EPA expected to unveil smog rule
WASHINGTON – Coming full circle on a campaign promise, the Obama administration will propose tightening the amount of a smog-forming pollutant in the air.
People familiar with the proposal tell the Associated Press that the EPA will recommend lowering the limit for ground-level ozone to 65 to 70 parts per billion, down from a 75 parts per billion standard set in the 2008.
The proposal will be announced today to meet a court-ordered Dec. 1 deadline.
Judge throws out Mississippi gay ban
JACKSON, Miss. – A federal judge has overturned Mississippi’s ban on same-sex marriage, but he is putting his order on hold for two weeks so the state can appeal.
U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday.
State attorneys have already said they will ask the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to block Reeves’ order.
Mississippi has a 1997 law and a 2004 voter-approved constitutional amendment that define marriage as being between a man and a woman.
White House vows veto over tax breaks
WASHINGTON – The White House is working feverishly to quickly scuttle a congressional effort to permanently renew generous tax breaks for businesses and individuals, saying a plan brewing on Capitol Hill favored corporations over the working class.
Speculation on Capitol Hill on Tuesday focused on a potential agreement to permanently enact tax breaks on business investments in new equipment and research and development.
The White House immediately weighed in with a veto threat, saying Congress should also make permanent a top Obama administration priority, extending more generous tax credits for the working poor and people with children.
Associated Press
