(AP) Aging workforce strains Social Security, MedicareBy STEPHEN OHLEMACHERAssociated PressWASHINGTONAn aging population and an economy that has been slow to rebound are straining the long-term finances of Social Security and Medicare, the government’s two largest benefit programs. Those problems are
(AP) Auditors call for end to Medicare bonus programBy RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVARAssociated PressWASHINGTONIn a rebuke to the Obama administration, government auditors are calling for the cancellation of an $8 billion Medicare program that congressional Republicans have criticized as a political ploy.
(AP) Opening statements set to begin in Edwards trialBy MICHAEL BIESECKERAssociated PressGREENSBORO, N.C.Prosecutors and defense lawyers in the John Edwards trial were poised to begin making their case to jurors on whether the former presidential candidate violated federal campaign finance
Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was released early Monday after posting $150,000 bond after authorities charged him with second-degree murder for shooting unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin, US media reported. The release from a Florida county jail came after a
(AFP) Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was released early Monday after posting $150,000 bond after authorities charged him with second-degree murder for shooting unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin, US media reported. The release from a Florida county jail came after
(AP) Hollande, Sarkozy set to advance to French runoffPARIS Official partial results show Socialist Francois Hollande and conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy are advancing to the runoff of France’s presidential elections. With about 33 percent of the vote counted, Hollande had
A prize-winning, super energy saving LED bulb from Dutch electronics giant Philips, said to last over 20 years, went on sale online and in stores Sunday to coincide with Earth Day. The bulb that won the 2011 US Department of
(AP) Indiana Gov. Daniels: Not me for vice presidentWASHINGTON Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana thought long and hard before deciding not to run for president. Now, with Mitt Romney the likely nominee, he’s professing no interest in joining the
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s cabinet on Sunday approved a plan to break up some of the country’s largest conglomerates, aiming to increase competition and bring down prices after protests over the cost of living last year.
(AP) Iraqi premier starting talks in IranTEHRAN, IranIraq’s prime minister is in Tehran for top level talks, underlining the close ties between governments of the two countries. Nouri al-Maliki is expected to meet Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and
(AP) Turnout solid in French presidential electionBy JAMEY KEATENAssociated PressPARIS Center-right French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s career was on the line on Sunday as voters turned out in solid numbers for the first round of France’s presidential election, a contest that
LONDON (Reuters) – Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb is conscious and able to speak to his wife and family after waking from a coma caused by a combination of illnesses that nearly cost him his life, his doctors said on
Israeli forces are carrying out more special operations beyond the country’s borders and will be ready to attack Iran’s nuclear sites if ordered, the chief-of-staff said in an interview on Sunday. In an extract from an interview with the top-selling
Wealthy Iranians are fuelling an unprecedented luxury car boom despite sanctions hurting their economy, paying up to $360,000 for high-end autos, according to showroom employees and reports on Sunday. A newspaper citing official customs data, Hafte-Sobh, reported that “some 563
An Iranian military commander on Sunday said the Islamic republic is building a copy of a US spy drone captured in December 2011 and revealed what he said were “codes” gleaned from the unmanned aircraft. Hajizadeh did not give further
A sensational political scandal unfolding in China has exposed the high level of impunity enjoyed by elites at a time when social tensions are rising, highlighting the need for change, observers say. The affair — which toppled Bo Xilai, one
On Friday, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (D) announced he wasn’t sure whom he would vote for in the November presidential election. Today, Obama top campaign advisor David Axelrod stated on CNN that he understood how Manchin would be wary
Mia Love, the 37-year-old daughter of Haitian immigrants, has nabbed the Utah GOP nomination for a new Congressional seat. As John Fund reports, “Utah selects its candidates at party conventions with primaries only occurring if no one wins 60 percent
(AP) IMF urges bold changes in EuropeBy HARRY DUNPHY and MARTIN CRUTSINGERAssociated PressWASHINGTON The International Monetary Fund, armed with a replenished arsenal containing billions of dollars to battle Europe’s lingering debt crisis, now must press governments in the eurozone to
BEIJING (Reuters) – “Avatar” and “Titanic” film director James Cameron said on Sunday that he was looking at co-production of films in China, but would have to weigh issues like censorship and other restrictions before making any decisions. Hollywood has
(AP) Hugo Chavez’s weeklong silence spurs uncertaintyBy JORGE RUEDAAssociated PressCARACAS, VenezuelaVenezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been out of sight for a week, speaking only through Twitter messages and written statements while undergoing cancer treatment in Cuba. The lack of any
Recently, BuzzFeed published “Why Ann Stayed Home,” with the tagline “Mrs. Romney’s Mormon faith glorifies motherhood — and preaches the need for women to sacrifice their careers.” Contrary to what you might think by reading this headline, at no time
By JESSICA GRESKOAssociated PressWASHINGTONCharles Colson, the tough-as-nails special counsel to President Richard Nixon who went to prison for his role in a Watergate-related case and became a Christian evangelical helping inmates, has died. He was 80. Colson’s death was confirmed
(AP) Unauthorized biography spills Simon Cowell secretsBy JILL LAWLESSAssociated PressLONDONHe gets colonic irrigations, Botox injections and vitamin drips, and insists on black toilet paper in his home. A revealing new biography offers intimate _ some might say too intimate _
Sen. Orrin Hatch will face a primary fight this summer from former state Sen. Dan Liljenquist. Needing 60% of the delegates from the Utah Republican Convention, Sen. Orrin Hatch fell short by just 1% after a spirited morning filled with
