The Hill Articles: July 28, 2014

$17B deal reached to overhaul VA House GOP scales back border bill in scramble for conservative support Medicare, Social Security march toward insolvency Finding a humanitarian solution to our border crisis Congressional Black Caucus blasts GOP lawsuit Business Bottom Line Just say nyet to Russian fish Taxes on cigarettes help reduce number of smokers Strengthen power plan rules to avoid climate haymaker John Feehery: Republican Rubik’s Cube Bill Press: Prohibition on pot House passes measure to boost federal agency website security OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Lawmakers reach $17B deal on VA bill Pelosi calls for quick vote on Veterans Affairs bill Senate to confirm VA nominee Tuesday OVERNIGHT ENERGY: The climate rule blitz OVERNIGHT FINANCE: How fast will Fed enter ‘exit mode?’ McConnell leads Grimes in Ky. poll OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN: Lamar rises over Rocky Top Inhofe blocks climate change resolution OVERNIGHT TECH: Eyes on Leahy for new NSA reform bill Reid sets up border bill vote OVERNIGHT HEALTHCARE: Medicare insolvency date pushed back House passes bill to toughen North Korea sanctions McCarthy predicts Senate flip, House GOP gains Reid blocks GOP amendments to outsourcing bill Senate confirms Fourth Circuit nominee OVERNIGHT REGULATION: Big test for climate regs House clears child abuse prevention bill House passes bill to help prevent attacks on infrastructure Tech layoffs could hit highest level since 2009 House passes Customs and Border Protection authorization Path forward for equity market structure Susan Rice interrupted by protester during Israel speech Malaysia Airlines considering name change Republicans accuse Valerie Jarrett of ‘colluding’ with insurer ‘Brain drain’ in Congress as staffers bolt for K St. Castro is sworn in to lead HUD Dems ask FCC to umpire baseball television fight Grassley files amendments to restore wind, biodiesel tax credits Whitehouse: House highway bill is ‘pathetic’ Solitary confinement at ‘Alcatraz of the Rockies’ Lawmakers vow to stand by Israel in Gaza fight Greenpeace calls for halt to federal coal leasing America’s bright energy future Nelson: Stopping the drugs will solve border crisis Ridding the world of Assad’s chemical weapons General Mills to reduce GHG emissions from agriculture House passes bill for ‘transparent’ airline ticket prices Reid: ‘We can do better’ to help defend Israel Lawmaker: Coal is Obama’s ‘kryptonite’ Smith & Wesson fined $2M for overseas bribes FAA fines Southwest Airlines $12M for faulty repairs White House: Israel has ‘no stronger defender’ than John Kerry US, EU to up Russian sanctions this week Where does McCarthy stand on voting rights? OKCupid admits to experimenting on users Gwen Graham looks to dad in new ads GOP resolution directs Obama to solve border crisis himself Rule would give seasonal government workers health benefits Ga. Democrat’s campaign worries exposed GAO: FCC flying blind on broadcasters’ sharing deals Need for ENDA in 2014 NASA moves to protect whistleblowers Coburn: DOD employees avoiding taxes Report: DOD workers with access to secrets owe $730M in taxes Greens expect ‘busloads’ to support EPA climate rule at hearings The Washington, D.C. common sense test Feds move to crack down on bogus phone charges Bill would ban funding for National Endowment for the Humanities The Hill names Bob Cusack Editor in Chief USDA may relax import restrictions on Mexican pork Report: North Korea threatens nuclear strike on White House Friends with money: A new dynamic in foreign affairs EPA chief won’t attend public hearings on climate rule Power outage forces EPA to move climate hearing Dem super-PAC hits Ernst for Koch ties Panel steps up safety probe after fed lab scares DC Metro Silver Line opens with 51K inaugural weekend riders Sessions: Border bill should ban more executive orders Pending home sales slowed in June New regs for Tuesday: Whistleblowers, gas pipelines, swine flu Brown hits Shaheen on border crisis EPA chief: Climate rule ‘changing tone’ of talks Public Citizen hits Murray Energy on climate rule National monuments, about land or territory? Dodd-Frank is the new ObamaCare Bill Clinton returning to Kentucky Week ahead: Anti-skin-cancer bill gets its day in the sun W.H. ups pressure on offshore tax deals Will Chamber back Landrieu? Bankers plead for relief from ‘regulatory tsunami’ GOP Senate candidate escapes NC legislative session Survey: Journalists, lawyers change habits to avoid NSA snooping W.Va. Dem turns off lights on White House The week ahead: Lawmakers eye highway fund exit ramp Time to eliminate Hamas’s rockets Monday: Nominations, sanctions Liberal ad ties Iowa candidate to oil industry Palin launches channel to take on ‘mainstream media’ NYT cheers ‘breakthrough’ NSA reform bill Russia suggests Western sanctions embolden it Week ahead: EPA heads into battle on climate rule Obama should channel Reagan on Russia Investigators again retreat from MH17 site Rogers: Kerry has led Israel to think it’s alone This changes nothing: Don’t call the MH17 crash a ‘turning point’ Every Democratic Senate candidate should invite Elizabeth Warren Special education law in need of an overhaul Juan Williams: Shame of the GOP on border Judd Gregg: We need Ex-Im in real world GOP: Border patrol agents handcuffed by wildlife rules Jobless rate falls; Dems don’t rise This Week in Tech: House returns to patents This week: Crunch time as recess looms Partition of Iraq is not a good idea