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03/01/2010

GOP's Kyl says Congress will pass extended jobless benefits
WASHINGTON – Congress will pass legislation aimed at keeping certain jobless benefits, highway and transit money and other government programs funded, Sen. Jon Kyl, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, said Sunday.

02/28/2010

Obama's first medical checkup as president finds him 'fit for duty'
Navy Capt. Jeffrey Kuhlman said after the 90-minute exam at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., that he saw nothing that would prevent Obama from fulfilling his term as president. According to the White House, Kuhlman recommended that Obama "continue smoking cessation efforts" and modify his exercise regimen to strengthen his leg muscles to overcome occasional pain from chronic tendinitis in his left leg.

02/25/2010

Obama picks Beaumont judge to be U.S. attorney for Collin, Denton, East Texas
The selection of John B. Stevens Jr. gives hope that a political impasse over judicial nominees in Texas may have been broken.

02/27/2010

Perry brags about grassroots fundraising, but most money on record day came from a wealthy few
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry bragged this week about making fundraising history in a Texas governor's race by bringing in $1.3 million in one day from grassroots support.

Hutchison says she's staying in Senate for now to fight health care overhaul
AUSTIN – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Friday that she is prepared to stay in the Senate for as long as eight more months if Congress is still debating health care reform.

02/25/2010

Obama: Bipartisan health deal may not be possible
Obama strongly suggested that Democrats will try to pass a sweeping overhaul without GOP support, by using controversial Senate budget rules that would disallow filibusters.

Opinion: Summit wrapup, analysis

Poll shows less fear on health overhaul

Read more about the president's plan

02/23/2010

Toyota: Recalls won't totally fix gas pedal issues
James Lentz, president of Toyota's U.S. operations, told a congressional panel on Tuesday that electronic systems connected to the gas pedal and fuel line did not contribute to the problem the problem of sudden and dangerous acceleration.

02/22/2010

Obama takes health care bill into his own hands
President Barack Obama issued his own blueprint for a health care overhaul on Monday and laid the groundwork for an aggressive parliamentary maneuver to pass the legislation using only Democratic votes if this week brings no progress toward a bipartisan solution.

Link: Details of the president's proposal

Home-grown terrorism matches threat from abroad, Napolitano says
WASHINGTON – Americans who turn to terrorism and plot against the U.S. are now as big a concern as international terrorists, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Sunday.

Obama seeks uniform education standards for states to get $14 billion in funds
WASHINGTON – In a proposed change to the No Child Left Behind law, the Obama administration would require states to adopt new academic standards to qualify for federal money from a $14 billion program that concentrates on impoverished students, the White House said Sunday.

02/19/2010

Even stimulus opponents sought funds for Texas
With critics calling the year-old package a colossal waste of money, Democrats have fought back by leveling charges of hypocrisy. Not one Republican voted for the $787 billion plan, but many have tried to wangle funds for the folks back home.

Blog: Trail Blazers

More politics

Since 9/11, little has been done to guard against attacks with small planes
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, cockpit doors were sealed, air marshals were added and airport searches became more aggressive, all to make sure an airliner could never again be used as a weapon. Yet little has been done to guard against attacks with smaller planes.

02/18/2010

House panel to investigate impact of hydraulic fracturing on groundwater
Leaders of a powerful House committee announced Thursday that they would investigate whether gas producers in areas such as North Texas have injected diesel fuel or other toxic fluids underground that could pose a threat to drinking water sources.

02/17/2010

Texas challenges EPA ruling on greenhouse gas threat
The state accused the federal government in a lawsuit Tuesday of using "tainted data" to declare that heat-trapping gases are a threat to the public, warning that Texas' economy could suffer as a result.

Cement industry, environmentalists debate emission regulations
The cement industry is launching a late push to water down new regulations that would limit the amount of mercury and other hazardous pollutants emitted by their plants.

02/16/2010

Capture of key Taliban leader expected to pay off for coalition
KABUL – The arrest of the second-ranking leader of the Afghan Taliban is likely to disrupt the insurgents' military campaign and could signal that Pakistani security forces are ready to deny Afghan militant leaders a safe haven, security experts said Tuesday.