News Items

Hobby Lobby Won't Violate Faith over Abortion Drugs

The owners of Hobby Lobby say they must remain true to their faith, despite the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to block the Obamacare contraception mandate.

Their attorney said the company will not provide the morning-after and week-after pills in its employee insurance plan when the health care mandate takes effect Jan. 1.

"The company will continue to provide health insurance to all qualified employees," attorney Kyle Duncan said in a statement posted on Hobby Lobby's website.

"To remain true to their faith, it is not their intention, as a company, to pay for abortion-inducing...

No Deal in Sight as Fiscal Cliff Nears

Lawmakers are back in Washington Thursday to work on a plan to solve the "fiscal cliff" crisis. But it's looking like no deal will be reached before the end of the year.

President Obama cut his Hawaiian Christmas vacation short to return to the nation's capital to address the matter.

If Washington doesn't act by New Year's Day, tax hikes and deep spending cuts will go into effect, something many lawmakers still want to avoid.

"I want us to not go over the cliff because I think if we do, it hurts our economy and it hurts our country," Sen. John Barrasso R-Wyo., said.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress the country is...

Former President George H.W. Bush Remains Hospitalized on Christmas

Former President George H.W. Bush spent Christmas in a Houston hospital, where his spokesman reported his condition as stable. 

"They're taking it one day at a time right now," his spokesman, Jim McGrath, said Tuesday. "The doctors are cautiously optimistic that they have his current issues in hand. But they need to see more improvement before they start thinking about discharge."

The 88-year-old senior Bush was first admitted to The Methodist Hospital to treat bronchitis Nov. 7. He was released on Nov. 19 but readmitted less than a week later.

Doctors hoped he would spend Christmas at home, but decided otherwise when he developed a fever, The Houston...

House Leaders Throw in the Towel on 'Plan B'

WASHINGTON -- House leaders gave up on "Plan B" Thursday night, a controversial alternate to a fiscal cliff deal.

It was a bill House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, came up with to avert the tax hikes that would hit 99 percent of Americans come Jan. 1.

But Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., rejected the speaker's proposal.

"It's the wrong approach," the New York lawmaker insisted. "Even if the House passes it, it will be dead on arrival in the Senate."

A frustrated Boehner said, "...

House Okays Defense Bill with Conscience Protections

The House has approved a new defense bill that protects military chaplains who refuse to perform same-sex marriages.

The $633 billion measure passed the House in a 315-107 vote Thursday and is now before the Senate.

A prior version banned gay marriage on military installations, but that provision was tossed out in negotiations.

The final version says military chaplains can't be forced to perform such unions or be punished for refusing to do so.

It also protects other military members who...

Former Supreme Court Nominee Robert Bork Dies

MCLEAN, Va. - Robert H. Bork, whose failed 1980s nomination to the Supreme Court helped draw the modern boundaries of cultural fights over abortion, civil rights and other issues, has died. He was 85.
 
Son Robert H. Bork Jr. confirmed his father died Wednesday at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va. The son said Bork died from complications of heart ailments.
 
Brilliant, blunt, and piercingly witty, Robert Heron Bork had a long career in politics and the law that took him from respected academic to a totem of conservative grievance.
 
Bork's drubbing during the 1987 Senate...

Washington Inching Closer to a Fiscal Cliff Deal

Washington may be getting closer to a deal on the fiscal cliff before the January deadline.

President Obama responded to House Speaker John Boehner's latest proposal with a new offer on Monday.

The president now wants to increase the tax rate for those earning more than $400,000 a year; a step down from his initial request to raise taxes on families making more than $250,000.

His plan, however, does not...

Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii Dies at 88

Daniel K. Inouye, a Medal of Honor recipient from his service during World War II and, as Hawaii's senior Senator, the longest-serving member of that body, died Monday at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center from respiratory complications. He was 88.

Inouye's  wife, Irene Hirano Inouye, and his son, Daniel Ken Inouye Jr., were at his side. His office said his final word was "Aloha."

"Our country has lost a true American hero," President Obama said. "Danny represented the people of Hawaii in Congress from the moment they joined the Union. ... Our thoughts and prayers are with the Inouye family."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the chamber floor Monday night called Inouye "one of the giants of the...

Rep. Tim Scott to Replace Sen. Jim DeMint

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced today that she will appoint Rep. Tim Scott to replace outgoing Sen. Jim DeMint.

DeMint is leaving in January to head up The Heritage Foundation.

State law gives Haley the authority to pick the senator's successor. Like DeMint, Scott is also a Tea Party Republican.

Scott will become the only African American currently serving in the Senate and the first black Republican to serve in the upper chamber since the 1970s.

"He earned this seat for...

Bernanke: Fiscal Cliff Already Affecting Economy

America's economy is set to reach the infamous fiscal cliff in just 18 days and there's still no solution in sight.

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, met Thursday night for their second face-to-face session in the past five days.

The president said negotiations are still a work in progress. But Boehner has said Obama is still not serious about spending cuts.

Meanwhile, there is growing concern about what will happen if no deal is reached. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the...

Search on for Secretary of State after Rice Drops Candidacy

As Hillary Clinton prepares to step down as secretary of state, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice announced she is withdrawing her name as a possible replacement.

Now the search is on for who will fill the top spot, along with other cabinet openings.

