White House Christmases: mistletoe and chain saws
1:06
Scenes from White House Christmases past, as recounted in the book "Christmas at the White House," by Jennifer B. Pickens: FIRST TREE The first known Christmas tree at the White House was in the tenure of Benjamin...
Petraeus warns new surge progress will be slow
12:58
Progress against the insurgency in Afghanistan probably will be slower than during the buildup of U.S. forces in Iraq two years ago, and the war will be "harder before it gets easier," a top U.S. general said Wednesday....
State Department employee placed on probation
12:47
A State Department employee was put on probation for a year for accessing more than 125 confidential passport applications of celebrities. Kevin Young, of Temple Hills, Md., is the eighth current or former State...
CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama Christmas: no small feat
12:43
Christmas at the White House isn't for sissies. Take quantities that might work in a private home _ guests, cookies, parties, cards, whatever _ and add some extra zeros to get a feel for a White House-sized holiday...
TSA puts 5 employees on leave over online posting
12:36
Five Transportation Security Administration employees have been placed on administrative leave since it was discovered that sensitive guidelines about airport passenger screening were posted on the Internet. The move...
Obama to note irony of peace prize in wartime
12:32
President Barack Obama will accept the world's best-known peace award by explaining what it means to wage war, an incongruity that has weighed on him and that he will take on directly when he receives the Nobel Peace...
Lawmakers slam office overseeing Afghan rebuilding
11:43
The U.S. inspector general's office overseeing Afghanistan's reconstruction has failed to hire enough staff and issued too few audits and investigative reports, three senators are warning President Barack Obama. The...
Health care issues: Keeping what you have
11:15
A look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: If I like the coverage I have, would I really be able to keep it if Washington changes the health care system? THE POLITICS: One of the underlying fears in...
Petraeus says progress will be slow in Afghanistan
10:57
A top-ranking American warned Congress Wednesday that the military situation in Afghanistan likely will "get harder before it gets easier." Yet Gen. David Petraeus, who executed the Iraq surge in 2007, told the Senate...
Kennedy special election puts GOP in spotlight
9:58
A state senator's victory in the Republican primary for the special election to fill the late Edward M. Kennedy's Senate seat gives the Massachusetts GOP something it's sorely missed: a place in the political spotlight....
Obama keeps focus on economy
6:01
President Barack Obama keeps his focus on economic issues Wednesday before an evening departure for Europe. The president meets with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders in the morning. They'll discuss Obama's...
Congress readies huge year-end spending bill
11:36
Congressional negotiators sealed agreement Tuesday night on sweeping spending legislation that boosts housing and heating subsidies but curbs President Barack Obama's requests for aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The...
Gate-crashers to take the Fifth if subpoenaed
9:51
The White House gate-crashers plan to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights and refuse to testify if they are subpoenaed to appear on Capitol Hill about the security breach. Reality TV hopefuls Michaele and Tareq Salahi...
Obama urges major new stimulus, jobs spending
9:51
President Barack Obama called for a major new burst of federal spending Tuesday, perhaps $150 billion or more, aiming to jolt the wobbly economy into a stronger recovery and reduce painfully persistent double-digit...
Lawmakers slam office overseeing Afghan rebuilding
9:28
The U.S. office overseeing billions of dollars for Afghanistan's rebuilding lacks leadership and focus at a time when aggressive, independent oversight of the country's reconstruction is more important than ever, three...
Reid: Abortion should not scuttle health care bill
7:38
Sen. Harry Reid's move to scuttle a fellow Democrat's effort to toughen abortion restrictions in the health care bill was the plain pragmatism of a majority leader who knows where the votes are _ and faces a tough...
White House to release new gov't data collections
6:49
The White House on Tuesday instructed every federal agency to publish before the end of January at least three collections of "high value" government data on the Internet that never have been previously disclosed, an...
Senate Roll Call: Abortion in health care bill
6:33
The 54-45 roll call Tuesday by which the Senate rejected an effort to stiffen abortion restrictions in the health care bill. A yes vote is a vote to reject the tougher restrictions. Voting yes were 50 Democrats, 2...
EPA unveils new policies on water at schools
6:27
The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a new national strategy to enforce safe drinking water laws in small, rural communities on Tuesday and pledged to redouble efforts to protect children from toxic water in...
Company losing security contract for Kabul embassy
5:31
The State Department is cutting ties with the security contractor protecting the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan following an investigation of allegations that guards engaged in lewd behavior and sexual misconduct at their...
Prison population growth slows in 2008
4:57
The U.S. prison population edged up slightly last year, though the number of total inmates dropped in 20 states, including New York, Georgia and Michigan. Justice Department figures released Tuesday show the overall...
Key parts of Obama job creation package
4:16
Here are the key elements of the job creation package President Barack Obama outlined Tuesday: ____ Small Business Incentives _Eliminating capital gains taxes on new investments in small businesses through 2010, if...
General: Pakistani help could defeat Afghan gang
4:13
The top U.S. general in Afghanistan says the Taliban _ up to 27,000 fighters in the country's south _ is his main focus. Gen. Stanley McChrystal says the insurgents are effective because they can dictate terms to the...
General: Bin Laden is key to defeating al-Qaida
3:00
The general in charge of the war in Afghanistan says capturing Osama bin Laden is the ultimate key to defeating the al-Qaida terror network. General Stanley McChrystal told Congress on Tuesday that bin Laden is an...
Summary of actions by the Supreme Court on Tuesday
2:55
The Supreme Court on Tuesday: _ Appeared inclined to limit federal prosecutors' use of a fraud law that has helped win convictions of high-profile corporate executives and public officials, or throw out the law...
