Tea party activists want to show their unhappiness over extra IRS scrutiny with protest rallies.
Tea party activists waving flags and signs, singing patriotic songs and chanting anti-IRS slogans held rallies outside federal buildings across the country Tuesday to protest the agency's extra scrutiny of conservative...
A Senate panel says Apple Inc. is avoiding paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes, but the world's most valuable company says it is complying with the laws and pays "an extraordinary amount" in taxes to the...
The Senate dragged massively profitable Apple Inc. into the debate over the U.S. tax code Tuesday, grilling CEO Tim Cook over allegations that its Irish subsidiaries help the company avoid billions in U.S. taxes.
The Senate Judiciary Committee hopes to nail down an elusive compromise on high-tech visas and may punt a controversy over gay marriage to the full Senate as it makes final drafting decisions on immigration...
Far-reaching immigration legislation neared a final committee vote on Tuesday as the White House and Democratic supporters pressed the panel's chairman to delay a showdown over the rights of gay spouses until a debate in...
A Senate panel has voted to provide weapons to rebels battling the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
A Senate panel has voted to provide weapons to rebels battling the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The White House says President Barack Obama opposes a House bill that would speed approval of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.
The White House says President Barack Obama opposes a House bill that would speed approval of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.
Top lawmakers and officials say the federal government has plenty of money on hand to pay for recovery efforts in the devastating tornado that struck Oklahoma.
Top lawmakers and officials say the federal government has plenty of money on hand to pay for recovery efforts in the devastating tornado that struck Oklahoma.
Physicist Ernest Moniz has been sworn in as the nation's new energy secretary.
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said Tuesday he will put on hold about 20 applications to export liquefied natural gas until he reviews studies by the Energy Department and others on what impact the exports would have on...
Los Angeles is about to elect its next mayor.
Voters were choosing the next mayor of Los Angeles on Tuesday, but most residents probably haven't noticed.
Iranian news websites have boosted speculation that election overseers have barred two prominent but divisive figures from next month's presidential ballot.
Iran's election overseers removed potential wild card candidates from the presidential race Tuesday, blocking a top aide of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a former president who revived hopes of reformers.
Republicans are trying to block Obama administration overtures to Russia on missile defense, creating a potential obstacle to arms control talks.
Republicans are trying to block Obama administration overtures to Russia on missile defense, creating a potential obstacle to arms control talks.
A high-tech startup is wading into the gun control debate with a cellphone controller that would allow gun owners to know when their weapon is being moved - and disable it remotely.
A high-tech startup is wading into the gun control debate with a wireless controller that would allow gun owners to know when their weapon is being moved - and disable it remotely.
Three members of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group died of wounds sustained while fighting for control of strategic Syrian town near the Lebanese border, activists said Tuesday, as the battle in the area raged...
Despite recent rebel setbacks in Syria's civil war, the main opposition bloc signaled a tough line Tuesday on attending possible peace talks with President Bashar Assad's regime.
The White House says President Barack Obama believes journalists shouldn't be prosecuted for doing their jobs.
The White House says President Barack Obama believes journalists shouldn't be prosecuted for doing their jobs.
A federal appeals court is backing the U.S. government's decision not to release photos and video taken of Osama bin Laden during and after a raid in which the terrorist leader was killed by U.S. commandos.
A federal appeals court Tuesday backed the U.S. government's decision not to release photos and video taken of Osama bin Laden during and after a raid in which the terrorist leader was killed by U.S. commandos.
The former head of the Internal Revenue Service heads to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, giving lawmakers their first opportunity to question the man who ran the agency when agents were improperly targeting tea party groups.
The man who led the Internal Revenue Service when it was giving extra scrutiny to tea party and other conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status told Congress on Tuesday that he knew little about what was happening while...
The Senate is debating cuts to the federally subsidized crop insurance program as it considers a massive farm bill this week.
The farm bill the Senate is considering this week would cut some farm subsidies but also expand government-subsidized crop insurance, a safety net used by many farmers in case of bad weather or lost revenue.
A new poll finds that teens are sharing more about themselves on social media. They're also moving increasingly to Twitter to avoid their parents and the "oversharing" that they see on Facebook.
Twitter is booming as a social media destination for teenagers who complain about too many adults and too much drama on Facebook, according to a new study published Tuesday about online behavior. It said teens are sharing...
Two allies of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili - a former prime minister and a provincial governor - were charged on Tuesday with embezzlement and abuse of office in another sign of an ongoing power struggle...
Allies of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili - a former prime minister and a provincial governor - were charged on Tuesday with embezzlement and abuse of office in another sign of an ongoing power struggle between the...
President Barack Obama will be meeting with his disaster response team, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, on Tuesday before delivering a statement on the devastating tornado that tore through...
President Barack Obama pledged urgent government help for Oklahoma Tuesday in the wake of "one of the most destructive" storms in the nation's history.
The Peace Corps says it will begin accepting applications from same-sex domestic partners who want to serve together as volunteers overseas.
The Peace Corps says it will begin accepting applications from same-sex domestic partners who want to serve together as volunteers overseas.
Lawmakers are asking Myanmar President Thein Sein (tane sane) to free nearly 250 political prisoners.
Lawmakers are asking Myanmar President Thein Sein (tane sane) to free nearly 250 political prisoners.
Two people familiar with the Senate immigration deliberations say the White House has suggested to Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy that it would be best to put off a controversy over gay marriage until a bill goes before...
Two people familiar with the Senate immigration deliberations say the White House has suggested to Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy that it would be best to put off a controversy over gay marriage until a bill goes before the full...
Conservative Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn says that any additional federal aid to help tornado victims and to rebuild devastated areas of his state should be financed with cuts to other programs in the government's...
Conservative Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn says that any additional federal aid to help tornado victims and to rebuild devastated areas of his state should be financed with cuts to other programs in the government's $3.6...
