Focus on the big picture

Filling a long-vacant seat on an important appeals court passes for progress in a legislative body where partisan wrangling continues to hold up many important posts.

The North Korean envoy, Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, said the North would “accept the proposal” by China, its biggest benefactor which it has strained relations with.

Lois Lerner, the head of the tax division on exempt organizations, was put on administrative leave a day after she invoked the Fifth Amendment before a House committee. Lois Lerne...

The Boy Scouts of America voted to allow openly gay youths as members, while continuing its policy of excluding openly gay adult leaders.

One outstanding question is how transparent the Obama administration will be about drone strikes in the future.

Rescue teams searched through matchstick rubble Saturday for thousands of people missing in flooded areas of northeastern Japan, beginning one of the most complex relief efforts in history.

Japanese authorities said Sunday that efforts to restart the cooling system at one of the reactors damaged by Friday's earthquake had failed, a major setback in the struggle to contain wh...

The Boy Scouts voted to allow gay boys to participate. The ban on gay leaders remains.

Arias, who was in tears earlier, breathed a sigh of relief. The penalty phase will be retried.

Study: There may be more calories in your fast food meal than you realize

Pictures, text messages of slain teen could end up in court.

The man was taken and burned with acid for a $3 million ransom his family didn't have.

Dish signed commitment letters for about $9 billion in financing for its $25.5 billion bid for Sprint Nextel.

AT&T has added a new monthly administrative fee of 61 cents to the bills of all of its contract wireless lines as of May 1, a move that could bring in more than a half-billion dollars in ...

Small banks and credit unions were able to charge merchants slightly more than double the average fee of large lenders for debit-card transactions.

Japan's Nikkei stock average sank 7.3%, but markets elsewhere in the world mostly shook off the declines.

Sears swung to a fiscal first-quarter loss from a profit a year earlier, when the retailer booked a large gain on asset sales. Revenue and margins also weakened in the latest period.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti meet over breakfast and promise an orderly transition of power. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa began the formal trans...

Jude Kenan Mohammad's journey from suburban North Carolina to Pakistan is the tale of a young Muslim, disillusioned in America, who became radicalized. WASHINGTON — In his early tee...

WASHINGTON -- More than 100 conservative economists will call on Congress to approve an immigration overhaul, highlighting the potential economic benefits.

As details of victims emerge, residents of Moore, Okla., begin hauling away animal carcasses, trashed cars and the debris from 13,000 homes battered by the tornado. MOORE, Okla. — U...

In Jordan for talks with the pro-opposition Friends of Syria bloc, he calls Bashar Assad's military advances 'very temporary.' AMMAN, Jordan — Recent battlefield advances by the Syr...

By Michelle D. Holmes GRAPEVINE, Texas -- The Boy Scouts of America’s lifting the ban on openly gay youth Thursday...

Check out the Interactive: Boy Scouts approve plan to accept gay boys Page on Boston.com.

Jane Richard, the younger sister of Boston Marathon bombing victim Martin Richard, has been released from Boston Children's Hospital, the Richard family said this afternoon.

ORLANDO — The wife and best friend of the Chechen man shot and killed here by an FBI agent on Wednesday insisted today that authorities never questioned him, or them, prior to the fatal...

It’s not clear how the lawsuit will affect tenants.

The federal government says a new deal with Mexico should help U.S. farmers, but some local growers remain skeptical.

After South Miami officials missed county deadlines for building a new pool, the county was ready to withdraw funding for the project in the predominantly black side of South Miami.

No, the Marlins owner is not (quite) the most unpopular person in South Florida. Yes, the fans are in a lather over the latest salary purge.

The condo units for sale in the Midtown Miami complex are one of the largest chunks of apartments remaining from Miami’s boom.

Police investigating the murder of a soldier hacked to death on a busy London street were looking on Friday into whether the two suspected killers, British men of Nigerian descent, were p...

