Society
Washington DC Council Considering Gay Divorce Bill
The D.C. Council is considering legislation that would make it easier for gay and lesbian couples who marry in the nation’s capital to get divorced.
Possible tornado damages Houston-area mall
City roads were flooded and thousands of Houston residents lost power Monday after powerful thunderstorms plowed through the area, with a possible tornado damaging and shutting down a nearby mall.
City offers homeless people free one-way tickets out of town
Just in time for the holidays, the City of Ft. Lauderdale has come up with a way to help the homeless who have relatives in other parts of the country willing to take care of them.
Report: Remains of 274 US troops dumped in landfill
The Air Force dumped the incinerated partial remains of at least 274 American troops in a Virginia landfill, far more than the military had acknowledged, before halting the secretive practice three years ago, records show.
US Interior Secretary urges more Latino-themed national parks, sites
With the nation’s Latino population booming and now the country’s largest minority group, the Obama administration’s top Hispanic official is concerned that the federal government is not giving enough attention to Hispanic history and culture.
Number of US poor hit record 46 million in 2010
The number of Americans living below the poverty line rose to a record 46 million last year, the government said on Tuesday, underscoring the challenges facing President Barack Obama and Congress as they try to tackle high unemployment and a morib...
More restaurants are targeting US customers who use food stamps
The number of businesses approved to accept food stamps grew by a third from 2005 to 2010, U.S. Department of Agriculture records show, as vendors from convenience and dollar discount stores to gas stations and pharmacies increasingly joined the g...
Wildfire destroys nearly 500 homes in Texas
Firefighters trying to control a wind-fueled wildfire that has destroyed nearly 500 homes in Central Texas were looking for a few overnight hours of diminished winds as thousands of evacuees spent the night away from their threatened homes.
Shocking Need: American Kids Go Hungry
In high school, Katherine Foronda trained herself not to feel hungry until after the school day had ended. She wasn't watching her weight or worrying about boys seeing her eat. She just didn't have any food to eat or any money to buy it. "I thou...
Dust storm envelops Phoenix, downs power lines
A giant wall of dust rolled through the Phoenix area on Thursday for the third time since early July - turning the sky brown, creating dangerous driving conditions and delaying some airline flights.
Black men survive longer in prison than out: study
Black men are half as likely to die at any given time if they're in prison than if they aren't, suggests a new study of North Carolina inmates.
Prince William, Kate head to LA; Will hit Beverly Hills and -- Skid Row
There will be stops in Beverly Hills and Skid Row, along with a charity polo match in Santa Barbara. But there will be no time for Disneyland or the La Brea Tar Pits. Britain’s newest royal couple is scheduled to arrive here on Friday, visiting So...
Los Alamos nuclear lab under siege from wildfire
A wildfire burning near the desert birthplace of the atomic bomb advanced on the Los Alamos laboratory and thousands of outdoor drums of plutonium-contaminated waste Tuesday as authorities stepped up efforts to protect the site from flames and mon...
Triumphant NY governor hailed at gay pride parade
One of the world's oldest and largest gay pride parades turned into a carnival-like celebration of same-sex marriage Sunday as hundreds of thousands of revelers rejoiced at New York's new law giving gay couples the same marital rights as everyone ...
Land of the Free? New York and California come out at the bottom of individual freedoms study
It might be the ‘Land of the Free’, but some states certainly aren’t living up to the words of America’s national anthem. New York, New Jersey and California are the least free in the U.S., based on an index of public policies affecting your indiv...
Baltimore Imposes Curfew For Teens, Opens 'Curfew Centers'
Baltimore City officials are collaborating to keep teens off the streets and out of trouble this summer. Jessica Kartalija reports they’re announcing the opening of the City’s Curfew Center.
Desperate mother-of-three sells handwritten letter from Obama to avoid being evicted
Opening the handwritten letter from President Obama brought a glimmer of hope to her life as he promised her that things would get better for her and her family. And despite the fact Destiny Mathis, from Hobart, Indiana, treasured the letter, more...
Hunt for tornado survivors looking bleak
First they found his dark blue teddy bear. Then frantic relatives searching for toddler Skyular Logsdon spotted his red T-shirt and pants, torn, rain-soaked and wrapped around a telephone pole. The little boy hasn't been seen since Sunday night wh...
US Navy Authorizes Chaplains to Perform Same-Sex ‘Marriages’ in Naval Chapels
Anticipating the elimination of the military ban on homosexuality, the Office of the Chief of Navy Chaplains has decided that same-sex couples in the Navy will be able to get married in Navy chapels, and that Navy chaplains will be allowed to perf...
Cop's rape comment sparks wave of 'SlutWalks'
An international series of protests known as SlutWalks, sparked by a Toronto police officer's flippant comment that women should avoid dressing like "sluts" to avoid being raped or victimized, is taking root in the United States.