Benghazi Controversy

Rice once seemed a shoo-in for secretary of state, but controversy over her explanation for the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, compromised her candidacy.

On Thursday, the U.N. ambassador announced...

Surprise! More 'Hidden Fees' in Obamacare

A new hidden fee has been uncovered in the Obama administration's controversial health care law.

Every American will owe a $63 fee every year starting in 2014. It's to help pay for insurance for Americans with pre-existing conditions.

While the charge may not sound like a lot of money, it means tens of millions of dollars in new fees for large employers. So they'll likely be passed on to consumers.

Experts say the new $25 billion fee has significant financial consequences.

The government says it's just temporary, but others wonder how they can predict that since medical costs are only expected to rise.

Congress will...

Be Prepared: What the Fiscal Cliff Means for You

Will the economy drop off the fiscal cliff come Jan. 1. The clock is ticking to get a deal cut before everyone leaves Washington for the Christmas break.

There was talk of compromise when President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner met face-to-face Sunday for the first time in nearly a month.

Some Republican lawmakers now say they're open to raising taxes on high income earners if Democrats consider holding the top rate below 39.6 percent.

And one leading Democrat, Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, is putting entitlements like Medicare on the table.

"I do believe there should be means testing, and those of us with higher income in retirement should pay more....

Unions Routed, Michigan Becomes ‘Right-to-Work’ State

It is something many thought they would never see: Michigan, one of the strongest union states in the country, is now a right-to-work state. And it happened with lightning speed.

Michigan Republicans acted so quickly that the unions had little time to react. Within hours of announcing their plans last Thursday, bills were rushed through the Senate. And after a required five-day waiting period, the House approved final passage Tuesday.

Thousands of union members from across the state converged on the state capital in Lansing. Teachers even called in sick, abandoning their students.

In some cases, there was violence. One YouTube video shows a supporter of the new...

House Majority Whip McCarthy: GOP Shouldn't Give Up on Tax Issue

A key House Republican chastised members of his party Monday for suggesting that the GOP agree to let tax rates rise on the wealthy as part of a deal to avoid the "Fiscal Cliff."

"You cannot negotiate with yourself," House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. "We're always going to talk about the tough stuff, the spending cuts later. But we're spending too much now. That's our challenge."

McCarthy's comments, which echoed a Wall Street Journal editorial on Monday, came after several Republicans suggested letting tax rates rise on the wealthy in order to shift the debate to spending cuts and entitlement reforms.

GOP Sen. Bob Corker is among those urging a shift in strategy, as he explained to CNBC later on Monday morning....

Small Signs of Progress on Fiscal Cliff Talks

Republicans and Democrats remain far from a deal, with just 21 days before america faces the fiscal cliff, but there are small signs of progress.
    
President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, met Sunday for the first time in nearly a month.
    
There is also new talk of compromise from leaders on both political parties.
    
Some GOP lawmakers now say they're open to raising taxes on high income earners, if Democrats consider holding the top rate below 39.6 percent.
    
Meanwhile, one leading Democrat is putting entitlements on the table as well.
    
In an NBC News interview, Illinois Democratic Sen. Richard...

Stakes High for Marriage Fight at the Supreme Court

It's a big week in the battle over marriage in America, even as homosexual activists celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in Washington State Thursday.

But in Washington, D.C, the Supreme Court may be about to finally weigh in on what marriage really is.

Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples have been getting marriage licenses in Washington State, after the state's governor signed a law approved by the voters that legalizes homosexual marriage. The state has a three-day waiting period before weddings can take place.

"We have the license; three days -- I think we can make it another three days," one woman in Washington said.

Nine...

Non-Profits: Tax Deduction Loss Would Be Devastating

As Washington politicians consider cuts to dedictions as part of a fiscal cliff deal, the charitable tax deduction could end up on the chopping block.

To prevent that, 240 representatives of ministries and non-profit organizations gathered on Capitol Hill Wednesday to fight for this deduction that rewards Americans for their giving to charities, churches, and non-profits.

Following a brief session on lobbying do's and don'ts, they visited lawmakers' offices across Capitol Hill.

Their main message: many of their groups might not survive the drop in giving that would follow the death of the deduction.

"As an organization that serves every zip...

Geithner Warns 'It's Either Tax Hikes or the Cliff'

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the Obama administration is "absolutely" ready for the U.S. economy to go over the fiscal cliff rather than accept a deal that doesn't include higher tax rates for top earners.

As the Washington stalemate continues, Americans across the country are preparing for what could be a very tough new year.

Melinda Yega got the news this week. If Congress and the president can't make a deal, the government will stop her unemployment check. The $450 a week is a lifeline for her family.

"We won't be able to pay some of our bills and for Christmas and things of that nature they're probably off the table," she said.

...
DeMint Leaving Senate to Head Heritage Foundation

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint is leaving Congress to head the conservative Heritage Foundation. 

The Tea Party-backed senator announced the move Thursday, saying he will step down from the Senate in January to become president of The Heritage Foundation think tank. 

"I'm leaving the Senate now, but I'm not leaving the fight. I've decided to join The Heritage Foundation at a time when the conservative movement needs strong leadership in the battle of ideas," he said in a statement. "No organization is better equipped to lead this fight and I believe my experience in public office as well as in the private sector as a business owner will help Heritage become even more effective in the years to come." 

DeMint...