IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Internal Revenue Service official at the center of the storm over the agency's targeting of conservative groups told Congress on Wednesday that she had done nothing wrong in the episode, and then invoked her constitutional right to refuse to answer lawmakers' questions....

Others who took the 5th: McGwire, Abramoff, North
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lois Lerner of the IRS joins a diverse roll call of people who have invoked Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination in refusing to answer questions at congressional hearings over the years....

House panel seeks to curb military sexual assaults
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Determined to check the growing epidemic of sexual assaults in the armed forces, a House panel is poised to approve a series of revisions to longstanding military law. They include stripping commanding officers of their unilateral authority to change or dismiss a court-martial conviction and requiring that service members found guilty of sexual offenses be dismissed or dishonorably discharged....

GOP questions IRS scrutiny of anti-abortion groups
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- When a small anti-abortion group in Iowa sought nonprofit status, the Internal Revenue Service asked its board to promise not to organize protests outside Planned Parenthood and demanded to know how its prayer meetings and protest signs were educational....

FBI: Man fatally shot in Boston bombing probe
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A Chechen immigrant was shot to death by authorities at his home early Wednesday while being questioned in the Boston Marathon bombing case, officials said....

Anthony Weiner launches bid to become NYC mayor
NEW YORK (AP) -- Anthony Weiner's run for redemption is officially on....

Pentagon to seek new vets record system
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A U.S. official says the Pentagon has decided to buy a new computerized health records system that will allow the department to better share and merge its data with the Department of Veterans Affairs....

Republican divisions may hinder party's momentum
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A string of unrelated events is highlighting divisions among Republicans just when they'd like to show a united front and take full advantage of President Barack Obama's latest political problems....

Kerry: US, allies, ready to step up aid rebels
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) -- The United States and its Arab and European allies will step up their support for Syria's opposition to help them "fight for the freedom of their country" if President Bashar Assad's regime doesn't engage in peace talks in good faith, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry vowed Wednesday....

FEMA Chief: Feds won't go 'when the cameras leave'
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says U.S. officials are "going neighborhood to neighborhood" to make sure Oklahoma gets the help it needs....