Terror trials differ in civilian, military courts
9:08
The federal courts and military tribunals that will prosecute suspected terrorists vary sharply in their independence, public stature and use of evidence. But the Obama administration has so far offered no clear-cut...
Senate Roll Call: Health Care
8:51
The 60-39 roll call Saturday by which the Senate voted to advance a measure overhauling health care to a full debate. A "yes" vote is a vote to allow the legislation to advance for a full debate. A 60-vote majority was...
8:06
Health care bill clears first Senate hurdle on party-line vote. ...
Obama has low-key evening out after long week
7:07
President Barack Obama and his family spent a low-key night out at the home of a senior White House adviser after a whirlwind week spent on a presidential trip to Asia. The president golfed for more than four hours...
Levin: More e-mails from Ft. Hood suspect possible
6:49
WASHINGTON _ The government intercepted at least 18 e-mails between the alleged Fort Hood gunman and a radical Muslim cleric, and a key senator says there could be more communications that might have tipped off law...
US to drop shooting case against Blackwater guard
9:18
The Justice Department intends to drop manslaughter and weapons charges against one of the Blackwater Worldwide security guards involved in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, prosecutors said in court documents Friday. ...
Levin: could be more e-mails from Ft. Hood suspect
7:50
WASHINGTON _ The government intercepted at least 18 e-mails between the alleged Fort Hood gunman and a radical Muslim cleric, and a key senator says there could be more communications that might have tipped off law...
Obama trumpets Asia trip as boost to US economy
6:01
President Barack Obama's eight-day trip to Asia produced no tangible wins for the United States, though he is citing talks with Asian allies that he says could help create thousands of job and open new markets for...
Prosecutors plan commission case in Cole bombing
8:37
Military prosecutors said Friday they plan to seek new charges against the alleged mastermind of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole. The announcement follows Attorney General Eric Holder's decision a week ago to place...
FAA says equipment outage caused 819 flight delays
6:48
The Federal Aviation Administration is blaming an equipment outage this week for delaying 819 flights. The agency told employees in a briefing memo Friday that air travelers experienced a total of 2,121 delays the...
Couple pleads guilty in Cuban spying case
6:30
A retired State Department worker and his wife accused of a decades-long plot to spy for Cuba pleaded guilty Friday in a deal that will leave him behind bars for the rest of his life but gives her a chance at freedom in...
Ethics committee: No punishment for Burris
5:14
The Senate ethics committee on Friday admonished Democratic Sen. Roland Burris for misleading investigators about his maneuvering to get Barack Obama's old Senate seat from the governor who was ousted for trying to sell...
Army announces review of how it tests body armor
3:05
The Army says there will be an outside review of how body armor for its soldiers is tested. The Government Accountability Office said last month that the Army made mistakes in testing a new body armor design. And it...
AP sources: Giuliani leaning toward Senate run
1:19
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, encouraged by many Republicans to run for governor in 2010, is instead leaning toward a run for U.S. Senate, according to two party advisers. "From staff, we have been hearing...
Sen. Nelson a 'yes' on health care test vote
12:30
Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska is a "yes" in a crucial weekend test vote on health care. The moderate lawmaker told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., that he would vote with rank-and-file Democrats to...
Health care issues: Bundling payments
10:25
A look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: What can the government do to get doctors and hospitals to deliver cheaper medical services? THE POLITICS: Medicare's fee-for-service structure means that...
Obama drops by daughter Sasha's school for event
9:31
Fresh from his weeklong trip through Asia, President Barack Obama is taking time to catch up on dad duty. The president and first lady Michelle Obama stopped by 8-year-old daughter Sasha's school Friday morning. White...
Pentagon looking for Fort Hood management lapses
3:18
The Pentagon said Thursday it will scour its procedures for identifying volatile soldiers hidden in the ranks following the Fort Hood shooting rampage and lapses that might allow others to slip through bureaucratic...
Gates says Afghan surge could happen swiftly
12:53
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said any new U.S. forces President Barack Obama sends to Afghanistan could move into the country swiftly, despite logistical hassles that force almost all major deliveries of troops and...
House moves to protect doctors from Medicare cuts
10:52
The Democratic-controlled House voted Thursday to add more than $200 billion to the deficit to prevent steep Medicare payment cuts to doctors, a move Republicans denounced as a political payoff. The measure, approved...
GOP governors push for 2010 party rebirth
9:30
Thrilled with twin victories this month, Republican governors are looking to lead a party-wide resurgence in 2010 and shape the GOP for years to come. Republicans boast of a strong crop of gubernatorial candidates who...
Obama faces showdowns on health, Afghanistan, jobs
8:06
President Barack Obama will have scant time to rest up from his eight-day Asia trip. On Saturday, two days after his return to Washington, the Senate plans a make-or-break vote on his hard-fought plan to overhaul the...
FEC fines Fieger firm over campaign donations
6:41
A Michigan law firm has agreed to pay a $131,000 fine to resolve an investigation into donations to former Sen. John Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign. The Federal Election Commission said Thursday it had reached an...
Details of state dinner scarce, White House mum
5:48
It's the hottest ticket in town. Just don't ask the White House who got them. The White House is saying very little about next week's state dinner with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the first for President...
Conservative seeks cash to contest NY House race
5:45
A Conservative Party candidate is writing to supporters saying he lost a New York race for a U.S. House of Representatives seat because of scheming and needs money in case he lodges a legal challenge. Earlier this week...
