GOP waits for Romney to pick 'tax' or 'penalty'

A semantic dispute over what defines "a tax" or "a penalty" has pushed Mitt Romney's presidential campaign deeply off message as he struggles for the right response to last week's Supreme Court ruling upholding the health care law.

Fireworks collection sparks rocketing bids

The nation's most impressive fireworks display this summer won't be found on the Mall or over the Hudson River. This year, the crown already has been awarded to the small town of Denver in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County.

Marylanders move in droves to Virginia

Maryland lost the most residents in the mid-Atlantic between 2007 and 2010 - and many of them moved to Virginia, according to a study released Tuesday.

Cyprus to pursue growth and austerity during its EU presidency

The government of Cyprus will rely on a combination of austerity measures and growth programs to dig its way out of a financial crisis that has forced it to turn to its European Union partners for aid, the Cypriot ambassador in Washington said Tuesday.

Pepco boss got megawatt pay boost despite problems

Pepco's chief executive, Joseph Rigby, didn't get a salary increase last year because of "customer reliability issues," but he still managed to double his overall compensation, regulatory filings show.

Ruling could hike CBO's health law cost estimate

The next big shoe to drop in the health care debate after last week's Supreme Court ruling is an updated cost estimate from Congress' chief scorekeepers, which could tip the massive program into the red.

HURT: Explaining the face-eating zombie

With all the zombie cannibals on the loose these days in this scorching heat, choking wildfires and violent winds, we are living in some terrifying times.

Fourth day of storm recovery brings more power customers online

Utility crews made significant progress Tuesday restoring power to homes without electricity since Friday night's storm, but officials in several jurisdictions announced they were canceling Independence Day celebrations as the recovery continues.

Biden warns teachers of Romney hit

In a foretaste of the political battles to come this fall over education, Vice President Joseph R. Biden told the nation's largest teachers union that presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his party do not respect the work they do.

Inside the Beltway: Name that festival

The American spirit of independence ensures that Fourth of July celebrations across the nation remain in the grass-roots realm, despite intense efforts by clever marketers and merchandisers to co-opt, standardize and "brand" such events.

Obama to sign student loan, road building bill

President Obama on Friday plans to sign into law legislation that prevents interest rate increases on new loans to millions of college students and maintains jobs on transportation projects across the nation.

Andy Griffith: Beloved actor dies at 86

Andy Griffith, who made homespun Southern wisdom his trademark as the wise sheriff in "The Andy Griffith Show" and the rumpled defense lawyer in "Matlock," died Tuesday. He was 86.

Romney donor gets boot in soccer deal

Politics and sports don't mix — at least not for one Mitt Romney supporter, thwarted in his attempt to pay a New York minor-league soccer team to wear uniforms with an advertisement supporting the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

FDA approves first rapid, take-home HIV test

Americans will soon be able to test themselves in the privacy of their own homes for the virus that causes AIDS, now that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first rapid, over-the-counter HIV test.

Consensus cracking on U.S. policy toward Myanmar

The rare Washington consensus behind the Obama administration's policy toward Myanmar is showing signs of cracks as American businesses grow impatient to invest there and human rights groups push back.

Stocks rise as oil prices, factory orders climb

Stocks climbed Tuesday in an abbreviated holiday trading session after an encouraging report about manufacturing. Energy stocks rose the most because of increased tension over oil-rich Iran.

Commentary

WEST: The Balkanized States of America

The 56 rebels knew they very well might be hanged for what they were about to do. As lawyers, merchants, farmers and landowners, they had plenty to lose. Fighting against an imperial ruler, they had everything to gain.

SCHONBRUN: Major-league error in legal arbitration system

It's not often that one gets a chance to write about Major League Baseball (MLB) as a teaching tool for the evils of the class-action system. So pardon my enthusiasm for baseball metaphors.

KENNEDY: Iranians yearn for freedom, too

On July 4, 1776, 236 years ago, Americans declared that they no longer would be ruled by others, and the Revolutionary War began.

DECKER: Thanks to King George

Today is the day when Americans chomp hotdogs, watch fireworks and rightfully reflect on all this great nation has achieved. The occasion naturally stirs up patriotic sentiment for everything that makes the Unites States a better place to live than anywhere else, such as the rule of law, individual sovereignty in the form of a vote, and respect for civil liberties.