An angry President Barack Obama sacked the acting head of the US Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday over a fast moving scandal sparked when officials unfairly targeted conservative groups. Obama said Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had asked for and received the resignation of tax agency chief Steven Miller and promised a new system of checks and safeguards to make sure the episode was not repeated. "Given the controversy surrounding this audit, it's important to institute new leadership that can help restore confidence going forward," Obama said.

By Corrie MacLaggan AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Texas House of Representatives on Monday gave final approval to a proposal to allow concealed handgun license holders to carry guns into buildings on college campuses. The proposal, which was approved on a vote of 102-41, would allow public colleges and universities to opt out of allowing guns in buildings after consulting with students, faculty and staff. Private colleges and universities could opt in.

(Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard has closed a couple of miles of the upper Mississippi river near the confluence with the Missouri river after barges broke loose. A filing with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said loose barges floating adrift in the upper Mississippi river collided with Kirby Inland Marine barges, which were docked at the Marathon Oil Dock. Coast Guard spokesman Colin Fogarty said the incident occurred around midnight and initial reports suggested there was a discharge of around 300 gallons of crude oil.

The beleaguered US government claims it was only trying to protect American lives when it took the drastic step of seizing journalists' phone records in a probe of what it calls a major security breach. President Barack Obama's administration, embattled on several fronts, now faces a barrage of criticism that the step undermined freedom of the press. Attorney General Eric Holder hit back on Tuesday, defending the action in which the Justice Department secretly took two months of telephone logs from news operations of the Associated Press.