In Today’s Times:
- The fate of peace talks with the Taliban may hinge on whether the United States exchanges five prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for an American prisoner of war, a move a Taliban spokesman said would be a way to “build bridges of confidence†between the two parties, Charlie Savage reports.
- As Congress works through the proposal that could become the first immigration overhaul in a quarter-century, the White House has quietly set up a war room on Capitol Hill to coordinate strategy and help secure passage of the legislation, Michael D. Shear reports.
- Two Senate Republicans emphasizing the divide between him and the more conservative faction of his party, Ron Nixon reports.
Washington Happenings:
- On Friday President Obama is expected to announce the nomination of James B. Comey, a senior Justice Department official who served under President George W. Bush, to be the next F.B.I. director.
- In light of the recent scandal at the Internal Revenue Service, the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, will give a speech about “Washington’s ongoing assault on free speech†at the American Enterprise Institute at 10 a.m.
- The advisory committee of the Congressional Internet Caucus will hold an event on privacy and the National Security Agency at noon.
