Politics Headlines
Palin links resignation to 'higher calling'
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 4:38 P.M.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -- Outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday laid the groundwork to take on a larger, national role after leaving state government, citing a "higher calling" with the aim of uniting the country along conservative lines....
Colin Powell: Celebrate Michael Jackson's art
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 3:24 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Colin Powell says Michael Jackson had controversy in his life, but in death his art should be celebrated....
INSIDE WASHINGTON: Archives' record-keeping lapse
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 2:57 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- National Archives visitors know they'll find the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the main building's magnificent rotunda in Washington. But they won't find the patent file for the Wright Brothers' Flying Machine or the maps for the first atomic bomb missions anywhere in the Archives inventory....
OAS eyes Honduras suspension, but beaten to punch
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 2:50 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Organization of American States is meeting in Washington to consider suspending Honduras' membership because of the military coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya....
Obama, McCain give dueling holiday addresses
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 2:46 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In dueling holiday addresses, President Barack Obama appealed for public support of his domestic programs and Sen. John McCain said Americans should side with Iranian election protesters....
Night of barbecue, fireworks on tap at White House
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 2:41 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House is getting ready for the big holiday barbecue and fireworks show at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue....
Colin Powell cautions Obama on big government
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 2:35 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Colin Powell worries that President Barack Obama is trying to tackle too many big issues at one time and he offers this advice: take a hard look at costs and consider the additional red tape that will be created....
Obama's trip: A mission to reshape US image
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 2:30 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Determined to change the way the world views the United States, Barack Obama is onto his next foreign mission: rebuilding relations with Russia, proving to global leaders that America is serious about climate change, and outlining his vision for Africa, his father's birthplace....
Analysis: Palin's resignation raises questions
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 2:20 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's abrupt and unscripted holiday resignation is an odd way to launch a potential presidential bid and no help for a party battered by scandal and fighting for relevancy....
Gov. Sarah Palin Steps Down
NPR - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 12:36 P.M.
Yesterday, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced she'd be resigning on July 26th. NPR's Martin Kaste reports.
60 votes not so super for Obama, Senate Democrats
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 9:11 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress returns for its midsummer session Monday with a Senate supermajority not super enough for President Barack Obama's top priorities to pass without Republican support....
Politics This Week: Palin, Jackson, Afghanistan
NPR - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 8 A.M.
Host Scott Simon speaks with NPR News Analyst Juan Williams about the announcement of Sarah Palin's resignation, Michael Jackson and Afghanistan.
Group Sotomayor advised fought job tests
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 4:57 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A civil rights group on whose board Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor served filed racial bias lawsuits over employment examinations that resemble a Connecticut case in which she ruled against white firefighters, documents released by the Senate show....
Mrs. Obama bringing glamor to Moscow this weekend
AP - SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009 4:57 A.M.
MOSCOW (AP) -- Michelle Obama brings her superstar glamor to Moscow this weekend as she accompanies her husband on his summit with the Russian president....
MOUNTAIN OF DEBT: Rising debt may be next crisis
AP - FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009 9:36 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Founding Fathers left one legacy not celebrated on Independence Day but which affects us all. It's the national debt....
Alaska Gov. Palin To Resign
NPR - FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009 7:44 P.M.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who was Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential campaign, says she will resign from office July 26.
What Now For Sarah Palin?
NPR - FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009 4:33 P.M.
Ron Elving, NPR's senior Washington editor, talks with Melissa Block about the ramifications of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's resignation.
Obama tells Russia's Putin the Cold War is history
AP - FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009 9:18 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama said former Russian President Vladimir Putin and his hand-picked successor should expect an in-person reminder the Cold War is over when the U.S. leader makes his first trip to a Moscow summit....
Obama begins July 4th celebration at Camp David
AP - FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009 8:25 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is helping the nation celebrate its birthday and his daughter Malia celebrate hers....
Under Senate health care plan, either way you pay
AP - FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009 4:25 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- First you paid to insure your car. Soon you may have to add health insurance premiums to that stack of monthly bills as well....
US wants privacy in new cyber security system
AP - FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009 2:31 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is moving cautiously on a new pilot program that would both detect and stop cyber attacks against government computers, while trying to ensure citizen privacy protections....
