WASHINGTON, D.C.

President signs DHS bill with no reporters present

President Obama has signed a law funding the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the budget year.

The president signed the bill Wednesday afternoon in the Oval Office with a small group of photographers present. The White House wouldn’t permit reporters to attend.

The House voted 257-167 Tuesday to approve the bill after a messy fight in Congress. Republicans wanted to use the legislation to repeal Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

Congress extended funding for one week just ahead of last Friday’s deadline, then Republicans relented Tuesday and approved full-year funding without the immigration conditions.

Obama has said Congress took far too long to approve the funding. Without action, funding would have expired at midnight Friday, furloughing some workers while requiring others to work without receiving their paychecks.

LOS ANGELES

Second hospital reports patients hit with superbugs

A second hospital in Los Angeles says several patients have been infected with a “superbug” tied to a medical scope similar to a recent outbreak at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center said four patients were infected during endoscopic procedures between August and January. The hospital says one of the patients died from an underlying medical condition and not from the superbug known as CRE.

Cedars says infections occurred despite cleaning the scope to the manufacturer’s standards. The hospital says it removed the device from use and is enhancing its cleaning procedures.

The hospital says there’s no evidence other patients are at risk, but as a precaution it’s sending free home test kits to 68 patients who had procedures done at the hospital.

– From news service reports