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  Dems: Failure is not an option on health care

  Failure is not an option on health care, a leading Democratic senator said Monday, even as Republicans turned up the heat on moderates who hold the fate of the legislation in their hands.

• Obama: US economy has 'core strengths'

  President Barack Obama says the U.S. economy has "core strengths" that will put the nation in a good stead for the long term despite a difficult year for millions of people.

• AP sources: New charges in Somali terror case

  Federal authorities are due to unseal charges against eight new suspects in a long-running probe of young men who left the United States to fight in Somalia.

• Trying last-ditch lung bypass for worst swine flu

  A technology originally developed for premature babies may be helping to save some of the sickest swine flu patients by rerouting their blood so their lungs can rest.

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  Indian PM says US, India to sign climate memo

  Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday that Indian and U.S. officials will sign a memorandum intended to improve cooperation on energy security, clean energy and climate change.

• Obama calls security meeting on Afghanistan

  President Barack Obama called his war council together Monday as he moves toward a decision on whether to add more U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

• More anti-gay, religious-motivated crimes reported

  Reports of hate crimes against gays and religious groups increased sharply in 2008, according to FBI data released Monday.

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  For Reid, Dodd, clout on big issues cuts both ways

  Two Senate leaders trying to steer a pair of President Barack Obama's high-stakes initiatives through Congress are being dogged by re-election worries, and it's not clear whether their legislative prominence will help or hurt them.

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  Obama to honor young inventors at science fair

  Hey kids, grab those beakers and Petri dishes, the White House is going to hold a science fair.

• Clinton says Iraqi election might be delayed

  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is holding out the possibility that Iraq's national election could be delayed beyond January because of a dispute over the allocation of seats in parliament.

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  Obama to meet advisers on Afghanistan

  President Barack Obama planned a ninth session with top advisers on Afghanistan on Monday as he neared a decision on whether to send troops and fought Republican charges that he is taking too long to make up his mind.

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  In U.S., India PM touts nuclear deal, infrastructure

  Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday completing a 2005 U.S.-India nuclear cooperation deal would boost investment opportunities in his country, a hopeful sign for U.S. companies eyeing India's potential $150 billion market in power plants.

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  U.S. lawmakers, Chinese exiles press Obama on rights

  U.S. lawmakers and exiled Chinese dissidents urged President Barack Obama on Monday to intervene with China's government on behalf of Jiang Tianyong, a rights activist who tried to see Obama while he was in China last week.

• White House reviewing "sensible" options to spur jobs

  The White House said on Monday it was reviewing options to spur economic activity and job creation, but stressed any action would be taken in the context of the fiscal challenges facing the country.

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  Healthcare reform faces challenges in Senate

  President Barack Obama's U.S. healthcare overhaul plan has cleared an important Senate hurdle but lawmakers warned on Sunday of challenges ahead in winning support for passage, even among Obama's own Democrats.

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  Obama asks for patience on economy

  President Barack Obama on Saturday urged Americans to show patience over the economy and argued that his just-concluded Asia trip was critical for U.S. exports, countering criticism he had returned empty-handed.

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  Dimon seen as successor to Geithner: report

  (Reuters) - Several U.S. policy makers consider JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon as a potential successor to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the New York Post said, citing sources.

• Clinton to miss 2nd OSCE ministerial in a row: Greece

  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will not attend an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) foreign ministers' meeting in early December in Athens, a Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

• New Yorkers clamor for change in Albany: poll

  New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet during the recession are clamoring for change in how lawmakers in the state capital Albany conduct business, according to a survey released on Monday.

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  American Music Awards Best-Dressed 2009: See Who Stole The Show (PHOTOS, POLL)

  On the red carpet for Sunday's American Music Awards, some stars dazzled, and some (quite literally) fell flat. (See J. Lo FALL and Adam Lambert FALL.) Check out our best-dressed picks below. Who acd it and who should have been left off the list? And who did we miss? Weigh in below.

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  We Must Replay the Match

  No, American friends, France is not a country of "cheaters." And the affair of Thierry Henry's hand, the scandal of the France-Ireland game that we won, but should have lost, has outraged many in Pars.

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  Sealed With A Kiss: Dems Unite To Beat GOP Filibuster

  Harry Reid sealed the biggest legislative victory of his career Saturday night with a kiss. And then a hug. Emotionally reserved doesn't begin to describe the Senate majority leader, a Democrat facig reelection in Nevada.

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  State Dinner Style! See What Former First Ladies Have Worn (PHOTOS, POLL)

  It's like the inauguration all over again! Everyone is wondering what (and who?) Michelle Obama will wear when she and her husband welcome Prime Minister Singh for Tuesday night's state dinner. From Jackie Kennedy to Laura Bush (and a lot of Hillary Clinton in between), here's a look back at some o...

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  US Debt A 'Phantom Menace,' Krugman Argues

  The United States is borrowing trillions of dollars under terms that seem "too good to be true" just as a "spending explosion" on benefits programs like Medicare and Social Security is set to begin, ccording to the New York Times.

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  iTablet Beta Tester Breaks Embargo

  Recently I was given just 24 hours to explore a first production build of the Apple iTablet -- and here are my first impressions and discoveries. First, it's more like an iPhone than a MacBook. The oerating system depends on gestures, and expands the vocabulary.

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  Heidi Klum Debuts HOT Post-Baby Body (PHOTOS)

  Heidi Klum stepped out on the runway at the Victoria's Secret fashion show Thursday night, just five weeks after giving birth to daughter Lou Samuel. This isn't her first post-baby public appearanc.

