Oregon focus of effort to expand background checks for guns
By JEFF BARNARD Fresh off a victory in Washington state, a leading gun control group backed by billionaire Michael Bloomberg is hoping to make Oregon its next prize in a…
Political issues
Walker tells Iowa crowd of ‘go big and go bold’ attitude
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is holding up his “go big and go bold” attitude as something Republicans need to emulate in Washington. In a speech to Iowa conservatives Saturday, Walker…
To counter terror, Europe’s police reconsider their arms
By LORI HINNANT One was a young policewoman, unarmed on the outskirts of Paris and felled by an assault rifle. Her partner, also without weapons, could do nothing to stop…
Rethinking the big speech that isn’t so big anymore
By JULIE PACE and NANCY BENAC The State of the Union just isn’t what it used to be. Sure, the pageantry and theatrics of the annual presidential address will all…
Pope strongly defends church teaching against contraception
By NICOLE WINFIELD and OLIVER TEVES Pope Francis issued his strongest defense yet of church teaching opposing artificial contraception on Friday, using a rally in Asia’s largest Catholic nation to…
Activist investor intensifies fight over DuPont’s future
A fight for control of DuPont Co. is intensifying after the hedge fund led by activist investor Nelson Peltz announced plans to nominate its own slate of four directors to…
Ready, set, showdown: New GOP leader, Obama lining up fights
By CONNIE CASS Not wasting any time, new Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Barack Obama are setting course for showdowns over health care, a big oil pipeline, immigration…
Obama seeks help of Mexico’s Pena Nieto on Cuba, immigration
By NEDRA PICKLER President Barack Obama is hosting Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at the White House Tuesday, looking to his southern neighbor for help implementing the president’s changing policies…