WASHINGTON (AP) — Taking aim at deceptive lending, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to ban mortgage brokers and loan officers from getting greater pay for offering higher interest rates on loans, and to require that borrowers prove they can repay their loans.

From CNN: Washington — President Obama announced Saturday he will make recess appointments of 15 nominees who are awaiting confirmation by the full Senate.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law a package of tax breaks and spending designed to give the U.S. a jobs boost by encouraging the private sector to start hiring again. It is the first of several such measures Democrats have promised this election year to address the public’s top worry: jobs. […]

Millions of Americans have lost jobs and businesses during the worst recession in recent history. This crisis has affected Black Americans disproportionately as many of them live in cities directly hit by crises such as the auto industry bust and discriminatory lending. Have you been affected by the recession? Tell us your story. -NewsOne Staff […]

From the NY Times: Harold E. Ford Jr., the former Tennessee congressman who has sought to parlay his star power and Wall Street connections into a political career in New York, has decided not to challenge Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand in the Democratic primary this September.

From NYTimes.com: WASHINGTON — President Obama will put forward comprehensive health care legislation intended to bridge differences between Senate and House Democrats ahead of a summit meeting with Republicans next week, senior administration officials and Congressional aides said Thursday.

CHICAGO — That historically all-white club known as the U.S. Senate is likely to lose what little diversity it has after November’s elections.

From CNN: Washington — Dozens of lawmakers support legislation that would set up a more streamlined system for matching Haitian orphans with families in the United States, a U.S. senator said Tuesday.

BOSTON — In an epic upset in liberal Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown rode a wave of voter anger to win the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Edward M. Kennedy for nearly half a century, leaving President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul in doubt and marring the end of his first year in office.

From the NY Times: In his first extensive interview since he began weighing a run for United States Senate from New York, Harold E. Ford Jr. distanced himself from his previous opposition to same-sex marriage, his description of himself as “pro-life” and his push to permit local police officers to enforce federal immigration law, and […]