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• Immigration reform discussions continue today

  April 22, 2013 4:16 AM

  A Senate Judiciary Committee once again takes up the issue of comprehensive immigration reform today. A bi-partisan group of senators called "The Gang of Eight" released their legislative proposal last week, amid the Boston Marathon bombings. The almost 900 page immigration bill has faced growing questions from conservative critics.... more »

• Army chaplain gets posthumous Medal of Honor

  April 11, 2013 3:25 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is bestowing the Medal of Honor on an Army chaplain he says dodged bullets to provide medical aid and spiritual comfort to wounded soldiers during the Korean War. Obama says Capt. Emil Kapaun carried an injured American for four miles as Chinese captors led... more »

• Pentagon: NKorea could launch nuclear missile

  April 11, 2013 3:08 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A new Pentagon report says North Korea probably has nuclear weapons that can be launched by ballistic missile, although it says the weapons are not very reliable. The assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency was revealed Thursday by Colorado republican Rep. Doug Lamborn, at a House Armed... more »

• Immigration reform continues in Washington

  April 11, 2013 3:48 AM

  Senators in D.C. are working on a comprehensive immigration bill. It could create a a path to citizenship for almost 11 million undocumented immigrants. Senators hope to finish work on that this week. Yesterday, tens of thousands of immigrants and their supporters rallied at the U.S. Capitol hoping to... more »

• Obama: Proposed budget not his 'ideal plan'

  April 6, 2013 12:24 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Confronting bipartisan criticism, President Barack Obama is conceding that his proposed budget is not his "ideal plan." But he says it offers "tough reforms" to the nation's benefit programs while closing loopholes for the wealthy. Obama argues his approach will provide long-term deficit reduction without harming the... more »

• Senators: Reports of immigration deal premature

  March 31, 2013 11:25 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Two of the lawmakers negotiating an immigration overhaul in Congress say a final deal is at hand but caution that the bipartisan group working on a proposal hasn't finished its work. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona said on... more »

• Shinseki says VA on target for ending backlog

  March 24, 2013 12:11 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - VA Secretary Eric Shinseki is standing by his commitment to end the disability claims backlog by 2015. Veterans receive disability compensation for injuries or illness incurred during their active military service. About 600,000 claims, or 70 percent of all claims, are considered to be in backlog. The... more »

• Boehner says he 'absolutely' trusts Obama

  March 17, 2013 12:12 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker John Boehner says he "absolutely" trusts President Barack Obama - not that they don't have their differences. Boehner tells ABC's "This Week" that the two have a good relationship and that they're "open with each other ... honest with each other." But the Ohio lawmaker... more »

• Lawmaker wonders about NKorea leader's 'stability'

  March 17, 2013 12:06 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee says the U.S. just doesn't know about "the stability" of North Korea's young leader, who has threatened pre-emptive nuclear attacks on Washington. Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan says Kim Jong Un is trying to "prove himself" to his military... more »

• Obama says he's reaching out to GOP to end budget gridlock

  March 9, 2013 11:12 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says he's reaching out to lawmakers from both parties in hopes of untangling the gridlock that has stymied progress on budget issues in Washington. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says he's talking with Republicans about ways to replace the automatic spending... more »

• Romney: Heart told him he'd win, until he saw Fla.

  March 3, 2013 1:46 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Mitt Romney says his heart said he was going to win the presidency, but when early results came in on election night, he knew it was not to be. The GOP nominee tells "Fox News Sunday" that he knew his campaign was in trouble when exit polls... more »

• Military releases some documents in Manning case

  February 27, 2013 9:16 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The military has released some court documents in the case of an Army private accused of giving classified material to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. The 84 documents released Wednesday include rulings that were read aloud in court and routine court orders. The Department of Defense says more... more »

• Senate confirms Lew as Treasury secretary

  February 27, 2013 8:49 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate confirmed Jacob "Jack" Lew to be Treasury secretary, affirming President Barack Obama's choice of a budget expert at a time when Congress and the White House are at odds over sharp government spending cuts. The Senate voted 71-26 to support the nomination. Lew, 57, had... more »

• New VA clinics, expansions left in limbo

  February 26, 2013 3:59 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A veterans' health clinic in Brick, N.J. is in such disrepair that when the snow gets heavy, patients have to go elsewhere for fear the roof might collapse. Another in San Antonio has extensive mildew and mold problems that could prove a health hazard for employees and... more »