'It's All Politics': NPR's Weekly News Roundup
NPR - FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009 MIDNIGHT
In the latest political podcast, NPR Washington Editor Ron Elving and Political Editor Ken Rudin discuss Al Franken and the myth of the 60-vote Senate majority.
Cheney discussed media inquiries into Plame leak
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 10:04 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney talked with top White House officials about how to respond to reporters' inquiries into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative, according to a court filing....
SC senator defends ouster of Honduran president
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 6:48 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint is defending the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and says the rule of law is working in Honduras....
Documents describe chaos of Gitmo's early months
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 6:18 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Newly released Defense Department documents and memos about the first years of operation of the jail at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, portray a chaotic and sometimes violent operation that its own commanders described as dysfunctional....
Missile experts see Soviet parts in NKorean rocket
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 5:30 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With concerns rising about a possible North Korean long-range missile test this weekend, two independent scientists say the regime may be using an old Soviet ballistic missile to boost a rocket capable of reaching the West Coast of the United States....
Obama uneasy over indefinite Gitmo detentions
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 5:23 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama said Thursday he's uneasy about his own proposal to indefinitely imprison some of the most dangerous terror suspects being held now at Guantanamo Bay. He called it "one of the biggest challenges of my administration."...
Analysis: US leverage small in Honduran coup
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 5:20 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The coup that deposed the president of Honduras exposed the small leverage that even millions of dollars in aid and longtime military cooperation will buy....
American soldier feared captured in Afghanistan
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 5:18 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An American soldier is believed being held by the Taliban after he walked off his base in eastern Afghanistan without his body armor and weapon, officials said Thursday....
Obama: Court leaves room for affirmative action
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 4:39 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama said Thursday the Supreme Court is "moving the ball" to limit affirmative action, but he stressed that its ruling in favor of white firefighters still allows employers and educators to take race into account in hiring, promotions and admissions....
Obama administration delays release of CIA report
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 4:10 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration said Thursday that it needs two more months to review an internal CIA report on the agency's secret detention and interrogation program before making it public, drawing criticism from civil libertarians who say it's past time for Americans to know how its government treated terrorism suspects....
Treasury seizes assets of extremist organization
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 4 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration on Thursday authorized the seizure of assets belonging to an extremist organization in Iraq and an Iranian backer of insurgents, saying both are responsible for deadly attacks in Iraq....
Obama's challenge: Tweens take over Camp David
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 3:40 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Finally, something that intimidates President Barack Obama: a bunch of tween girls....
Text of Obama's AP interview
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 3:03 P.M.
AP transcript of an interview with President Barack Obama on Thursday....
Bill Clinton to raise money for NY Dem challenger
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 3:01 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a slap at President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton will headline a fundraiser for a New York congresswoman challenging White House-backed Sen. Kristen Gillibrand in the state's Democratic primary....
Leahy: GOP planned objection to a high court pick
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 2:47 P.M.
MIDDLESEX, Vt. (AP) -- The chairman of the Senate's upcoming Supreme Court hearings says Republicans told him they would have objected no matter whom President Barack Obama nominated to the high court....
Education secretary challenges NEA on teacher pay
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 12:48 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan challenged members of the National Education Association Thursday to stop resisting the idea of linking teacher pay to student achievement....
Obama confident in recovery despite jobs report
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 12:46 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama said Thursday that he remains confident the economy will turn around in the short term and the nation will prosper in the long term despite another dose of bad unemployment news....
Obama says he grew up listening to Michael Jackson
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 12:31 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The King of Pop had a fan in the White House....
Study: New flu inefficient in attacking people
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 12:30 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With swine flu continuing to spread around the world, researchers say they have found the reason it is - so far - more a series of local blazes than a wide-raging wildfire....
Study: New flu inefficient in attacking people
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 11:48 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With swine flu continuing to spread around the world, researchers say they have found the reason it is - so far - more a series of local blazes than a wide-raging wildfire....
Obama keeps door open for NKorean nuclear talks
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 11:46 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama says the United States is trying to "keep a door open" for North Korea to return to international nuclear disarmament talks, even as Washington pursues sanctions against the North....
