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Top Uniformed Officer: Ban On Gays Should Be Lifted
The military's top uniformed officer is declaring that gays should be allowed to serve openly in uniform, arguing that it is "the right thing to do." Adm. Mike Mullen's statement is the strongest yet from the Pentagon on the volatile issue.
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U.S. Transportation Chief: Toyota Slow On Safety
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says Toyota was slow to realize safety problems with its gas pedals that has led to the recall of millions of popular Toyota brands. LaHood told The Associated Press that Toyota was "a little safety deaf" and that federal safety officials needed to "wake them up" to the seriousness of the pedal problems.
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Gaza Militants: More Bombs Floating Off Israel
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday claimed they had sent a series of floating bombs toward Israeli beaches, including two that washed up Monday. The militants claimed additional bombs were still floating in the Mediterranean.
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Contracts To Buy Homes Inch Up In December
The number of people preparing to buy a home rose slightly in December, a sign that home sales could be stabilizing. The National Association of Realtors' seasonally adjusted index of sales agreements climbed 1 percent from November, the ninth increase in the past 10 months.
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Oscar Nominations: 10 Films Vie For Best Picture
Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday morning in Los Angeles. Ten movies are up for best picture this year — double the usual number. Reporter Kim Masters breaks down the list with Renee Montagne.
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'Hurt Locker,' 'Avatar' Lead Oscar Contenders
The war-on-terror thriller and the sci-fi sensation received nine Academy Awards nominations each, including best picture and director for Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow and her ex-husband James Cameron.
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Punxsutawney Phil Predicts 6 More Weeks Of Winter
The groundhog has spoken. And it's bad news. Punxsutawney Phil has emerged to see his shadow before chilly revelers in Pennsylvania, meaning winter will last another six weeks.
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Obama Pitches Aid For Struggling Small Businesses
President Obama's bid to sell his economic agenda and re-energize voters picks up Tuesday in politically significant New Hampshire, where he will again promote an idea to free up money for small businesses that are hurting.
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Toyota, Government 'Should Have Been More Diligent'
Toyota is rushing to get parts to dealers to fix a problem with sticky gas pedals. But safety analysts say the company and the government should have addressed the acceleration problem sooner. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration denies dropping the ball.
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Iran Hardens To Opposition As Anniversary Nears
Leaders of Iran's Green Movement opposition recently hinted that they may be engaged in discussions about a political deal with Iran's leaders. But the government seems in no mood to reciprocate, and some hardliners have called for even greater violence against the opposition when it is expected to take to the streets on Feb. 11, the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
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Obama's Plan: Deficits Now, Budget Discipline Later
The federal deficit will hit record heights this coming year, in part because the Obama administration wants to spend another $100 billion on immediate tax cuts and government spending to spur job growth. But even when the economy is on stronger footing, freezing discretionary spending doesn't touch the bulk of federal spending — which is on Medicare and other entitlements, along with defense spending.
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Congress To Hear Testimony On Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the top military officer, testify before Congress on Tuesday about the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. They are expected to discuss what the Pentagon would need to do if Congress chose to abolish the federal law that prohibits homosexuals from serving openly in the military.
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How Health Care Fares In Obama's Budget Freeze
President Obama's proposed three-year freeze on most non-defense programs in the budget has spared most of the popular health programs at the Department of Health and Human Services. But with the huge health overhaul still on hold and a deadline at the end of February to fix Medicare payments for doctors, Congress can't afford to ignore health for very long.
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Trustee Of Madoff's Estate Sued By Victims
Some of the victims of Bernard Madoff's financial scheme will be in court Tuesday. They are suing the court-appointed trustee of Madoff's estate over the way he figured their compensation.
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Militant Groups Seen Collaborating Against U.S.
If militant Islamist groups in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region work together to target U.S. forces in Afghanistan, they should be capable of more deadly attacks. But having a "single enemy" could have the positive result of forcing Pakistan to alter its policy of accommodating the Afghan Taliban.
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