AFP - Aides wept Thursday as Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator ever, bade an emotional farewell, haunted by a criminal conviction which cost him his seat of 40 years.

Continue reading " Senate standing ovation as ‘Uncle Ted’ bids farewell (AFP) "

AP - City and state police have closed their investigations into last summer’s shooting of Arkansas’ Democratic Party chairman without offering an explanation of why the attack occurred.

Continue reading " Probes find no motive for Ark. Democrat’s slaying (AP) "

AP - Democrats steered the House toward more aggressively tackling global warming and other environmental problems Thursday, toppling veteran Michigan Rep. John Dingell, a staunch supporter of Detroit automakers, from an important energy panel in favor of California liberal Rep. Henry Waxman.

Continue reading " Waxman topples Dingell; House Dems go greener (AP) "

AP - Uncle Ted Stevens, an old-style Senate giant and the chamber’s longest-serving Republican, delivered his swan song address and yielded the floor for the final time Thursday. He was saluted by his colleagues as a staunch friend and teacher.

Continue reading " Stevens gives last Senate speech as staffers weep (AP) "

AP - Jarred by new jobless alarms, Congress raced to approve legislation Thursday to keep unemployment checks flowing through the December holidays and into the new year for a million or more laid-off Americans whose benefits are running out.

Continue reading " Congress extends jobless benefits, stocks sink (AP) "

AP - A judge says disputed provisional ballots must be counted in a tight congressional race in central Ohio.

Continue reading " Provisional ballots could alter tight Ohio race (AP) "

AP - Democrats steered the House toward more aggressively tackling global warming and other environmental problems Thursday, toppling veteran Michigan Rep. John Dingell, a staunch supporter of Detroit automakers, from an important energy panel in favor of California liberal Rep. Henry Waxman.

Continue reading " Waxman topples Dingell; House Dems go greener (AP) "

AP - A former legislative aide to two Missouri Republicans, Sen. Kit Bond and Rep. Roy Blunt, pleaded guilty Thursday to hiding thousands of dollars of gifts from lobbyists, the latest political figure to go down in the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal.

Continue reading " Former Congress aide pleads guilty to hiding gifts (AP) "

AP - Jarred by new jobless alarms, Congress raced to approve legislation Thursday to keep unemployment checks flowing through the December holidays and into the new year for a million or more laid-off Americans whose benefits are running out.

Continue reading " Congress extends jobless benefits, stocks sink (AP) "

AP - A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release of five Algerians held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the continued detention of a sixth in a major blow to the Bush administration’s strategy to keep terror suspects locked up without charges.

Continue reading " Judge orders release of five terror suspects at Guantanamo (AP) "