Police seeking record US aid to avoid layoffs
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 11:18 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's police departments are clamoring for an unprecedented amount of federal aid to forestall big local tax hikes or the possible layoff of nearly 40,000 police officers - enough to staff the entire New York City Police Department....
Baaad news? Global warming now shrinking sheep
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 11:14 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Like the wool sweater that emerges from the dryer a size too small, global warming seems to be shrinking sheep....
Obama mulling prolonged terror detentions
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 11:08 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama says he's open to the idea of detaining some Guantanamo Bay terror suspects somewhere else for prolonged periods, but it may turn out that he won't be comfortable with any proposals to do that....
New form of El Nino may increase Atlantic storms
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 11:03 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- El Nino may have a split personality....
White House: VP Biden has traveled to Iraq
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 9:55 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says Vice President Joe Biden is in Iraq....
Obama to reassess US troop levels in Afghanistan
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 9:17 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama tells The Associated Press that he will reassess the possible need for additional U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the Afghan national elections in August....
Obama: Iran cannot be permitted to be nuke power
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 9:16 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama says he is "not reconciled" to the idea of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon within a year....
Obama: More work needed to create new jobs
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 9:07 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama says he's still "deeply concerned" about the continuing loss of jobs across the country....
FBI notes: Saddam feared Iran more than US attack
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 8:59 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The farm where Saddam Hussein hid from U.S. forces before he was captured in December 2003 was familiar ground for the Iraqi dictator: It was the same place, he told an FBI agent, where he sought refuge 44 years earlier after taking part in a failed attempt to kill Iraq's president....
New York's Legislature Grinds To A Halt
NPR - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 8:35 A.M.
In New York's capital Albany, Republicans and Democrats disagree over who is in charge. Three weeks ago, Republicans tried to take over the Senate. That's left neither side with a majority, and no bills are getting passed. Gov. David Patterson has ordered legislators to work over the holiday weekend to try to resolve the crisis.
Highway deaths fall in 2009, lowest since '61
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 8:03 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fewer people died on the nation's highways during the first three months of 2009 as motor vehicle fatalities continued to fall to levels not seen in nearly a half-century....
Franken to give Democrats a boost on key issues
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 12:51 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The jokes about Minnesota's prolonged recount can finally stop, just in time for Democrats to secure a reliable vote from a former funny man....
GOP's Coleman could eye Minn. governor run next
AP - THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 12:21 A.M.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The man who lost the 1998 Minnesota governor's race to pro wrestler Jesse Ventura now holds the distinction of losing his U.S. Senate seat to former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Al Franken....
Detainee attorney seeks to suppress interrogations
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 5:51 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Attorneys for a Guantanamo Bay prisoner asked a federal judge Wednesday to exclude as evidence against him the statements he made during at least 57 interrogations since his capture, saying they were the result of torture and other coercion....
Adviser: Gillibrand gets Maloney primary challenge
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 5:49 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney has decided to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in the state's Democratic primary, setting the stage for a potentially costly and contentious fight that other congressional Democrats have avoided....
Obesity rates rising, Mississippi's still fattest
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 5:44 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers....
Rangel: Drug firms have been 'stealing'
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 5:39 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- One of the principal authors of health care legislation taking shape in the House accused drug companies and other medical providers Wednesday of stealing, and said they are now offering concessions in the hopes the bill that emerges will not demand too much of them....
US suspends military relations with Honduras
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 5:36 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration said Wednesday it has suspended joint military operations with Honduras to protest a coup that forced President Manuel Zelaya into exile. The U.S. withheld stronger action in hopes of negotiating a peaceful return of the country's elected leader....
Lawmakers seek refuge in Capitol Hill sanctuary
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 5:29 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- For years, the brick facade of a three-story house near the Capitol has functioned as a shield for the lawmakers who live and pray there, offering sanctuary from the temptations of political life - and discretion for those who succumbed....
Major military operation under way in Afghanistan
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 5 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thousands of U.S. Marines and hundreds of Afghan troops moved into Taliban-infested villages with armor and helicopters Wednesday evening in the first major operation under President Barack Obama's revamped strategy to stabilize Afghanistan....
Emotion, few details, in Obama's health care pitch
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 4:57 P.M.
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) -- President Barack Obama wanted to put a human face on his plans to overhaul health care, and a Virginia supporter did just that Wednesday....
