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Government and politics

Beverage industry, NYC lawyers duel over drinks
The city defended its groundbreaking size limit on sugary drinks Wednesday as an imperfect but meaningful rein on obesity, while critics said it would ...
Venezuela VP: plot against Chavez allies revealed
Venezuela's vice president said Wednesday that the government has uncovered a plot to attack him or another senior leader of President Hugo Chavez's ...
US officials defend handling of Boeing 787 mishaps
Obama administration officials struggled Wednesday to defend their initial statements that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is safe while promising a ...
AP sources: Pentagon opens combat roles to women
The Pentagon is lifting its ban on women serving in combat, opening hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs ...
Navy: Random alcohol tests for sailors in US
The Navy said Wednesday it will conduct random blood-alcohol tests on its sailors in the United States starting next month, a sign of how concerned ...
Insurer WellPoint's 4Q profit jumps 38 percent
WellPoint Inc.'s fourth-quarter earnings jumped 38 percent compared to the final quarter of 2011, when the nation's second largest health insurer ...
Mrs. Obama has bangs: Let the analyzing begin
Before we start rambling on obsessively about Michelle Obama's bangs, let's be clear: The president started it. It was he, after all, who called the ...
Debt crisis averted - but spring fight still ahead
Retreating with a purpose, Republicans sped legislation through the House on Wednesday to avert the imminent threat of a government default but ...
IBM's results lift Dow average to a 5-year high
Strong earnings from tech giants nudged the stock market to a five-year high Wednesday. Investors drew encouragement from a vote by the House of ...
Column: For Mickelson, it's not easy being rich
It's not always easy being rich, as Phil Mickelson reminded us the other day. There are taxes to pay — apparently lots of them — and the price of a ...
Big banks, under pressure, on defense at Davos
If there is one place bankers should be able to let down their guard a little, you would think it would be at the World Economic Forum in Davos, an ...
Biden to promote gun control in pro-gun Virginia
Vice President Joe Biden is launching a White House campaign of road trips to promote gun control with a visit to Virginia, a state that has ...
Sundance stars sound off on gun violence in film
The Sundance Film Festival isn't home to many shoot-em-up movies, but action-oriented actors at the festival are facing questions about Hollywood's ...
Utah governor unveils outdoor recreation plan
Gov. Gary Herbert unveiled his long-awaited vision for outdoor recreation in the state Wednesday, calling for the creation of a government office ...
53 senators urge approval of Keystone XL pipeline
More than half the Senate on Wednesday urged quick approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, ramping up pressure on President Barack Obama to move ...
Coast Guardsman in custody after disappearance
A Coast Guardsman who disappeared more than three months ago and showed up at his home over the weekend was in military custody at Pearl Harbor on ...
Dems, GOP may be near end of filibuster dispute
Senators may be nearing an end to their partisan dispute over curbing unlimited delays called filibusters. Whatever the resolution, it probably won't ...
Defiant Clinton takes on lawmakers on Libya attack
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered fiery rejoinders Wednesday to Republican critics of the Obama administration's handling of the ...
After shootings, states rethink mental health cuts
Dozens of states have slashed spending on mental health care over the last four years, driven by the recession's toll on revenue and, in some cases, ...
Mexican court orders release of French woman
A Mexican Supreme Court panel voted Wednesday to release Florence Cassez, a Frenchwoman who says she was unjustly sentenced to 60 years in prison for ...
Soul-searching in focus as GOP gathers in NC
Republican soul-searching begins in earnest this week as GOP officials from every state in the nation come together for the first time since their ...
Unions suffer sharp decline in membership
Union membership plummeted last year to the lowest level since the 1930s as cash-strapped state and local governments shed workers and unions had ...
Report: Myanmar still recruits child soldiers
Myanmar is still recruiting and using child soldiers, despite embracing democratic reforms and a U.N. agreement to end the practice, a human rights ...
Official: China recovering from 'soft landing'
China's economy is now recovering from a "soft landing," but the big challenge in 2013 will be to prevent overheating while still promoting growth, ...
Experts back NYC's link of gun laws, lower crime
In his nationwide effort for tighter gun control, Mayor Michael Bloomberg attributes historic crime lows in New York to strict gun laws that are ...