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Texas governor woos disgruntled Conn. gun makers

Texas Gov. Rick Perry extolled the tax policies and regulatory climate of his state as he courted Connecticut gun manufacturers that have threatened to leave since the state passed new gun-control laws this year in response... More>>

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Seeking a Syria consensus despite US-Russia divide

Hunting for a glimmer of common ground, the leaders of major economic powers are declaring themselves dedicated to a political solution to Syria's bloody civil war, even as President Barack Obama and Russian President... More>>

Obama: NSA secret data gathering 'transparent'

President Barack Obama defended top secret National Security Agency spying programs as legal in a lengthy interview Monday, and called them transparent - even though they are authorized in secret. More>>

Obama: Iranian people want a 'different direction'

President Barack Obama said Monday that Iran's election of a relative moderate shows that the country's people want to change course. But he stressed that Tehran still needs to show the international community that... More>>

Report: Slowdown in health care costs to continue

There's good news for most companies that provide health benefits for their employees: America's slowdown in medical costs may be turning into a trend, rather than a mere pause. More>>

White House threatens veto of anti-abortion bill

The Obama administration is threatening to veto a measure being considered by House Republicans that would ban almost all abortions after a fetus reaches the age of 20 weeks. More>>

Texas, SD governors court Conn. gun makers

The governors of Texas and South Dakota visited Connecticut on Monday to court gun manufacturers that have threatened to leave since the state passed tough new gun-control laws this year in response to the massacre at Sandy... More>>

Military plans would put women in most combat jobs

Women may be able to start training as Army Rangers by mid-2015 and as Navy SEALs a year later under plans set to be announced by the Pentagon that would slowly bring women into thousands of combat jobs, including those in... More>>

Unions give lift to Turkish protest movement

Turkish labor groups fanned a wave of defiance against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's authority, leading rallies and a one-day strike to support activists whose two-week standoff with the government has shaken the... More>>

White House threatens veto of House farm bill

The White House is threatening to veto the House version of a massive, five-year farm bill, saying food stamp cuts included in the legislation could leave some Americans hungry. More>>

Chinese activist says he's being forced out by NYU

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who was allowed to travel to the U.S. after escaping from house arrest, said Monday that New York University is forcing him and his family to leave at the end of this month because of... More>>

Court: Ariz. citizenship proof law illegal

States can't demand proof of citizenship from people registering to vote in federal elections unless they get federal or court approval to do so, the Supreme Court ruled Monday in a decision complicating efforts in... More>>

Putin: US-Russia positions on Syria don't coincide

Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Barack Obama on Monday that their positions on Syria do not "coincide" but the two leaders said during the G-8 summit that they have a shared interest in stopping the violence... More>>

Chicago's next US attorney faces urgent dilemma

Chicago's next U.S. attorney faces a dilemma sprung from the twin evils bedeviling America's third-largest city. More>>

Immigration splits GOP's national, House interests

The Republican Party's hope of running stronger presidential races by revamping immigration is about to hit a big hurdle: House Republicans. More>>

Court: 'Pay to delay' generic drugs can be illegal

Deals between pharmaceutical corporations and their generic drug competitors, which government officials say keep cheaper forms of medicine off the market, can sometimes be illegal and therefore can be challenged in court,... More>>

McCain presses Obama on secret emails

Republican Sen. John McCain on Monday questioned President Barack Obama about his political appointees' use of secret government email accounts at work, saying that Congress cannot tell the American people what its... More>>

Businessman tries his luck at building pot brand

For the activists who led the effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Washington state last fall, Jamen Shively was one of their biggest fears: an aspiring pot profiteer whose unabashed dreams of building a cannabis... More>>

Indiana woman condemned for killing at 15 is freed

A woman who was sentenced to death at age 16 for taking part in the torture and murder of a 78-year-old bible studies teacher was released from an Indiana prison Monday after growing to middle age behind bars. More>>

Military women moving into jobs closer to combat

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press 1948 - Law passed making women a permanent part of the U.S. military services More>>

North Korea changes tack and tells US: Let's talk

After months of threatening to wage a nuclear war, North Korea did an about-face Sunday and issued a surprise proposal to the United States, its No. 1 enemy: Let's talk. More>>

US sees nothing new in NKorea talks offer

The State Department says it sees nothing new in North Korea's offer of high-level talks with the U.S. More>>

