UA prof proves me right: 'Redskins' is a toxic word

See if this makes sense to you: For years, I've argued with certain African-American people about their insistence upon using the so-called N-word which, to my ears, is, inalterably, a statement of self-loathing. They say I don't understand. They say the word no longer means what it has alwa…

Supreme Court rules against 'pay for delay' in selling generic drugs

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Monday that brand-name drugmakers can be sued for violating the antitrust laws if they make a deal that pays a potential competitor to put off selling a generic version.

Iran elects centrist Rowhani

TEHRAN, Iran - Centrist Hasan Rowhani won an absolute majority in Iran's presidential elections, a surprise outcome that could help raise spirits in a population fed up by the economic distress and international isolation that marked the era of outgoing leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Obama to promote expansion of US food exports to Europe

WASHINGTON - As President Obama prepares to go to Northern Ireland today to promote a new trade pact with the European Union, hopes are running high for many U.S. businesses eager to squeeze more cash from one of the world's most lucrative markets.

Iranian reformists' burden: a skeptical electorate

MASHAD, Iran - Iranians vote today for a new president to succeed the controversial Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but many voters question the value of their ballot, convinced that no elected government can solve Iran's economic woes and end its diplomatic isolation.

More visas possible for Iraqis, Afghans helping US in wars

WASHINGTON - Congress will consider legislation today that could ease the way for thousands of Iraqis and Afghans to resettle in the United States to escape the dangers that come with their work for the U.S. military, news outlets and nonprofit groups.

Natural human genes can't be patented, says unanimous high court

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that naturally occurring human genes may not be patented, potentially opening up commercial and scientific terrain to more freewheeling exploration.

Our freedoms will die with a whimper, not a bang

It will not be with guns. If ever tyranny overtakes this land of the sometimes free and home of the intermittently brave, it probably won't, contrary to the fever dreams of gun-rights extremists, involve jackbooted government thugs rappelling down from black helicopters. Rather, it will invo…

Study: Overdraft protection often profits banks, not customers

WASHINGTON - Overdraft protection often is a better deal for banks than for consumers, a new study by a federal watchdog agency reveals.

Senate leaders defend online, phone snooping

WASHINGTON - Eight U.S. senators - six Democrats and two Republicans - demanded Tuesday that the public be given more details about the top-secret surveillance programs that scoop up the phone and Internet records of millions of Americans.

Mexico opens up telecom market

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's president signed into law a monopoly-busting telecommunications law Monday that's expected to drive down telephone prices for consumers and cost the country's richest man billions of dollars.

Poll: Most Americans supportive of government phone tracking

WASHINGTON - News that the government has amassed records on nearly all telephone calls in the United States for at least seven years and has the ability to tap into Internet traffic has generated little reaction from the public so far, according to new polling data released Monday.

Lawmakers seek to curb US on phone, online snooping

WASHINGTON - The revelations that the government has secret programs to collect data from U.S. phone records and the Internet are unlikely to force any significant changes in the program, at least not anytime soon.

Study finds greenhouse gases nearing highly dangerous levels

WASHINGTON - Emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are growing at such a rate that the world will likely exceed a safe limit in average global temperatures by the end of the century, a new report by the International Energy Agency says.

Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif declares end to secret approval of US drone strikes

ISLAMABAD - In office for less than a week, Pakistan's new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, vented his anger Monday at two recent U.S. drone strikes, all but accusing his country's overbearing military of lying to Pakistanis about its cooperation with the CIA to eliminate terrorism suspects in …

President's security policies, rhetoric are at odds

WASHINGTON - From the time he stepped onto the national stage, Barack Obama presented himself as a civil libertarian who would take a different path from that of his predecessor, who authorized surveillance on Americans in the fight against terrorism. "It is time to write a new chapter in ou…

Federal watching rampant these days

WASHINGTON - Welcome to the new normal, the U.S. national security state that's grown like mad since the 9/11 terrorist attacks nearly a dozen years ago.

Student loan rates poised to jump as Senate plans fail

WASHINGTON - With student loan rates set to double in about four weeks, competing proposals to prevent the increase were defeated in back-to-back Senate votes Thursday, leaving the issue unresolved.

On Obama scandals, GOP needs to take a breath

You'd think they'd never seen a scandal before. Like the nerd hero of some R-rated sex comedy who suddenly finds himself alone with a willing girl for the first time, some on the Republican right are giddy, hyperventilating and acting a little goofy at the troubles now plaguing Team Obama. N…

3rd-time Pakistani PM faces challenge

ISLAMABAD - Nawaz Sharif was named Pakistan's prime minister for a record third time Wednesday, and he immediately got down to the nitty-gritty of what arguably is the most daunting job in the democratic world.

Germany, Italy to join US in Afghanistan after 2014

BRUSSELS - Germany and Italy have committed to join the United States in helping to train Afghan troops after combat operations cease at the end of next year, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Wednesday.

Science panel: Feds making wild-horse situation worse

WASHINGTON — The federal government should do large-scale drug injections of wild horses to make them infertile, according to a highly anticipated recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences.

Diplomat in court in alleged US-visa-for-bribe scheme

WASHINGTON - The Foreign Service officer accused of selling hundreds of visas to residents of Vietnam made his first appearance in a D.C. court Tuesday, as more details of the alleged conspiracy came to light.

Annoyed Putin denies gays are victims of bias in Russia

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday denied homosexuals were discriminated against in Russia and expressed frustration at constantly having to face questions about gay rights.

Conservative groups describe IRS harassment

WASHINGTON - Fueled by fresh, terse testimony Tuesday from conservative groups detailing intense IRS scrutiny, a powerful lawmaker with watchdog responsibility for the agency promised a relentless effort to get answers from officials at all levels of the Internal Revenue Service.

