Lawmakers to vote on last-minute debt deal, Posted by Meosha Eaton

(Reuters) - After months of vitriolic discord, Republican and Democratic lawmakers were expected to vote on Monday on a White House-backed deal to raise the U.S. borrowing limit and avert an unprecedented debt default.

The Democratic-led Senate is expected to pass the deal, which raises the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling and cuts about $2.4 trillion from the deficit over the next decade.

U.S. tightens Libya sanctions; key senators back Obama, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Nine companies owned, controlled by Gaddafi targeted

* U.S. Treasury removes sanctions from a Libyan defector

* Kerry, McCain want Senate to endorse U.S. role in Libya (Adds House Republicans discuss possible votes, paras 14-16)

By Rachelle Younglai and Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday tightened financial sanctions on the Libyan government and two influential senators pushed back against calls to halt funding for American involvement in NATO operations there.

Statement by the Press Secretary on Violence in Yemen, Posted by Meosha Eaton

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2011

Statement by the Press Secretary on Violence in Yemen

The United States condemns in the strongest terms the senseless acts of violence today in Yemen, including the attack against the Presidential Palace compound in Sana’a as well as other attacks in Sana'a and throughout the country. We call on all sides to cease hostilities immediately and to pursue an orderly and peaceful process of transferring political power as called for in the GCC-brokered agreement.