• Romney to address conservative conference in March

  February 20, 2013 5:22 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney plans to speak at next month's Conservative Political Action Conference, making his first public speech since losing the 2012 election to President Barack Obama. Organizers say Romney will speak on March 15 at the annual meeting of conservative activists. Romney advisers say... more »

• Washington hashing out marijuana taxes - recreational and medical

  February 18, 2013 8:21 PM

  OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - More than a dozen people, many of them medical marijuana patients or providers, testified Monday against a measure to tax medical marijuana dispensaries, an effort to undermine any black market when sale of state-taxed recreational marijuana starts at the end of this year. The bill, which... more »

• Axelrod: Immigration plan shouldn't have been leaked

  February 18, 2013 12:20 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A former adviser says it was probably a mistake for news of President Barack Obama's immigration plan to be made public at this point. David Axelrod, who was a senior adviser to Obama's re-election campaign, tells MSNBC that White House officials would probably "take it back" if... more »

• OBAMACARE: States' choices set up national health experiment

  February 16, 2013 11:35 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is unfolding as a national experiment with American consumers as the guinea pigs: Who will do a better job getting uninsured people covered, the states or the feds? The nation is about evenly split between states that decided by Friday's deadline... more »

• Thousands march for gun control in Washington

  January 26, 2013 1:41 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Thousands of people have gathered in front of the Capitol for a march on Washington for gun control. Marchers were led by Mayor Vincent Gray and other officials Saturday morning, and the crowd stretched for about two blocks along Constitution Avenue. Police blocked off half the road.... more »

• Dems and GOP members joke about Clinton and 2016

  January 23, 2013 5:13 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The possibility of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton seeking the presidency in 2016 was the political elephant in the room - or the Democratic donkey - during her congressional hearing on Libya. Republican Rep. Steve Chabot wished Clinton, as he put it, "the best in your... more »

• US Afghan commander cleared in Petraeus email case

  January 22, 2013 7:29 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. defense officials say Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has been cleared of allegations of sending potentially inappropriate emails to a civilian woman linked to the sex scandal that ousted David Petraeus as CIA director. The officials said Tuesday the Defense Department's inspector... more »

• Testing underway on 'brain pacemakers' to zap Alzheimer's damage

  January 20, 2013 10:52 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - It has the makings of a science fiction movie: Zap someone's brain with mild jolts of electricity to try to stave off the creeping memory loss of Alzheimer's disease. And it's not easy. Holes are drilled into the patient's skull so tiny wires can be implanted into... more »

• Colin Powell says GOP having 'an identity problem'

  January 14, 2013 7:45 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says his own Republican Party is having "an identity problem." The former Joints Chief of Staff chairman who twice endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president tells NBC's "Meet the Press" that in recent years there's been "a significant shift to the... more »

• Obama backs gun limits, concedes tough fight ahead

  January 14, 2013 7:36 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama endorsed controversial bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines on Monday, as well as stricter background checks for gun buyers - but conceded he may not win approval of all in a Congress reluctant to tighten restrictions. "Will all of them get through... more »

• Drought relief for farmers in 43 Colorado counties

  January 9, 2013 8:21 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Thirty of Colorado's 64 counties have been designated as primary natural disaster areas due to severe drought and heat, making farmers and ranchers there and in adjacent counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday that overall, 43... more »

• Search for missing skydiver narrows

  January 6, 2013 12:38 PM

  NORTH BEND, Wash. (AP) - Crews have narrowed the area they're searching in the rugged Cascade foothills for a skydiver who vanished during a jump. King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West says they made the decision based on the flight pattern of the helicopter he jumped from and information from... more »

• CIA may have misled filmmakers in Bin Laden mission flick

  January 6, 2013 12:29 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers are accusing the CIA of misleading the makers of the Osama bin Laden raid film, "Zero Dark Thirty," by telling them that harsh interrogation methods helped track down the terrorist mastermind. The film shows waterboarding and similar techniques as important to finding bin Laden in Pakistan,... more »

• DC hotels less busy for Obama's 2nd inauguration

  December 25, 2012 11:48 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Want to come to President Barack Obama's inauguration? There's plenty of room. Second inaugurations tend to draw fewer spectators and finding a place to stay in Washington won't be nearly as difficult this time as it was four years ago. District of Columbia officials are expecting 600,000... more »

