The Hill Articles: May 9, 2013

OVERNIGHT MONEY: Economy in the spotlight OVERNIGHT TECH: New cellphone unlocking bill targets copyright law Thomas Perez: Justice belabored Battling tax evasion, IRS finds ‘substantial’ data on offshore accounts Romney scrapped Benghazi ad in final weeks of campaign Stabenow releases Senate farm bill draft OVERNIGHT ENERGY: EPA nomination faces some hard math OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: US commander sounds alarm on Syria Senate approves measure to protect farmers from oil spill regulations OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Pelosi brushes off ObamaCare worries Senate honors victims of 16th Street Baptist Church bombing FDA approves pet food X-rays Romney to visit ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ next week Biden defends Obama’s climate change record Dem presses Transportation nominee to drop FAA’s ban on in-flight electronics Measure to change military’s judicial code gains support of House panel Ex-constituents ask judge to sentence Jesse Jackson Jr. to hard time Report: Judd Gregg leading contender for $3 million job at Wall Street lobby DAY’S END ROUNDUP Biden: Obama had ‘big grin’ following surprise statement backing gay marriage Lawmakers urge NASA to be mindful of budget constraints Bill would require lawmakers be told of ‘kill/capture’ missions Pelosi dismisses her role in Sanford victory Obama administration clashes with Congress on parental abductions Hill staffers go gaga for Prince Harry Prince Harry begins 7-day US tour with visits to Capitol Hill, White House Boeing: ‘Dreamliner’ demand rising as plane nears return to service GOP proposes review of abortion practices in light of Gosnell trial Let Immigration Judges be judges Obama pushes $9 minimum wage bill in visit to red state Texas GOP lawmaker: My stomach surgery could add 20 years to my life A bipartisan case for chained CPI Cruz: Homeland Security has its mind made up on border security Senate moves forward on water bill Poll: Justin Timberlake top pop musician voters would like to see as president Iranians sanctioned for aiding nuclear program Coons withdraws amendment to stop deportations to unsafe areas House lawmakers push to use port taxes to improve US harbors Ky. governor backs ObamaCare Medicaid expansion House Oversight chair rips White House on blown deadline McCain takes aim at ‘unfair’ cable TV bundles Colbert tries to sever South Carolina ties after his sister loses House race Pelosi: Dems eager for ‘remarkable’ reforms coming in ObamaCare Obama officials roll out climate and health data tool Democratic Rep. Hahn: Healthcare law will result in fewer ‘bad marriages’ Senate votes to confirm two judicial nominations Angus King: Regulators could jeopardize ObamaCare Rep. Fudge touts Jackson Jr.’s karaoke skills in plea for lenient sentence Rep. George Miller ‘doing great’ after surgery WATCH LIVE: Michelle Obama hosts Mother’s Day Tea at White House GOP lawmaker: Boehner ‘complicit’ if Benghazi panel blocked Top commander warns Syria will ‘break apart’ post-Assad Kerry warns Russia about ‘destabilizing’ arms sales to Syria Homeland Security Committee chairman: Administration won’t acknowledge threat of ‘radical Islam’ Congressman McHenry quotes Beyoncé: ‘You ought to put a ring on it’ White House: GOP displaying ‘historic level of obstructionism’ with EPA vote boycott Rep. Steve King: Obama ‘lowering American values’ House Intel chairman urges White House to elevate cyber talks with China WH official: Obama won’t negotiate on debt limit McCain curses in joking jab about Kerry job performance FCC moves to speed up in-flight Internet Boehner presses Obama to order release of State Department emails on Benghazi Experts call for outside panel to weed out useless regulations Reid refuses to apologize for calling Cruz a ‘bully’ Karzai caps number of US bases in postwar Afghanistan Administration moves to create cutoff for student loan help House GOP says appropriations bills will be on the floor in June Rubio’s moment of truth WATCH