China's new leader Xi Jinping will confer with President Barack Obama next month in California, months earlier than their expected first meeting, as both sides seek to stem a drift in relations, troubled by...
China's new leader Xi Jinping will confer with President Barack Obama next month in California, months earlier than expected, as both sides seek to stem a drift in relations, troubled by issues from cyberspying to North...
It was a rare moment in relations between the media and the government: In 2008, FBI Director Robert Mueller called the top editors at The New York Times and The Washington Post to apologize because the bureau had...
It was a rare moment in relations between the media and the government: In 2008, FBI Director Robert Mueller called the top editors at The New York Times and The Washington Post to apologize because the bureau had improperly...
His latest legislative achievements put him in the vanguard of his party's liberal base. He's been a top fundraiser for President Barack Obama. And he's ramping up his travel to help fellow Democrats...
His latest legislative achievements put him in the vanguard of his party's liberal base. He's been a top fundraiser for President Barack Obama. And he's ramping up his travel to help fellow Democrats around the...
Thousands of people have converged on the New York City neighborhood where a gay man was killed after police say he was taunted with homophobic slurs.
The killing of a gay man who police say was taunted with homophobic slurs drew thousands of people to the scene of the crime to restore a sense of safety to one of the nation's most gay-friendly neighborhoods.
White House chief of staff Denis McDonough and other senior presidential advisers knew in late April that an upcoming report was likely to find that IRS employees had inappropriately targeted conservative political...
White House chief of staff Denis McDonough and other senior advisers knew in late April that an impending report was likely to say the IRS had inappropriately targeted conservative groups, President Barack Obama's...
A Treasury official says the department told the White House twice that the IRS was preparing to make public its targeting of conservative political groups.
A Treasury official says the department told the White House twice that the IRS was preparing to make public its targeting of conservative political groups.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Republican National Committee chairman are distancing themselves from conservatives who suggested in recent days that President Barack Obama could face impeachment for the developing...
The Republican National Committee chairman and a leading conservative, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, urged caution Monday for Republican critics calling for President Barack Obama's impeachment, but would not rule out...
Actor Sean Penn is urging the U.S. government to pressure Bolivia to free an American businessman jailed there since 2011.
Actor Sean Penn on Monday urged the U.S. government to pressure Bolivia to free an American businessman detained without charge since 2011 in a case that has drawn accusations he was the victim of corrupt local prosecutors.
A spate of attacks on gay men in New York, including a killing in the heart of one of its most gay-friendly neighborhoods, is stirring up anxiety, disbelief and outrage heading into what is usually a time of...
Thousands marched the streets of Manhattan Monday to protest the killing of a gay man allegedly taunted with homophobic slurs - the most recent in a spate of bias attacks stirring up anxiety, disbelief and outrage in a...
Secretary of State John Kerry is heading back to the Middle East this week to press his case for peace talks between Syrian rebels and President Bashar Assad's regime amid increasing signs the new U.S. strategy...
Secretary of State John Kerry is headed back to the Middle East to press his case for peace talks between Syrian rebels and President Bashar Assad's regime amid increasing signs the new U.S. strategy to halt the war is...
In another case of the Obama administration investigating classified information improperly disclosed to reporters, the government is prosecuting a State Department expert on North Korea in a probe that appears to...
In another case of the Obama administration investigating classified information improperly disclosed to reporters, the government is prosecuting a State Department expert on North Korea in a probe that appears to step into...
Former general Thein Sein on Monday becomes the first Myanmar president to be welcomed to the White House in almost 47 years, crowning a dramatic diplomatic rehabilitation for his nation after years of...
President Barack Obama on Monday told Myanmar's president during a long-awaited White House meeting that he appreciates the Asian leader's efforts to lead the country on its sometimes difficult path to democracy and...
Apple Inc. employs a group of affiliate companies located outside the United States to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. income taxes, a Senate investigation has found.
Apple Inc. employs a group of affiliate companies located outside the United States to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. income taxes, a Senate investigation has found.
The House has passed a bill making it a crime for people to falsely claim they have received a military medal in order to obtain money or government benefits. Under the legislation, which passed overwhelmingly and...
People who falsely claim they have received a military medal in order to obtain money or government benefits could face up to a year in jail under legislation that easily passed the House Monday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is aiming this week to pass a landmark immigration bill to secure the border and offer citizenship to millions, setting up a high-stakes debate on the Senate floor.
Senate supporters of far-reaching immigration legislation accepted minor changes in public while negotiating over more sweeping alterations in private Monday as they drove toward expected Judiciary Committee approval by...
The White House says it would like to see more cuts to agriculture subsidies in a massive farm bill moving through the Senate this week.
The Obama administration said Monday it wants to see more cuts to agriculture subsidies in a massive farm bill moving through the Senate this week.
The Justice Department's inspector general says the U.S. Attorney in Arizona violated department policy by providing Fox News with information apparently aimed at undercutting the credibility of a federal agent...
The U.S. Attorney in Arizona violated Justice Department policy by providing Fox News with information apparently aimed at undercutting the credibility of a federal agent who helped reveal the botched arms-trafficking probe...
Myanmar President Thein Sein says that all perpetrators of inter-communal violence in the country will be brought to justice.
Myanmar President Thein Sein says that all perpetrators of inter-communal violence in the country will be brought to justice.
President Barack Obama will bestow the Medal of Freedom posthumously on Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space.
President Barack Obama will bestow the Medal of Freedom posthumously on Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space.
The New York Police Department is defending itself in a federal civil rights lawsuit over its surveillance of Muslims. It says in a new court filing that nothing it has done violated surveillance guidelines imposed...
A New York Police Department detective told a federal judge that he's seen no evidence that one of his informants brought up the subject of jihad as a way to bait Muslims into making incriminating remarks. But text...
