Storms leave 9 dead in Md., Va. and D.C.; 4 in N.J., Ohio and Ky.

Devastating thunderstorms Friday left nine people in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. dead and hundreds of thousands without power in the region as residents across the area face more extreme temperatures and the possibility of additional thunderstorms this weekend.

Egypt's new president begins struggle for power

Islamist Mohammed Morsi became Egypt's first freely elected president on Saturday, launching his four-year term with a potentially dangerous quest to wrest back from the military the full authority of his office.

Syria conference leaves open Assad question

An international conference on Saturday accepted a U.N.-brokered peace plan for Syria, but left open the key question of whether the country's president could be part of a transitional government.

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.

Worries about vote buying despite Mexican reforms

Political reforms in Mexico have made it much harder to steal an election, officials say. But a lot of people think you can still buy one.

Conservatives bash court ruling at Western summit

Still reeling from Thursday's Supreme Court decision, conservatives gathered Saturday to lick their wounds, shake their fists and vow to strike back in November at the annual Western Conservative Summit.

Report: Ex-PSU president OK'd not reporting abuse

Emails show Penn State's former president Graham Spanier agreed not to take allegations of sex abuse against ex-assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky to authorities but worried university officials would be "vulnerable" for failing to report it, a news organization has reported.

Play delayed at Congressional; fans kept from tournament

About a dozen onlookers clapped when Lance Cpl. Jason Deters announced Jim Furyk on the 10th tee of Congressional Country Club's Blue Course Saturday afternoon.

Former Israeli PM Shamir dies at 96

Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, who clung throughout his life to the belief that Israel should hang on to territory and never trust an Arab regime, has died. He was 96 years old.

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.

Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes: Custody, images at stake in their divorce

When Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes first got together, he jumped on a couch, she gushed girlishly, and many of their fans said, "Huh?" Their split could cause just as much drama.

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.

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.

Commentary

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.

NAPOLITANO: Roberts unleashes vast federal power

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

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.