Congress gets Obama data on use of drones

With the fate of his pick to head the CIA in danger, President Obama reversed course Wednesday night and released to Congress the classified legal advice that the Justice Department has given the White House on using drones to execute American citizens in the war on terrorism.

Panic rises as sequesters grow near

Deadline legislating is once again the talk of Washington, with all sides now demanding an end to the automatic spending sequesters — even though just a few weeks ago many of them seemed to be bracing, or in some cases even welcoming, the $85 billion in cuts divided between defense and domestic needs.

Gun backers draw bead on O'Malley plan

Hundreds of gun-rights supporters who gathered Wednesday in Annapolis are now lined up to testify against a proposal by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley that would ban assault weapons and require residents to obtain a license before purchasing handguns.

Military is advised against lower standards for women

With Republicans lacking the votes to reinstitute the ban on women in combat as federal law, conservatives are focusing on how to make sure the Pentagon does not lower the standards — and with them, combat readiness — to ensure that female service members graduate.

Still seeking Benghazi answers, Senate panel to quiz Panetta

The Obama administration's handling of the deadly September attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, faces another congressional grilling when outgoing Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta testifies Thursday on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Paul pleads for sanity, balance on foreign policy

Drawing a contrast between himself and Capitol Hill Republicans whom he tied to a longtime "war caucus," Sen. Rand Paul called Wednesday for a "saner, more balanced" approach to foreign policy that strikes a balance between neoconservative and isolationist thinking.

Senate loads up renewal of act to protect women

The Senate is plowing this week toward passage of a bill aimed at domestic abuse for the second time in two years — but with provisions involving gay partners, illegal immigrants and jurisdictional disputes on Indian lands, the legislation faces an uncertain future in the Republican-run House.

HARPER: For 'World News,' a distressing decline in standards

ABC's "World News," once a leader in innovative journalism and international news, has become a program that provides predictable coverage, with only a few reporters apparently leaving the office to cover stories.

Mich. governor signs on for Obama's Medicaid expansion

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday became the sixth Republican governor to support the expansion of Medicaid as envisioned by President Obama's health law.

No delays from gays on Boy Scouts decision

Traditional-values groups thanked the Boy Scouts of America on Wednesday for delaying a decision on whether to change their membership policy on gays, saying it will permit more voices to be heard on the white-hot social issue.

Postal chief expects fight on Saturday delivery halt

U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe's historic decision to end Saturday mail delivery drew mixed reaction on Capitol Hill — and outright anger from the letter carriers union, which called for his resignation.

Nurses union joins Keystone XL pipeline fray

The pressure on President Obama and newly minted Secretary of State John F. Kerry to reject the Keystone XL pipeline grows stronger each day, and this week saw the nation's leading nurses union jump into the debate.

Stars come out on Capitol Hill for tougher gun laws

President Obama has consistently called for a national conversation on gun violence since December's Connecticut school shootings, and on Wednesday, some of his most loyal backers — Hollywood's B-List — responded.

Report: Baltimore faces financial ruin within a decade

Even if the economy grows at a reasonable rate, the city of Baltimore is on a path to financial ruin, according to a report presented to the city council by the Philadelphia-based Public Financial Management Inc.

States scramble with legislation to fend off drones

States are responding to the rising concerns over drone use by police agencies and at least 11 have brought forth bills limiting the use of the technology, according to various media.

Inside the Beltway: The war on Rove escalates

A bristling group of 25 traditional conservatives are out to protect one of their own in a new push against the "establishment Republicans" of Karl Rove's American Crossroads.

Commentary

NAPOLITANO: Obama demands unquestioning acceptance of his ability to kill

Earlier this week, the government sent a summary of its legal memos on presidential use of drones to kill persons overseas -- even Americans -- to an NBC newsroom.

UPTON: Time to save Medicaid

Americans' frustration with Washington's inability to cut spending is mounting. For two years, Congress has been entangled in a disorienting tango, stumbling to reach a bipartisan agreement on deficit reduction.

TRIPLETT: GOP opportunity awaits in the oil patch

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has received a lot of favorable response from Republican activists for his recent comment, "[Republicans] are the 47 percent." Contemporaneously, former Sen. Jim DeMint, now president-elect of the Heritage Foundation, used "Meet the Press" as a forum to declare the need to put "real people and real faces" on the Republican Party.

MILLER: Hollywood's anti-gun show comes to D.C.

Nothing adds pizazz to a tired policy issue in Washington like flying in celebrities for a news conference. Gun-control advocates have been losing legislative steam since the Newtown, Conn., tragedy, so they called on the glitterati to brighten their case before the Capitol hallways on Wednesday.

EDITORIAL: Attack of the Obama drones

President Obama's practice of killing purported terrorists with airborne drone strikes overseas has ventured into uncharted legal territory. The maneuver is likely to trigger pointed questions when White House counterterrorism adviser John O. Brennan faces a Senate confirmation hearing Thursday as CIA director nominee.