US-POLITICS Summary

President Barack ObamaBarack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, selecting a woman who would be the court's first Hispanic justice and a liberal who is unlikely to change its ideological balance. Sotomayor, 54, is a U.S. appeals court judge who grew up in a public housing project in New York City and is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents. She would replace retiring Justice David SouterJustice David Souter, who was part of the court's liberal wing.

New optimism on U.S. healthcare, but obstacles remain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress has started work on a broad overhaul of the healthcare system in a rare spirit of optimism, but brewing battles over its cost, scope and structure could still scuttle hopes for a solution. From President Barack Obama's declaration that "the stars are aligned" on healthcare to a recent cost-cutting pledge by a half-dozen industry groups, momentum has built steadily on an issue that has eluded consensus for decades.

Original source