Eastern U.S. storms leave 2 dead in Va., 2 million without power

Violent evening storms following a day of triple-digit temperatures wiped out power to more than 2 million people across the eastern United States and caused two fatalities in Virginia — including a 90-year-old woman asleep in bed when a tree slammed into her home, a police spokeswoman said Saturday.

Obama administration mum on tweaks to health law

President Obama has said he's open to improving his health care law now that the Supreme Court has upheld it, but his administration wouldn't say Friday whether the president would agree to repeal any of the provisions Republicans have already tried to axe on their own.

Egypt's new leader vows to free sheik jailed in U.S.

Egypt's president-elect Mohammed Morsi has vowed to free the blind sheik jailed in the U.S. for a plot to blow up New York City landmarks.

The Segway rolls along in D.C.

Remember the Segway? The high-tech scooter that was supposed to change the world, and mostly ended up changing the life of Paul Blart in "Mall Cop"? Turns out the much-mocked machine was simply miscast.

White House says Holder won't be prosecuted

The White House is arguing that Attorney General Eric Holder won't be prosecuted for being held in contempt of Congress because he is protected by President Obama's use of executive privilege.

Congress ends deadlock on highways, student loans

After a months-long struggle filled with roadblocks, delays and U-turns, Congress passed a measure Friday to fund federal highway, transit and rail programs for the next two years in a package that included a provision to prevent federally subsidized student loan rates from doubling.

Obama visits fire-ravaged Colorado

President Obama surveyed Friday the damage from the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs, praising responders for their efforts and remarking on the enormity of the devastation.

Virginia, four other states get No Child education waivers

Virginia is one of the latest states to slip out from under from the federal No Child Left Behind education law.

Judge weighing whether to give Zimmerman bond

George Zimmerman's lawyer sparred with prosecutors over the former neighborhood watch volunteer's finances Friday in a lengthy hearing that concluded with a judge saying he would need more time to decide whether to post bond again.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Couple divorcing

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are divorcing, bringing an end to one of Hollywood's most unexpected marriages, one that spawned euphoric couch-jumping on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and endless speculation in the tabloids.

Army officials say shooter killed superior officer

Military officials at Fort Bragg have confirmed that a soldier shot and killed his superior officer before shooting and wounding himself. A third soldier was also wounded.

CURL: Roberts to the rescue for Romney

In voting to uphold President Obama's disastrous health-care overhaul, Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. took away the president's main line of attack that surely would have been deployed had the court voted 5-4, along party lines.

Stocks rally as Europe unveils debt crisis plans

U.S. stocks are surging at midday after European leaders agreed to a set of prescriptions aimed at easing their debt crisis.

Peter Madoff pleads guilty in NYC, blaming brother

The younger brother of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff — the loyal No. 2 at an investment firm that fronted a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme — pleaded guilty Friday, agreeing to serve 10 years in prison and saying he was "in total shock" when he learned of the fraud.

Merkel defends concessions in euro crisis

German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended concessions made to struggling Spain and Italy at a European Union summit on Friday as she prepared to address lawmakers at home, where media headlines loudly proclaimed her political defeat.

Egypt president-elect vows to fight for authority

In front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters, Egypt's first Islamist and civilian president-elect vowed Friday to fight for his authority and symbolically read an oath of office on Cairo's Tahrir Square on the eve of his official inauguration.

Commentary

NAPOLITANO: Roberts unleashes vast federal power

If you drive a car, I'll tax the street

KNIGHT: Court's awful ruling taxes our patients

When is a tax not a tax? Answer: When you're busy pushing a major expansion of government like Obamacare. The tax that is not a tax becomes a "penalty" or a "shared responsibility payment" in the text of the bill. In campaign lingo, it becomes an "investment."

NUGENT: Celebrate when good conquers evil

There is so much good news that goes largely unreported that it makes me want to scream. As I write this, just a couple of days ago, a 14-year-old boy in Phoenix who was watching his three siblings at home shot a punk who busted through a door and pointed a gun at the young man.

EDITORIAL: Obama's war on guns and oil

The Obama administration is using more than just the Environmental Protection Agency to "crucify" businesses it doesn't like. Congress won't enact any gun-control measures, and the American people aren't interested in paying more at the pump.

EDITORIAL: The pension bubble

As if the housing market collapse and European debt crisis weren't bad enough, another fiscal disaster looms on the horizon. New rules adopted last week by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) clarify the depth of mismanagement of state and local government pension programs.