Reid threatens filibuster change

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confirmed Monday he will push to change Senate rules and curtail some Republican filibusters next year, setting up a major test of collegiality and power politics in the usually chummy chamber that bills itself as "the world's most exclusive club."

'Fiscal cliff' negotiations stall again on question of raising tax rates

The talks between President Obama and congressional Republicans to avoid looming tax hikes and steep spending cuts regressed Monday to the same old sticking point — raising taxes on wealthier Americans.

Romney loss: Big bucks, but less bang

Mitt Romney's presidential campaign paid millions of dollars to companies led by top advisers and, by many measures, the campaign got less to show for it than in-house staffers performing a labor of love for President Obama's campaign, expenditure records show.

Morsi's power grab tests U.S. post-revolt tolerance

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's power grab presents a unique opportunity for the Obama administration to take a firm position on what the United States will tolerate from post-Arab Spring governments, foreign-policy analysts say.

Data show Hispanics more likely to relate to Democrats

Stung by their election defeat, Republicans are eager to try to woo Hispanic voters, arguing that once their party puts immigration reform behind them, the ethnic group will be open to the GOP's conservative message.

Rice to meet with GOP Senate critics on Benghazi

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice will meet on Tuesday with Republican senators who have criticized her comments about the Sept. 11 terror attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi in an effort to smooth her path if she is tapped to be the next secretary of state.

GOP immigration bill keeps the well-educated

Trying to beat Democrats to the punch on the first post-election immigration bill, House Republicans have scheduled a vote later this week on a business-friendly proposal to grant green cards to foreigners who earn high-tech doctoral degrees from U.S. universities.

Democrats seek more benefits for jobless

Warning that more than 2 million Americans are poised to lose their long-term unemployment insurance, some Democrats are calling on Congress to extend the "economic lifeline" before it expires next month.

Former spa owner sentenced on sex-trafficking, forced labor charges

A former Illinois spa and massage parlor owner who used violence and threats of violence to force three women from the Ukraine and one from Belarus to work for him without pay and, at times, little to no subsistence over a two-year period was sentenced Monday to life in federal prison without the possibility of parole, the Justice Department said.

Inside the Beltway: Vilifying Norquist

Looks like it's Grover Norquist's turn to ride the insult wagon. The founder of Americans for Tax Reform is under scrutiny after seven lawmakers revealed they are not so keen about his long-standing "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," currently signed by 279 members of Congress, including three Democrats.

Study says states participating in Medicaid to see smaller increase

The expansion of health care coverage for millions of the nation's poor called for under President Obama's Affordable Care Act will add a trillion dollars to Medicaid costs over the next decade — but states that participate in the program would see their own costs increase by less than 3 percent, according to a new study.

'New life' for Liberty U. health care lawsuit

A Christian university's lawsuit against the Obama administration's health care law must be heard by a federal appellate court so its issues can be resolved properly, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.

Supreme Court revives 'Obamacare' challenge

A lawsuit challenging the Obama administration's health care law will be heard again in a federal appellate court, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.

Israel, Palestinian militants begin talks on truce details

Israel and Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip began indirect talks Monday in Egypt aimed at forging a new era of relations between the bitter enemies following a cease-fire that ended the heaviest fighting in nearly four years.

Pentagon soon to determine post-2014 troop levels in Afghanistan

Pentagon officials aim to determine in the next few weeks how many U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan after 2014, Defense Department press secretary George Little said Monday.

U.S. defends 'enormous' climate efforts at U.N. talks

The United States defended its track record on fighting climate change on Monday at U.N. talks, saying it's making "enormous" efforts to slow global warming and help the poor nations most affected by it.

Commentary

SMITH: House Republicans must check Obama

The votes are counted, the president will serve another term, and the Senate continues in Democratic control. With confidence in the separation of powers and bicameralism, Americans have, however, once again entrusted control of the House of Representatives to Republicans.

MCCAUL: Correcting Homeland Security corruption

With new leadership comes new vision. As President Obama mulls over his options for some new faces in his Cabinet, he would be wise to take a page from another revered president of the left.

HAMPTON: Millions of jobs at stake in logging case

On Dec. 3, the Supreme Court will hear a case determining the future of more than 2 million jobs and tens of thousands of landowners.

MILLER: R.I.P. Grover Norquist?

Reports of the death of Grover Norquist's tax pledge have been exaggerated. The left is doing its best to make tax hikes appear to be a foregone conclusion. The pressure is now on Republicans to break their word and sign on to the old trick of approving more revenue for Uncle Sam in return for spending cuts that will never happen.

EDITORIAL: Obamacare makes Liberty sick

The legal fight against Obamacare lives on. On Monday, the Supreme Court vacated an appellate court ruling that had favored the health care takeover and granted opponents a second chance to make their case that the law is unconstitutional.