Shiite Iraq militia claims it attacked Iran group

A Shiite militia leader on Monday claimed responsibility for a rocket attack over the weekend that killed two members of an Iranian exile group near Baghdad. Saturday's attack on the sprawling Camp Liberty also killed an... More>>

More anti-government protests occur in Bulgaria

Bulgaria's prime minister said Monday that Parliament's appointment of a media mogul as the nation's security chief was a mistake, but that his government will not resign over it. More>>

IRS official contradicts claims about reviews

Internal Revenue Service officials in Washington scrutinized the very first application from a tea party group seeking tax-exempt status - and dozens of others, including some requests that languished for more than a year... More>>

Summary of Supreme Court actions Monday

The Supreme Court on Monday handed down decisions in five cases and agreed to hear two important appeals in the fall. Among the court's actions: More>>

Pro-Obama group airing health ads

An outside group supporting President Barack Obama's agenda plans to air a series of ads this summer promoting Obama's health care overhaul. More>>

High court to hear NJ housing discrimination case

The Supreme Court agreed Monday to take on another dispute involving race, deciding whether people must prove they were victims of intentional housing discrimination to win lawsuits under federal law. More>>

High court says driver records protected

The Supreme Court says lawyers may not obtain personal information from state driver license records to recruit clients for lawsuits. More>>

Court says jury should have final say in minimums

The Supreme Court says a jury should have the final say on facts that can trigger mandatory minimum sentences in criminal trials. More>>

Court won't hear Seattle officer appeal

The Supreme Court won't reconsider a jury's decision that an off-duty Seattle police officer who was cut off in traffic violated a man's rights by detaining him at gunpoint. More>>

Immigration bill could decide 2016, senator says

Republicans' hopes to reclaim the White House in the 2016 elections hinge on whether they support - or sabotage - the immigration overhaul being debated in the Senate, two lawmakers who helped write the proposal warn. More>>

AP source: US, Cuba to resume talks on direct mail

The United States and Cuba will resume talks this week on restarting direct mail service despite a deadlock between Washington and Havana over detainees that has largely stalled most rapprochement efforts, a U.S. official... More>>

Obama, SKorea leader discuss NKorea talks offer

The White House says President Barack Obama and South Korea's President Park Geun-hye (goon-hay) have discussed North Korea's proposal for high-level talks with the U.S. More>>

Current, former officials back secret surveillance

Top officials from the Obama and Bush administrations say the government's newly exposed secret surveillance programs have been essential to disrupting terrorist plots and have not infringed on Americans' civil... More>>

Longtime gov't lawyer to lead Gitmo closure effort

President Barack Obama has chosen a high-powered Washington lawyer with extensive experience in all three branches of the government to be the State Department's special envoy for closing down the military-run prison at... More>>

Obama takes economic, foreign policy agenda to UK

President Barack Obama is taking a security, foreign policy and economic agenda to Northern Ireland for a meeting with heads of the leading industrial nations. More>>

Turkey unrest goes on despite end to park protest Video included

Riot police cordoned off streets, set up roadblocks and fired tear gas and water cannon to prevent anti-government protesters from converging on Istanbul's central Taksim Square on Sunday, unbowed even as Turkey's... More>>

Czech prime minister says he will resign

Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas announced Sunday that he will resign over a spy and bribery scandal involving his government. More>>

IRS supervisor in DC scrutinized tea party cases

An Internal Revenue Service supervisor in Washington says she was personally involved in scrutinizing some of the earliest applications from tea party groups seeking tax-exempt status, including some requests that languished... More>>

Obama chooses lawyer as Guantanamo closure envoy

President Barack Obama has chosen a high-powered Washington lawyer with extensive experience in all three branches of the government to be the State Department's special envoy for closing down the military-run prison at... More>>

Current, former officials back secret surveillance

Current and former top U.S. officials on Sunday defended the government's collection of phone and Internet data following new revelations about the secret surveillance programs, saying the operations were essential in... More>>

Graham: Without immigration, GOP to fail in 2016

Republicans are "in a demographic death spiral" and will fail in their effort to win the presidency if the party blocks an immigration overhaul, a leading GOP senator said Sunday. More>>

Report: Assaults increase on rangers, park police

Park rangers, wildlife refuge workers and U.S. Park Police experienced more assaults and threats from visitors last year than in 2011, according to a group that represents federal resource workers. More>>