An international aid organization is appealing for more funds to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan, saying warmer weather will increase health risks due to lack of shelter, water and basic sanitation.
Hezbollah was pulled more deeply into Syria's civil war as 28 guerrillas from the Lebanese Shiite militant group were killed and dozens more wounded while fighting rebels, Syria activists said Monday.
Three more states have received permission to ignore parts of the federal No Child Left Behind education law.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced on Monday that three more states would join the ranks of those given permission to ignore parts of the federal No Child Left Behind law in favor of their own school improvement plans.
The White House says White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler was first informed about an audit of the IRS' inappropriate targeting of conservative groups on April 24 and that she notified senior staff, including...
The White House says White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler was first informed about an audit of the IRS' inappropriate targeting of conservative groups on April 24 and that she notified senior staff, including Denis...
The Obama administration is calling on the Egyptian government to rein in prosecutions of political expression amid what it called a "growing trend" of efforts to punish and deter people from speaking their mind.
The Obama administration is calling on the Egyptian government to rein in prosecutions of political expression amid what it called a "growing trend" of efforts to punish and deter people from speaking their mind.
The State Department has appointed a special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism as a new report documents a global increase in incidents of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
The State Department appointed a special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism Monday as a new report documents a global increase in incidents of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
In a bitter fight, Colorado Democrats recently muscled through the Statehouse a massive elections reform bill that allows voters to register up until Election Day and still cast their ballots.
In a bitter fight, Colorado Democrats recently muscled through the Statehouse a massive elections reform bill that allows voters to register up until Election Day and still cast their ballots.
Czech President Milos Zeman is being criticized for refusing to grant a university professorship - the nation's top academic title - to a critic of his, allegedly because the man is also a gay rights activist.
The Czech Republic's controversy-courting new president is under fire for refusing to grant a university professorship to one of his critics and hinting that it is because the man is a gay rights activist.
The Air Force says its test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had postponed in April because of tensions with North Korea, is now scheduled to happen on Tuesday.
The Air Force says its test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had postponed in April because of tensions with North Korea, is now scheduled to happen on Tuesday.
Tensions between Germany and Hungary have flared over remarks by the two countries' leaders, including references to Hitler's occupation of the eastern European country in 1944 and an irritated German...
It started out simple enough: German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized constitutional changes that have been made in Hungary. But Hungary's leader not only objected, he also found what he called a veiled reference to...
New government figures underscore the staggering long-term consequences of military sexual assaults: More than 85,000 veterans were treated last year for injuries or illness linked to the abuse, and 4,000 sought...
New government figures underscore the staggering long-term consequences of military sexual assaults: More than 85,000 veterans were treated last year for injuries or illness linked to the abuse, and 4,000 sought disability...
Secretary of State John Kerry is vowing that the Obama administration will spare no expense or effort to protect U.S. diplomats serving overseas.
Secretary of State John Kerry challenged Congress on Monday to go beyond its investigations of embassy security and help ensure that U.S. embassies and consulates abroad have the resources they need for appropriate security....
The Supreme Court is taking a new case on the intersection of religion and government in a dispute over prayers used to open meetings in an upstate New York town.
The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear a new case on the intersection of religion and government in a dispute over prayers used to open public meetings.
The Supreme Court won't order new legislative elections in Mississippi over complaints about the timing of the state's redistricting.
The Supreme Court won't order new legislative elections in Mississippi over complaints about the timing of the state's redistricting.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the authority of federal regulators to try to speed local government decisions on proposals to build or expand cell phone towers.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the authority of federal regulators to try to speed local government decisions on proposals to build or expand cell phone towers.
The Supreme Court says a woman can seek lawyers' fees from the government even though her lawsuit over damage she said was caused by a vaccine was ruled untimely.
The Supreme Court says a woman can seek lawyers' fees from the government even though her lawsuit over damage she said was caused by a vaccine was ruled untimely.
The Supreme Court will decide if government whistleblower protection applies to employees of a privately-held contractor or the subcontractor of a publicly-held company.
The Supreme Court will decide if government whistleblower protection applies to employees of a privately-held contractor or the subcontractor of a publicly-held company.
The Associated Press' president and chief executive says the government's secret seizure of two months of reporters' phone records has already had a chilling effect on newsgathering, a week after the...
The Associated Press' president and chief executive says the government's secret seizure of two months of reporters' phone records has already had a chilling effect on newsgathering, a week after the subpoenas...
More than 85,000 veterans were treated last year for injuries or illness stemming from sexual abuse in the military, and 4,000 sought disability benefits, underscoring the staggering long-term impact of a crisis that...
More than 85,000 veterans were treated last year for injuries or illness stemming from sexual abuse in the military, and 4,000 sought disability benefits, underscoring the staggering long-term impact of a crisis that has...
In the spring of 1963, a prominent civil rights leader led dozens of protesters on a four-mile march from a predominantly African-American college campus to the center of Charlotte's downtown.
In the spring of 1963, a prominent civil rights leader led dozens of protesters on a four-mile march from a predominantly African-American college campus to the center of Charlotte's downtown.
The president and CEO of The Associated Press says the government's seizure of AP journalists' phone records was "unconstitutional" and already has had a chilling effect on newsgathering.
The president and chief executive officer of The Associated Press on Sunday called the government's secret seizure of two months of reporters' phone records "unconstitutional" and said the news cooperative had not...
President Barack Obama is delivering the commencement address at Morehouse College, the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni.
President Barack Obama, in a soaring commencement address on work, sacrifice and opportunity, on Sunday told graduates of historically black Morehouse College to seize the power of their example as black men graduating from...
Syrian activists say government airstrikes and heavy shelling of a strategic town near the Lebanese border have killed at least 16 people, including rebel fighters.
Syrian troops pushed into a rebel-held town near the Lebanese border on Sunday, fighting house-to-house and bombing from the air as President Bashar Assad tried to strengthen his grip on a strategic strip of land running...
Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier headed to India on Sunday for his first foreign trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and...
Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost...
Despite Democratic fears, predictions of the demise of President Barack Obama's agenda appear exaggerated after a week of cascading controversies, political triage by the administration and party leaders in...
Despite Democratic fears, predictions of the demise of President Barack Obama's agenda appear exaggerated after a week of cascading controversies, political triage by the administration and party leaders in Congress and...
President Barack Obama will address the legality of his administration's controversial drone program during a speech this week.
President Barack Obama will discuss the legality of his administration's secret drone program and other counterterrorism practices during a speech Thursday, a White House official said.
A senior White House adviser insists President Barack Obama learned the Internal Revenue Service had been targeting tea party groups "when it came out in the news."
A top White House adviser insisted Sunday that President Barack Obama learned the Internal Revenue Service had targeted tea party groups only "when it came out in the news" while Republicans continued to press the...
The night of smoke, chaos, gunfire and grenades that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, is well-documented. Eight months later, it is the decisions made back in Washington that remain murky and in perpetual...
The night of smoke, chaos, gunfire and grenades that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, is well-documented. Eight months later, it is the decisions made back in Washington that remain murky and in perpetual dispute.
First lady Michelle Obama has some advice for some Tennessee high school graduates: strike your own path in college and life and work to overcome inevitable failures with determination and grit.
First lady Michelle Obama has some advice for some Tennessee high school graduates: Strike your own path in college and life and work to overcome inevitable failures with determination and grit.
Syrian activists say that a wave of tit-for-tat kidnappings between rival Islamic militant groups in the northern city of Aleppo risks sparking large-scale internal fighting between rebels.
Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a newspaper interview Saturday he won't step down before elections and that the United States has no right to interfere in his country's politics, raising new doubts about a...
The night of smoke, chaos, gunfire and grenades that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, is well-documented. Eight months later, it is the decisions made back in Washington that remain murky and in perpetual...
The night of smoke, chaos, gunfire and grenades that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, is well-documented. Eight months later, it is the decisions made back in Washington that remain murky and in perpetual dispute.
President Barack Obama has taken two Cabinet secretaries out for a round of golf - in the rain.
President Barack Obama has taken two Cabinet secretaries out for a round of golf - in the rain.
There's an irony in the Internal Revenue Service's crackdown on conservative groups.
There's an irony in the Internal Revenue Service's crackdown on conservative groups.
An Afghan legislator says conservative lawmakers have blocked a law that aims to protect women's freedoms, saying parts of it violate Islamic principles.
Conservative religious lawmakers in Afghanistan blocked legislation on Saturday aimed at strengthening provisions for women's freedoms, arguing that parts of it violate Islamic principles and encourage disobedience.
Even before the first drops flow, Uganda's oil sector is beset by bribery allegations against officials, tax-related cases abroad that cost the government millions in legal fees, and the alleged interference of...
Even before the first drops flow, Uganda's oil sector is beset by bribery allegations against officials, tax-related cases abroad that cost the government millions in legal fees, and the alleged interference of a...
Seeking maximum political gain from the string of controversies swirling around the White House, Republicans are on the attack against Democratic lawmakers who accepted donations from the union that represents...
Seeking maximum political gain from the string of controversies swirling around the White House, Republicans are on the attack against Democratic lawmakers who accepted donations from the union that represents Internal...
President Barack Obama is calling attention to his economic proposals and efforts to expand the middle class.
President Barack Obama is calling attention to his economic proposals and efforts to expand the middle class.
The pale, young Christian woman sat handcuffed in the courtroom, accused of insulting Islam while teaching history of religions to fourth-graders. A team of Islamist lawyers with long beards sang in unison, "All...
The pale, young Christian woman sat handcuffed in the courtroom, accused of insulting Islam while teaching history of religions to fourth-graders. A team of Islamist lawyers with long beards sang in unison, "All except the...
Seeking maximum political gain from the string of controversies swirling around the White House, Republicans are on the attack against Democratic lawmakers who accepted donations from the union that represents...
Seeking maximum political gain from the string of controversies swirling around the White House, Republicans are on the attack against Democratic lawmakers who accepted donations from the union that represents Internal...
Lawmakers are ready to question the ousted head of the Internal Revenue Service as Congress holds its first hearing on the tougher scrutiny the IRS gave tea party and other conservative groups that applied for...
Senior Treasury officials were made aware in June 2012 that investigators were looking into complaints from tea party groups that they were being harassed by the Internal Revenue Service, a Treasury inspector general said...
The chairman of the House Oversight committee has issued a subpoena to compel the co-chairman of the independent review board that investigated last year's attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi,...
The head of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has subpoenaed the co-chairman of the independent review board that investigated last year's attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, to...
The Energy Department has given conditional approval to a Texas company that wants to export liquefied natural gas, the second LNG export project the Obama administration has approved as it faces a wave of export...
The Energy Department on Friday conditionally approved a Texas company's proposal to export liquefied natural gas, only the second such project allowed to move forward amid a production boom that has led to glut of...
President Barack Obama is pledging to eliminate the "scourge" of sexual assault in the military while cautioning that it will take a long and sustained effort by all military members.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday ordered the military to recertify all 25,000 people involved in programs designed to prevent and respond to sexual assault, an acknowledgement that assaults have escalated beyond the...
Congress' nonpartisan budget analyst says President Barack Obama's budget would trim projected federal deficits by $1.1 trillion over the coming decade.
President Barack Obama's budget would trim projected federal deficits by $1.1 trillion over the coming decade, using nearly $6 in higher revenues for every $1 in reduced spending to achieve it, Congress' nonpartisan...
Political scandals cause collateral damage and Republicans are hoping the furor over federal tax enforcers singling out conservative groups will snag some really big game - President Barack Obama's health care...
