Harris Corp wins $1.7 billion U.S. defense contract: Pentagon

Ex-Michigan lawmaker to stand trial; charges dismissed against another
(Reuters) – A Michigan judge on Tuesday dismissed charges against a former state representative, while ruling another lawmaker should stand trial after he tried to hide their extramarital affair, according to a prosecutor’s office spokeswoman.

Trump adds new twist to immigration proposals, but legal doubts persist
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal for suspending immigration from parts of the world with a history of terrorism could have a legal basis, but his assertion that it be part of a broader ban on Muslim immigrants makes it constitutionally untenable, legal scholars say.

Justice Department should analyze Dow-DuPont deal: senator
CHICAGO (Reuters) – The chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday urged federal antitrust officials to conduct a “careful analysis” of Dow Chemical Co’s proposed $130 billion merger with DuPont, adding pressure on officials to scrutinize how rapid consolidation in agriculture will affect farmers and consumers.

Obama to meet the Dalai Lama at White House on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will meet the Dalai Lama on Wednesday at the White House, the White House said.

Senators introduce bill aimed at getting generic drugs to market
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Four U.S. senators – two Democrats and two Republicans – introduced a bill on Tuesday aimed at preventing big pharmaceutical companies from using safety rules to prevent generic drugs from coming to market.

Former allies of NJ’s Christie fail to dismiss Bridgegate indictment
(Reuters) – A federal judge refused to dismiss a criminal indictment against two former allies of New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie over their alleged roles in the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal, known as Bridgegate.

House votes to protect ‘dark money’ political donors
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to protect the identities of wealthy individuals and others who make anonymous, or “dark money,” donations to politically active nonprofit groups.

Trump gains slightly on Clinton after Florida attack: Reuters/Ipsos poll
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Hillary Clinton’s lead over Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race has narrowed since late last week, according to the results of the first Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted since the Orlando shooting rampage on Sunday.

Cleveland sued over speech rights outside Republican convention
CLEVELAND (Reuters) – Three groups planning to demonstrate at the Republican National Convention in July sued the city of Cleveland on Tuesday, seeking immediate changes to security measures due to their “unacceptable restrictions” on free speech.

Senate to debate Puerto Rico debt bill: McConnell
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate this month will debate legislation that passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives and aims to give Puerto Rico some relief from its $70 billion debt, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday.

Senate leader McConnell says wants to deny guns to ‘terrorists’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said “nobody wants terrorists to have firearms” and that he was open to suggestions from experts on legislation that could address the problem.

Sanders previews convention demands ahead of meeting with Clinton
WASHINGTON – Hours before rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were to meet on Tuesday when the Democratic presidential nominating contests conclude, Sanders said he would push for “the most progressive platform” ever passed at the party’s convention next month and to reform the nominating process.

U.S. Senate passes $602 billion defense authorization bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to pass a $602 billion defense authorization bill, despite President Barack Obama’s threat to veto the annual policy measure over issues including a ban on closing the Guantanamo military prison.

U.S. backs referendum against Venezuela’s President Maduro
SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Tuesday for a referendum that could force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from office amid the OPEC nation’s deepening economic and political crisis.

Russian spies hack U.S. Democratic Party computers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Russian government hackers penetrated the computer network of the Democratic National Committee and gained access to the entire database of opposition research on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, the committee and security researchers said Tuesday.

Speaker Ryan distances himself from Trump Muslim ban
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – House speaker Paul Ryan, the top U.S. elected Republican, on Tuesday distanced himself from presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims from a variety of countries in a further sign of establishment unease with Trump’s agenda.

U.S. Secretary of State Kerry, Venezuelan counterpart to meet
SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet his Venezuelan counterpart Delcy Rodriguez on Tuesday at a meeting of Western foreign ministers, U.S. officials said, as Venezuela’s socialist government struggles with a deepening crisis.

Trump to meet with House Republicans on July 7: Politico
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will meet with House of Representatives Republicans on July 7, Politico reported on Tuesday.

Obama to travel to Orlando on Thursday: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will travel to Orlando, Florida, on Thursday to pay respects to families of the victims of Sunday’s shooting at a nightclub, the White House said on Monday.

Trump’s post-Orlando message falls flat with Republican establishment
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – The mass shooting in Orlando, Florida has allowed Donald Trump to seize upon a familiar issue he has used to great advantage –the threat of Islamist militants and his plan to limit Muslim immigration to the United States, offering him what could be a crucial moment to re-boot his sputtering presidential campaign.

Ex-California lawmaker to plead guilty in corruption case: prosecutors
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A former California state senator accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from a businessman and from undercover FBI agents has agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud, federal prosecutors said on Monday.