Cheney says his health 'nothing short of miracle'

Former Vice President Dick Cheney says his health is "nothing short of a miracle." More>>

US wants 'credible negotiations' with North Korea

The Obama administration said Sunday it was receptive to North Korea's proposal for high-level talks, but wants "credible negotiations" that will lead to a nuclear-free North. More>>

Kuwait court dissolves parliament; elections ahead

Kuwait's constitutional court forced new parliamentary elections Sunday, dissolving the current chamber on the basis of flaws in the election law, the state news agency reported. The decision may set the stage for a new... More>>

In Uganda, forlorn square is symbol of crackdown

The green grass looks inviting, but few people have the courage to enter the only public square in Uganda's capital. Most sit or stand at the edges, respecting the barricades of scrap metal erected by police who stand... More>>

Shock lingers after Nazi unit leader found in US

The revelation that a former commander of a Nazi SS-led military unit has lived quietly in Minneapolis for the past six decades came as a shock to those who know 94-year-old Michael Karkoc. World War II survivors in both the... More>>

White House: US respects Iran election results

Offering praise for Iranians and reproaching their government, the Obama administration said Saturday it respected the results of a presidential election conducted under restrictive conditions. More>>

Officials: NSA programs broke plots in 20 nations

Top U.S. intelligence officials said Saturday that information gleaned from two controversial data-collection programs run by the National Security Agency thwarted potential terrorist plots in the U.S. and more than 20 other... More>>

Iran reformists dance in streets for new president

Wild celebrations broke out on Tehran streets that were battlefields four years ago as reformist-backed Hasan Rowhani capped a stunning surge to claim Iran's presidency on Saturday, throwing open the political order... More>>

Religious conservatives asked to back GOP plans

Facing lingering tensions in his party, the chairman of the Republican National Committee urged religious conservatives Saturday to support the GOP's plans to expand. More>>

Obama takes bolder Syria stand as G-8 talks open

After months of caution, President Barack Obama suddenly is positioned more aggressively on Syria than the global leaders he's joining at a summit Monday, now that he has authorized weapons and ammunition shipments to... More>>

AP IMPACT: Snowden's life surrounded by spycraft

In the suburbs edged by woods midway between Baltimore and the nation's capital, residents long joked that the government spy shop next door was so ultra-secretive its initials stood for "No Such Agency." But when Edward... More>>

Obama: Being a good father isn't easy

President Barack Obama says there's no substitute for the love and support that fathers provide. More>>

Web giants get broader surveillance revelations

Facebook and Microsoft Corp. representatives said that after negotiations with national security officials their companies have been given permission to make new but still very limited revelations about government orders to... More>>

Web giants get broader surveillance revelations

Facebook and Microsoft Corp. representatives said Friday night that after negotiations with national security officials their companies have been given permission to make new but still very limited revelations about... More>>

Early vote count in Iran gives Rowhani wide lead

Iran's reformist-backed presidential candidate surged to a wide lead in early vote counting Saturday, a top official said, suggesting a flurry of late support could have swayed a race that once appeared solidly in the... More>>

Less US urgency at G-8 in call for European growth

When leaders of the nation's biggest economies gathered at the presidential retreat of Camp David last year, European elections had rattled the continent with a rejection of austerity measures. President Barack Obama was... More>>

Iranian-Americans and expatriates vote in election

With their passports in tow, Iranian-Americans and expatriates trickled into polling sites across the United States on Friday, joining their countrymen half a world away in voting in Iran's presidential election. More>>

Christie maintains a political balancing act

Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is walking a political tightrope as he charts his future, trying to balance his re-election campaign in a Democratic-leaning state with a potential presidential bid aimed at... More>>

Defense report: Troops in bin Laden raid revealed

U.S. special operations forces who participated in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden were in uniform and wearing nametags during a CIA award ceremony attended by the writer of the film "Zero Dark Thirty," a Pentagon... More>>

USDA: Modified wheat appears to be isolated

The Agriculture Department says it has no indications that genetically modified wheat found in Oregon last month has spread beyond the field in which it was found. More>>

Obama honors first time WNBA champ Indiana Fever

President Barack Obama honored the WNBA champion Indiana Fever on Friday, calling the players role models for young athletes - even those on his daughter Sasha's basketball team. More>>