LIVE: Legendary Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson discusses his new book, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success" with Tribune sports reporter K.C. Johnson. Hear how the "Zen master" inspired ...

Dispute over condo became theatrical slugfest; lawyers get last digs in during closing arguments Donald Trump won a heated court fight today when a federal jury in Chicago awarded no dama...

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher ended his illustrious NFL career Wednesday when he announced his retirement. Now it’s time for the next chapter in his life.

McDonald's executives fielded a number of questions at the company's annual shareholder meeting Thursday, including its role in the global obesity epidemic, marketing to children and wage...

A Texas prison gang general already serving life in prison gets 87 more months for attack to discipline a member.

Hurricane Isaac cost the energy industry up to $1 billion in lost production and damage to equipment, a risk modeling firm estimates.

3-month-old dies while in dad's care Houston Chronicle Copyright 2013 Houston Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. P...

Editor’s note: Today’s guest post comes from Lu Quast, a lawyer, educator and cancer activist, in honor of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Early detection of ovarian cancer ca...

Jim Beam, Jose Cuervo, and Johnny Walker are in the pokey. State investigators confiscated 1,000 open bottles from 29 bars and restaurants across the state to see whether the contents wer...

The Boy Scouts of America threw open its ranks Thursday to gay Scouts but not gay Scout leaders _ a fiercely contested compromise that some warned could fracture the organization and lead...

The District Attorney's Office will ask a judge Friday to keep Herbert and Catherine Schaible behind bars on a probation violation even if the Philadelphia faith-healing couple posts bail...

The New Jersey Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would prevent medical-marijuana patients from being disqualified for receiving organ transplants because they are using a d...

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) -- The Boy Scouts of America threw open its ranks Thursday to gay Scouts but not gay Scout leaders - a fiercely contested compromise that some warned could fracture ...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama sought Thursday to advance the U.S. beyond the unrelenting war effort of the past dozen years, defining a narrower terror threat from smaller net...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Friday:...

LONDON (AP) -- A man seen with bloody hands wielding a butcher knife after the killing of a British soldier on the streets of London was described as a convert to Islam who took part in d...

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) -- Suicide bombers in Niger detonated two car bombs simultaneously, one inside a military camp in the city of Agadez and another in the remote town of Arlit at a French...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are in the early stages of an antitrust probe into whether Google Inc, the top player in Web display advertising, breaks antitrust law in how it han...

GRAPEVINE, Texas (Reuters) - The Boy Scouts of America voted on Thursday to lift a ban on openly gay scouts that had been in place throughout the organization's 103-year history, capping ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to resilience in the labor market despite belt-tightening by Washington.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday shifted the United States away from a "boundless global war on terror," restricting deadly drone strikes abroad and signaling tha...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - For the past few months, the Federal Reserve has been squarely in the financial markets' corner, thanks to its massive dollops of monetary stimulus. But signs that th...

Some gay rights advocates call the move a step forward, but others say the 103-year-old organization has sent the wrong message to youth if it denies membership to gay leaders.

Four people were rescued from Fjallsárlón glacial lagoon. They had set up a table and chairs with plans for dinner when a a gust of wind pushed the ice from the land. They were stranded a...

Investigators are trying to figure out how pieces of a plane came through the roof of a house.

The first victims of the Oklahoma tornado laid to rest today as some teachers return to schools.

Ginger Zee tracks the latest breaking developments on the violent weather across the country.

Jury that convicted Jodi Arias of first-degree murder was unable to reach a unanimous decision on sentencing

Jodi Arias asked jurors to sentence her to life in prison instead of the death penalty, claiming she plans to bring about positive changes

Shayla Taylor was in labor at the Moore Medical Center when the deadly tornado hit

Antonia Candelaria, 9, died with her best friend and neighbor Emily Conatzer when their elementary school was destroyed in the storm

24 people killed, including ten children, after deadly twister touches down in Moore, Oklahoma

A bipartisan group of senators has reached a deal on a bill that would make it a federal crime to buy a gun for someone who isn't legally allowed to own one. Senate Judiciary Committee Ch...