• Army teams going to Africa as terror threat grows

  December 24, 2012 11:10 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. Army brigade will begin sending small teams into as many as 35 African nations early next year, part of an intensifying Pentagon effort to train countries to battle extremists. The teams will be limited to training and equipping efforts, and won't be permitted to conduct... more »

• Senators: Hagel would face tough confirmation

  December 23, 2012 12:26 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Two senators say former Sen. Chuck Hagel would face a difficult confirmation if nominated by President Barack Obama to be defense secretary. Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who's retiring and wouldn't have a vote, cites Hagel's positions on Iran. Lieberman tells CNN's "State of the Union"... more »

• Justice reaches settlement with Penguin on e-books

  December 18, 2012 6:22 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department says it has reached a settlement with one of the nation's largest book publishers over charges it conspired with other companies to raise prices for electronic books. Federal officials say the agreement with Penguin Group (USA) Inc., if approved by a court, would remove... more »

• Controversial quote will be removed from Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

  December 12, 2012 5:57 PM

  The controversial "drum major" quote on a Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in D.C. will be removed. The quote is said to be inaccurate since it was cut from a longer quote of his. It's etched in stone, so they say they can only remove it, not replace it. Replacing... more »

• Makings of a US fiscal deal behind hot rhetoric

  December 5, 2012 12:58 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - One central question, after all the bluster is cut away, stands between the White House and Republicans in Congress reaching a deal that would prevent the U.S. economy from falling off the so-called "fiscal cliff" - the issue of taxes. President Barack Obama insists that government income... more »

• Expert panel: NASA seems lost in space, needs goal

  December 5, 2012 12:39 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A panel of outside experts says NASA is adrift without a coherent vision for where it should be going. The report is by the National Academy of Sciences. But the panel doesn't blame the space agency. It faults the president, Congress and the nation. President Barack Obama... more »

• Strategy, timing key to states' pot legalization

  December 2, 2012 1:27 PM

  SEATTLE (AP) - In the late-1980s heyday of the anti-drug "Just Say No" campaign, a man calling himself "Jerry" appeared on a Seattle talk radio show to criticize U.S. marijuana laws. An esteemed businessman, he hid his identity because he didn't want to offend customers who - like so many... more »

• Pot legalization no free ride to smoke on campus

  November 28, 2012 8:30 PM

  SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Young voters helped pass laws legalizing marijuana in Washington and Colorado, but many still won't be able to light up. Most universities have codes of conduct banning marijuana use, and they get millions of dollars in funding from the federal government, which still considers pot illegal.... more »

• GOP blocks bill to give hunters more land access

  November 26, 2012 8:26 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A wide-ranging bill to give hunters and fishermen more access to public lands has stalled in the Senate after Republicans said it spends too much money. Republicans supported opening lands for outdoorsmen and many other provisions in the bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, but GOP... more »

• In unusual CIA case, FBI detoured from usual path

  November 18, 2012 1:58 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The way the FBI responded to Jill Kelley's complaint about receiving harassing emails that ultimately unraveled or scarred the careers of ex-CIA Director David Petraeus and Marine Gen. John Allen is the exception, not the rule. The FBI commonly declines to pursue cyberstalking cases without compelling evidence... more »

• Price's 5 TDs lead Washington past Colorado 38-3

  November 17, 2012 8:08 PM

  BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Keith Price threw a career-best five touchdown passes and Washington overcame a slow start to whip hapless Colorado 38-3 on Saturday for the Huskies' fourth straight win. Bishop Sankey atoned for a first-half fumble at the 1 by running through Colorado's defense for 139 yards and... more »

• Senate fails again to advance cybersecurity bill

  November 14, 2012 8:01 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate failed again to advance legislation to protect the U.S. electrical grid and other critical industries from cyberattack, setting the stage for President Barack Obama to sign an executive order to improve the country's digital defenses. A motion to limit debate and force a vote on... more »

• Farm bill could hinge on budget talks

  November 10, 2012 12:45 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A farm bill that stalled in Congress before the election could see quick action by the end of the year if congressional leaders decide they need its spending cuts to make a deal for averting the "fiscal cliff." The farm bill passed by the Senate in June... more »

• Obama to air ads in Mich. touting auto bailout

  October 30, 2012 8:13 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's campaign plans to air advertising in Michigan beginning Wednesday touting the president's support of the auto industry, responding to Republican ads criticizing the president. Obama campaign officials say the ad comes in response to a $2 million ad buy by a Republican super PAC... more »

• Q&A: Could Sandy postpone the election?