Obama taps finance director as envoy to Denmark

Handing plum European posts to key campaign boosters, President Barack Obama on Friday nominated his former finance director to be U.S. ambassador to Denmark and tapped two major fundraisers for postings in Spain and Germany. More>>

Jeb Bush: Immigrants 'more fertile,' fuel economy

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told religious conservatives Friday that the future of the nation's economy depends upon immigrants in part because they "are more fertile" and create more businesses than native-born... More>>

House revises abortion bill after rape controversy

House Republicans have modified a tough anti-abortion bill to include exceptions for rape and incest after the GOP sponsor of the legislation raised a firestorm by declaring that very few rapes result in pregnancies. More>>

Hezbollah says it will keep fighting in Syria

Hezbollah's leader vowed Friday that his militants would keep fighting in Syria "wherever needed" after the U.S. agreed to arm the rebels in the civil war, setting up a proxy fight between Iran and the West that... More>>

Newtown marks 6 months since school massacre Video included

The town where 20 children and six educators were massacred in December went silent for a moment Friday, six months later, at a remembrance event that doubled as a call to action on weapons control, with the reading of names... More>>

House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill

The House overwhelmingly passed a sweeping, $638 billion defense bill on Friday that imposes new punishments on members of the armed services found guilty of rape or sexual assault as outrage over the crisis in the military... More>>

Ideas for keeping your data safe from spying

Phone call logs, credit card records, emails, Skype chats, Facebook message, and more: The precise nature of the NSA's sweeping surveillance apparatus has yet to be confirmed. More>>

Obama steps up military aid to Syrian rebels

President Barack Obama's authorization of military aid to the Syrian rebels "dramatically" increases U.S. support for the opposition, the White House said Friday, while acknowledging that it will take time for the... More>>

Newtown marks 6 months since school massacre Video included

Newtown held a moment of silence Friday for the victims of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School at a remembrance event that doubled as a call to action on gun control, with the reading of names of thousands of... More>>

Obama on fatherhood: 'It's the best job I've got'

President Barack Obama says being a father is the best job he's got. More>>

APNewsBreak: NSA leaker Snowden not welcome in UK

The British government has warned airlines around the world not to allow Edward Snowden, who leaked information on top-secret U.S. government surveillance programs, to fly to the United Kingdom. More>>

7 accused in high level Czech scandal

A multi-pronged scandal involving the prime minister's top aide, his estranged wife, military spy chiefs, former ruling party lawmakers and kilograms of gold raised unanswered questions Friday about the troubled... More>>

Obama to take advantage of advances in wireless

The White House says President Barack Obama is taking advantage of advances in the wireless industry to help create jobs. More>>

AG: leaker will be held accountable

Attorney General Eric Holder says national security has been damaged as a result of leaks about a pair of government surveillance programs and that the U.S. will punish the person who is responsible. More>>

Mangled facts, secrecy brew confusion about NSA

Wondering what the U.S. government might know about your phone calls and online life? And whether all of this really helps find terrorists? Good luck finding solid answers. More>>

Supreme Court archive has about 14K hours of audio

Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell's Tidewater Virginia drawl could make the word "court" sound as if it had two syllables. And Justice Clarence Thomas, though he doesn't talk much, speaks in a deep baritone. More>>

Bank of England deputy governor to step down

The Bank of England says its deputy governor Paul Tucker will step down later this year after more than 30 years with the central bank. More>>

Arizona Legislature passes Medicaid expansion

The Arizona Legislature embraced a signature component of President Barack Obama's health care law Thursday after a drawn out battle that divided the state's Republican leadership and saw GOP Gov. Jan Brewer work... More>>

Iran's polls open in presidential vote

In the end, Iran's presidential election may be defined by who doesn't vote. More>>

Iran's polls open in presidential vote

In the end, Iran's presidential election may be defined by who doesn't vote. More>>

Hillary Clinton turning toward nonprofit world

As she considers another White House bid, Hillary Rodham Clinton intends to work in the nonprofit world on issues like improving early childhood education, promoting the rights of women and girls, and finding ways to improve... More>>

Obama to step up military support of Syrian rebels

President Barack Obama has authorized sending weapons to Syrian rebels for the first time, U.S. officials said Thursday, after the White House disclosed that the United States has conclusive evidence President Bashar... More>>

