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February 16, 2015

By several accounts, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is considering a U.S. Senate run, taking his time and weighing whether he wants to jump into an election battle that already includes state Attorney General Kamala Harris.

Villaraigosa's deliberations have not gone unnoticed in the central San Joaquin Valley, where Latinos — who are both allies and detractors — are eagerly awaiting a decision in the race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer.

February 14, 2015

A labor standoff at ports along the West Coast is threatening the flow of cargo as docks are being closed to incoming ships.

Twenty-nine ports in states from Washington to California that normally process 340 million tons of cargo packages per year that are later shipped via truck and rail to cities across the country are shutting down for the weekend due to labor unrest.

Lawmakers are calling for the White House to intervene to prevent the shutdown from continuing past Monday.

February 12, 2015

The United States on Wednesday launched a legal challenge to Chinese export subsidies supporting billions of dollars of exports across a wide swathe of industries from steel to shrimp.

US trade representative Michael Froman said Chinese companies in designated export hubs benefited from free or subsidised services, cash grants and other incentives which gave their products an unfair advantage.

February 12, 2015

A bipartisan coalition of members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation on Feb. 4 to overhaul the current Renewable Fuel Standard regulations and its outdated ethanol mandates.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and 40 co-sponsors introduced the Renewable Fuel Standard Reform Act of 2015, which includes provisions to recognize that fuel usage has changed since the original legislation was passed in 2005 and the provisions in the bill, especially those requiring higher concentrations of ethanol, are outdated.

February 12, 2015

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to put the House on record urging President Obama to step in and end a labor dispute snarling West Coast ports if there isn't an agreement soon.

"This is one of the gravest threats to our nation right now," said four House members who have drafted a bipartisan resolution. "We are seeing businesses, farmers,and manufacturers affected all across the country. The slowdown is not just a West Coast problem, but a national problem."

February 12, 2015

WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans and Democrats are working together to reach a rapid resolution of a labor dispute that's clogging West Coast ports.

With crop exports from regions like the Pacific Northwest and California's Central Valley particularly at risk, more than a dozen lawmakers united Thursday in support of port peace. If nothing else, the rare show of bipartisanship underscored the enduring importance of maritime trade.

February 11, 2015

Congressman Costa was saddened to learn about the passing of basketball Hall of Fame coach Jerry Tarkanian. A graduate of Fresno State University, Coach Tarkanian never forgot his humble Armenian beginnings or the colleges and universities where he coached for 31 years.

February 11, 2015

WASHINGTON--The U.S. opened a new front in the long-running trade conflict with China, challenging a broad program Beijing uses to subsidize export businesses.

The new challenge at the World Trade Organization is part of the Obama administration's efforts to step up enforcement of trade rules to win support for its efforts to conclude a new trade agreement with Pacific countries.

President Barack Obama last month warned that the new bloc under negotiation, which includes Japan but not China, is important to prevent Beijing from writing the rules of trade in the Pacific area.

February 9, 2015

Ooops! They did it again. Representatives Goodlatte, Welch, Womack andCosta are back with their bill to reform the Renewable Fuel Standards. It's goes by the more formal name and less descriptive name; H.R. 703. It was introduced as legislation on Feb 4, 2015.

February 6, 2015

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans pushed through two bills this week designed to undermine key environmental and financial regulations by jamming federal courts with lawsuits.