  October 30, 2012 8:04 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - One week before a close election, superstorm Sandy has confounded the presidential race, halted early voting in many areas and led some to ponder whether the election might even be postponed. It could take days to restore electricity to more than 8 million homes and businesses that... more »

• Obama to take campaign to 'Tonight Show' Wednesday

  October 22, 2012 12:22 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama will be sitting down with Jay Leno on the set of "The Tonight Show" Wednesday, less than two weeks before Election Day. NBC says Wednesday night's appearance will be Obama's fifth on "The Tonight Show," his third since he became president. Obama has been... more »

• Singer Arlo Guthrie says wife, Jackie, has died

  October 16, 2012 8:50 PM

  WASHINGTON, Mass. (AP) - Folk singer Arlo Guthrie has announced the death of his wife, Jackie, at age 68. An obituary released by Guthrie's record label says Jackie Guthrie had inoperable cancer and died Sunday at the couple's winter home in Sebastian, Fla. They had recently celebrated their 43rd wedding... more »

• Expect tiny '13 Social Security benefit increase

  October 14, 2012 12:33 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Social Security recipients shouldn't expect a big increase in monthly benefits come January. Preliminary figures show the pay raise will be between 1 percent and 2 percent, which will be among the lowest since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975 The raise will be made official Tuesday,... more »

• Medicare fines over hospitals' readmitted patients

  September 30, 2012 12:28 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Medicare is changing the way it does business with hospitals and the result could be fewer patients going back into the hospital after they were discharged. As of Monday, Medicare starts imposing financial penalties on hospitals that have too many patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge... more »

• Newspaper: DC sniper felt like 'worst piece of scum'

  September 30, 2012 12:14 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Convicted D.C. sniper Lee Boyd Malvo says in a newspaper interview that seeing the reaction of a victim's husband made him feel like "scum." Malvo expresses remorse in an interview with The Washington Post published Sunday. Tuesday marks the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the deadly... more »

• Obama, Romney: Rivals with little personal history

  September 30, 2012 11:55 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - When Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2008, one of the people who reached out to the couple was newly elected President Barack Obama. The call was one of the few personal interactions between Obama and Romney. Even as their political fates... more »

• Supreme Court begins new term Monday

  September 29, 2012 1:10 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - With health care reform in the rear-view mirror, the U.S. Supreme Court is about to embark on a term that could be just as important as the last one. One of the first cases the court will take up is the limited use of race to help... more »

• Student debt stretches to record 1 in 5 households

  September 26, 2012 9:27 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - New research finds that college loan debt has stretched to a record number of U.S. households - nearly 1 in 5 - with the biggest burdens falling on the young and poor. Analysis by the Pew Research Center found that 22.4 million households, or 19 percent, had... more »

• Intel chair challenges account of embassy attack

  September 23, 2012 1:34 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A leading House Republican is challenging the White House's initial account that the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya was a spontaneous assault tied to protests over an anti-Islam video. President Barack Obama has said extremists used the video as an excuse to launch the attack,... more »

• 13 defense executives bemoan uncertainty of cuts

  September 10, 2012 2:46 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Thirteen defense executives are complaining that the threat of automatic, across-the-board cuts to military spending is creating uncertainty that's already affected their industry. Seven senators released copies of the executives' letters on Monday. The six Republicans and independent Joe Lieberman are trying to ratchet up the political... more »

• Congress returns for short pre-election session

  September 9, 2012 2:48 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Fresh off a five-week vacation, lawmakers return to Washington on Monday for a brief pre-election session in which Congress will do what it often does best: punt its problems to the future. There's a slew of deadlines and the prospect of a debilitating "fiscal cliff" in January.... more »

• Ale to the Chief: White House releases beer recipe

  September 1, 2012 7:49 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House has released its long-sought recipe for beer. President Barack Obama has been talking about the White House brew, but he and other officials have refused to disclose details of how it's made, despite an online petition and repeated questions from reporters. Well, beer lovers,... more »

• Inscription at Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial still not changed in DC

  August 28, 2012 3:27 PM

  A year after the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial opened to visitors in Washington, the group behind the monument is still working with the National Park Service to change an inscription quoting the civil rights leader. Harry Johnson, president of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation, said today the... more »