Political scandals have strange ways of causing collateral damage, and Republicans are hoping the furor over federal tax enforcers singling out conservative groups will ensnare their biggest target: President Barack...
Former Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla has died of natural causes while serving life sentences in prison for crimes against humanity.
Former dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, who took power over Argentina in a 1976 coup and led a military junta that killed thousands of his fellow citizens in a dirty war to eliminate so-called "subversives," died quietly in his...
The Obama administration is criticizing Russia's decision to provide Syria with anti-ship missiles, which it says will only worsen the civil war.
The Obama administration denounced Russia on Friday for providing Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime with anti-ship missiles, saying the weapons would only worsen a war that Washington and Moscow have been promising...
Stern-looking soldiers clutching assault rifles wave down the beat-up Chevy Caprice entering this sprawling slum on the outskirts of Caracas.
Stern-looking soldiers clutching assault rifles wave down the beat-up Chevy Caprice entering this sprawling slum on the outskirts of Caracas.
President Barack Obama is leaving behind scandal-focused Washington to focus on the country's slowly improving jobs picture.
President Barack Obama tried on Friday to leave behind the political battles that have overshadowed his second-term agenda, saying lawmakers should work on creating more middle-class jobs in the slowly growing economy. "Our...
The growing use of unmanned "eyes in the sky" is raising many privacy concerns, but Congress is getting mixed advice on what to do about civilian drones.
The growing use of unmanned surveillance "eyes in the sky" aircraft raises a thicket of privacy concerns, but Congress is getting mixed advice on what, if anything, to do about it.
An Army general who served as a top official on U.S. joint military staffs in Afghanistan and at the Pentagon is the choice to command U.S. troops in South Korea.
An Army general who served as a top official on U.S. joint military staffs in Afghanistan and at the Pentagon is the choice to command U.S. troops in South Korea.
A human rights group says it has found documents and physical evidence indicating Syrians were arbitrarily detained and tortured in government prisons in the eastern city of Raqqa.
Rights activists visiting abandoned government prisons in the first Syrian city to come under rebel control have found torture devices and other evidence that detainees were abused there, Human Rights Watch said in a report...
Michelle Obama is using an address to college students in Maryland to stress the importance of education to the African-American community.
First lady Michelle Obama spoke passionately about the importance of education to the African-American community in a commencement address Friday, urging more than 600 graduates of Bowie State University to honor the...
President Barack Obama is putting on a show at the White House next week for singer-songwriter Carole King.
President Barack Obama is putting on a show at the White House next week for singer-songwriter Carole King.
About 30 security agents showed up just after midnight, breaking down the door to an apartment in the town of Daraya near the Syrian capital of Damascus. They grabbed a 24-year-old university student and drove off.
About 30 security agents showed up just after midnight, breaking down the door to an apartment in the town of Daraya near the Syrian capital of Damascus. They grabbed a 24-year-old university student and drove off.
The organic food industry is gaining clout on Capitol Hill, prompted by rising consumer demand and its entry into traditional farm states. But that isn't going over well with everyone in Congress.
The organic food industry is gaining influence on Capitol Hill, prompted by its entry into traditional farm states and by increasing consumer demand.
The International Monetary Fund says serious economic risks remain for Cyprus even after a big international bailout.
The International Monetary Fund said Friday that substantial risks still loom for the Cypriot economy even after a multi-billion dollar international bailout aimed at averting a debt default.
The ousted chief of the Internal Revenue Service is telling Congress that his agency made errors in targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, but he says the mistakes were not the result of partisan...
The ousted chief of the Internal Revenue Service is telling Congress that his agency made errors in targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, but he says the mistakes were not the result of partisan views.
Forget the DVR.
Forget the DVR.
Don't look for the outcry over the Internal Revenue Service's improper targeting of tea party groups to subside with the ouster of the agency's acting commissioner.
President Barack Obama picked a senior White House budget official to become the acting head of the Internal Revenue Service on Thursday, the same day another top official announced plans to leave the agency amid the...
House Republicans have moved to protect the Department of Homeland Security from the big cuts facing other domestic agencies under the party's slashing budget plan.
A Republican-controlled House panel moved Thursday to protect the Department of Homeland Security from the big cuts facing other domestic agencies under the party's budget slashing plan.
Senators working on a bipartisan immigration bill have defeated an effort to speed up a new workplace identity verification system.
A bipartisan group of House members announced a deal Thursday on sweeping immigration legislation, a breakthrough that could boost chances for one of President Barack Obama's top second-term priorities.
The nation's top military officer is warning that women in uniform are losing confidence that sexual assault in the armed services is a problem that can be solved.
President Barack Obama said Thursday the nation's military leaders told him they are "ashamed" of their failure to end sexual abuse in the armed services. Obama pledged to "leave no stone unturned" in the effort to halt...
Former presidential contender John Edwards has reactivated his license to practice law and is setting out on the speaking circuit.
Former presidential contender John Edwards has reactivated his license to practice law and is setting out on the speaking circuit.
There they go again: The House is moving toward a vote on yet another Republican bill to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law.
One more time, with feeling! The Republican-led House voted yet again Thursday to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law, knowing full well that won't stop it.
The Obama administration is proposing a rule that would require companies that drill for oil and natural gas on federal lands to publicly disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations. The new "fracking"...
Companies that drill for oil and natural gas on federal lands will be required to disclose publicly the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations, the Obama administration said Thursday. The new "fracking" rule...
The Justice Department's inspector general says the department failed to provide the names of some terrorists in the witness protection program to the government's Terrorist Screening Center.
The government allowed "a small but significant number" of terrorists into America's witness protection program and then failed to provide the names of some of them for a watch list that's used to keep dangerous...
The controversy over the government's secret subpoena of Associated Press telephone records has revived legislation that would protect journalists from having to reveal their sources to federal investigators -...
