Obama hails ruling as win for 'middle class'; justices hand tax issue to GOP

The Supreme Court handed President Obama a major political victory on his signature health care issue Thursday, but the justices also provided Republicans with a sharper campaign issue by defining the law's individual mandate as a tax.

Roberts' vote sways Supreme Court to uphold Obama's health care overhaul

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the heart of President Obama's health care law, ruling that the federal government can compel Americans to buy health insurance and striking a new balance for the scope of federal authority in the 21st century.

Roberts strikes balance with 'tax' interpretation

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. ignored President Obama's words and thereby found a way to uphold the president's health care law in Thursday's Supreme Court ruling.

Egypt's Islamist president presents challenge for U.S.

The election of Egypt's first Islamist president poses a challenge for the Obama administration, which is grappling with the reality of embracing a leader whose worldview often has been at odds with Washington.

House holds Holder in contempt over 'Fast and Furious' documents

The House on Thursday cited Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. for contempt of Congress in a historic vote weighted with political significance — though it does little to break the stalemate over his decision to withhold documents regarding the Justice Department's actions in a botched gunwalking operation.

Obama urges country to move on after health care victory

Calling the Supreme Court ruling upholding a majority of the health care law a "victory for people all over this country," President Obama urged the country to put aside divisive political fights over the law and move on.

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.

Romney: To kill health law, Obama must go

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said Thursday that the Supreme Court ruling upholding President Obama's health care law means that the only way now to remove the law is to remove the president in the November election.

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.

Inside the Beltway: The long aftermath

Republicans pre-loaded rebuttals to an Obamacare win in the Supreme Court, promising to "double down" on their efforts to repeal the health care law, and insisting the ruling would bolster Mitt Romney's campaign and appeal for him. They have a point. Pollsters consistently find that a majority of Americans either don't understand the law, or are wary of its big government implications and staggering costs.

Cantor: House will vote to repeal health care law

The political fight ramped up immediately after the Supreme Court ruling Thursday morning, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell saying the court has stripped away the pretense and exposed the tax increases in the law.

Wizards take Bradley Beal with No. 3 pick in NBA draft

Bradley Beal will always remember his 19th birthday. The Washington Wizards hope Thursday will be equally as memorable for the franchise.

Pollsters expect health law to remain unpopular

The Supreme Court approved of President Obama's health law on Thursday, but voters have never been as sold.

Redistricting petitioners in Maryland in final push for names

A petition drive seeking a referendum on Maryland's congressional map faces its final deadline this weekend, and organizers said Thursday they are still scrambling to gather the necessary signatures.

China exempted from sanction on Iranian oil

The U.S. added China to the list of nations exempted from sanctions against Iran on Thursday, citing an effort undertaken by Chinese authorities to significantly reduce their crude oil purchases from the Islamic republic.

N. Korean claims South's agents tricked her into defecting

A North Korean woman said Thursday that she was tricked into defecting six years ago by South Korean agents who offered to arrange a reunion with her father, who went to the South during the Korean War.

Commentary

BACHMANN: Onward to repeal Obamacare

The Supreme Court ruling on the president's health care plan resulted in a sad day for freedom, liberty and the American people. In an activist decision, the court rewrote the foundation of the Affordable Care Act and then ruled it constitutional.

DECKER: Obamacare and the death of liberty

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli put it best: "This is a dark day for the American people, the Constitution and the rule of law," he said of the Supreme Court decision to let Obamacare stand as the law of the land. "This is a dark day for American liberty."

WOLF: Only the voters can save America now

The Supreme Court's Obamacare ruling on Thursday cuts right to the very fabric of the relationship between a once-limited government and a once-free citizen, but the eternal struggle between liberty and tyranny endures. It is a beginning, not an end.

MILLER: Getting rid of Obamacare

The Supreme Court may have the final say on legal issues, but the public will ultimately decide Obamacare's fate. Polls show the American people want this big-government statute off the books, so their only hope now is to take the issue to the ballot box.

EDITORIAL: The Obamacare tax

The Supreme Court affirmed on Thursday what the White House never wanted to hear: Obamacare constitutes the largest and most regressive tax in American history.