• Most Americans say the rich don't pay enough taxes

  August 27, 2012 12:27 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - As the income gap between rich and poor widens, a majority of Americans say the growing divide is bad for the country and believe that wealthy people are paying too little in taxes. The new poll by the Pew Research Center points to a particular challenge for... more »

• Warm Arctic sets record for summer sea ice melt

  August 27, 2012 12:22 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Scientists say critical ice in the Arctic Ocean melted to record low levels this overheated summer. The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported Monday that the extent of Arctic sea ice shrank to 1.58 million square miles and is likely to melt more in the coming... more »

• Battle-tested, female war vets run for Congress

  August 22, 2012 9:03 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - One flew an A-10 Warthog over Iraq and Afghanistan. Another was part of the 29th Infantry Brigade's medical operations near Baghdad. A third lost both legs and partial use of an arm in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Iraq. All are war veterans aiming to serve in... more »

• Obama: Military budget deal unlikely by November

  August 20, 2012 9:09 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says he doesn't believe Congress can reach a deal before the November elections that avoids deep cuts in military spending, but says he is optimistic that reductions won't occur. Obama says he has made sure that service members don't lose pay or benefits and... more »

• Bill would expand fertility coverage for veterans

  August 18, 2012 2:53 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A bill being considered in the U.S. Senate is aimed at helping wounded veterans start families by expanding coverage for in vitro fertilization. Soldiers with pelvic or spinal cord injuries can have reproductive problems. The Department of Veterans Affairs currently covers some procedures to help veterans conceive,... more »

• Gov't finalizes safety rule for offshore drilling

  August 15, 2012 8:40 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Government regulators are finalizing safety rules for offshore drilling put in place after the BP oil spill. The Interior Department put emergency regulations in place after the drilling rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people in 2010. Those regulations have been fine-tuned to... more »

• Military looks to help livestock producers by buying more meat

  August 13, 2012 8:17 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - It appears that Meatless Mondays haven't really caught on in the U.S. military. The Pentagon is looking into increasing its meat purchases to take advantage of lower prices and to help ranchers struggling with drought. Under orders from President Barack Obama, the Defense Department may buy more... more »

• Obama pledges all-out response to drought

  August 11, 2012 12:11 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is pledging a wide-ranging response to the worst drought in a quarter-century. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says his administration is giving farmers and ranchers access to low-interest emergency loans, is opening more federal land for grazing and is distributing $30... more »

• Obama may act to stop infrastructure cyberattacks

  August 8, 2012 3:37 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan says the White House may take steps to get U.S. businesses to protect themselves from computer attacks if they are responsible for providing critical services like water or electricity. Brennan told the Council on Foreign Relations on Wednesday that President Barack... more »

• Feds sue to take Zen Magnet toys off market

  August 7, 2012 7:31 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal consumer safety officials are filing a complaint against a second company over desktop magnet toys for adults that pose a danger to children and teenagers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is targeting Zen Magnets - a company that sells the tiny but powerful magnets that can... more »

• Obama turns 51; plays golf, will go to Camp David

  August 4, 2012 11:07 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is playing a round of golf on his 51st birthday, kicking off a quiet birthday weekend away from re-election campaigning. Obama was playing golf at Andrews Air Force Base on Saturday before heading to Camp David, the private presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains.... more »

• US construction spending rose 0.4 percent in June

  August 1, 2012 11:22 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Another strong gain in homebuilding pushed U.S. construction spending up for a third straight month in June, a further indication that the battered housing industry is showing signs of life. Construction spending rose 0.4 percent in June following an upwardly revised 1.6 percent gain in May that... more »

• Defense official: Cuts hit warfighters, weapons

  August 1, 2012 11:15 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A top Pentagon official says automatic cuts in defense spending would force the military to reduce training for warfighters and trim the number of weapons purchased. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter outlined the impact of the $55 billion in across-the-board reductions that would hit Jan. 2 if... more »

• AP sources: House GOP won't extend farm bill

  July 31, 2012 6:59 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - House GOP aides say party leaders have dropped plans to extend the current farm program and instead are going to press for immediate help for livestock producers whose federal protections against drought losses expired last year. The decision Tuesday comes as Republicans feel pressure to extend relief... more »

