http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/election2012/?track=rss Headlines from baltimoresun.com en ©2013, baltimoresun.com Wed, 22 May 2013 11:47:00 -0400 By Richard Simon and Melanie Mason http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-top-irs-official-pleads-5th-amendment-20130522,0,5853268.story?track=rss WASHINGTON — A top Internal Revenue Service official invoked the 5th Amendment and declined to testify Wednesday before a House committee investigating the agency’s mishandling of applications by some conservative groups for tax-exempt status. Wed, 22 May 2013 11:47:00 EDT By Lisa Mascaro and Brian Bennett http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-pn-immigration-reform-to-senate-floor-20130521,0,1276060.story?track=rss WASHINGTON — A sweeping bipartisan plan to overhaul the nation’s immigration system headed to the Senate floor after a key committee approved it Tuesday, but not before tilting the bill to the political right with amendments designed to attract more Republican support. Tue, 21 May 2013 20:02:00 EDT By Michael A. Memoli http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-pn-senate-july-filibuster-20130521,0,5118845.story?track=rss WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that he will delay votes on several of President Obama’s nominees for key posts until July, a decision raising the prospect that he’ll seek further changes to Senate rules that would allow executive appointments to be confirmed by a simple majority. Tue, 21 May 2013 19:27:00 EDT By Wes Venteicher http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-poll-global-warming-clean-energy-priorities-20130521,0,4227375.story?track=rss WASHINGTON – Global warming and clean energy should be priorities for Congress and the president, a majority of Americans said in a recent survey. Tue, 21 May 2013 16:39:00 EDT By Christi Parsons http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-meets-with-young-immigrants-20130521,0,3467676.story?track=rss WASHINGTON -- President Obama met Tuesday with young immigrants and others who expressed their fear that family members will be deported and their hope that Congress will pass new immigration laws to keep families intact. Tue, 21 May 2013 15:29:00 EDT By Richard Simon and Joseph Tanfani http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-top-irs-official-fifth-amendment-20130521,0,6645565.story?track=rss WASHINGTON — A top IRS official in the division that reviews nonprofit groups will invoke the 5th Amendment and refuse to answer questions before a House committee investigating the agency’s improper screening of conservative nonprofit groups. Tue, 21 May 2013 16:17:00 EDT By Joseph Tanfani, Michael A. Memoli, and Melanie Mason http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-irs-no-full-targeting-explanation-20130521,0,2489236.story?track=rss WASHINGTON – The outgoing head of the IRS said the agency still doesn’t know which staff members were responsible for using politically loaded language to screen out nonprofit groups, as senators pressed them to explain how certain conservative organizations applying for tax-exempt status received extra scrutiny. Tue, 21 May 2013 14:32:00 EDT By Lisa Mascaro http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-orrin-hatch-key-immigration-vote-20130521,0,823234.story?track=rss WASHINGTON – When Sen. Orrin Hatch takes his seat on the dais in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, the 79-year-old slides into his status as the most sought-after vote for immigration reform. Tue, 21 May 2013 13:13:00 EDT By Lisa Mascaro http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-high-tech-visas-deal-immigration-20130521,0,3396363.story?track=rss WASHINGTON — The outlines of a possible agreement emerged Tuesday on the criteria for high-skilled visas in the immigration overhaul, potentially paving the way for a key Republican senator to support the sweeping legislation and give it a boost when it comes to a committee vote. Tue, 21 May 2013 12:13:00 EDT By Michael A. Memoli, Matea Gold and Melanie Mason http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-former-irs-commissioner-ig-report-20130521,0,1441805.story?track=rss WASHINGTON -- The former top official of the Internal Revenue Service told senators Tuesday he was “dismayed and saddened” by an inspector general’s report detailing how, during his tenure as IRS commissioner, the agency inappropriately scrutinized targeted conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. Tue, 21 May 2013 11:36:00 EDT