Politics - Bloomberg

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- The University of California, Berkeley's business school named Richard K. Lyons, chief learning officer at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. until earlier this month, as its dean.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp.'s plug-in electric car, the Chevrolet Volt, is becoming a must-have prop for the U.S. presidential candidates as they try to appeal to workers in contested states such as Michigan and Ohio and show their commitment to weaning the country off of imported oil.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- A warning by Republican presidential candidate John McCain that al-Qaeda may increase terrorist attacks ``as we get into the election season'' prompted news organizations to report that he was referring to the U.S. election.

July 19 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush, a lame duck with approval ratings under 30 percent, still managed to roll up a few victories in recent weeks.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need a new structure and shouldn't remain private if they receive capital from the government, said John McCain's leading economic adviser, while Obama's top economist urged quick action on a Treasury plan to shore up the companies.

July 19 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama is on track to raise about $100 million more than Republican rival John McCain, allowing him to outspend his opponent while investing in states traditionally inhospitable to Democratic candidates.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel called for an ethics investigations into allegations that he sought donations for an academic center named after him from groups with interests before his panel.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic lawmakers sought to put a constraint on the Treasury's request for unlimited power to buy and lend to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a step that didn't temper Secretary Henry Paulson's optimism about a deal.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson tried to rally support yesterday for his plan to rescue Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and said he is confident Congress will pass it by next week.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Billionaire Frank Lowy, Australia's second-richest person, set up a secret Liechtenstein bank account to hide at least $68 million from tax collectors, a U.S. Senate panel said.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama raised $52 million in June, his second-biggest monthly haul and more than double Republican rival John McCain's total.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- After years of trading insults with Iran, the Bush administration is trying a gentler approach, a tack that produced results in dealings with two longtime U.S. adversaries, North Korea and Libya.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, for years among the most formidable lobbying forces in corporate America, have seen their political influence decline along with their financial fortunes.

July 19 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama arrived in Afghanistan today on a mission to meet with military commanders and local officials in a country he wants to make the focus of the U.S. war against terrorism.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama and John McCain, in a rare note of harmony on national security, both want a surge of troops into Afghanistan. Experts say adding forces won't help much in combating insurgents unless Pakistan joins the fight.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- House Minority Leader John Boehner said the U.S. economy is surprisingly strong and dismissed calls by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a second stimulus package of tax rebate checks.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she supports a second economic stimulus measure this year of about $50 billion to aid the slowing U.S. economy.

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama and John McCain, in a rare note of harmony on national security, both want a surge of troops into Afghanistan. Experts say adding forces won't help much in combating insurgents unless Pakistan joins the fight.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Europe's top trade official urged Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to abandon ``crowd- pleasing'' rhetoric that casts doubt on the U.S. commitment to unfettered markets.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- The political party likely to pose the toughest challenge to Hamid Karzai's re-election as president of Afghanistan next year is supporting Barack Obama's plan to boost U.S. troop strength in the country.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- After Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke detailed to a U.S. House panel yesterday the Fed's new efforts to toughen mortgage-lending rules, Representative Barney Frank praised him and panned his predecessor.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson tried to rally support yesterday for his plan to rescue Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and said he is confident Congress will pass it by next week.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones has a photo of Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone on his wall, and he uses the theme music from ``The Godfather'' as his cell- phone ring tone.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- The flags of Iran, Afghanistan and Tehran-based Abad Rahan Pars Road & Construction Co. fly above a railroad work camp west of the Afghan city of Herat, signaling another commercial incursion from across the border.

July 16 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush invoked executive privilege to avoid turning over records of an FBI interview of Vice President Dick Cheney and other documents subpoenaed by Congress in the CIA leak investigation.

July 16 (Bloomberg) -- Republican John McCain told the nation's oldest civil rights organization that his prescriptions for school choice and lower taxes offer blacks and other minorities a path out of poverty.

July 16 (Bloomberg) -- The cover of this week's New Yorker magazine may explain why Barack Obama isn't reaching out to Michigan's Muslims.

July 15 (Bloomberg) -- Congressional Democrats are considering a second round of rebates to taxpayers, saying the benefits of the first checks sent to more than 100 million households this year are being eroded by rising energy prices.