Politics

Oil rises near $99 a barrel before Bernanke speaks
The price of oil rose Wednesday, before the conclusion of a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting. Benchmark oil for July delivery rose 48 cents to $98.92 per ...
Obama's Berlin speech: History raises the stakes
Five years and 50 years. As President Barack Obama revisits Berlin, he can't escape those anniversaries and the inevitable comparisons to history and ...
Senator: IRS to pay $70M in employee bonuses
The Internal Revenue Service is about to pay $70 million in employee bonuses despite an Obama administration directive to cancel discretionary bonuses ...
Capitol's Frederick Douglass statue to be unveiled
The 19th-century orator and writer Frederick Douglass will once again stand tall in the U.S. Capitol. A 7-foot bronze likeness of Douglass is being ...
Budget office view boosts Senate immigration bill
Supporters of a far-reaching immigration bill in the Senate see fresh momentum from a report by the Congressional Budget Office that says the measure ...
Obama relying on untested oversight board on NSA
The obscure oversight board that President Barack Obama wants to scrutinize the National Security Agency's secret surveillance system is little known ...
Social issues still fire up GOP despite 2012 loss
Republican lawmakers have a message for those who want the party to soften its emphasis on social conservatism in hopes of reaching a wider national ...
Obama to renew calls for nuclear reductions
President Barack Obama on Wednesday will renew his call to reduce the world's nuclear stockpiles, including a proposed one-third reduction in U.S.
NSA director says plot against Wall Street foiled
The U.S. foiled a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange because of the sweeping surveillance programs at the heart of a debate over national ...
CBO: Senate Immigration bill would help economy
Sweeping immigration legislation moving toward a vote in the Senate would boost the economy and reduce federal deficits, the Congressional Budget ...
IRS worker: No political bias against tea party
An Internal Revenue Service manager and self-described conservative Republican said the close scrutiny of tea party groups' tax forms originated in ...
Maine governor says he won't talk to 3 newspapers
A spokeswoman for Maine Gov. Paul LePage says the administration will no longer comment for stories published in three of Maine's daily newspapers.
Military plans would put women in most combat jobs
Declaring "the days of Rambo are over," a top general said Tuesday that cultural, social and behavioral concerns may be bigger hurdles than tough ...
AP sources: 4 US troops killed in Afghanistan
Defense officials say four U.S. troops were killed Tuesday at or near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Officials say the four were killed by indirect ...
New video, $65K reward in '08 Times Square bombing
New video footage of a suspected bomber riding a blue bicycle was offered Tuesday along with a $65,000 award in an effort to generate leads in the ...
AP EXCLUSIVE: US war games send signal to Assad
Under the watchful eye of stern-faced American advisers, hundreds of U.S.-trained Jordanian commandos fanned across this dusty desert plain, holding ...
Judge sets Fort Hood suspect trial for July 9
Nearly four years after the deadly Fort Hood shooting rampage, the Army psychiatrist charged in the case will finally go on trial after a judge ...
Biden vows to 'beat the gun lobby' and pass laws
A scrappy Vice President Joe Biden vowed Tuesday to "beat the gun lobby" by ultimately passing stronger firearm laws and said some lawmakers who voted ...
A look at US-Taliban relations
Word that the Taliban and U.S. will hold formal talks to find a political solution to end nearly 12 years of war in Afghanistan comes after years of ...
Officials: Kerry taps ex-senator for Africa post
Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Tuesday that he has chosen former Sen. Russ Feingold as the new U.S. special representative for the Great ...
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. Should he zero in on Illinois' deep ...
Rick Perry woos disgruntled Conn. gun makers
Texas Gov. Rick Perry extolled the tax policies and regulatory climate of his state as he courted gun manufacturers that have threatened to leave ...
Transgender candidate could become a first in NYC
Mel Wymore is a typical city council candidate in many ways, campaigning as a community board appointee, ex-PTA chair and founder of a roster of local ...
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 ...
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 ...