Steele calls Sen. Reid's slavery remark 'ignorant'
2:53
Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele is renewing his demand that Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid apologize for likening health care overhaul opponents to those who resisted putting an end to slavery. The Nevada...
Afghan war commander calls new strategy achievable
2:36
The general in charge of the war in Afghanistan is telling Congress that President Barack Obama's new war strategy is achievable and that combat force levels can be reduced starting in the summer of 2011. Gen. Stanley...
Ex-FBI director to examine Fort Hood
2:35
Ex-FBI director William Webster will conduct an independent review of the bureau's handling of information gathered about the Fort Hood shooting suspect before the deadly rampage, officials said Tuesday. FBI Director...
Feds ask for power to oversee rail transit safety
12:25
The Obama administration asked Congress Tuesday to give the federal government power to oversee the safety of subways, light rail and other urban train systems. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in testimony before...
Court: Reconsider death sentence for Kindler
11:29
The Supreme Court will let lower courts consider reinstating a death sentence for a convicted murderer who twice escaped from prison after being found guilty of killing a man who was planning to testify against him. ...
Health care issues: Medical malpractice lawsuits
10:02
A look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Would restrictions on medical malpractice lawsuits mean cheaper health insurance? THE POLITICS: Republicans rally around the idea that the health system would...
White House condemns bombings in Iraq
9:57
The White House on Tuesday condemned the coordinated bombing attacks in Baghdad that killed more than 100 people. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Iraqi leaders who recently passed an elections law are...
McChrystal, Eikenberry have differed on strategy
9:13
A look at the differences expressed by the U.S. top commander and top U.S. diplomat in Afghanistan during the Obama administration's three-month review of strategy for the war: _U.S. Afghanistan Ambassador Karl...
Obama talks jobs creation
6:13
President Barack Obama focuses Tuesday on getting Americans back to work and the possibility of using leftover bank bailout money to help do it. Obama was expected to address the subject in a speech on the economy at...
Feds ask for power to oversee rail transit safety
3:06
The Obama administration wants Congress to give the federal government power to oversee the safety of subways, light rail and other urban train systems. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is slated to testify Tuesday...
Obama spokesman: 'Silly' not to allow Va. flagpole
12:46
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that it is "silly" to think that a 90-year-old Medal of Honor winner is being asked to remove a flagpole from his front yard. Retired Army Col. Van T. Barfoot, a...
House panel to consider subpoenaing Salahis
9:11
The couple who crashed President Barack Obama's first state dinner may be subpoenaed to appear before a House committee looking into the security breach. The Homeland Security Committee plans to vote Wednesday on...
Shoals still in path of Wall Street regulations
7:17
Sweeping regulations to tame Wall Street and protect consumers in dealings with lenders are on the verge of passing the House but their fate is hardly sealed. Crucial pieces are still flashpoints, fiercely opposed by...
Chicago terrorism suspect charged in Mumbai attack
6:02
A Chicago man conducted extensive surveillance on potential targets in the Indian city of Mumbai before the terrorist attacks there in November 2008 that left 166 people dead, federal authorities charged Monday. ...
Georgia congressman has hepatitis C
5:13
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., has revealed that he has hepatitis C, a serious liver disease that can lead to fatal complications such as cancer or liver failure. In recent months, the 55-year-old Johnson has appeared thin...
Famous Miranda rights warning could get rewrite
4:59
The Supreme Court on Monday seemed headed toward telling police they must explicitly advise criminal suspects that their lawyer can be present during any interrogation. The arguments in front of the justices were the...
Comparison of Democratic health care bills
3:51
A comparison of the health care bills before Congress: ___ The Senate Democratic bill (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act): WHO'S COVERED: About 94 percent of legal residents under age 65 _ compared with 83...
Secret Service report details 91 security breaches
3:47
An internal Secret Service document reveals that last month's gate crashing incident at a White House state dinner was one of 91 security breaches since 1980. The 2003 report was used for training purposes, and helped...
ACORN prober finds no illegal pattern on videos
3:33
An internal investigation of the community-organizing group ACORN concluded there was no criminal conduct by employees caught on videos offering advice on how to hide assets and falsify lending documents. The report,...
Health care issues: Illegal immigrants covered?
2:34
A look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Will illegal immigrants be eligible for taxpayer-supported health coverage under the proposed health care reforms? THE POLITICS: This perennially...
WH: Obama favors legislation on global warming
2:17
A White House spokesman says President Barack Obama still prefers legislation on climate change and that Monday's EPA declaration on greenhouse gas dangers was done in response to a court-ordered timetable. Robert...
Court to decide sentencing modification case
1:03
The Supreme Court will decide whether judges have to follow strict sentencing guidelines at sentence modification hearings. The court on Monday agreed to hear an appeal from inmate Percy Dillion. He was sentenced to...
Court to decide if college group must allow gays
12:20
The Supreme Court said Monday it will decide whether a California law school violated the constitutional rights of a Christian group by denying it recognition as an official campus organization because it excludes gays...
Drunken driving death rates decline in 40 states
12:03
Drunken driving fatality rates have fallen in 40 states and the District of Columbia, an encouraging sign that crackdowns are improving highway safety. The Transportation Department said Monday that 11,773 people were...
Pentagon orders 16,000 troops to start surge
11:22
The first wave of President Barack Obama's new Afghanistan surge will add about 16,000 U.S. troops who got their orders over the past few days, the Pentagon announced Monday. About 1,500 Marines from Camp Lejeune in...