The battle over climate change is heating up in Washington – as President Barack Obama’s nomination of Gina McCarthy to lead the EPAsets the stage for a struggle over regulations intende...

Michelle Obama offered a peek inside the first family's healthy habits on Monday, revealing there's one thing they never talk about at home: weight. Michelle Obama offered a peek inside ...

Science editor Alan Boyle: The planet Venus shines like a "pale yellow dot" in a pair of eye-popping pictures of Saturn from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Science editor Alan Boyle: The pla...

The case of a baby who may have been cured of an HIV infection raises two tantalizing prospects: Is it possible to save even more newborns from infection, and is it possible that other b...

Lois Lerner, the IRS official who refused to testify on her agency's scandal, also refused to resign, according to a Republican senator who complained that she was only put on administrat...

Obama Defends Drone Program, Renews Push to Close Gitmo Obama's Prepared Remarks for Speech on Counterterrorism Policy Pakistani Military and Incoming PM Plan to Fight US Drone Campaign ...

UK Emergency Committee Meets After Muslim Terrorists Hack Soldier OPINION: Biggest Battlefield in Terror War Is on Internet VIDEO: British PM Vows to Never Give in to Terror Man Killed b...

President Obama defends the use of drones as a "just war" of self-defence against deadly militants, and a campaign that has made America safer.

The Boy Scouts of America votes to accept openly gay scouts, after a divisive campaign pitting liberals against some religious groups.

Nasa is looking for commercial operators to lease a historic launch pad in Florida used for the first Moon missions and by the Atlantis shuttle.

Recovery efforts in an Oklahoma city hit by a huge tornado are hampered by thunderstorms, as the first victim's funeral is held.

Czech police are looking for a US man suspected of killing a family of four, including two ukulele musicians, in the southern city of Brno.

Speaking from a UPS customer center, President Obama announces a new public-private program, the Green Fleet Partnership, and discusses his Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future that will...

The President today laid out a number of measures to help America shift to a clean energy economy, reducing our dependence on oil, protecting our planet, and spurring economic growth thr...

Figures released by the U.S. Labor Department, this morning, show that unemployment has fallen to 8.8% . Speaking earlier today, President Obama said: Nearly two years after one of the w...

Today, the U.S. Labor Department announced that our economy added 216,000 jobs in March, marking 13 consecutive months of growth and totaling more than 1.8 million jobs created over that...

Speaking this afternoon, the President will highlight the National Clean Fleets Partnership—you can watch the speech live online here . The National Clean Fleets Partnership is a p...

The jury that convicted her of first-degree murder earlier this month in the brutal killing of her ex-boyfriend were unable to decide whether to give the death penalty.

A new study unravels the mystery of a peculiar transformation: sometime in the 1990s, the insects developed a sudden aversion to sweet-tasting poisons.

The partisan war over judicial nominees has accelerated in recent years. It took nearly a year to win Senate confirmation for Sri Srinivasan to the important federal appeals court for the...

The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America has voted to allow gay Scout members, but to continue a ban on openly gay adult Scout leaders. The policy change would take effect Jan. 1...

Lois Lerner has been at the center of a scandal over the tax agency's targeting of conservative groups.

With sexual assaults in the military on the rise, what are the current tactics and policies for prevention and prosecution, and what more might be done? Kwame Holman reports on efforts to...

NewsHour continues its examination of different aspects of debate on immigration reform. Ray Suarez takes a look at H-1B visas -- how the program for highly skilled foreign workers is str...

Hundreds of people attended the funeral of 9-year-old Antonia Candelaria, the first victim of the massive tornado in Moore, Okla., to be laid to rest. Hari Sreenivasan reports on how the ...

British investigators continue to search for answers after the brutal murder of Lee Rigby, a 25-year-old British soldier who served in Afghanistan. Rigby was hacked to death by two men ar...