12 hospitalized in connection with E. coli in beef
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 4:36 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- At least 12 people, two of them suffering kidney failure, have been hospitalized in connection with a possible E. coli outbreak in beef suspected of having sickened people in nine states, federal health officials said Wednesday....
Inouye's office inquired about bank's aid request
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 4:17 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hardly a bank bailout hearing goes by in Congress without a lawmaker raising a question on behalf of constituent banks that have applied for federal assistance from the government's financial bailout fund....
Calls Grow For Gov. Sanford Resignation
NPR - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 4 P.M.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is weathering more calls for his resignation and further investigations into his extramarital affair. He conceded Tuesday that he had met with his Argentine mistress more than he had originally said, including several multinight stays in New York.
Analysis: Franken doesn't guarantee Dems success
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 3:57 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Al Franken's victory in the marathon Minnesota Senate race gives Democrats control of 60 seats, the number needed to overcome any Republican filibuster aimed at blocking elements of President Barack Obama's ambitious agenda....
Administration launches immigration crackdown
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 3:25 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration launched investigations of hundreds of businesses around the country Wednesday as part of its strategy to focus immigration enforcement on the employers who hire illegal workers....
GOP loses last Jewish senator with Coleman loss
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 2:50 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The defeat of incumbent Norm Coleman in the drawn-out Minnesota Senate race leaves Republicans without a Jewish senator for the first time in half a century....
Bad economy brings out scammers, crackdown
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 2:43 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economic downturn appears to be bringing out the worst in some people....
Lawmakers Versus Public Attitude On Gay Rights
NPR - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 2:04 P.M.
Some advocates say President Obama is not moving fast enough on the issue of gay rights. Also, Sen. Al Franken has won the Minn. race, which gives Democrats 60 seats, and Gov. Mark Sanford continues to speak about his affair with the woman he calls his "soul mate."
EPA proposes regulations to cut ship pollution
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 1:41 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing tougher rules to reduce air pollution from large oceangoing ships, including oil tankers and cargo vessels....
Obama hugs cancer patient, pitches care overhaul
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 1:21 P.M.
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) -- President Barack Obama hugged a cancer patient Wednesday at an emotional forum before a supportive audience and vowed to bring greater efficiency and accessibility to the nation's health care system....
State Budget Woes Worsen As Deadline Arrives
NPR - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 1:21 P.M.
California is poised to issue IOUs as the state Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fail to reach an agreement; several other states face issues of their own.
Biden announces rural broadband funding in Pa.
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 1:03 P.M.
WATTSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden outlined a $4.7 billion loan and grant program Wednesday to develop the infrastructure needed to deliver broadband, or high-speed, Internet access to areas that are underserved or without access....
Pentagon: Military cooperation on hold after coup
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 11:38 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon says it has put cooperation with the Honduran military on hold....
Obama restates opposition to malpractice caps
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 11:29 A.M.
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) -- President Barack Obama is standing by his opposition to caps on jury awards to people who successfully sue for medical malpractice....
Franken says `I'm not going to waste this chance'
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 11:21 A.M.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Sen.-elect Al Franken turned a rally at Minnesota's Capitol on Wednesday into an extended thank-you to supporters, promising not to "waste this chance" in what amounted to a victory speech nearly eight months late....
Obama comforts cancer patient at town hall meeting
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 11:04 A.M.
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) -- President Barack Obama hugged a woman who told him at a town hall meeting she has cancer but no way to pay her expenses....
Obama pitches health care plans in Virginia
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 10:39 A.M.
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) -- President Barack Obama says he recognizes the heavy price tag of revamping the health care system but that it would be much more costly to do nothing....
Obama White House not appealing transgender ruling
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 8:40 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is not fighting a nearly $500,000 judgment for a Library of Congress hiree who lost the job while undergoing a gender change from a man to a woman....
White House Pushes To Keep Visitor Logs Private
NPR - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 7:20 A.M.
President Obama campaigned on a promise to bring a new era of openness and transparency to the White House. But less than six months into his presidency, there are already battles over what information should be made public — including a fight over the Secret Service logs of visitors to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Gov. Sanford Adds Details About Affair
NPR - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 6 A.M.
