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National News

Idaho GOP state Senator McGee resigns amid scandal

An Idaho Republican state senator who had been seen as a political riser has stepped down amid sexual harassment allegations.


GOP candidates face off in high-stakes debate in Arizona

Mitt Romney went on offense against Rick Santorum's record of spending while in the U.S. Senate, accusing his latest Republican arch-rival Wednesday of raising the debt ceiling five times, funding Planned Parenthood and expanding the Department of Education.


Bankruptcy judge approves Solyndra bonuses

A Delaware bankruptcy judge has approved close to $370,000 in bonuses for certain employees of Solyndra LLC, a solar panel manufacturer that received a half-billion dollar loan from the federal government before declaring bankruptcy.


Virginia House passes scaled-back ultrasound bill, final approval unlikely

Virginia Republican legislators have dropped a bitterly contested requirement that women seeking abortions undergo invasive ultrasound imaging, likely dooming the bill. 


Tribe seeks order to limit beer sales in Nebraska town

Leaders of a South Dakota American Indian tribe who are suing beer makers, distributors and retailers are now asking a judge to restrict alcohol sales in a tiny Nebraska town that borders their reservation.


Religious broadcasters group reportedly urges IRS review of Media Matters' status

The National Religious Broadcasters is encouraging the IRS to look into Media Matters' tax-exempt status following a report that the liberal media watchdog group once received a $50,000 grant to scrutinize religious outlets. 


Blighted home owned by Conyers family reportedly causes neighbor's insurance to rise

The decrepit condition of an east Detroit home owned by Michigan Rep. John Conyers' family reportedly has driven up the insurance rate for at least one of the neighbors. 


As rioting leads to deaths in Afghanistan, NATO officials apologize again for defiled Koran

As riots over the accidental improper disposal of the Koran led to seven deaths by Wednesday, two senior NATO military officials stressed that it was because of clandestine communications written into the Korans in the first place that a decision was made to have them destroyed by U.S. troops.


Pending Michigan bill would criminalize alteration of fake guns

A proposed bill in Michigan would amend the law to penalize the use of an imitation firearm in a crime if its required colored markings are removed, disguised or concealed. If passed, the bill would also ban real firearms from being doctored to look like a toy.


Romney faces high stakes as Santorum moves on Michigan

Mitt Romney leads in delegates but a surge by Rick Santorum in recent days has the Republican presidential frontrunner once again trying to cast an opponent as the flavor of the week -- and stave off a potential loss in a state critical to proving his electability in a general election.


Obama’s Revisits Re-Election “Fairness” Theme with Corporate Taxes

Under the Obama plan, the new taxes would be used to fund government outlays to encourage a more equal distribution of wealth either as direct government spending or in the form of tax subsidies given to businesses seen as desirable by the president, like manufacturing firms making products that comply with pending and proposed environmental rules.


Online group to host alternative nominating contest for candidate to challenge Obama, GOP nominee

A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization looking to spice up the 2012 election wants to use the latest technology to create the first online-based nominating process for a third and independent candidate to challenge President Obama and the GOP.


Romney donors start tapping out as race drags on

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is drawing a disproportionately high amount of campaign funds from people who have given him the legal maximum, weakening his ability to raise money from such proven donors as the GOP nomination fight drags on.


Clinton heads abroad to push for diplomacy in Syria

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is trying to ramp up diplomatic efforts against President Bashar Assad's regime on a trip to North Africa this week, as some countries begin to explore the possibility of arming Syria's rebels


New consumer finance agency probes overdraft fees

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is launching a probe into overdraft fees charged by big banks, announcing Wednesday it will ask banks for information about how the fees affect consumers, how overdraft protection is marketed and what information consumers receiv


Obama corporate tax plan to lower top rate to 28 percent, according to senior administration official

Laying down an election-year marker in the debate over taxes, the Obama administration is proposing to cut the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent, and to seek an even lower effective rate for manufacturers, a senior administration official says.


Watchdog report: Limit Fannie, Freddie legal fees more

The U.S. government regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must do a better job limiting legal expenses paid by the two mortgage giants to their former executives facing lawsuits, a new watchdog report says.


Obama administration unveils corporate tax plan to close loopholes, lower rate to 28 percent

The Obama administration on Wednesday unveiled its corporate tax reform plan, calling for lowering the corporate rate from 35 to 28 percent while closing loopholes elsewhere.


Fannie, Freddie regulator looks to unify mortgage securities

The U.S. is studying a single way to package home loans into securities as an interim step toward a system that could outlive Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, mortgage-finance firms that have faced an uncertain future in the wake of the housing market's bust.


President Obama to address soaring gas prices in Florida speech

President Barack Obama will deliver a speech on energy and rising gas prices Thursday at the University of Miami.