UN says nearly 93,000 killed in Syrian civil war

Syrians are being killed at an average rate of 5,000 per month, the U.N. said Thursday as it raised the overall death toll in the civil war to nearly 93,000, with civilians bearing the brunt of the attacks. More>>

House OKs 2-year sentence for military sex assault

Angered by the epidemic of sexual assault in the military, the House on Thursday endorsed a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for a member of the armed services convicted of rape or sexual assault in a... More>>

Lawmakers: Terrorists change tactics after leaks

Two senior Republican lawmakers said Thursday that terrorists are already changing their behavior after leaks about classified U.S. data gathering programs, but they offered no details. More>>

Mary Wilson sings in ceremony feting Rep. Dingell

A Capitol ceremony honoring Rep. John Dingell for becoming Congress's longest-serving member in history featured the expected, such as praise and jokes from Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner. It... More>>

Rand Paul's NSA rebukes could help or hurt in 2016

Of the handful of tea party-backed Republicans eyeing a 2016 presidential bid, Sen. Rand Paul is emerging as the most forceful in pushing libertarian principles, especially on anti-terrorism issues. More>>

Obama meets with relatives of Newtown victims

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden met Thursday with relatives of the victims of the Connecticut school shooting, who were visiting Washington on the eve of the six-month anniversary of the tragedy to push... More>>

White House: Syria chemical weapons kill up to 150

The Obama administration estimates that 100 to 150 people have died from chemical weapons attacks in Syria. More>>

Mangled facts, secrecy brew confusion about NSA

Wondering what the U.S. government might know about your phone calls and online life? And whether all of this really helps find terrorists? Good luck finding solid answers. More>>

Senators look for consensus border amendment

Key Senate Republicans are working to develop a compromise on border security that would satisfy GOP demands for stronger enforcement language in a far-reaching immigration bill without costing Democratic support, lawmakers... More>>

FBI director gets another House grilling

FBI Director Robert Mueller is leaving the law enforcement agency that he has run every day since the week before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the same way that he entered it: being grilled about how the FBI is... More>>

Court says isolated human genes cannot be patented

The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously threw out attempts to patent human genes, siding with advocates who say the multibillion-dollar biotechnology industry should not have exclusive control over genetic information... More>>

Unpaid internships in jeopardy after court ruling

Unpaid internships have long been a path of opportunity for students and recent grads looking to get a foot in the door in the entertainment, publishing and other prominent industries, even if it takes a generous subsidy... More>>

New anti-demonstration rule at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has come up with a new regulation banning demonstrations on its grounds, two days after a broader anti-demonstration law was declared unconstitutional. More>>

Debate over social issues emerges

A fresh debate has erupted within the GOP over social issues. More>>

Coverage may be unaffordable for low-wage workers

It's called the Affordable Care Act, but President Barack Obama's health care law may turn out to be unaffordable for many low-wage workers, including employees at big chain restaurants, retail stores and hotels. More>>

Correction: Military Sexual Assault story

In a story June 12, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was the only Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee who supported a measure to remove commanders from decision-making on... More>>

DC circuit reviewing judge's alleged misconduct

A council of federal judges in Washington will look into a misconduct complaint against a conservative judge who is alleged to have made racially discriminatory comments. More>>

US whites falling to minority in under-5 age group

In a first, America's racial and ethnic minorities now make up about half of the under-5 age group, reflecting sweeping changes by race and class among young people. Due to an aging population, non-Hispanic whites last... More>>

Senate leader won't weaken gun background checks

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he won't accept watered-down background checks as the price for pushing gun control legislation through the Senate. More>>

Gov't: LNG export decisions due by end of year

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says he will move "expeditiously" to review about 20 applications to export liquefied natural gas and will make decisions by the end of the year. More>>

Rural America posts first-ever loss in population

Living in a rural Nevada town, Moe Royels recalls a more bustling time years ago when retirees poured in to enjoy the warm desert climate, nearby casinos and quiet community. But soon boom turned to bust, and years after the... More>>

Launch of US-EU trade talks may be hitting snag

One of the big goals of President Barack Obama's upcoming trip to Europe may be in jeopardy, with French objections threatening to hold up the launch of negotiations on a sweeping U.S.-European Union free trade pact. More>>