Assad backers reportedly make up 43% of dead in Syria

BEIRUT - A new count of the dead in Syria by the group that's considered the most authoritative tracker of the violence there has concluded that more than 40 percent were government soldiers and pro-government militia members.

Tough prosecution, security cut attacks by Somali pirates

WASHINGTON - Long before a retired Southern California couple and two friends were shot and killed aboard their sailboat off the Horn of Africa in February 2011, the threat from Somali pirates was frighteningly clear.

Art sell-off idea sparks outrage in Detroit

DETROIT - The Detroit Institute of Arts on Monday rejected the idea that the financially strapped city of Detroit sell off part of the museum's collection to satisfy its creditors.

Report: Minors held at adult immigration facilities

WASHINGTON - More than 1,300 minors - including several dozen 14 or younger - were held for days in immigration detention facilities for adults over a four-year period when the Obama administration ramped up deportations, according to a new report by an advocacy group.

Imprisonment of respected Yemeni journalist blamed on US pressure

SANAA, Yemen -From the moment Yemeni journalist Abdulelah Haider Shaye was sentenced to five years in prison in 2011 for allegedly supporting al-Qaida's Yemen-based affiliate, his punishment has been controversial - and not just because it represented the jailing of a respected writer and th…

No reason to celebrate Scouts' halfhearted change

Hold your applause. As milestones go, this one is disappointing.

More than tea-party organizations may have been audited by the IRS

Susan Martinek is the president of Coalition for Life of Iowa, an anti-abortion group that faced scrutiny from the IRS before being granted tax-exempt status in 2009.

More than tea-party organizations may have been audited by the IRS

WASHINGTON - A group of anti-abortion activists in Iowa had to promise the Internal Revenue Service it wouldn't picket in front of Planned Parenthood.

Nepal festivities reach zenith at Everest conquest + 60 yrs.

KATMANDU, Nepal - The diamond jubilee celebrations commemorating the first ascent of Mount Everest ended Wednesday with a ride in a horse-drawn chariot and medals for those who made "human history at the top of the world."

Bills to Medicare soar for surgery to fix droopy eyelids

WASHINGTON - Aging Americans worried about their droopy upper eyelids often rely on the plastic surgeon's scalpel to turn back the hands of time. Increasingly, Medicare is footing the bill.

Obama, Christie promote Jersey Shore storm recovery

POINT PLEASANT, N.J. - President Obama and Gov. Chris Christie reunited for a buddy trip to the beach Tuesday, showing off the improvements to the Jersey Shore in the seven months since it was hit by superstorm Sandy and encouraging tourists to return to the storied vacation destination.

'Green' seal meaningless, eco group contends

WASHINGTON - Take a look at the notepad on your desk, your ATM receipt or the package of disposable plates you bought for your Memorial Day barbecue. Many paper products are labeled as being sourced from sustainable forests, and many consumers make buying decisions based on those labels.

Abortion opponents lose bid to defund Planned Parenthood as high court rejects case

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court dealt a setback Tuesday to the campaign of abortion opponents to "defund" Planned Parenthood.

After gun failure, Obama learning limits of power

WASHINGTON - Six months after his triumphant re-election, President Obama has run into the hard reality of the modern presidency.

President condemns sexual assaults in speech at Annapolis

WASHINGTON - President Obama condemned sexual misconduct in the military Friday and told Naval Academy graduates to try to restore Americans' faith in institutions in a commencement speech that hinted at the scandals swirling around him.

Drug cartel boss admits killing US agent, wounding 2nd

WASHINGTON - A Mexican drug cartel commander pleaded guilty Thursday to murder and attempted murder in a 2011 ambush south of the border that left one American agent dead and a second injured, and which sharply strained U.S.-Mexico relations.

Foreign Service officer in Vietnam linked to money-for-visa scam

WASHINGTON - A State Department official "received several million dollars in bribes" from Vietnamese residents seeking visas, according to newly public court documents.

IRS suspends unit head in targeting controversy

WASHINGTON-The IRS has replaced the head of the office now under fire for improperly targeting conservative groups, a day after she invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions before a congressional committee.

Drug czar says pot is drug most tied to crime, shrugs off calls to legalize it

WASHINGTON - Marijuana is the drug most often linked to crime in the United States, the U.S. drug czar said Thursday, dismissing calls for legalization as a "bumper-sticker approach" that should be avoided.

The innocent awaiting execution are victims, too

At great political peril, George Ryan did the right thing.

Supreme Court to revisit Christian pastor giving board's prayer

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court will revisit the issue of church-state separation and decide whether a town council can begin its monthly meetings with a prayer from a Christian pastor.

Immigration-services union comes out against reform bill

WASHINGTON - A labor union that represents federal officers who vet immigration applications has decided to oppose the immigration overhaul winding through the Senate, saying provisions in the bill could lead to fraud.

White House says it knew of IRS probe a month ago

WASHINGTON - The White House acknowledged Monday that senior aides to President Obama knew a month ago that the Internal Revenue Service had targeted conservative groups. The admission expanded on previous administration statements about who in the White House knew about the inquiry and when…

Ex-chief: IRS triggered firestorm with planted question

WASHINGTON - Tough congressional grilling Friday of fired IRS chief Steven Miller failed to get answers about which agency employees subjected applications from tea-party groups to special scrutiny but yielded a startling new admission: The Internal Revenue Service actually planted the quest…

House votes against '10 health law a 37th time

WASHINGTON - House Republicans voted for the 37th time Thursday evening to repeal all or part of President Obama's health-care law, underscoring once again the deep partisan divide over the landmark 2010 legislation.