In brief: Jason Carter, grandson of Jimmy, running for Ga. governor

Atlanta – Jason Carter, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter and a state lawmaker from Atlanta, said Thursday that he plans to run for governor of Georgia next year, energizing Democrats coming off a 2010 election in which the GOP claimed every statewide office.

Carter’s decision resets the 2014 race as Republican Gov. Nathan Deal seeks re-election. Deal already faces two primary opponents and will now have to deal with a Carter campaign that is likely to grab national attention, be well-financed and criticize the governor’s ethics and leadership.

Carter, 38, said concerns about education and the economy were at the center of his decision to run.

Cardinal calls for House to act on immigration

Washington – The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is pressuring the House to act on immigration legislation before the end of the year, calling the issue “a matter of great moral urgency” that cannot wait.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said in a letter to Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, on Thursday that he was troubled by reports that immigration reform is delayed in the House.

Dolan reiterated the bishops’ stand that immigration legislation includes a path to citizenship, reaffirms family reunification, deals with future flows of migrant workers and restores basic due process protections to immigrants.

Furloughed workers to get $2 billion in back pay

Washington – Federal workers furloughed during last month’s partial government shutdown will receive about $2 billion in back pay, the White House said Thursday.

About 850,000 federal employees were furloughed for at least part of the 16-day shutdown, leading to a loss of 6.6 million work days, the Office of Management and Budget said in a report detailing some of the costs of the fiscal standoff.