• Senate panel OKs $604 billion defense bill

  July 31, 2012 2:07 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A Senate panel has approved a $604 billion defense spending bill that reverses proposed Pentagon cuts in Air Force personnel and equipment. The Appropriations defense subcommittee approved the bill by voice vote Tuesday. The measure would provide $511 billion for the base budget and $93.3 billion for... more »

• Labor Dept. says no need for warning on layoffs

  July 30, 2012 7:28 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Labor Department says federal contractors do not have to warn their employees about potential layoffs from across-the-board budget cuts Jan. 2. A guidance letter sent Monday says it would be "inappropriate" for employers to send such warnings because it is still speculative if and where the... more »

• Cheney says picking Palin for VP was a mistake

  July 29, 2012 3:18 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Vice President Dick Cheney says it was a mistake for Republican Sen. John McCain to pick Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee. Cheney says he liked Palin, but that she didn't pass the test of being ready to be president and that McCain's campaign didn't... more »

• House to vote on drought relief, farm bill

  July 27, 2012 4:52 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The House next week will take up legislation to provide disaster relief to livestock producers and others hit by the drought. The legislation will also extend for one year the long-term farm and food bill set to expire at the end of September. House Republican leaders have... more »

• States ask help collecting Internet sales taxes

  July 24, 2012 7:37 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's governors are asking Congress to help states recover an estimated $20 billion in sales taxes that go uncollected by out-of-state online merchants every year. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam told the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that it isn't fair to local businesses to exempt online... more »

• Senator: Election year not ideal for gun debate

  July 22, 2012 12:22 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Dianne Feinstein says the nation needs to have a "sane" discussion on gun control and ban military-style assault weapons. But the California Democrat acknowledges that probably won't happen before the November election. Feinstein tells a Sunday morning national political talk show that "people haven't rallied" in... more »

• US hits Syrian cabinet members with sanctions

  July 18, 2012 11:40 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration is slapping financial sanctions on a huge swath of top members in Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, targeting the prime minister and 28 other cabinet ministers and senior officials. The Treasury Department announced the sanctions on Wednesday, hours after top Syrian officials were killed... more »

• Defense firms warn of job losses from budget cuts

  July 18, 2012 11:28 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of a major defense contractor is warning that he might have to lay off 10,000 workers if Congress fails to agree on an alternative to automatic budget cuts. Robert J. Stevens, chairman and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin Corp., delivered that message Wednesday in... more »

• FDA approves highly anticipated weight-loss pill

  July 17, 2012 8:40 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new weight loss drug from Vivus Inc. that many doctors consider the most effective therapy in a new generation of anti-obesity pills designed to help patients safely shed pounds. The agency cleared the pill Qsymia for adults who... more »

• Possibly dangerous chemical now banned from baby bottles

  July 17, 2012 11:23 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal government says baby bottles and sippy cups can no longer contain the controversial chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA. The U.S. chemical industry's chief association, the American Chemistry Council, had asked the Food and Drug Administration to change its rule in October, after determining that all manufacturers... more »

• GOP House votes again to kill health law

  July 11, 2012 7:15 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Pressing an election-year point, Republicans pushed yet another bill through the House on Wednesday to repeal the nation's two-year-old health care law, a maneuver that forced Democrats to choose between President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement and a public that is persistently skeptical of its value. The... more »

• Remember to check computer for malware

  July 8, 2012 11:10 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Internet users scanning their Twitter feeds or Facebook accounts Sunday might want to add one more quick click to check their computer for malware. Thousands of people around the country whose computers were infected with malicious software more than a year ago face the possibility of not... more »

• New optimism about stemming spread of AIDS virus

  July 7, 2012 11:03 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - An AIDS-free generation: It seems an audacious goal, considering how the HIV epidemic still is raging around the world. Yet more than 20,000 international HIV researchers and activists will gather in the nation's capital later this month with a sense of optimism not seen in many years... more »

• Wartime remains of 6 US airmen located in Laos

  July 5, 2012 7:07 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Six U.S. airmen missing from a combat mission over southern Laos during the Vietnam War will be buried Monday after their remains were located and identified following a 17-year investigation. The Defense Department said Thursday the six will be buried in a single casket at Arlington National... more »

• Senator sees Goodell, calls off NFL bounty hearing

  June 20, 2012 6:04 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A high-ranking senator is calling off a proposed hearing on bounties in professional sports because he is satisfied with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's response to the issue, including setting up an anonymous hotline. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, met with Goodell on... more »

