Romney's new test  —  Newt Gingrich's surprise victory in South Carolina a few weeks ago forced Mitt Romney to show he could get tough in Florida.  Now Rick Santorum's stunning sweep of three contests on Tuesday night should force Romney to do something far more difficult: transform himself into a leader who can energize his party.

States Negotiate $26 Billion Deal for Homeowners  —  After months of painstaking talks, government authorities and five of the nation's biggest banks have agreed to a $26 billion settlement that could provide relief to nearly two million current and former American homeowners harmed by the bursting …

Obama mandate on birth control coverage stirs controversy  —  WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders and Republican presidential candidates joined Catholic religious groups on Wednesday in denouncing the Obama administration's mandate requiring health insurers to offer birth control coverage, but the White House stood its ground.

The political transformation of Barack Obama  —  There are two indisputable facts about politics.  —  The first is that every modern president in the fourth year of his presidency resorts to the cheap political stunts, broken promises and truth-fudging it takes to win reelection in what has been and will be a 50-50 nation.

Michelle Obama Targets Obesity in Military  —  First Lady Michelle Obama leaves Thursday for a three-day, four-state tour to mark the second anniversary of her “Let's Move!” initiative to get Americans to eat healthier and be more physically fit. … The trip is a mix of events and announcements …

Truth Wins Out to Slam Newt Gingrich for Hypocrisy on Marriage Equality in Thursday Roll Call Ad  —  Contact: Wayne Besen, Executive Director  —  WASHINGTON - Truth Wins Out is placing a provocative full-page ad in the Capitol Hill publication Roll Call on Thursday admonishing Newt Gingrich …

Repulsive progressive hypocrisy  —  A new poll shows deep support among liberals for the very Bush/Cheney policies they once pretended to despise  —  During the Bush years, Guantanamo was the core symbol of right-wing radicalism and what was back then referred to as the …

The Himalayas and nearby peaks have lost no ice in past 10 years, study shows  —  Meltwater from Asia's peaks is much less than previously estimated, but lead scientist says the loss of ice caps and glaciers around the world remains a serious concern  —  • Live Q&A: What does the Himalaya glacier study mean for climate change?

Mitch McConnell to assail ‘liberal thugs’  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to launch a fierce attack on the Obama administration and congressional Democrats, calling out “liberal thugs” for intimidating their opponents in the name of political expediency.

Greece bailout: Coalition fails to agree cuts  —  The party leaders only received the text of the draft proposals on Wednesday morning  —  Greek PM Lucas Papademos has failed to secure the support of his coalition for a raft of new austerity measures, after more than seven hours of talks.

Senate Democrats Say Obama ‘Reinforced’ His Stance on Contraception Mandate at Democratic Retreat  —  President Obama “reinforced” his stance on the controversial contraception mandate while speaking at the Democrats' annual retreat at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. today, Senate Democrats said.

U.S. and Israel Split on Ways to Deter Iran  —  WASHINGTON — Amid mounting tensions over whether Israel will carry out a military strike against Iran's nuclear program, the United States and Israel remain at odds over a fundamental question: whether Iran's crucial nuclear facilities are about to become impregnable.