Congress approves bill to repeal Obama’s health care plan
WASHINGTON – The GOP-led Congress sent legislation to President Barack Obama Wednesday repealing his signature health law, fulfilling a promise to Republican voters in a presidential election year but inviting a certain veto.
The nearly party-line vote in the House was 240-181. The legislation already passed the Senate last year under special rules protecting it from Democratic obstruction, so it goes straight to the White House.
Republicans boasted of a signal achievement, saying they were forcing Obama to face up to the failures of his law while illustrating the stark political choices voters face.
“We are confronting the president with the hard, honest truth,” said Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. “Obamacare doesn’t work.”
Last sugar plantation in Hawaii switching to new business
HONOLULU – Hawaii’s last sugar plantation is getting out of the sugar-growing business.
Alexander & Baldwin Inc. said Wednesday that it will phase out sugar by the end of 2016. Its 36,000 acre-Maui plantation will be divided into smaller farms to grow biofuels and food crops. The land will also provide irrigated pasture to local cattle ranchers.
About half of the 675 people who work for its Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar subsidiary will be laid off starting in March, the company said. Employees will be given preference on the leases of agricultural lots.
The company plans to complete its last sugar harvest this year.
Iraq offers to help Saudi Arabia, Iran resolve their dispute
TEHRAN, Iran – Iraq on Wednesday offered to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran after tensions soared following the kingdom’s execution of a Shiite cleric and attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in the Islamic Republic.
The standoff has seen Saudi Arabia sever diplomatic ties with its longtime regional rival and could hinder efforts to resolve the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, where Riyadh and Tehran back opposite sides, as well as affect the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari proposed mediation during a news conference in Tehran, but also referred to the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr as a “crime.”
Saudi Arabia and its allies say al-Nimr was found guilty of terrorism charges, and that condemnations of the execution amount to meddling in Riyadh’s internal affairs.
Associated Press