• Summer poses toughest test for Afghan force

  June 20, 2012 5:57 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Senior military officials are telling skeptical U.S. lawmakers that this summer's fighting in Afghanistan will be the toughest test for the country's security forces. David Sedney, a deputy assistant secretary of defense, testified Wednesday that the Afghan National Security Forces are taking the lead in more than... more »

• Admin discipline recommended in Quran burning

  June 19, 2012 6:32 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Associated Press has learned that a U.S. military investigation is recommending that as many as seven U.S. troops face administrative punishments, but not criminal charges, in the burning of Qurans at a U.S. base in Afghanistan in February. U.S. military officials say the classified report and... more »

• US plans significant military presence in Kuwait

  June 19, 2012 3:32 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A congressional report says the United States is planning a significant military presence of 13,500 troops in Kuwait to give it the flexibility to respond to sudden conflicts in the region. The study by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee examined the U.S. relationship with the six nations... more »

• Obama policy to spare many youths from deportation

  June 16, 2012 12:40 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is easing enforcement of immigration laws, effective immediately. The new policy offers a chance for hundreds of thousands of younger illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S. and work. The change was immediately embraced by Hispanics, but criticized by congressional Republicans. The policy change... more »

• Panetta criticizes Congress' initial defense budget moves

  June 13, 2012 12:16 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is criticizing the first round of changes that lawmakers have made in President Barack Obama's proposed military budget. Testifying Wednesday in the Senate, Panetta said the versions of the defense budget that have emerged from the House and the Senate Armed Services Committee... more »

• New brain treatment center could help vets

  June 13, 2012 5:40 AM

  FORT BELVOIR, Va. (AP) - Military leaders are breaking ground at Fort Belvoir on an $11 million center to provide treatment for traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress. The facility will be a satellite center to an even larger treatment facility that opened in 2010 in Bethesda, Md., called the... more »

• George Washington's constitution to be auctioned

  June 12, 2012 4:08 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - George Washington's 223-year-old copies of the Constitution and Bill of Rights are expected to go for bids of $2 million to $3 million at auction later this month. The documents are bound in a book that contains notes in Washington's handwriting, including notations of the responsibilities of... more »

• Romney team: Authorities probe possible hacking

  June 5, 2012 8:38 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities are investigating whether Mitt Romney's private email account was hacked. On Tuesday, the website Gawker reported that an anonymous hacker had signed into Romney's personal Hotmail account. Gawker reported that the hacker guessed the answer to a security question about Romney's favorite pet in order to... more »

• High court protects Secret Service agents from incident in CO

  June 4, 2012 11:01 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has ruled that Secret Service agents are shielded from a lawsuit filed by a man they arrested after a confrontation with then-Vice President Dick Cheney. The 8-0 decision Monday comes in a case that began with the arrest of Steven Howards following a chance... more »

• New farm bill would end direct payments to farmers

  June 3, 2012 11:36 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A program that puts billions of dollars in the pockets of farmers whether or not they plant a crop may disappear with hardly a protest from farm groups and the politicians who look out for their interests. The Senate is expected to begin debate this week on... more »

• Panetta: US on 'right track' in Afghanistan

  May 27, 2012 1:00 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is defending the Obama administration's plans to wind down the more than decade-long war in Afghanistan. Speaking Sunday on a Sunday morning political talk show, the Pentagon chief said the U.S. still has a fight on its hands, but is on the right... more »

• DEA probed in wake of Secret Service investigation

  May 21, 2012 7:37 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department inspector general's office said Monday it is investigating possible misconduct by Drug Enforcement Administration personnel in Colombia unrelated to the Secret Service incident with prostitutes at a Cartagena hotel. The Drug Enforcement Administration said the probe began based on information provided by the Secret... more »

• Obama calls on Congress to help small businesses

  May 16, 2012 11:32 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says Congress could help sustain the economy's "momentum" by passing legislation that would give businesses a 10 percent income tax credit if they create new jobs or increase wages this year. Obama made his pitch during a roundtable discussion with small business leaders in... more »

• April 2012 heats up as 5th warmest month globally

  May 15, 2012 1:05 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Meteorologists say unseasonable weather pushed last month to the fifth warmest April on record worldwide. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center calculated that April's average temperature of 57.9 degrees (14.4 degrees Celsius) was nearly 1.2 degrees (0.7 degrees Celsius) above the 20th Century... more »