BARACK OBAMA

Senate Republicans Monday blocked Mari Carmen Aponte, President Obama's choice to be ambassador to El Salvador, stating there were unresolved questions about whether Cuban intelligence officials tried to recruit her as a spy in the 1990s.

Radio host Michael Savage has plans to offer Newt Gingrich $1 million to drop out of the presidential race for the sake of the nation.

Does Prokhorov have what it takes to dethrone Vladimir Putin?

As U.S. troops prepare for departure from Iraq, President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met at the White House Monday for talks focusing on the future relationship between the two countries.

After being accused of racism, the Patriot Freedom Alliance, a Kansas-based Tea Party group, has removed from its Web site an illustration that compared President Barack Obama to a skunk.

Setting aside her First Lady duties for a day, Michelle Obama now holds the Guinness world record for most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period.

The 2012 election has witnessed a revival of Republican antipathy for the federal Department of Education, a longtime target of Republican calls to curtail government. What would happen if we did away with the federal Department of Education?

The Justice Department had argued that the U.S. Supreme Court should allow to stand lower courts' decisions to place a preliminary injunction on four key provisions of Arizona's anti-immigration law.

President Barack Obama struck a pious tone on Sunday at a Christmas concert featuring teen pop star Justin Bieber and other singers that the president attended with his wife and daughters.

Student loan company Sallie Mae Corp. (SLM) left the New York Stock Exchange and began trading on the NASDAQ stock market Monday under the ticker symbol SLM in what the company calls a "cost-effective" move. The firm also launched a new corporate logo.

Rick Perry says he hasn't memorized the names of the nine Supreme Court justices, and if voters want a robot who can spit out that kind of information, they should look elsewhere. He struggled to remember the name of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, eventually coming up with Montemayor.

Newt Gingrich, the Republican front runner for 2012 U.S. presidential election, is indeed emerging as a colorful personality. After initial campaign setbacks he faced due to his personal history, Gingrich surged to the top of the contenders’ list. But his emergence as a serious contender also raises interesting questions.

The Obamas struck a festive note with celebrities including Jennifer Hudson, Victoria Justice and pop sensation Justin Bieber at the Christmas in Washington concert.

Surging front-runner Newt Gingrich fought off heavy attacks in a presidential debate in Iowa on Saturday from Republican rivals who portrayed him as a Washington insider and questioned his judgment.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell predicted on Sunday that Congress will renew a popular payroll tax cut, but it remained unclear how lawmakers will resolve deep differences before the Dec. 31 deadline.

Surging front-runner Newt Gingrich came under heavy fire in a presidential debate in Iowa on Saturday from Republican rivals who portrayed him as a Washington insider who profited from his contacts at taxpayer expense.

The Army-Navy rivalry has been a staple of college football for over a century now, but the 112th game between the two military schools Saturday had particular significance. President Obama was in attendance to draw attention and celebrate the withdrawal of troops in Iraq.

Playing in a new venue in Maryland, the president was on hand to see Navy win its 10th straight in the historical series, as the Midshipmen rushed for 296 yards and took advantage of three Army turnovers to win 27-21. But the game was closer than many expected, as Navy had to kick two fourth-quarter field goals to hold off the scrappy Black Knights.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich thrust himself into controversy on Friday by declaring that the Palestinians are an invented people who want to destroy Israel.

A referendum issue that Ohio Democrats hope could help President Barack Obama's chances of winning the battleground state will appear on the November 2012 ballot.

Though Navy controlled much of the first half of the game, Army has stormed back, tying the score 14-14 at the half. President Barack Obama was on hand for the coin toss.