Congress' questions for Petraeus will have to wait

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have questions for former CIA Director David H. Petraeus about the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, his recently disclosed extramarital affair and other issues — but their queries will have to wait for a later date.

Sick veterans wait for Obama's promise

It was one of the simplest, most poignant promises Barack Obama made in 2008 in his first campaign for the White House: He would fulfill "a sacred trust with our veterans" by significantly reducing the government's lengthy backlog of pending claims for disability coverage. The goal: All veterans could get a decision on disability claims within 125 days.

Rising number of states seeing one-party rule

Divided government still rules in the nation's capital after Tuesday's vote, but unity is increasingly the name of the game in Annapolis, Topeka, Concord, Little Rock and other capital cities.

Picture this: Cabinet portraits for big bucks

It's not always easy to tell who's coming or going as the Obama administration starts its second term, but multiple agencies have quietly commissioned artists to paint official portraits of Cabinet secretaries and other top appointees — an expenditure often seen when officials are on the way out the door or already gone.

Security taken early, arrived late in Benghazi

The Obama administration's new timelines for the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, reveal a significant delay in getting ground troops to the area and the negative impact of the State Department's decision to remove from the country a site security team and its aircraft that could have aided a rescue.

Obama keeps job; others lose theirs

After an election campaign that featured jobs as a central issue, some of the nation's businesses have responded to President Obama's victory with a series of layoff announcements related to a variety of factors including the New Year's "fiscal cliff."

CURL: Time for a new Republican Party

The Republican Party did not lose last Tuesday's election. It was obliterated, crushed, slaughtered, massacred, squashed, annihilated — and, let's hope, extinguished.

Iran warns U.S. over drone incident

Iran issued a bellicose warning to the U.S. over the weekend, after American officials disclosed last week that the Islamic republic had tried to shoot down a U.S. drone in international airspace near the Iranian coast on Nov. 1.

Inside the Beltway: Bumper Patrol

"Don't blame me. I voted for Romney."

Israel drawn into Syria fighting for first time

Israel was drawn into the fighting in neighboring Syria for the first time Sunday, firing warning shots across the border after an errant mortar shell landed near an Israeli military installation in the Golan Heights.

Schumer, Graham resurrect bipartisan immigration reform

New York Sen. Charles E. Schumer and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, co-authors of a stalled bipartisan comprehensive immigration overhaul that includes a "path to citizenship" for the country's estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants, said Sunday that Tuesday's election results have created a new impetus for reforms.

Teens born with HIV not telling partners

A significant number of sexually active U.S. teens who were born with HIV either didn't know their own status when they started having sex, or they knew it but didn't disclose it to their first sex partners, a new study says.

Greece passes 2013 austerity budget

Greek lawmakers have approved the country's 2013 austerity budget, an essential step in Greece's efforts to persuade its international creditors to unblock a vital rescue loan installment without which the country will go bankrupt.

Bahrain opposition leader: Hopes fading for talks

Envoys from the U.S. and other countries are acting as intermediaries with the Gulf nation's rulers in attempts to ease 21 months of unrest, the head of Bahrain's main opposition group said Sunday.

Explosion levels homes in Indianapolis; 2 dead

A roaring explosion that leveled two homes and set two others ablaze in a huge fire forced about 200 people from an Indianapolis neighborhood where two people were killed, authorities said Sunday. The powerful nighttime blast shattered windows, crumpled walls and inflicted other damage on at least 14 other homes.

Israel, Gaza militants trade fire in escalation

Israeli forces struck targets in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing one Palestinian and wounding more than 30 others as militants launched dozens of rockets in some of the heaviest fighting the area has seen in months.

Commentary

FISHER: Obama's deadly inaction on North Korean nuclear missiles

While foreign policy failed to rise to prominence during the election, the United States will not be able to escape the price of foreign policy failure. One crisis that started during President Obama's first term, which could "explode" during his second, is that of China's blatant contribution to a North Korean nuclear missile capability.

WISE: Republicans lost the ground game

The Monday morning quarterbacking has already begun over the makeup of the Republican Party. Brace yourself for calls to "moderate" or become more "inclusive" and endless explanations for why the GOP lost one demographic or another.

INHOFE: America still honors her heroes

Honor Flights bring veterans from around the country to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials of the wars in which they fought. The current focus is on World War II veterans and any veteran who has a terminal illness.

EDITORIAL: TSA grabs union contract

When Congress decided to take over airport security, it was never about safety. That became clear on Friday when Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners formally agreed to a contract that will add 45,000 dues-paying members to the ranks of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

EDITORIAL: Florida's tainted vote

Florida just can't seem to count votes properly. After the embarrassing "hanging chad" debacle of the 2000 presidential election, similar games are now being played in the contest between Republican Rep. Allen West and Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy over the 18th Congressional District seat.