With high-tech visa compromise, immigration reform proponents win GOP ally
With a final committee vote on a comprehensive immigration reform bill finally in sight, proponents of immigration reform won the support of a key Republican panel member after hammering out a bipartisan compromise dealing with visas for high-skilled foreign workers.

£400k handed out to “silence” council workers
ALMOST £400,000 was paid out to axed council staff last year to prevent them going to a tribunal or speaking out against their former employer.

Gagging orders cover £115m of council payouts
COUNCILS have signed agreements relating to payouts of more than £115m in the past three years. The majority contain gagging orders that prevent individuals from blowing the whistle on poor practice and wrongdoing.

Austria Seeks Tax Compromise With EU On After Standoff
Austria is pushing the European Union to take a tougher stance toward offshore financial centers in a long-delayed tax agreement in an effort to overcome political deadlock when EU finance ministers meet next week.

300 police officers gagged at cost of up to £250,000 each
More than 300 police officers have been gagged at the taxpayers' expense at a cost of up to £250,000 each.        

Immigration reform legislation sent to Senate floor
WASHINGTON, May 21 (UPI) -- The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 Tuesday night to send U.S. immigration reform legislation to the Senate floor.

Horne, Bisbee to compromise regarding civil unions
As the battle over same sex marriage continues to remain in the spotlight nationally, AG Tom Horne is taking on the issue locally.

Leaders see 2013 legislative adjournment in sight
DES MOINES, Iowa --- The split-control Legislature inched toward adjournment on its 18th day of overtime session Tuesday.

'Fracking' supporters say Ill. bill ready for vote
Supporters of high-volume oil and gas drilling said Wednesday that they hope for a quick vote on a bill to regulate the practice in Illinois after reaching agreements on hiring and environmental concerns. ...

Swaps Vote Is Another Big Win for the Big Banks
Click on the section of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission website about the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial-reform law and the first thing that jumps out is a quotation, in bold, from CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler about how Dodd-Frank would transform the derivatives market -- for the better.