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford revealed more details about his extramarital affair Tuesday. Sanford admitted to seeing his Argentine girlfriend five times in the past year and also said that he "crossed the line" with other women during his marriage. The revelations did little to bolster the governor's efforts to stay in office.
Finally: Minn. Senate Race Over, Franken Wins
NPR - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 6 A.M.
Nearly eight months after the election, there's finally a winner in the Minnesota Senate race. The state's Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Al Franken has defeated incumbent Norm Coleman. Coleman has conceded.
Court rulings loom on campaign funds, civil rights
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 2:57 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court will have a new look - and perhaps a new member - but the same right-of-center tilt when the justices return in late summer to deal with unfinished business about money in campaigns....
Panel set to rule on Quecreek Mine fines
AP - WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009 2:31 A.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal panel is deciding whether a judge fairly assessed $110,000 in fines against two companies cited for negligence in an accident at Pennsylvania's Quecreek Mine that trapped nine coal miners underground for 77 hours before their dramatic rescue....
Gates says he wants to soften gay expulsion rules
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 6:26 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday he wants to make the law prohibiting gays from serving openly in the armed forces "more humane" until Congress eventually repeals it. He said he has lawyers studying ways the law might be selectively enforced....
Source: NKorean ship headed back to north
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 6:11 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. officials said Tuesday that a North Korean ship has turned around and is headed back toward the north where it came from, after being tracked for more than a week by American Navy vessels on suspicion of carrying illegal weapons....
Analysis: US role in Iraq doesn't end just yet
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 6:10 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. troops are out of Iraq's cities but not its future. Even a best-case scenario is likely to feature an American role there for years - militarily as well as diplomatically....
Wal-Mart, union back employer health insurance
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 6:04 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Wal-Mart is the latest in a line of traditionally Republican-leaning businesses to embrace key portions of President Barack Obama's bid to overhaul health care, a trend that could complicate opponents' efforts to build a united front when Congress ramps up its work on the issue this summer....
No Easy Path For Senate Dems Despite Franken Win
NPR - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 5:38 P.M.
Al Franken's victory in the long-running battle for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat gives Democrats the 60 votes needed to defeat a filibuster. But it may not be that easy. There are a dozen Democrats who may not toe the party line.
Treasury sanctions on firm linked to North Korea
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 4:53 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States on Tuesday imposed financial sanctions on a company in Iran that is accused of involvement in North Korea's missile proliferation network....
Administration sends Congress consumer legislation
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 4:30 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama asked Congress on Tuesday to create a new agency to police the fine print on credit card bills and mortgage documents and determine what fees, penalties and interest rates are fair....
Obama consults experts on 1976 swine flu outbreak
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 4:23 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is hoping that lessons learned from a 1976 flu outbreak can help the country act wisely to combat the current spread of swine flu....
Franken Declared Winner Of Minnesota Senate Race
NPR - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 4:16 P.M.
Minnesota's Supreme Court has declared Democrat Al Franken the winner of the state's disputed U.S. Senate race. Republican Norm Coleman conceded the race soon after the decision.
Gov. Sanford Admits Other Encounters
NPR - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 4 P.M.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Tuesday he "crossed lines" with women other than his mistress, but never had sex with them. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanford also said he met more times with his Argentine mistress than he previously acknowledged. AP Writer Tamara Lush, who interviewed Sanford, discusses the new revelations.
After Long Court Battle, Franken Wins Minn. Senate Seat
NEWSHOUR - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 3:42 P.M.
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Democrat Al Franken narrowly defeated Republican Norm Coleman in last year's U.S. Senate race. Analysts discuss the case and the significance of Franken's win.
Romanian uranium taken to secure site
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 3:34 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The last remaining bomb-grade uranium has been shipped out of Romania as part of a U.S.-Russian nuclear nonproliferation program, the Energy Department reported Tuesday....
Senate to hold hearing on college football's BCS
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 3:26 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate plans to hold a hearing next week looking into antitrust issues surrounding the Bowl Championship Series. It's the second time this year that Congress is shining a light on the polarizing system college football uses to crown its national champion....
Foes of Sotomayor emboldened by discimination case
AP - TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009 3:16 P.M.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Foes of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor celebrated the high court's reversal of her decision in a reverse discrimination case....