In other news Thursday, the IRS announced that it had replaced Lois Lerner, the official who oversaw the agents who targeted conservative groups. Also, the U.S. House voted to peg federal...

An Arizona jury weighing whether Jodi Arias should be put to death for the brutal murder of her ex-boyfriend deadlocked on Thursday and the judge ordered a retrial of the penalty phase of...

The Boy Scouts of America has voted to lift its official ban against openly gay members, but will keep the ban on gay scout leaders. More than 60 percent of the 1400 members of its Nation...

The 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season could be busier and deadlier than average, according to predictions released Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA. Th...

U.S. government forecasters are predicting a busier than usual Atlantic hurricane season this year with as many as six major storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sa...

African leaders plan to meet this weekend at a summit in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the formation of the Organization of African Unity...

May 23 (Bloomberg) -- Tom Monahan, chairman and chief executive officer of the member-based advisory firm CEB, says a survey of executives shows executives are planning necessary investme...

May 23 (Bloomberg) -- Charles Moore, author of 'Not For Turning', the first volume of the only authorized biography of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, offers new insights...

May 23 (Bloomberg) -- Glenn Hubbard, dean and professor at the Columbia Business School, explains the thesis of his book "Balance: The Economics of Great Powers from Ancient Rome to Moder...

May 23 (Bloomberg) -- John Ryding, chief economist and co-founder of RDQ Economics, says Federal Reserve chairman Bernanke's testimony to Congress is consistent with the Fed tapering off ...

May 23 (Bloomberg) -- Jack Koraleski, president and chief executive officer of Union Pacific Corp., says crude-by-rail shipments are an important and growing part of the company's busines...

'The choice between following and not following was partly because we noticed the Dalai Lama didn't follow anyone'

The world of fund management is in generational upheaval, with the insurgent firms knifing one another over fees

The Japanese have 844 trillion yen stashed at home and in low-interest savings accounts

“The ability of Silvio Berlusconi to spook investors knows no bounds”

Indians read Mein Kampf and watch a movie about the Führer

Perhaps the 5 most dangerous words one can ask in the early stages of Business Development are “Wouldn’t it be cool if...?”

Is your aging parent lonely?

This was not a good week to be a wireless provider's customer – a universe that encompasses, well, everybody.

The new food industry growing up in Silicon Valley achieved another major milestone today when Campbell Soup announced it will acquire Plum Organics for an undisclosed amount.

Procter & Gamble’s embattled chief executive Bob McDonald is stepping down and will be replaced by his predecessor AG Lafley after a period of weak performance

The regulators are probing areas of the display advertising market where Google has had a leading presence since its acquisition of display company DoubleClick in 2007

Swing in sentiment marked the first significant interruption to what has been a prolonged period of rising stock markets since last November

Big companies’ tax affairs in Europe are to be opened up to greater public scrutiny with the EU rushing out a law to reveal profits and taxes

More than €200bn of loans rolled over before they expired – often because corporate borrowers would be unable to repay on time and in full, says recent data

Investor optimism over the outlook for the Japan's stock market remains unshaken.

The massive plunge in the Nikkei on Wednesday will not derail the government's "Abenomics" policy, said Japanese officials.

As the health-care industry harnesses the power of big data, a skills gap is growing, putting the industry at risk.

Lois Lerner, the IRS official at the center of the alleged Tea Party targeting, has been placed on administrative leave.

P&G brings back former CEO to replace the person who replaced him.

The online-radio company’s shares jump as its revenue tops Wall Street’s estimates and its forecast is better than expected.

California health officials outline program for health exchange, which will include 13 carriers and cost anywhere from nothing to $687 in premiums.

The U.S. dollar slumped, with the yen soaring as Japan stocks plunged in the wake of disappointing Chinese data and fears the Fed could soon begin to reduce its bond purchases.

