Panetta prods Karzai on Afghan insider killings
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday to discuss the rising number of “insider” attacks in which Afghan security forces have turned their guns on American and other coalition troops.
The Tonight Show cuts staff; Leno trims pay
“The Tonight Show” has laid off about two dozen workers, prompting host Jay Leno to accept a pay cut to spare other staffers as NBC clamps down on expenses.
Romney: Never paid less than 13 percent in taxes
Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney declared Thursday he has paid at least 13 percent of his income in federal taxes every year for the past decade, offering that new detail while still decrying a “small-minded” fascination over returns he will not release. President Barack Obama’s campaign shot back in doubt: “Prove it.”
297-lb Texas boy too big to play peewee football
A suburban Dallas boy has been barred from playing peewee football because the league says he is just too big at nearly 300 pounds.
Facebook hits new low as IPO lock-up ends
Facebook’s stock plunged to a new low Thursday as some of the social networking leader’s early backers got their first chance to sell their shares since the company’s initial public offering went awry.
Mom seeks heart transplant for autistic son
A Pennsylvania woman whose autistic adult son was not recommended for a heart transplant said she wants to bring more attention to the decision-making process so that those with ailments or disabilities are not passed over without careful consideration.
Fake Twitter followers newest accusation in politics
Forget ballot box irregularities. There’s a virtual dust-up under way over how Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney amassed more than 100,000 new Twitter followers in just one weekend.
Officials: Man criticized group before DC shooting
A Virginia man suspected of shooting and wounding a security guard at the Washington headquarters of a social conservative lobbying group on Wednesday made a negative reference about the organization’s work before opening fire, a law enforcement official said.
New ad campaign portrays caregivers’ call for help
A woman grips her car’s steering wheel and silently lets out a scream as her frail father, on oxygen, coughs beside her and her kids play around in the back seat.
The frustration portrayed in an arresting new public service announcement is recognizable to millions of Americans who struggle to care for aging loved ones while holding down jobs, raising children and taking care of their own health.
Undoing Obama Medicare cuts may backfire on Romney
WASHINGTON — GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s new promise to restore the Medicare cuts made by President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law could backfire
Romney says Obama just trying to ‘hang onto power’
epublican presidential challenger Mitt Romney charged Wednesday that President Barack Obama is running a campaign “of enmity and jealousy and anger” and called on him to lift the tone of political discourse.
Christie in, Palin out, as GOP convention speakers
The full slate of convention speakers for the Republican National Convention in Tampa later this month is now set, and it reveals a careful attempt by the GOP to highlight voices that will excite party loyalists in the campaign hall while excluding those that could turn off independent voters watching on television at home.
Dog treadmill sales brisk as pets shape up
Like any true celebrity, Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier from “The Artist” and “Water for Elephants,” puts in his time on the treadmill.
Musicians remember Elvis’ talent, character
Elvis Presley left behind hit songs, epic performances, some so-so movies and an image as a handsome, rebellious, talented and sometimes-troubled artist that remains indelibly marked in America’s pop culture psyche 35 years after his death.
Ron Palillo, of ‘Welcome Back, Kotter,’ dies at 63
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Ron Palillo, the actor best known as the nerdy high school student Arnold Horshack on the 1970s sitcom “Welcome Back,
Some below poverty line don’t qualify for Medicaid
Many working-class people are below the federal poverty line but don’t qualify for Medicaid, a decades-old state-federal insurance program. That’s especially true in states where conservative governors say they’ll reject the Medicaid expansion under Obama’s health law.
Alabama ranks 4th on new obesity list
A new study ranked Alabama as the nation’s fourth-fattest state, and health officials said Monday they have yet to see evidence that programs encouraging residents to slim down are doing much to combat poor diets and a lack of exercise at the heart of the problem.
Mississippi again ranks worst in obesity
State leaders are counseling patience as they strive to reduce the share of obese Mississippians.
Rankings released Monday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show nearly 35 percent of Mississippi adults were very fat in 2011, the worst in the nation. Mississippi also topped the list in each of the previous six years.
Ryan’s Medicare plan hard to pull off
The idea behind Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan is to slow growing costs and keep the program more affordable for the long haul.
Looming spending cuts hit more than defense
It’s not just the Pentagon and defense contractors that face a funding crisis from broad government spending cuts in January. Domestic programs are on the chopping block too, in ways that could affect average Americans more.
