Historic health care bill nears key Senate vote
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a show of unity, Senate Democrats sealed a 60-vote majority needed to advance health care legislation Saturday ahead of an evening showdown with Republicans eager to doom the bill and inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama....

Terror trials differ in civilian, military courts
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The federal courts and military tribunals that will prosecute suspected terrorists vary sharply in their independence, public stature and use of evidence. But the Obama administration has so far offered no clear-cut rationale for how it chooses which system will try a detainee....

Obama trumpets Asia trip as boost to US economy
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's eight-day trip to Asia produced no tangible wins for the United States, though he is citing talks with Asian allies that he says could help create thousands of job and open new markets for American goods in the future....

Levin: could be more e-mails from Ft. Hood suspect
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government intercepted at least 18 e-mails between the alleged Fort Hood gunman and a radical Muslim cleric, and a key senator says there could be more communications that might have tipped off law enforcement or military officials....

GOP: Health test recommendations could affect care
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans are seizing on this week's recommendations for fewer Pap smears and mammograms to fuel concern about government-rationed medical care - and to try to chip away support by women for President Barack Obama's proposed health care overhaul....

US to drop shooting case against Blackwater guard
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Justice Department intends to drop manslaughter and weapons charges against one of the Blackwater Worldwide security guards involved in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, prosecutors said in court documents Friday....

More Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of Americans traveling away from home for Thanksgiving will be up only slightly this year from 2008, according to a report from the AAA auto club....

McCain links political correctness to shootings
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) -- Sen. John McCain says he has no doubt that "political correctness" played a role in preventing concerns about the alleged Fort Hood gunman from reaching the right people....

Ethics committee: No punishment for Burris
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate ethics committee on Friday admonished Democratic Sen. Roland Burris for misleading investigators about his maneuvering to get Barack Obama's old Senate seat from the governor who was ousted for trying to sell it....

FAA says equipment outage caused 819 flight delays
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Aviation Administration is blaming an equipment outage this week for delaying 819 flights....