Treasurys move higher as stocks lingered in the red during a volatile day that saw global markets fall decisively.

Energy stocks edge lower, gathering some strength after steeper losses earlier in the session.

Rio Tinto PLC (RIO.LN) has cut about 100 jobs at its copper operation in Utah and warned further positions will be cut later this month as it moves to reduce operating costs after a large...

Salesforce.

After dozens of meetings with executives and regulators, 100,000 hours of employee training and an immeasurable amount of public grief, Goldman Sachs Group Inc's Lloyd Blankfein claimed s...

A Federal Reserve study on debit-card transactions undercuts complaints from the banking industry that a government cap on the fees large lenders charge merchants would result in a drop i...

Brazil's National Monetary Council authorized on Thursday an increase of the coverage of the country's FGC bank deposit guarantee fund to provide greater protection to depositors and alig...

A geological burp may have led to the dinosaurs’ domination THE dinosaurs, famously, went out with a bang. Some 65.5m years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, the Earth coll...

Demography may not quite be destiny, but it makes a big difference to countries’ economic prospects. Many emerging economies are in the sweet spot of a demographic transition, wher...

The organization's ruling overturns a century-old policy barring gay scouts from its ranks, but does not permit gay staff

Victim ID'd in London Attack, Mysteries Remain

Exclusive: President Obama's Prom Photos

Hangover III Review: The Third Time's the Harm

LEGO Builds Biggest Star Wars Toy Ever

Why do some voices turn us on?

What Fitzgerald’s first version reveals about the great American dreamer.

Iran’s biggest cheerleader is the man who holds the purse strings.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrates the punk movement -- and its influence on current fashion.

Can Obama ever close Guantánamo?

Lower unemployment rates are associated with fast-growing populations.

Having antitrust referees bog down Google in antitrust disputes benefits no one.

Initial study suggested a cancer drug could reverse effects of Alzheimer's in mice.

Ramsey was also quietly offered free McDonald's for a year.

Obama has to demand that Burma forge ahead with democratic reforms.

The Boy Scouts of America voted to lift a ban on gay scouts, but critics say a decision to maintain a ban on gay scout leaders sends a mixed message and leaves the issue unsettled.

Today's Doodle 4 Google image, the winning entry submitted by Wisconsin teenager Sabrina Brady, shows an emotional military parent-child reunion and reminds us that the kids of military ...

Bipartisan group of House lawmakers depart the capital for recess without clinching a deal on immigration reform, missing their self-imposed deadline. But members insist they aren't givi...

When he took office, President Obama pledged to close the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. But Congress and much of the public are against such a proposal for the remaining 166 d...

Trayvon Martin texts, photos – all unflattering – were posted online Thursday by George Zimmerman's defense team. They may yet be ruled inadmissible in court. But they are already making...

LeBron James was a unanimous pick for the All-NBA team and Kobe Bryant earned his record-tying 11th first-team selection.

LeBron James thinks Michael Jordan's scouting report on him is wrong. And James keeps proving it.

When the Miami Heat faced the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs last season, the series featured two suspensions, a host of flagrant fouls and plenty of blood. It appears the Eastern Confere...

When Dodgers manager Don Mattingly abruptly criticized the lack of fight and competitiveness on his team's "All-Star" roster Wednesday morning, he wasn't aiming that critique at the Dodge...

Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ said a package containing a knee brace didn't arrive Thursday as hoped, so Friday will be the earliest he'll try throwing outdoors since his injuries in a ...

Jay Haas and Duffy Waldorf shared the first-round lead Thursday in the Senior PGA Championship, shooting 5-under 66 in breezy, cool conditions at Bellerive Country Club.

Report: Knicks' Smith slowed by a swollen knee

Grizzlies disagree on adjustments for Game 3

All-NBA team: LeBron, Durant, CP3, Kobe, Duncan

Vogel to use zone next year to prep for playoffs

Jay Haas is familiar with Bellerive Country Club - and it showed in the first round of the Senior PGA Championship.

