In Today’s Times:
President Obama’s decision to sidestep Congress on climate change in the coming weeks by announcing new limits on carbon dioxide emissions for existing power plants will probably ignite a legal battle with Republicans and some industries, even though the plants are the “largest single source of global warming pollution in the country,†John M. Broder writes.
Clarifying plans that seemed to confuse the financial markets, the Federal Reserve said that it would scale back its economic stimulus programs over the next year but only if unemployment continues to fall at or better than the rate the central bank hopes, Binyamin Appelbaum writes.
Sheryl Stolberg profiles Ken Mehlman, the once-closeted gay Republican perative who helped President George W. Bush win re-election on a platform that included opposition to same-sex marriage, as he tries to persuade his fellow Republicans to reverse course and support same-sex marriage.
James Risen and Nick Wingfield mine the “complex reality†created by the deepening bond between the technology firms of Silicon Valley and the national intelligence community, a relationship that was highlighted when the top security official at Facebook left to work at the National Security Agency.
On a tastier topic, Jennifer Steinhauer looks at how Michelle Obama is using a culinary contest to encou! rage healthy cooking at home, the third prong of her childhood fitness agenda, which includes more exercise and better school lunches.
John Harwood explains how Mr. Obama’s near-complete absence from a quarter of the 50 states reflects “routine cost-benefit calculations of the modern presidency†that may have consequences “in a country splintered by partisanship and race.â€
Around the Web:
The inspector general of the Office of Personnel Management will tell Congress on Thursday that some federal contractors and workers faked thousands of background checks used to gain security clearance as their work went without oversight, Bloomberg News reports. That process will be the focus of a joint hearing of panels under the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs at 2:30 p.m.
By a vote of 93-4, the Senate confirmed Michael Froman as the next United States trade representative, despite opposition mainly from Democrats who said he needed to make negotiations over a major trade agreement more transparent, according to The Hill.
Happening in Washington:
Economic reports expected Thursday include weekly jobless claims at 8:30 a.m., followed at 10 a.m. by weekly mortgage rates and May’s leading indicators and existing home sales.
The House will continue debate on the farm bill after it convenes at 9 a.m.
The Supreme Court issues its latest orders and decisions at 10 a.m.
At noon, House Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, will deliver the keynote address at the annual summit of the National Association of Manufacturers.
At 2:45 p.m., members of the Senate Armed Services Committee will get a confidential briefing on the National Security Agency’s electronic surveillance programs.
Karen Mills, the administrator of the Small Business Administration, and Jack Dorsey, a founding executive of Twitter and Square, take part in events for National Small Business Week.
