackwater shooting case

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday shut down public access to pretrial hearings in the prosecution of five Blackwater security guards for allegedly killing Iraqi civilians in Baghdad.

As mountaintop mining hearings get under way, WV enviros blast practice, KY expects big crowds

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Thousands of coal miners fearing the loss of jobs if mountaintop removal mining is curtailed or outlawed crowded public hearings in three states Tuesday on the much-debated practice.

Calendar of major business events scheduled for Wednesday

Major business events and economic events scheduled for Wednesday:

Senate Democrats defeat McCain bid to force testimony by Afghanistan commander by mid-November

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Thursday to delay a face-to-face briefing from the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, who hours earlier had warned that al-Qaida terrorists could regain ground there if a new war plan isn’t adopted soon.

Senators, AP’s Curley: Gov’t still hiding info from public despite Obama’s openness policy

WASHINGTON — Too many agencies are still holding their secrets close nine months after President Barack Obama ordered the federal government to open the flow of information to the public, advocates of access said Wednesday.

Senators, AP’s Curley: Agencies still shielding information from public despite Obama policy

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s new standards of openness in the federal government have not trickled down to some of its agencies, where officials have used special statutes inserted into bills to skirt the Freedom of Information Act, open government advocates said Wednesday.

Obama administration warns against quick end to $700 billion bank bailout

WASHINGTON — The nation’s economic recovery has just begun and “we still have work to do,” a senior Treasury official told Congress on Thursday, the strongest signal yet that the administration is prepared to extend its $700 billion bank bailout fund.

Senate confirms Gerard Lynch of New York for 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday confirmed Gerard Lynch for the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, giving overwhelming approval to the New York judge who presided over cases involving former basketball coach Isiah Thomas and recording artist Lil’ Kim.

US envoy says that despite recent rise in violence in Iraq, withdrawal timetable is holding

WASHINGTON — The U.S. ambassador to Iraq told Congress on Thursday that despite a recent rash of insurgent attacks, the U.S. is on track to removing all its combat forces by next August. “We are holding to this timetable,” Christopher Hill told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in his first congressional testimony since taking over the top U.S. diplomatic post in Baghdad in April.

Kennedy supporters to press Mass. lawmakers at hearing to let governor name interim senator

BOSTON — Supporters of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy are vowing to pack a public hearing at the Massachusetts Statehouse to press lawmakers to allow Gov. Deval Patrick to name an interim replacement to the vacant Senate seat.

Bankruptcy judge approves Dayton Superior disclosure statement; confirmation hearing set

DAYTON, Ohio — Dayton Superior Corp., which makes products used in concrete construction, said a federal bankruptcy judge in Delaware has approved the company’s disclosure statement.

The Sotomayor catch phrase ‘Wise Latina’ takes on a pop culture life of its own

MIAMI — Wise Latina. The catch phrase of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s Senate confirmation hearings has since taken on a life of its own, generating sales of T-shirts, note cards, dog jerseys and even thongs.

THE INFLUENCE GAME: Lobbyists hire stand-ins to save place in line at congressional hearings

WASHINGTON — Rose and Zine Hosein have stand-up jobs — and get paid $15 an hour for it.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ‘09: Despite spotlight, efforts to reform BCS face tall order in Congress

WASHINGTON — Rep. Joe Barton had a plane to catch, but he wanted to give college football officials a warning before leaving the highly publicized hearing.

End of primary challenge marks smoother sailing for NY Sen. Gillibrand in 2010 election

ALBANY, N.Y. —Kirsten Gillibrand didn’t have the pedigree of a Kennedy, Clinton or a Cuomo. She was not, her critics said, up to the challenge of winning a tough, New York brawl for the U.S. Senate seat Gov. David Paterson handed her.

Confirmation won, Sotomayor set to take oath Saturday as first Hispanic Supreme Court justice

WASHINGTON — When Sonia Sotomayor is sworn in Saturday to the Supreme Court, she’ll be able to claim two firsts: first Hispanic justice and first high court member to have her oath-taking made available to TV cameras.

Sotomayor confirmed as first Hispanic Supreme Court justice in historic Senate vote

WASHINGTON — Sonia Sotomayor won confirmation Thursday as the nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court justice, a history-making Senate vote that capped a summer-long debate heavy with ethnic politics and hints of high court fights to come.

Obama hails confirmation of Sotomayor as Supreme Court justice

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is lauding the barrier-breaking confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court.

Senate breaking ground with historic confirmation of Sotomayor, Supreme Court’s first Hispanic

WASHINGTON — The Senate pressed toward a history-making vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor as the Supreme Court’s first Hispanic justice Thursday, elevating the daughter of Puerto Rican parents after a summer-long debate filled with ethnic politics. She would be the first justice nominated by a Democratic president in a decade and a half.

History, politics shape debate with Senate poised to confirm first Hispanic justice

WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio said he’d break with his party to support Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor Thursday, as the Senate pressed toward a history-making vote to confirm her as the first Hispanic justice over the grave objections of most GOP senators.

Senate agrees to Thursday vote to confirm Sotomayor as Supreme Court’s first Hispanic

WASHINGTON — The Senate has agreed to vote Thursday on confirming Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. The historic vote on President Barack Obama’s first high court nominee will take place in midafternoon. The Senate will have debated her nomination to replace Justice David Souter for about two days.

Sens. Bond, Gregg add to Sotomayor’s GOP support as Senate nears historic Supreme Court vote

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor won more GOP support in her drive toward near-certain Senate confirmation Thursday as the first Hispanic justice, even as a growing chorus of Republicans called her unfit for the bench.

Senate women, Latino leaders anticipate historic confirmation of Sotomayor to Supreme Court

WASHINGTON — The Senate’s Democratic women took to the floor Wednesday to highlight the landmark nature of Sonia Sotomayor’s impending confirmation as the first Hispanic and third female Supreme Court justice, as Latino leaders stressed the vote’s importance to their community, a growing part of the electorate.