U.S. Top News: Gun-control drive to get first votes in Congress

	Click to View in Browser 03/7/2013 Gun-control drive to get first votes in Congress WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Less than three months after the Connecticut school massacre, members of a Senate committee on Thursday will cast the first votes in Congress on measures backed by President Barack Obama to tighten gun laws. Gabby Giffords takes gun control message to scene of Tucson shooting TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, returning to the site of the shooting rampage where she was gravely wounded, on Wednesday urged senators to "be courageous" and support background checks for all gun buyers. In Louisiana, a conservative backlash against gun control BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (Reuters) - In the gun-friendly state of Louisiana, the backlash against President Barack Obama's proposed restrictions on firearms seems to be everywhere. U.S. probes racial disparities in Seattle school discipline SEATTLE (Reuters) - The Education Department is investigating whether Seattle's public school district discriminates against black students by subjecting them to tougher and more frequent discipline than white students, agency and district officials said. BP faces escalating spill payouts after court ruling LONDON (Reuters) - BP must keep paying certain types of oil spill compensation in much larger amounts and to more parties than it was expecting, according to a court ruling which could add billions to its final bill. Senators seek tougher gun background checks for mentally ill CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - A Republican senator introduced bipartisan gun background check legislation on Wednesday that would make it harder for mentally ill people who are considered to be dangerous to buy a firearm. Federal judge strikes down Idaho ban on late-term abortions SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a 2011 Idaho law that banned most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, in a decision believed to mark the first time a court has ruled that such a measure was unconstitutional. Ford recalls 230,000 minivans for corrosion issue DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co is recalling about 230,000 older minivans globally to fix a corrosion problem that could prevent the fold-down third-row seats from locking in place. Storm-affected New York homeowners face repayment pressure: governor NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York state has asked banks to offer homeowners who were allowed to skip mortgage payments in the wake of Superstorm Sandy a relaxed repayment schedule, instead of immediate lump-sum repayments, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday. Oregon man charged with helping in Pakistan bombing granted bond PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday granted bond to an Oregon man charged with conspiracy to provide material support to one of three Islamist militants who carried out a 2009 suicide bombing in Pakistan. Related Video Japanese, Filipinos pay respects to Hugo Chavez Market Pulse: BoE holds fire, historic remit change looms Great Debate Student loan bubble babble With Chavez gone, what of 'Chavismo'? A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend