Government and Politics Watch: Giving-Incentives Bill and Update on Obama Church

Among the new items on The Chronicle’s Government and Politics Watch:

• The U.S. House of Representatives passes a bill that would renew a tax break that encourages older Americans to give money from their individual retirement accounts to nonprofit causes.

• The Internal Revenue Service has dropped its investigation into allegations the United Church of Christ violated federal laws on electioneering when it invited Sen. Barack Obama to speak.