The bill, in many eyes, is one of major importance: for all its 4m unemployed, Germany is short of skills.

ECONOMIST: German immigration law

One bill being debated in the Legislature aims to cut off insurance benefits for all employees retiring after July 1 regardless of how many years they had worked.

CNN: Kansas budget standoff ends, but other states in limbo

"Bill Parcells has been thought of as one of the all-time greats for a long time, so it is with great pride that we can officially refer to him as a Hall of Famer, " said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who coached under Parcells with the Giants and Jets before succeeding him in New England.

CNN: February 3, 2013 -- Updated 0301 GMT (1101 HKT)

Mr Berry is one of the backers of a bill in the House that would require country-of-origin labelling for all fish sold to consumers in the United States.

ECONOMIST: A feline-piscine trade fight