Obama to visit families of Colo. shooting victims

President Obama will visit Sunday with families of the shooting victims of the movie-theater massacre in the battleground state of Colorado, the White House announced Saturday night.

Police: Colo. suspect rigged apartment bombs 'to kill'

The Colorado shooting suspect planned the rampage that killed 12 midnight moviegoers with "calculation and deliberation," police said Saturday, receiving deliveries for months that authorities believe armed him for battle and were used to rig his apartment with dozens of bombs.

Taxpayers pay for GSA workers to whack their booms for motivation

Hundreds of federal employees, some trading quizzical stares, sat in a hotel conference center just outside of Washington D.C. listening to a woman on stage who told them to "find your rhythm — with your boom whacker." The employees worked at the General Services Administration (GSA), and the woman on stage was part of a motivational drumming troupe hired by the government in the fall of 2010 to perform at an awards conference for workers in the GSA's Federal Acquisition Service.

Learning to love oppo researchers, whistle-blowers of democracy

Brett Di Resta teaches students how to find and spread information that can be used as political ammunition. With a presidential campaign gone bitterly negative before the opponents have even tapped gloves, and a new breed of free-spending Super PACS set to pour millions into opposition research, it's a timely skill set.

Syria revolt reaches Aleppo; rebels target cities

Riding a wave of momentum, Syrian rebels made a run on Aleppo Saturday in some of the fiercest fighting seen in the country's largest city, which has been a key bastion of support for President Bashar Assad over the course of the 17-month-old uprising.

Sharp exchanges punctuate first Allen-Kaine debate in Va.

In the first general election debate in Virginia's U.S. Senate race, Democrat Tim Kaine repeatedly characterized Republican opponent George Allen, as a big-spender and overt partisan, while Mr. Allen painted Mr. Kaine as a serial tax-hiker and enabler of President Obama's agenda, notably his high-profile federal health care overhaul law.

EPA to take a second look at coal rules

The Environmental Protection Agency will review and delay the final release of controversial regulations cracking down on new coal-fired power plants.

Putin signs protocol for Russia to join WTO

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the protocol for the country to join the World Trade Organization, capping an accession process that took 18 years.

Air Force instructor sentenced to 20 years for rape, assaults

An Air Force instructor was sentenced to 20 years in prison Saturday, after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in a sweeping sex scandal that rocked one of the nation's busiest military training centers.

Taliban kill 10 in attack on rival in Pakistan

A Taliban suicide car bomber attacked a rival militant commander's compound in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 10 people, as heavily armed assailants killed eight members of the coast guard in the southwest, officials said.

At least 21 treated for burns after Robbins event

Fire officials in California say at least 21 people were treated for burns after attendees of an event for motivational speaker Tony Robbins tried to walk on hot coals.

Transgender advocates seek new diagnostic terms

Does a woman who strongly believes she was meant to be a man have a mental condition or a medical problem? Is a man who cross-dresses in need of psychological help? What about a boy who pretends to be a girl in make-believe games and chooses only female playmates? The nation's psychiatric establishment is wrestling with these questions, among others, as it works to overhaul its diagnostic manual for the first time in almost two decades.

Congress steps up efforts to regulate drones

Concern over the personal privacy implications of the nation's inevitable drone boom continues to grow on Capitol Hill.

District unemployment declines to lowest level since March 2009

The unemployment rate in the District decreased slightly from 9.3 percent to 9.1 percent in June, its lowest level since March 2009, city officials said.

Delegation for D.C. hits the roof in search for more space, revenue

Building out space on city rooftops for work and play is a common-sense and potentially lucrative tweak to a century-old law that restricts the height of buildings in the District, D.C. officials and analysts told federal lawmakers Thursday.

Long legal process frustrates families of USS Cole victims

Nearly 12 years after al Qaeda terrorists killed his son, Jesse Nieto still has a bumper sticker on his car that reads: "Remember the Cole."

Commentary

YOUNG AND CREWS: Season for relief from big government

The good news is that this year's budget deficit will be half a trillion less than last year's. The bad news is that it still will top $1 trillion.

KNIGHT: Clueless in Minnesota and Michigan

At the Minnesota Supreme Court on July 17, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued that Gopher State people aren't smart enough to be allowed to vote in November on whether to approve a voter photo ID constitutional amendment.

NANCE AND BLACKBURN: Women are fighting Obamacare's next battle

Conservatives have won the latest battle in the war to make President Obama's health care law obsolete. The House vote on July 11 to repeal Obamacare brings us one step closer to replacing it. Unfortunately, the repeal is unlikely to pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate, and the president has vowed to veto any repeal effort.

EDITORIAL: Batman won't save you

The midnight massacre at a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., has put the issue of gun control back at center stage. Leftist lawmakers and TV anchors jumped the gun with the usual calls to restrict the Second Amendment. Propaganda aside, preventing tragedies like this in the future involves giving citizens the ability to fight back, not just be sitting ducks.

MILLER: Obama's jam-packed schedule

President Obama gave up his day job working for the American people so he could have more time to campaign for himself. To fit in all the fundraisers and stump speeches, he's set aside things like meeting with his jobs council and working with Congress. His priorities say a lot about his character.