Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have won the first round in their fight to dismantle "Obamacare." After nearly 18 hours of debate, Republicans in the House Ways and Means Committee pushed through legislation to abolish the tax penalty the Affordable Health Care Act imposes on people who don't purchase insurance. Former President Barack Obama's so-called individual mandate is perhaps the part of the health care law that Republicans most detest.
BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian activist group says airstrikes targeting a village held by the Islamic State group in northern Syria have killed 14 people, including six children. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says U.S.-led coalition aircraft were believed to have struck the village of Matab before dawn today. Another activist group (Raqqa is Being Silently Slaughtered) gives a higher toll of 18 civilians.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations special envoy for Syria says he intends to bring the government and opposition back to Geneva for a fifth round of talks. The gathering is set for March 23 and the aim is to pursue agreement on a transition to end the six-year war. Envoy Staffan de Mistura says the talks will focus on four issues, governance, a new constitution, elections and counter-terrorism.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah could soon have the strictest DUI threshold in the nation. State lawmakers last night voted to lower the limit for a driver's blood-alcohol content to 0.05 percent, down from 0.08 percent. The measure heads to Utah's governor, who has said he supports the legislation.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Opening statements are expected to begin today in the Medicare fraud trial of a prominent Florida eye doctor who's also accused of bribing a U.S. senator. Federal prosecutors accuse 62-year-old Salomon Melgen of stealing millions from Medicare between 2004 and 2013. They say he prescribed unneeded treatments, filed claims for procedures he never performed and charged for medicine he never purchased. Melgen faces a bribery trial this fall in New Jersey with Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