Utah home to NSA's new mega-warehouse for data

The nation's new billion-dollar epicenter for fighting global cyberthreats sits just south of Salt Lake City, tucked away on a National Guard base at the foot of snow-capped mountains. The long, squat buildings span 1.5... More>>

White House lawyer replacing retiring CIA deputy

CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell is stepping down and being replaced by White House lawyer Avril Haines, who will be the first woman to hold the post. More>>

NSA head says spy programs thwarted terror attacks

Once-secret surveillance programs were crucial in enabling the U.S. government to thwart dozens of terrorist attacks, says the director of the National Security Agency in a forceful defense of spy operations that have... More>>

NSA leaker mysterious despite hours of interviews

The man who told the world about the U.S. government's gigantic data grab also talks a lot about himself. More>>

2 officers injured in Obama motorcade in Florida

Two Miami police officers were injured Wednesday while participating in President Barack Obama's motorcade in Florida, police said. Neither of the injuries was life-threatening. More>>

NSA leaker mysterious despite hours of interviews

The man who told the world about the U.S. government's gigantic data grab also talks a lot about himself. More>>

Panel backs introduction of digital learning in US

A week after President Barack Obama's call for U.S. schools to be outfitted with high-speed Internet within five years, an independent panel that studied the lack of technology at school says digital learning, including... More>>

Obama tests political might in Boston, Miami

President Barack Obama put his second-term appeal to the test Wednesday in Boston and Florida, seeking to boost Democratic candidates as a fundraiser and a political drawing card even while trailed by controversies over... More>>

Bloomberg pressures donors over gun control votes

Six months after the Newtown school shooting, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is stepping up his gun control campaign by asking donors not to support Democratic senators who opposed a bill to expand background checks on gun... More>>

NRA goes after Sen. Manchin over guns compromise

After years of showering U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin with stellar ratings and campaign endorsements, the National Rifle Association targeted the West Virginia Democrat with a TV ad launched Wednesday over his continuing push for... More>>

Turkish gov't open to referendum to end protests Video included

Turkey's government on Wednesday offered a first concrete gesture aimed at ending nearly two weeks of street protests, proposing a referendum on a development project in Istanbul that triggered demonstrations that have... More>>

NSA director: Programs disrupted dozens of attacks

The director of the National Security Agency vigorously defended once-secret surveillance programs as an effective tool in keeping America safe, telling Congress on Wednesday that the information collected disrupted dozens... More>>

Officials: Obama aides split on arming rebels

Despite growing alarm over the Syrian government's military advances, Obama administration officials are split over whether to arm the country's rebel forces or make other military moves that would deepen U.S.... More>>

Border security at issue in immigration bill

Bickering across a deep divide, supporters of immigration legislation pushed back hard Wednesday against Republican demands for tougher border security measures before millions living illegally in the country could take the... More>>

CIA deputy director Michael Morell retires

CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell, who defended harsh interrogation techniques and was involved with the fallout after the attack on the diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, announced his retirement Wednesday. More>>

Tunisia imprisons 3 European topless activists

A Tunisian court on Wednesday convicted three European feminist activists who staged a topless courthouse protest last month, sentencing them to four months and a day in prison, a court official said. The defense called the... More>>

Irish PM: Abortion activists send letters in blood

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny says anti-abortion activists in his predominantly Roman Catholic country are inundating his office with threatening packages and letters condemning him as a baby-killer, some written in blood. More>>

Jennifer Lopez: 'We're realizing our power'

Jennifer Lopez says Latinos in the United States are starting to realize their power in politics and media, making the timing good for her latest undertaking: lobbying for greater diversity in TV programming. More>>

House panel backs bill to ban later-term abortions

The House is girding for another wrenching debate on abortion after a House panel on Wednesday approved legislation that would ban almost all abortions after a fetus reaches the age of 20 weeks. More>>

Schools bill to give states more control

The Senate Education Committee on Wednesday finished its sweeping rewrite of No Child Left Behind that eases coast-to-coast requirements for schools and gives states greater independence to set their own goals. More>>

Syrian extremist rebels raid Shiite village

Syrian rebels, including Sunni extremists, stormed a village and battled pro-regime militiamen, killing more than 60 Shiite fighters and civilians in an attack steeped in the sectarian hatreds that increasingly characterize... More>>

