All USA
Mardi Gras Museum goes up on auction blockMardi Gras season has begun, but memorabilia collectors and Fat Tuesday fans had to say farewell to the Mardi Gras Museum. The museum will be auctioning its collection.
How payroll tax gridlock in Congress finally came unstuckA deal to prolong the payroll tax cut has also paved the way for Congress to extend long-term unemployment benefits and the Medicare 'doc fix' to the end of the year.
New consumer agency targets debt collectors. Who can argue with that?The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which faces stiff GOP opposition, picks what may be politically palatable targets for regulation: debt collectors and the credit-rating industry.
New Jersey passes gay marriage bill, awaits Christie vetoThe New Jersey Assembly passes gay marriage bill on Thursday, sending the bill to Republican Governor Chris Christie, a possible vice-presidential candidate who has promised to veto the measure.
'Loopholes' leave America with weak cybersecurity plan, experts sayA cybersecurity bill under consideration by Congress tries deal with private industry concerns, but its 'loopholes' would leave America open to cyberattack, experts said Thursday.
Underwear bomber gets life: He never expressed doubt or remorse, judge saysUnderwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, sentenced to multiple life sentences, declared in federal court in Detroit: 'Mujahideen are proud to kill in the name of God.'
Xi Jinping in California: a glimpse of what China really wantsChinese president-in-waiting Xi Jinping will spend most of his two-day California trip highlighting the two things that, perhaps, the Chinese people admire most about the US: films and basketball.
- Oklahoma close to becoming first state to enact 'personhood' bill
The organization Personhood USA has been leading state efforts to get a personhood bill made into law. Last year it was behind a similar referendum in Mississippi that eventually failed.
Knicks guard Jeremy Lin: Why we love his 'Lin-derella' storyJeremy Lin is humble. He's religious. His style recalls an earlier era. And the Knicks guard's path to the NBA was unconventional, which gives us hope for our own lives.
Is Rick Santorum benefitting from a Bella Bounce?Forget the sweater vest. Rick Santorum's surge in the polls could be traced back to his daughter's brief hospitalization. It cemented Santorum's "family man" image, and softened some criticisms.
Threats to US: Pentagon officials drop three surprises Pentagon’s key intelligence officials warned of 'current and future worldwide threats' to US national security in a congressional hearing Thursday. Here are three top surprises.
'Linsanity' update: All-Star appearance, new Nike shoe for Jeremy LinNew York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin will attend the NBA All-Stars Slam Dunk contest. Nike reportedly plans to create a new sneaker for Jeremy Lin.
Monitor BreakfastPaul Ryan: GOP primary should not be 'personality contest'Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin said Thursday that the GOP needs an election that carries a mandate. In Ryan's view, Mitt Romney has offered a positive agenda for fixing the nation.
Interracial marriage rate doubles in 30 years: how US attitudes have changedAbout 15 percent of all new marriages in the US in 2010 were between spouses of different race or ethnicity, according to a Pew Center report. In 1980 it was 6.7 percent.
How Starbucks became the darling of American gun ownersIn states that allow open carry for licensed gun owners, Starbucks has refused to put up signs in protest – though some other businesses have. Gun-control advocates have started a boycott, but gun owners are answering with a 'buycott.'
Monitor BreakfastRep. Paul Ryan: Payroll tax fight 'caused damage' to GOPLong battle in Congress over extending a payroll tax break 'caused damage' to Republicans because it 'muddled' differences between the parties, Paul Ryan, House Budget Committee chairman, said Thursday.
Will Mitt Romney use Rick Santorum's tax returns against him?Much of Rick Santorum's post-Senate income is dependent on the connections he made in the nation's capital – opening the door to charges of being a Washington insider.
Monitor BreakfastPaul Ryan as GOP vice presidential candidate? He doesn't say noGOP budget-meister and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin gave a nondenial when asked Thursday if he's interested in being the vice presidential candidate on the 2012 Republican ticket.
Special Forces in Afghanistan: not just taking out terrorists anymoreAs conventional forces withdraw from Afghanistan, US Special Forces will take the lead in training Afghan soldiers and police – a task that takes Special Forces back to their roots.
US to seek life sentence for underwear bomber, saying he remains a threatThe sentencing hearing for the so-called underwear bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, takes place Thursday. Prosecutors argue that he remains willing to carry out another martyrdom mission.