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  Nathalie Blanchard Loses Health Benefits Over Facebook Photo

  BROMONT, Quebec A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on Facebook in which she appeared to be having fun Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year.

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  Shroud Of Turin Is Real, Vatican Historian Says

  ROME A Vatican researcher has rekindled the age-old debate over the Shroud of Turin, saying that faint writing on the linen proves it was the burial cloth of Jesus. Experts say the historian may be reading too much into the markings, and they stand by carbon-dating that points to the shroud being...

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  Al Gore On "Saturday Night Live:" "I'm Just Going To Start Acting Crazy"

  This week on Saturday Night Live, Al Gore appeared with Seth Meyers on Weekend Update for a hilarious segment for NBC's Green Week. He announces that he's come up with a new tactic for getting peopleto care about green issues, which is to start acting crazy.

• Rise in stock ownership among lawmakers brings ethics concerns

  When Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) this summer proposed a $4 billion tax on medical-device firms to help offset the cost of health-care reforms, an unusual mix of lawmakers joined in a chorus of protest.

• Senate Democrats vote to bring health bill to floor for debate

  The Senate voted along party lines Saturday night to overcome a Republican filibuster and bring to the floor a bill that would overhaul the nation's health-care system.

• Senate eyes first health-care vote

  WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats geared up for a lengthy battle over a new healthcare reform plan on Thursday as Republicans condemned the bill's cost and taxes ahead of the first key vote on Saturday.

• Fort Hood hearing focuses on homegrown threats, 'political correctness'

  A Senate committee on Thursday morning launched the first public hearing into the Fort Hood shooting attack with a focus on the perils of homegrown extremism and "political correctness" and with partal cooperation from the Obama administration.

• Lawmakers seek more help from administration for Fort Hood investigations

  A bipartisan group of senators began a concerted push Wednesday to get more cooperation from the Obama administration in its reviews of the Fort Hood shootings, which left 13 dead and a raft of questons about information-sharing among intelligence agencies.

• White House backs off cancer test guidelines

  A top federal health official said Wednesday that the controversial new guidelines for breast cancer screening do not represent government policy, as the Obama administration sought to keep the debat over mammograms from undermining the prospects for health-care reform.

• Sen. Byrd breaks congressional longevity record

  In his almost six decades on Capitol Hill, Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) has broken nearly every legislative record that anyone bothers to count. On Wednesday, two days shy of his 92nd birthday, Byrdreached yet another milestone: He became the longest-serving member of Congress.

• Judge rules Jefferson can remain free while he appeals conviction

  Former congressman William J. Jefferson will not have to begin serving his 13-year prison term until his appeal of his conviction on corruption charges is resolved, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

• Sides gear up for fight over U.S. ban on travel to Cuba

  A battle over Cuba policy is escalating in Congress, with proponents saying they have their best chance in years of repealing the ban on U.S. tourist travel to the island.

• D.C. leaders set aside feud for home rule's sake

  Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray put aside their political differences Wednesday to support an effort on Capitol Hill to give the District more control over its budget nd laws.

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• What Karadzic Did to Bosnia

  Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is on trial, but whatever the outcome, the pain of war will remain.

• The Big Freak Out

  The downfall of the brains behind the Freakonomics phenomenon.

• Pacific Angst

  As Obama heads to Asia, some worry that American influence in the region is diminishing -- but most nations still prefer the United States as a strategic ally over rival neighbors.  

• No One Left to Blame

  Why Radovan Karadzic's trial won't heal Bosnia's divisions.

• No Good Choices

  You might think Afghanistan's fate lies in U.S. President Barack Obama's forthcoming strategic decision on troop levels. But the picture is bleak, no matter what.

• Destroying al Qaeda Is Not an Option (Yet)

  If the world's most notorious network goes down, terrorism will get a whole lot messier.

• Calm Down, Chávez

  War-mongering Venezuela is stirring up trouble down south again. But will he really go to war with Colombia this time around?

• Briefing Book: Iran's Sanctions

  What could sanctions against Iran really do?

• Europe After the Berlin Wall: 4 Surprises

  For Europe the effects of the Berlin Wall's collapse were almost as surprising as the fall itself. Here are 4 of the unexpected consequences that the end of the Soviet Union had for Europe -- ones evn the experts didn't see coming.

• Please Send More Than Troops

  If the window closes to fix Afghanistan's government, more boots on the ground won't matter.

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• 21 lawmaking days left for House

  It will put in a couple of five-day work weeks as Dems rush to finish their agenda before Christmas.

• Jenny Sanford endorses in gov race

  Wife of embattled S.C. governor endorses GOP state Rep. Nikki Haley to replace her term-limited husband.

• U.N. chief pushes Senate on climate

  U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urges the Senate to move forward on climate change legislation.

• 'No easy way out' for Dems on abortion

  Should Dems support a bill that imposes limits on abortion access or demand one that might fund it with taxpayer money?

• Health vote shatters abortion cease-fire

  Should Dems support a bill that imposes limits on abortion access or demand one that might fund it with taxpayer money?

• Health vote shatters abortion ceasefire

  Should Dems support a bill that imposes limits on abortion access or demand one that might fund it with taxpayer money?

• We shouldn't be attacking our own

  In an Ideas piece, Whitman takes RNC Chairman Michael Steele to task for his handling of the GOP.

• Emanuel keeps call for settlement halt

  W.H. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel stands behinds the call for Israel to freeze settlement activity.

• Health vote pits Democrat vs. Democrat

  Dems who voted against the health care bill are facing serious blowback from liberals.

• Deal makers pushed limits

  Last-minute deals on the House health reform vote didn't escape notice.

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