NSA director: Programs work to protect America

The director of the National Security Agency says he wants to provide as much public detail as possible on the agency's surveillance programs, arguing that they protect America while also guarding the public's civil... More>>

Judge: Supreme Court sign ban unconstitutional

In a case that could end with the Supreme Court deciding how much free speech to allow on its own doorstep, a federal judge has thrown out a law barring processions and expressive banners on the Supreme Court grounds. More>>

Challenges to phone records face legal obstacles

The government's massive collection of Americans' phone records is drawing protests and lawsuits from civil liberties groups, but major legal obstacles stand in the way. Among them are government claims that national... More>>

House votes to limit reverse mortgage initial draw

The Federal Housing Administration could limit the size of initial lump-sum payments that lenders offer reverse mortgage borrowers and require escrow accounts to cover taxes and insurance, under legislation the House passed... More>>

Lawmaker says low rate of pregnancy from rape

A House Republican drew a sharp response during debate on an abortion bill when he said that the number of pregnancies resulting from rape is very low. More>>

Top military leader disputes diplomat on Benghazi

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday that four members of Army special forces in Tripoli were never told to stand down after last year's deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi,... More>>

Lawsuits over government surveillance languish

Before there was Edward Snowden and the leak of explosive documents showing widespread government surveillance, there was Mark Klein - a telecommunications technician who alleged that AT&T was allowing U.S. spies to... More>>

Voice-operated dashboard technology still risky

Dashboard technology that lets drivers text and email with voice commands - marketed as a safer alternative - actually is more distracting than simply talking on a cellphone, a new AAA study found. More>>

Boehner says he will support farm bill

House Speaker John Boehner says he will vote for a wide-ranging farm bill headed to the House floor this month, a major boost for the five year, half-trillion dollar legislation that stalled in the House last year. More>>

Facebook starts first servers outside the US

Facebook on Wednesday started processing data through its first server farm outside the United States, on the edge of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. More>>

Surveillance reports spark sales of '1984'

The country's book-buyers are reading up on being watched. More>>

Iran president campaign ending before Friday vote

Candidates for president of Iran wrapped up their final full day of campaigning on Wednesday, reacting to a last-minute surge for a moderate cleric at the expense of conservatives. More>>

Thousands of anti-Putin protesters march in Moscow

Thousands of Russian opposition activists marched through Moscow on Wednesday, decrying President Vladimir Putin's authoritarian rule and calling for the release of people they consider political prisoners. More>>

Crackdown filling NKorean prisons with defectors

North Korea's prison population has swelled with those caught fleeing the country under a crackdown on defections by young leader Kim Jong Un, according to defectors living in South Korea and researchers who study... More>>

Lawmakers concerned over US surveillance programs

Lawmakers voiced their confusion and concern, and some called for the end of sweeping surveillance programs by U.S. spy agencies after receiving an unusual briefing on the government's yearslong collection of phone... More>>

NSA debate pits far left, right against the middle

Revelations of massive government collections of Americans' phone and email records have reinvigorated an odd-couple political alliance of the far left and right. More>>

All about immigration: Green cards? Citizenship?

After years of gridlock, this may be the moment when Congress at last does something about the millions of immigrants living illegally in the U.S. More>>

US-China climate deal was long in the works

Disparate interests ranging from environmental activists to businesses and industry are lining up to support a first-of-its-kind deal between the U.S. and China to phase out a chemical blamed for climate change. More>>

Immigration debate clears procedural Senate hurdle

In Spanish and English, the Senate pushed contentious immigration legislation over early procedural hurdles with deceptive ease on Tuesday as President Barack Obama insisted the "moment is now" to give 11 million immigrants... More>>

Daley set to challenge Democratic governor in Ill.

A rare intra-party battle began taking shape Tuesday among big-name Democrats in Illinois, as former White House chief of staff Bill Daley positioned himself to try to unseat a governor he blames for failing to resolve the... More>>

Congress briefed on US surveillance programs

Dogged by fear and confusion about sweeping spy programs, intelligence officials sought to convince House lawmakers in an unusual briefing Tuesday that the government's years-long collection of phone records and Internet... More>>

Syrian rebels reeling from loss of Qusair

The Syrian rebels' defeat in Qusair cost them more than a strategic stronghold. It has left them with a battered spirit and deep frustration. More>>

Evidence suggests GI's leaks revealed tactics

The mountain of classified material Army Pfc. Bradley Manning gave to the anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks revealed sensitive information about military operations and tactics, including code words and the name at least... More>>

Bill to revamp military justice faces uphill fight

Ambitious legislation to stanch the growing number of sexual assaults in the armed forces by overhauling the military justice system faces an uncertain future due to vigorous objections from senior Defense Department leaders... More>>

All about immigration: Green cards? Citizenship?

