Holder, Mueller were mum on Petraeus for weeks

Congressional leaders are calling on Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to explain why their agencies kept information about former CIA Director David H. Petraeus' extramarital affair from the White House, Congress and the U.S. intelligence community as the scandal expanded and ensnared the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

Lawmakers urge compromise, but refuse to budge from 'cliff'

Republicans and Democrats returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday pledging to try to reach common ground — but as each side reinforced its pre-election battle lines, last week's results appear to have shifted little other than the rhetoric.

Investors cope with fear of falling off the 'fiscal cliff'

For financial planners such as Graystone Consulting's Robert Scherer, it's hard to talk about investing these days without fielding dozens of questions from concerned clients about the "fiscal cliff."

D.C. ambulance plan draws opposition

A plan to redeploy the D.C. fire department's emergency medical workers in a way that would leave ambulances staffed with no paramedics during the overnight hours is being greeted with skepticism from stakeholders in the D.C. Council, the firefighters union and the community.

CIA able to keep its secrets on budgets, bad apples

From contract fraud and false billing to nepotism and possession of child pornography, wide-ranging accusations of misconduct have surfaced at agencies all across the federal government -- even, it turns out, inside the nation's revered spy agency.

Obama to face Libya, Petraeus questions

The White House on Tuesday played down the impact of retired Gen. David Petraeus' stunning resignation as CIA director on pressing post-election matters in Washington although the president's spokesman said Mr. Obama was "certainly surprised" to learn of Mr. Petraeus' extramarital affair and decision to step down.

HURT: In sum, Democrats see voters as isolated parts

All the nerdy political gurus with their chalkboard tablets on cable news have spoken, and it is official: Identity politics won President Obama's re-election last week.

U.S. government starts new year already in deficit

The federal government began fiscal year 2013 where it ended 2012 — deeply in the red, with a $120 billion deficit for October, the Treasury Department said Tuesday.

Inside the Beltway: General quarters

"Too many generals are taking orders from their privates," summarizes Rush Limbaugh regarding the ever-mutating news about former CIA Director David H. Petraeus. Alas, there is collateral damage from all the bombshells, however.

Davey Johnson named NL Manager of the Year

On a spring training afternoon in March, Davey Johnson proclaimed that if his team didn't make the playoffs, the Washington Nationals could fire him. And he meant it. But in a season filled with organizational bests — 98 wins, the National League East crown and the arrival of a fan base — there never was any worry they'd have to.

Henderson announces plan to close 20 D.C. schools

D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson on Tuesday announced 20 schools that could be closed next year, among them the alma mater of four former NBA players, the District's first junior high school and an educational center built in 1927.

EU backs down on airline carbon tax

The European Union on Tuesday backed down from a controversial plan to charge international airlines for the pollution they create on flights to and from the continent, facing retaliation from the U.S., China, and India and other nations who said it encroached on their sovereignty.

Haqqani Network talks peace but continues attacks in Afghanistan

The Haqqani Network, a group of Pakistan-based terrorists that has killed coalition troops in Afghanistan, is willing to participate in peace talks with the U.S. as long as the Afghan Taliban's top leader approves, according to a senior commander in the group.

Preliminary hearing ends in Afghan massacre case

Army prosecutors on Tuesday asked an investigative officer to recommend a death penalty court-martial for an Army staff sergeant accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers in a predawn rampage, saying that Staff Sgt. Robert Bales committed "heinous and despicable crimes."

Stocks fall in uneven trading; Home Depot soars

U.S. stocks closed lower after uneven trading Tuesday as fears about the "fiscal cliff" and Greece tipped major indexes between gains and losses. A surge in Home Depot's stock prevented a steeper drop for the Dow Jones industrial average.

EU talks on banking union to expose divisions

Shoring up Europe's banking sector and strengthening oversight of economic policies topped the agenda of a meeting Tuesday of the European Union's 27 finance ministers that was expected to expose divisions among the continent's powers.

Commentary

MORICI: Election is over, but 'fiscal cliff' still looms

The Budget Control Act of 2011 requires the president and Congress to come up with a nine-year, $1.2 trillion deficit-reduction plan by Jan. 1, or annual defense and non-entitlement programs will be cut automatically by $109 billion.

TAUBE: Predicting Obama's legacy

On Nov. 6, Americans chose President Obama over GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. If Mr. Obama's second term turns out to be anything like his first, the voters will quickly come to regret that decision.

PIPES AND FARAHAT: Morsi could discredit Muslim Brotherhood rule

Earlier this year, most analysts in Egypt assessed Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi to be the key figure in that country's politics and President Mohamed Morsi to be a lightweight. Mr. Morsi fired Field Marshal Tantawi on Aug. 12.

MILLER: Guns blazing since election

President Obama's re-election has sent Americans running to the gun stores. Sales of firearms and ammunition are way up in reaction to Mr. Obama saying during the debates he wants to ban everything from "cheap handguns" to common hunting rifles with scary-looking features.

EDITORIAL: The GOP's Hispanic panic

A popular postmortem of the 2012 election is that demography is destiny. Minority voting was up, guaranteeing Barack Obama's win. Liberal pundits saw the election as another milestone in the march toward a "majority-minority" country in which whites will be marginalized and Republicans doomed to demographic extinction.