Govt wants speedy screening at more airports
5:43
The Homeland Security Department wants to expand speedy screening of preapproved, low-risk air travelers arriving in the United States to most international airports in the country. For more than a year, the department...
Health bill helps wavering Louisiana senator
5:14
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has included at least $100 million in Medicaid funds for Louisiana in his health care bill at the same time he is trying to persuade that state's wavering Democratic senator to cast a...
US charges firms defrauded deaf phone fund
4:39
Federal prosecutors have charged more than two dozen people with scheming to steal millions from a telephone program for the deaf. Authorities say a number of companies schemed to create phony calls to a video service...
Gates says Iraq withdrawal on schedule
4:29
Defense Secretary Robert Gates says warnings that politics could push back Iraqi elections scheduled for January aren't affecting his plans for a troop withdrawal now. Gates told a Pentagon news conference plans are...
Troops' post-deployment questionnaires missing
4:29
Congressional investigators said Thursday that tens of thousands of questionnaires aimed at measuring the mental and physical health of returning combat troops can't be found. As a result, the Government Accountability...
Senate confirms controversial judge
4:12
The Senate on Thursday confirmed U.S. District Judge David Hamilton for the Chicago-based federal appeals court, approving a nominee targeted by conservatives as a liberal activist. Hamilton was approved on a 59-39...
GOP senator backs off threat to read health bill
4:03
Republican Sen. Tom Coburn is backing off his threat to require that the Senate read the 2,074-page health care bill because some GOP colleagues aren't supporting the effort. The Oklahoma lawmaker said there's...
Many parents inaccurately claim college tax credit
3:16
More than 314,000 taxpayers made inaccurate claims for a popular tax credit that helps pay college expenses, getting $532 million they weren't entitled to receive, a government report said Thursday. The Hope Credit...
FAA: Computers couldn't talk to each other
1:43
Federal officials say flights were delayed across the country when a piece of communications equipment in Salt Lake City failed. Federal Aviation Administration officials and an official for the union that represents...
Reid: Congress closer than ever to health overhaul
1:22
The Senate Democratic leader says Congress is closer than ever to overhauling the nation's health care system. At a Capitol Hill rally, Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday that the $848 billion, 10-year bill he...
Go 'Rogue' in brief: Alaska, campaign, family, oil
10:04
Not a speed reader? Want to get through Sarah Palin's new book in a flash? A look at Palin's most frequently used words capture some of the key themes of the former Alaska governor's memoir: Alaska, campaign, Todd,...
Giuliani against trying Mohammed in civilian court
9:48
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Thursday that trying self-professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a federal civilian court in New York is unwise and unnecessary. "There's no reason to put New York...
Health Care issues: Mandated individual coverage
9:44
A look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Should every person be required to either have health care insurance or pay a penalty tax? THE POLITICS: Requiring everyone to buy health insurance can help...
Obama, revisiting Nixon, says 9/11 suspect guilty
3:11
President Barack Obama appeared to be taking a page from Richard Nixon's playbook Wednesday when he seemed to declare the suspected Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed guilty and deserving of the death penalty. ...
Archives probing Watergate notes for hidden clues
3:09
It seems history won't rest until someone fills in that 18 1/2-minute Watergate gap. One of the enduring mysteries from the scandal that consumed Richard Nixon's presidency is coming under renewed scrutiny from...
Afghan official said to take bribe for copper deal
11:06
A senior Afghan official allegedly took a $20 million bribe to steer a copper mining project to a Chinese company, a glaring example of the claims of corruption clouding the Obama administration's deliberations over...
Obama, Holder predict conviction in 9/11 case
9:37
From opposite ends of the globe, President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder firmly rejected criticism Wednesday of the planned New York trial of the professed Sept. 11 mastermind and predicted Khalid Sheikh...
AP source: Ex-official to head Fort Hood review
9:37
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has tapped a former senior defense official to lead a broad Pentagon review of the circumstances surrounding the Fort Hood shootings, The Associated Press has learned. Gates will announce...
Hundreds cheer Palin in Mich. for book tour
9:19
College students ditched class, employees skipped work and some huddled in the cold overnight just to make sure they get an orange wristband Wednesday that would let them meet Sarah Palin. A line of more than a...
Byrd becomes longest-serving Congress member
7:31
Sen. Robert C. Byrd became history's longest-serving member of Congress on Wednesday, earning a formal salute from the Senate and President Barack Obama for his nearly 57 years of service. "I've loved every precious...
Forest Service says trees can slow climate change
6:35
National forests can be used as a carbon "sink" with vast numbers of trees absorbing carbon dioxide to help slow global warming, the Forest Service chief said Wednesday, but that goal must be balanced. He's also...
Detective says chief ordered mass arrests
5:33
A police detective alleges that former Washington Police Chief Charles Ramsey, despite past denials, ordered mass arrests of hundreds of demonstrators who were protesting annual meetings of the World Bank and...
One of Watergate's enduring mysteries under review
5:28
The National Archives is bringing together investigators to search for scribbled secrets from the first days of the Watergate scandal that destroyed Richard Nixon's presidency. The elusive goal is to find out what...
Black power has arrived _ with some new challenges
4:01
Ten months after Democrats took over the Capitol and the first African-American president moved into the White House, black lawmakers are in control of some of the most powerful positions in Congress _ and face new...
Admiral praises armed action to foil pirates
3:00
The head of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East is praising action by armed guards that foiled a pirate attack off the coast of Somalia. Vice Admiral Bill Gortney says Wednesday's case was the first time a major...