Check out the starting lineup for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Sigal Samuel on the attempted cancellation of an Israel panel discussion at a major Upper West Side synagogue.

Marisa Silver became transfixed by the woman’s face in Dorothea Lange’s famous photograph. So she wrote a novel about her.

Two artists claim ‘Harlem Shake’ producer used their samples, and are now seeking compensation.

Their finances exposed.

All previous YouTube videos will be destroyed, and the internet will never be the same. Funny people Sarah Silverman and Michael Cera have teamed up with several other comedians to bring ...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Friday:

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Suicide bombers in Niger detonated two car bombs simultaneously, one inside a military camp in the city of Agadez and another in the remote town of Arlit at a French...

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America threw open its ranks Thursday to gay Scouts but not gay Scout leaders — a fiercely contested compromise that some warned could fracture ...

PHOENIX (AP) — Jurors who spent five months determining Jodi Arias' fate couldn't decide whether she should get life in prison or die for murdering her boyfriend, sending prose...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are in the early stages of an antitrust probe into whether Google Inc, the top player in Web display advertising, breaks antitrust law in how it ha...

Mysterious New Weapon Revealed? OSGEOINT A satellite captured this rare glimpse at a secretive US defense site -- and the bizarre shape of the object on the right has experts salivating....

Kim Involves Kris' Ex in Divorce Case Getty Images Kardashian & Humphries are in the process of settling their divorce -- but what she just threw on the table may change how much he gets...

'Knots Landing' Star Hasn't Aged Getty Images Donna Mills hasn't been in the spotlight much since the famed soap opera ended, but she reappeared at a recent event looking amazing. What s...

Walgreen's Makes Big Announcement Getty Images With 7,890 drugstores throughout the US and Puerto Rico, it's already the nation's largest drug store chain. Now, it's getting bigger. What...

Woman Allegedly Groped TSA Agent NBC2 Most passengers are used to security pat downs. Carol Jean Price had a more confrontational reaction -- and it's led to a battery charge. Awkward in...

An immigration reform bill in the Senate would create a pathway to citizenship for many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. And it's making headway -- some expect a vot...

This article comes to us courtesy of San Francisco magazine . Neal Benezra is looking out the window of his surprisingly modest office, surveying a neighborhood that, thanks to his grand...

Despite the utter devastation left in the wake of the massive tornado that tore through Moore, Okla., on Monday, the deadly storm, in many ways, helped show how far scientists have come ...

Lois Lerner, the embattled head of the Internal Revenue Service's exempt organizations division, has been placed on administrative leave after invoking her Fifth Amendment rights during ...

A white box covered in Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric in the Netherlands. A Cor-Ten-clad volume cantilevering over a glass shop in Pittsburgh. A house in Tokyo composed solely of glass ...

She is at the center of the controversy over the IRS's targeting of conservative groups.

For the foreseeable future, drones will be used more, not less, in military operations.

The president says he's concerned that it could have a chilling effect on investigative journalism.

The New York City mayorial candidate says it's possible more lewd photos of him will emerge.

"History will cast a harsh judgment," he says.

At least 30 people died in a staggering surge in drug-related violent crime in Mexico rocking the cities of Monterrey and Guadalajara, and the northern state of Chihuahua, police said Sat...

A senior White House official on Saturday criticized Iran's refusal to let opponents of the regime hold a rally in support of Arab uprisings. "By announcing that they will not allow oppos...

Speaking to conservatives, Paul warns US government 'in the process of failing' For the second year running, Texas congressman Ron Paul came out on top among conservative Republicans in a...

Without court oversight, the nation's top law enforcement agency can obtain domestic records of telephone conversations made to international receivers, the Justice Department claimed rec...

WASHINGTON – A scheduled high-level meeting among U.S., Afghan and Pakistani officials this month has been postponed, the State Department said on Saturday amid a deepening diplomatic rif...