LIVE: Obama kicks off jobs tour in Texas Sen. Graham hints at possible compromise on DOE hold Obama’s Full Faith and Credit Act crock Senate panel vote signals Republican support for immigration reform Schumer: Rental car companies are ‘rolling the dice’ with drivers’ lives HHS issues new funds for ObamaCare enrollment efforts Murray: GOP is holding the budget process ‘hostage’ Poll: Majority support Jason Collins announcement, gay Boy Scouts Strategic Command orders review of nuclear operations Democrat hits colleague for saying ‘God won’t allow us to ruin our planet’ Gingrich-backed group endorses Gomez for Mass. Senate Lieberman: Congress must provide more funding to local police in terror fight Former Ford lobbyist joins Bockorny Group Judiciary adopts six amendments to tighten border Sen. Durbin: Christie had a ‘lap what?’ Republicans probe state abortion regs, citing Kermit Gosnell House passes GOP bill to prioritize nation’s debt payments Senators call on Obama to arm Syrian rebels against Assad Fannie Mae will pay $59.4 billion to the Treasury Boston bombing suspect buried after controversy Val Kilmer unveils new ‘lobbyist’ hairdo on Capitol Hill Obama-backed natural-gas van company shuts down Paul Ryan: ObamaCare will ‘collapse’ GAO blasts TSA on security cards Secret Service agent says he was ‘railroaded’ in prostitution scandal White House meeting with lawmakers on military sexual assault GOP boycott thwarts EPA vote McConnell: Obama’s ‘pivot’ to jobs is all about the ‘visual’ Has America finally lost patience with the Clintons? Ryan blasts ‘arrogant and condescending’ progressive ideas Credit raters wary of GOP debt limit bill Friday’s meeting announcements: Advising the Navy secretary Eva Longoria testifies at Senate committee hearing GOP won’t offer input on nominees to controversial ObamaCare panel Reid: GOP will use ‘every trick in the book’ to stop Perez nomination White House announces competition for manufacturing innovation hubs White House to release ‘vast’ troves of data from federal agencies San Francisco debates naming airport terminal after gay activist Harvey Milk New regs for Friday: Revamped Coast Guard Auxiliary rules DCCC launches effort to support top recruits, NRCC announces top Dem targets GOP to boycott EPA nominee vote News bites: Huawei CEO breaks silence, denies threat Nevada members: Bring government conferences back to Las Vegas Rubio: Clinton’s handling of Benghazi was ‘sad’ News bites: Circulation increase News bites: Too much? Weekly jobless claims fall to new 5-year low Second poll suggests tighter race between Markey, Gomez Camp, Baucus launch new tax reform website News bites: Selling ObamaCare Coburn: Reid a ‘failure’ as Senate leader Thursday: Debt ceiling backup plan Sen. Coburn: ‘Glaring omission’ in Benghazi information from State Dept. News bites: Obama meets with power execs, Shell goes deep for offshore oil, and more Boston police chief to press Congress for more security funding Rubio: GOP not ‘trying to gut’ immigration bill Report: White House chief of staff grabs beer with Paul Ryan Census Bureau: Black turnout passed white voters in 2012 Biden: Congress ‘must’ pass immigration reform this summer South Dakota gets first Democratic candidate for Senate News bites: Big banks hire heavy hitters to fend off regulations MORNING READ McConnell borrows Obama tactics for 2014 Gay-rights issue may kill Gang of Eight’s immigration reform bill EU officials press for trade pact Technology firms jealously guard worker visas in Senate immigration bill Medal-winning wrestlers go to mat to keep sport in Olympic Games Conflicts loom as lawmakers tackle sexual assaults in the military VIDEO: EU officials say trade deal must be comprehensive Poll: Markey builds strong lead over Gomez in Mass. Senate race Obama, House Democrats talk jobs, deficit reduction Gomez distances himself from outside group under attack from Democrats Reid backs changes to military’s judicial code following rise in sexual assaults ObamaCare repeal vote next week in House Whistle blown on Benghazi