The Washington, D.C., City Council voted Tuesday to legalize gay marriage in the nation's capital, handing supporters a victory after a string of recent defeats in Maine, New York and New Jersey.

As much as 40 percent of all land in the United States is already under some form of government control or ownership -- 800 million to 900 million acres out of America's total 2.2 billion acres. The government now appears

Lawmakers pushing for immigration reform say job losses and a sluggish economy should not deter legislation legalizing illegal immigrants.

The No. 2 Democrat in the House said Tuesday that Congress will pass a two-month, $200 billion-plus increase in the government's ability to borrow as one of its final acts before closing shop for Christmas.

Industrial production rose a better-than-expected 0.8 percent in November, a sign of recovery taking root in some parts of the economy.

In a year when Americans struggled to make ends meet, some members of Congress splurged taxpayer money on extravagant meals -- including a $5,380 dinner enjoyed by House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer at a Maryland banquet hall, the Washington

Three days ahead of President Obama's visit to the climate change conference in Copenhagen, the White House continues to build the case that the United States is committed to pursuing clean energy with or without legislation that is stuck in

Targeted by drone strikes in Pakistan, Al Qaeda is losing ground and financing even as attacks by Islamist groups are on the rise, according to a report obtained by The Associated Press.

Republicans were lining up to criticize the Obama administration Tuesday over its decision to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a prison in Illinois, accusing President Obama of increasing the threat to America's security by making the U.S. home

President Obama said Tuesday that Senate Democrats were on the verge of passing historic legislation to overhaul the U.S. health care system.

Majid Khan is one of fewer than 20 detainees at Guantanamo Bay labeled high-value by the U.S. government, meaning someone thought to be a senior member of Al Qaeda.

Liberals sought the Medicare expansion as a last-minute substitute for a full-blown, government-run insurance program that moderates earlier insisted be thrown out.

The rift between rich and poor nations remains a major sticking point, U.S. officials say.

Soundly beaten for the presidency a year ago, an unbowed Sen. John McCain has re-emerged as the happy GOP warrior against President Obama and the Democrats' health care reform agenda.

Two congressmen called on the Justice Department Monday to appeal a recent decision in federal district court that found the government's move to cut off funding to ACORN was unconstitutional.

Like their fellow soldiers in Germany, Vietnam or Korea, those deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq have created a language all their own, filled with black humor, cultural references and even the occasional crudity.

The U.S. Postal Service has more tax delinquents in its ranks than any other federal agency or department, according to Internal Revenue Service data.