**美参议院将对下任司法部长提名投票表决**
美国参议院预计星期四将表决确认奥巴马的司法部长提名。
奥巴马总统五个月前提名洛雷塔·林奇为司法部长，但参议院迟迟没有对提名进行表决，原因是参议院民主党议员因为共和党人要求在打击人口走私的提案中 加入反堕胎条款而推迟通过这一议案。共和党籍的参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔则拒绝人口走私法案通过之前对林奇的提名确认交付表决。
国会两党本星期早些时候打破了在堕胎法案问题上的僵局，两党一部分议员达成折衷。参议院星期三以99票赞成、无人反对通过了打击人口走私议案。
US Senate to Vote on Loretta Lynch Nomination After Long Delay
Five months after her nomination by U.S. President Barack Obama, Loretta Lynch is expected to be finally confirmed by the Senate as the nation's next attorney general Thursday.
Lynch's nomination had been held up for weeks after Senate Democrats held up passage of legislation aimed at cracking down on human trafficking, due to an anti-abortion amendment inserted into the bill by Republicans. In response, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to bring Lynch's nomination up for a vote until work on the trafficking bill was resolved.
The impasse over the abortion measure was broken earlier this week when a handful of Republicans and Democrats reached a compromise, paving the way for its passage Wednesday by a vote of 99-0.
**罗马天主教宗下半年访问古巴和美国**
罗马天主教教宗方济各计划9月访问美国之前到古巴访问。
他将是访问这个共产党岛国的第三位教宗。
梵蒂冈官员说，教宗方济各在协助美国和古巴关系正常化方面发挥了关键作用，去年接待了双方的代表团。
教宗方济各访美期间将在美国国会发表演讲，并会晤奥巴马总统，并在访问纽约联合国总部和参加费城教堂活动后结束行程。
Pope will Visit Cuba First, Then the United States
Pope Francis plans to visit Cuba in September ahead of a scheduled visit to the United States.
He would become the third pope to visit the communist island nation.
Vatican officials say Pope Francis played a key diplomatic role in helping the United States and Cuba normalize relations, hosting delegations from the two countries last year.
In the U.S., Pope Francis will address Congress and meet with President Barack Obama, rounding off his trip with a visit to the United Nations in New York City and attending a church rally for families in Philadelphia.