After years of gridlock, this may be the moment when Congress at last does something about the millions of immigrants living illegally in the U.S. More>>

Panel rejects request for military base closings

Another round of military base closings has hit a dead end. More>>

Senate bill defines sex trafficking as child abuse

Child prostitutes would be considered victims of abuse rather than juvenile offenders and be referred to child welfare officials under legislation in Congress aimed at extending care to them before they become ensnared in... More>>

HUD: Race affects homebuying, renting

Minority renters and homebuyers deployed to test for housing discrimination did not run into the blatant discrimination of four decades ago, but were told about and shown fewer homes than their white counterparts with... More>>

Google asks to publish more US gov't information

Google is asking the Obama administration for permission to disclose more details about the U.S. government's demands for email and other personal information transmitted online in an effort to distance itself from an... More>>

Protest crackdowns test Obama ties with Turkish PM

Government crackdowns against protesters in Turkey could test the close ties between President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a strategically important U.S. ally in a tumultuous region. More>>

OTC morning-after pill sales coming _ but not yet

Don't look for the morning-after pill to move next to the condoms on drugstore shelves right away - but after a decade-plus fight, it appears it really will happen. Backed into a corner by a series of court rulings, the... More>>

Wildlife agency to list all chimps as endangered

The Fish and Wildlife Service Tuesday called for protection of all chimpanzees as endangered, an action that could affect use of the apes in medical research. More>>

EEOC sues over criminal background checks

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed lawsuits Tuesday against discount retailer Dollar General Corp. and a BMW manufacturing plant in South Carolina over their use of criminal background checks to screen out job... More>>

Obama's ATF nominee gets Senate hearing

It was remarkable enough that President Barack Obama's choice to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives got a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Only one other nominee to lead... More>>

NYC bomb plot details settle little in NSA debate

The Obama administration declassified a handful of details Tuesday that credited its PRISM Internet spying program with intercepting a key email that unraveled a 2009 terrorist plot in New York. More>>

State Dept. eyes probe process after complaints

Outside law enforcement experts are looking into how the State Department investigates allegations of sexual crimes and other serious misconduct by diplomats, amid charges that senior officials have improperly halted such... More>>

For lawmakers, it's no picnic at the White House

That annual summer ritual of forced harmony known as the White House congressional picnic? Not going to happen. More>>

Russian lawmakers pass anti-gay bill in 436-0 vote

A bill that stigmatizes gay people and bans giving children any information about homosexuality won overwhelming approval Tuesday in Russia's lower house of parliament. More>>

Bombs hit Syrian capital amid regime offensive

Twin suicide bombers targeted a police station in the center of Damascus Tuesday, killing 14 people as regime forces aggressively pressed ahead with an offensive on rebel strongholds elsewhere in the country. The rush hour... More>>

Obama wishes 'speedy recovery' for ailing Mandela Video included

President Barack Obama is wishing for a "speedy recovery" for ailing former South African President Nelson Mandela. More>>

DOE report faults $450K payments to ex-Rep. Wilson

Former U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson collected nearly half a million dollars in questionable payments from four federally funded nuclear labs after she left office, the Energy Department's inspector general says in a new... More>>

Democrats reject GOP No Child Left Behind option

The good intentions of No Child Left Behind have not yielded good policy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate education panel said Tuesday as lawmakers began to rewrite the sweeping legislation that governs all schools... More>>

Europe outrage over NSA tempered by necessity

Indignation was sharp and predictable across Europe - a continent where privacy is revered. Yet anger over revelations of U.S. electronic surveillance was tempered by an indisputable fact: Europe wants the information that... More>>

Charges reinstated against alleged Somali pirate

A federal appeals court has reinstated two charges against an alleged Somali pirate that had been dismissed by a lower court judge. More>>

Ellsberg: No leaks more significant than Snowden's

Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg calls the revelations by a government contractor on U.S. secret surveillance programs the most "significant disclosure" in the nation's history. More>>

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