The controversy over the government's secret subpoena of Associated Press telephone records has revived legislation that protect journalists from having to reveal their sources to federal investigators - and the White...
President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH'-jehp TY'-ihp UR'-doh-wahn) are projecting a united front on Syria.
President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan projected a united front Thursday on Syria, keeping stark differences about how much the U.S. should intervene behind closed doors as they looked to...
A second federal appeals court has ruled that President Barack Obama exceeded his power in making a recess appointment to the National Labor Relations Board.
A second federal appeals court has found that President Barack Obama exceeded his power when he bypassed the Senate to install a member to the National Labor Relations Board.
Faced with a trio of controversies, President Barack Obama is trying to halt a perception spreading among both White House opponents and allies that he has been passive and disengaged as unexpected developments...
President Barack Obama, seeking to regain his footing amid controversies hammering the White House, named a temporary chief for the scandal-marred Internal Revenue Service Thursday and pressed Congress to approve new...
The White House's release of nearly 100 pages of emails and notes about the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, has failed to satisfy congressional Republicans demanding more...
President Barack Obama on Thursday tried to turn the tables on Republicans who have criticized his administration's response to last year's deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya, calling on lawmakers to approve his...
The Senate has begun debate on President Barack Obama's nomination of physicist Ernest Moniz to lead the Energy Department.
Physicist Ernest Moniz won unanimous Senate confirmation Thursday to be the nation's new energy secretary.
Congress is rethinking the broad authority it gave the president to wage a war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in light of how President Barack Obama has used the power to target suspected...
Congress is rethinking the broad authority it gave the president to wage a war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in light of how President Barack Obama has used the power to target suspected terrorists...
The Obama administration has added four Syrian government ministers to a U.S. terror blacklist as well as the leader of an al-Qaida-linked organization fighting President Bashar Assad's (bah-SHAR'...
The Obama administration has added four Syrian government ministers to a U.S. terror blacklist as well as the leader of an al-Qaida-linked organization fighting President Bashar Assad's (bah-SHAR' AH'-sahd)...
The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved three of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees for a full Senate vote -- including one for the influential D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved three of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees, including one for an influential appeals court, for a full Senate vote.
A House committee has approved a bill to link interest rates on college loans to financial markets.
The days of fixed-rate student loans could be coming to a close, with House Republicans on Thursday advancing a proposal that would link rates to financial markets.
President Barack Obama says the U.S. and Turkey will keep ramping up pressure to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad from power.
President Barack Obama said Thursday that the U.S. and Turkey will keep ramping up pressure to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad from power, but there's "no magic formula" to stop his violence.
While President Barack Obama quickly added his voice to the bipartisan outcry over the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative political groups for extra scrutiny, it's hardly the first time a...
The Internal Revenue Service controversy dogging President Barack Obama is hardly the first time a White House and the tax agency have been accused of political meddling and bias. Nor is it the first time that political and...
The Obama administration wants quick confirmation of five nominees to fill seats on the National Labor Relations Board, which has been mired for months in a controversy over recess appointments.
Senate Republicans said Thursday they would not support five nominees to the National Labor Relations Board, raising the possibility the troubled agency could be rendered mostly inoperable later this year.
President Barack Obama will appoint senior White House budget officer Daniel Werfel to be acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, a White House official says.
President Barack Obama will appoint senior White House budget officer Daniel Werfel to be acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, a White House official says.
The House and Senate Agriculture Committees have laid the groundwork this week for reducing the size of the federal food stamp program, approving farm bills that would shrink the food aid and alter the way people...
The House and Senate Agriculture Committees laid the groundwork this week for reducing the size of the federal food stamp program, approving farm bills that would shrink food aid and alter the way people qualify for it.
To the U.S. technology industry, there's a dramatic shortfall in the number of Americans skilled in computer programming and engineering that is hampering business. To unions and some Democrats, it's more...
To the U.S. technology industry, there's a dramatic shortfall in the number of Americans skilled in computer programming and engineering that is hampering business. To unions and some Democrats, it's more sinister:...
The Army's top officer is telling soldiers that after demonstrating courage and resilience in 12 years of war, it's time for them to make the fight against sexual assault their primary mission.
The Army's top officer is telling soldiers that after demonstrating courage and resilience in 12 years of war, it's time for them to make the fight against sexual assault their primary mission.
President Barack Obama's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency has moved one step closer to getting the job, but it came without Republican support.
President Barack Obama's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency has moved one step closer to getting the job, but it came without Republican support.
A Syrian activist group says rebels have withdrawn from a prison in the northern city of Aleppo after heavy fighting with government troops.
Syrian rebels withdrew from a prison in the northern city of Aleppo Thursday after heavy fighting with government troops, an activist group said, as it more than doubled its tally of deaths from sectarian killings in a...
A Senate panel has endorsed the nomination of Justice Department official Thomas Perez to head the Labor Department despite opposition from Republicans.
A Senate panel has endorsed the nomination of Justice Department official Thomas Perez to head the Labor Department despite opposition from Republicans.
Anger over President Barack Obama's policies drove businessman Tom Zawistowski to file paperwork with the Internal Revenue Service nearly three years ago to create the Ohio Liberty Coalition.
Anger over President Barack Obama's policies drove businessman Tom Zawistowski to file paperwork with the Internal Revenue Service nearly three years ago to create the Ohio Liberty Coalition.
Bulgaria's ex-prime minister says the results of last weekend's parliamentary election should be canceled due to "gross violations" of voting law.
Bulgaria's ex-prime minister says the results of last weekend's parliamentary election should be canceled due to "gross violations" of voting law.
The House Agriculture Committee is set to consider small cuts to the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program in an effort to appease conservatives who say the food aid has become too expensive.
The House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday approved a sweeping farm bill that would trim the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program.
