UN chief prods Senate to tackle climate change

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is pressing the Senate to take action on climate change, but key senators are making it clear that is unlikely to happen this year.

The U.N. chief met with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the status of negotiations on a new international pact to slow global warming before 192 nations meet in Copenhagen next month.

Ban told the senators it was critical for the U.S. to take the lead, but he also said he understood that the Senate may not take concrete action before the talks.

State Senate chief extends olive branch to former rival

In an peace offering, incoming Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater on Thursday named his former rival Miami Sen. Alex Villalobos to the powerful post of Senate rules chairman.

Atwater, a North Palm Beach Republican whose district extends into North Broward, will be sworn in next week for the two-year term as Senate president. It was the job that Villalobos had been selected for when his fellow senators designated him in 2004 to be Senate president in 2008-10.

But a series of votes by Villalobos that angered former Gov. Jeb Bush and other senators put Villalobos in the doghouse, and Atwater was recruited in 2006 to snatch the job away from him.

Caroline Kennedy to seek Clinton’s Senate seat

Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of an American political dynasty, has decided to pursue the United States Senate seat being vacated by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, a person told of her decision said on Monday. Click here for full story

Baucus introduces bill easing Cuba restrictions

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), along with 15 other Democratic and Republican Senators, introduced a bill Wednesday to ease US trade and travel restrictions with Cuba. Click here for full story

In split role, McCain adviser is sometimes a lobbyist

When Senator John McCain led a Senate investigation three years ago of Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist who later pleaded guilty to fraud charges, Mr. Abramoff’s old firm turned to a former McCain campaign adviser for help. Click here for full story