By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press A look at events leading to the disclosure that the Internal Revenue Service placed conservative groups under special scrutiny for 18 months before the 2012...
By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press A look at events leading to the disclosure that the Internal Revenue Service placed conservative groups under special scrutiny for 18 months before the 2012 elections, a...
One after another, the charges have tumbled out - allegations of sexual assaults in the military that have triggered outrage, from local commanders to Capitol Hill and the Oval Office.
One after another, the charges have tumbled out - allegations of sexual assaults in the military that have triggered outrage, from local commanders to Capitol Hill and the Oval Office.
The top U.S. military officer says women in uniform are losing confidence that the problem of sexual assault in the armed forces can be solved.
The top U.S. military officer says women in uniform are losing confidence that the problem of sexual assault in the armed forces can be solved.
Upset about plans for a petrochemical plant near her hometown in China, a woman turned to a new method that Chinese are using to air their complaints: she posted a petition on the White House's website. Then,...
Upset about plans for a petrochemical plant near her hometown in China, a woman turned to a new method that Chinese are using to air their complaints: she posted a petition on the White House's website. Then, Chinese...
A House committee chairman wants to know whether a retired diplomat who helped lead an independent review of the attack against the U.S. in Benghazi, Libya, will agree to be interviewed by committee investigators.
Then CIA-Director David Petraeus objected to the final talking points the Obama administration used after the deadly assault on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, because he wanted to see more details revealed to the...
The Justice Department is opening a criminal investigation of the Internal Revenue Service just as another probe concludes that lax management enabled agents to improperly target tea party groups for extra scrutiny...
Hurrying to check a growing controversy, President Barack Obama ousted the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service late Wednesday amid an outcry over revelations that the agency had improperly targeted tea party...
Under mounting pressure, President Barack Obama has released a trove of documents related to the Benghazi attack and forced out the top official at the Internal Revenue Service following revelations that the agency...
Under mounting pressure, President Barack Obama on Wednesday released a trove of documents related to the Benghazi attack and forced out the top official at the Internal Revenue Service following revelations that the agency...
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama held assets last year that were worth between $1.8 million and nearly $7 million, according to federal financial disclosure forms the White House released...
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama held assets last year that were worth between $1.8 million and nearly $7 million, according to federal financial disclosure forms the White House released Wednesday.
President Barack Obama says he's ready for more questions at a news conference Thursday about revelations that the IRS singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny.
President Barack Obama says he's ready for more questions at a news conference Thursday about revelations that the IRS singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny.
The White House says President Barack Obama will meet with Treasury officials Wednesday to discuss the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups for special review. White House press secretary...
President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced the ouster of the top official at the Internal Revenue Service following disclosures that the agency targeted conservative political groups.
Detroit's next mayor will inherit a city low on cash and an office low on power, yet nearly two dozen candidates are seeking the job anyway.
Detroit's next mayor will inherit a city low on cash and an office low on power, yet nearly two dozen candidates are seeking the job anyway.
Republican Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina governor whose extramarital affair sank his political career in 2009, is returning to Congress to reclaim his old House seat as he forges a comeback.
Republican Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina governor whose extramarital affair derailed his political career, returned to Congress on Wednesday with his Argentine "soul mate" at his side.
Sen. Lamar Alexander says President Barack Obama's plan to consider selling the Tennessee Valley Authority has already cost hundreds of millions of dollars - even if the nation's largest public utility is...
Sen. Lamar Alexander says President Barack Obama's plan to consider selling the Tennessee Valley Authority has already cost hundreds of millions of dollars - even if the nation's largest public utility is never sold.
New Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is prepared to detail how she will move forward on issues affecting Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell told a Senate panel Wednesday that "Indian education is embarrassing" as she laid out her priorities on issues affecting Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
The Senate has confirmed a former nurse to run Medicare and other government health insurance programs with a combined budget surpassing the Pentagon's.
A former intensive care nurse with a businesslike approach to a politically divisive public policy area won Senate approval Wednesday to run Medicare and other major health insurance programs.
Politics has long been a family business in Illinois, a place where who you know - and who you're related to - matters more than most. But the family drama shaping up around the next governor's race adds a...
Politics has long been a family business in Illinois, a place where who you know - and who you're related to - matters more than most. But the family drama shaping up around the next governor's race adds a new layer...
Attorney General Eric Holder and a leading House Republican clashed Wednesday over the Justice Department's refusal to turn over the private emails of Thomas Perez, a top department official nominated to be...
Attorney General Eric Holder and a leading House Republican clashed Wednesday over the Justice Department's refusal to turn over the private emails of Thomas Perez, a top department official nominated to be labor...
The White House is releasing 100 pages of e-mails and notes related to the Obama administration's response to the attack on a diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, last September.
The White House is releasing 100 pages of e-mails and notes related to the Obama administration's response to the attack on a diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, last September.
Attorney General Eric Holder is facing what is likely to be aggressive questioning by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee on topics ranging from the Justice Department's gathering of phone records at...
Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress Wednesday that a serious national security leak required the secret gathering of telephone records at The Associated Press as he stood by an investigation in which he insisted he...
Congressional Republicans and Democrats on Wednesday challenged Attorney General Eric Holder over the Justice Department's handling of the investigation of national security leaks and its failure to talk to The...
Congressional Republicans and Democrats on Wednesday challenged Attorney General Eric Holder over the Justice Department's handling of the investigation of national security leaks and its failure to talk to The...
With no broader budget deal in sight, a key House panel responsible for implementing sweeping cuts to agency budgets moved Wednesday to exempt veterans and largely protect spending on border safety and other...
With no broader budget deal in sight, a key House panel responsible for implementing sweeping cuts to agency budgets moved Wednesday to exempt veterans and largely protect spending on border safety and other homeland...
The government's official prediction is that white children will become a minority in 2018 and the overall white population in the U.S. will follow suit in 2043.
Without increased immigration, whites would lose their U.S. majority in 2046, three years beyond official projections, and the nation's population would not reach 400 million until after 2060, a decade or more later than...
Senators weighing a landmark immigration bill have defeated an effort by Republicans to require biometric identification - such as fingerprinting - to track who is entering and leaving the country.
In a story May 14 about a Senate immigration bill, The Associated Press erroneously reported that two of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers entered the U.S. on student visas. In fact only one of them did.
Attorney General Eric Holder says the FBI's criminal investigation of the Internal Revenue Service could include potential civil rights violations, false statements and potential violations of the Hatch Act,...
Attorney General Eric Holder says the FBI's criminal investigation of the Internal Revenue Service could include potential civil rights violations, false statements and potential violations of the Hatch Act, which...
President Barack Obama is planning a mental health conference next month in response to gun violence.
President Barack Obama is planning a mental health conference next month in response to gun violence.
Lawmakers say they're outraged that for the second time this month a member of the armed forces assigned to help prevent sexual assaults in the military is under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel informed President Barack Obama of the latest sexual assault allegations against a soldier who was assigned to prevent such crimes - the second soldier involved in similar accusations - and the...
The White House says President Barack Obama plans to meet with Republican Sen. John McCain on Wednesday to discuss ongoing efforts to pass an overhaul of immigration laws and budget issues.
The White House says President Barack Obama plans to meet with Republican Sen. John McCain on Wednesday to discuss ongoing efforts to pass an overhaul of immigration laws and budget issues.
President Barack Obama is set to welcome Myanmar President Thein Sein (tayn sayn) to the White House Monday.
President Barack Obama is set to welcome Myanmar President Thein Sein (tayn sayn) to the White House Monday.
A top Senate Democrat plans to revive legislation that would protect journalists and their employers from revealing their sources, days after it was revealed that the Justice Department secretly obtained Associated...
A top Senate Democrat plans to revive legislation that would protect journalists and their employers from revealing their sources, days after it was revealed that the Justice Department secretly obtained Associated Press...
The Senate on Wednesday put aside its partisan differences to extend the federal government's main water resources law, which promotes investment in port improvements, flood protection, dam and levee projects...
The Senate on Wednesday put aside its partisan differences to extend the federal government's main water resources law, which promotes investment in port improvements, flood protection, dam and levee projects and...
The U.S. Postal Service says Los Angeles was the worst city in America for dog attacks on letter carriers last year, and it urged pet owners to help reduce the attacks.
The U.S. Postal Service says Los Angeles was the worst city in America for dog attacks on letter carriers last year, and it urged pet owners to help reduce the attacks.
The Obama administration is looking at new ways to pressure Iran over its nuclear program.
The Obama administration is looking at new ways to pressure Iran over its nuclear program.
The Swiss government wants to broaden its anti-corruption laws to make bribery a criminal offense in almost all cases.
The Swiss government wants to broaden its anti-corruption laws to make bribery a criminal offense in almost all cases.
The good news is the budget deficit for the current year is projected to come in well below what was estimated just a few months ago. The bad news for deficit hawks is that the development could further curb the...
The good news is the budget deficit for the current year is projected to come in well below what was estimated just a few months ago. The bad news for deficit hawks is that the development could further curb the already...
Congress was not told tea party groups were being inappropriately targeted by the Internal Revenue Service, even after acting agency Chief Steven Miller had been briefed on the matter.
The Justice Department is investigating the Internal Revenue Service for targeting tea party groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax exempt status, Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday, widening a probe that...
The Army says the coordinator of a sexual assault prevention program at Fort Hood, Texas, is under investigation for "abusive sexual contact" and other alleged misconduct. He has been suspended from all duties.
A soldier assigned to coordinate a sexual assault prevention program in Texas is under investigation for "abusive sexual contact" and other alleged misconduct and has been suspended from his duties, the Army announced...
The leaders of the panel that independently reviewed the attack last year in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans have agreed to testify publicly before Congress to counter what they consider unfounded...
The leaders of the panel that independently reviewed last year's deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, said Tuesday they were prepared to testify publicly before Congress to counter what they...
President Barack Obama seemed to lose control of his second-term agenda when a December school massacre led him to lift gun control to the fore.
President Barack Obama seemed to lose control of his second-term agenda even before he was sworn in, when a school massacre led him to lift gun control to the fore. Now, as he tries to pivot from a stinging defeat on that...
A new government estimate says the budget deficit for the current year will come in well below what was projected just a few months ago.
The budget deficit for the current year is projected to come in well below what was estimated just a few months ago, a development that could further curb the already slowing momentum for a budget pact this year.
Billie Sol Estes, a flamboyant Texas huckster who became one of the most notorious men in America in 1962 when he was accused of looting a federal crop subsidy program, has died. He was 88.
Billie Sol Estes' name was synonymous with Texas-sized schemes, greed and corruption.
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing announced Tuesday he won't seek a second term as leader of the financially troubled city, which recently became the largest in the country placed under state oversight.
A visibly frustrated Detroit Mayor Dave Bing announced Tuesday that he won't seek a second term and ripped Michigan officials for not giving him enough time to solve the financially strapped city's problems on his...
The Justice Department says Attorney General Eric Holder removed himself from a decision to subpoena phone records of The Associated Press.
Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday defended the Justice Department's secret examination of Associated Press phone records though he declared he had played no role in it, saying it was justified as part of an...
The Defense Department is poised to trim the number of civilian furlough days from 14 to 11 or fewer as it tries to find ways to deal with mandatory spending cuts, and is likely to let the military services expand...
After weeks of debate and number-crunching, the Defense Department announced plans Tuesday to furlough about 680,000 of its civilian employees for 11 days through the end of this fiscal year, allowing only limited exceptions...
