NATIONAL NEWS

A grassroot campaign that freed two sisters

In 2005, Nancy Lockhart was working as a consultant in Chicago for the Rainbow Push Coalition when she received a letter from Mrs. Evelyn Rasco of Pensecola, Florida. More »

'Hurricane' Carter preaches strength in new memoir

In 1967, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was in hell. He had just received three concurrent life sentences for triple murder - crimes he adamantly claimed he did not commit. The professional boxer, who just a few years earlier had been named the number one middleweight contender in the United States, spent 19 years in prison an innocent man. More »

Opposition to health care law eases as vote looms

WASHINGTON - As lawmakers shaken by the shooting of a colleague return to the health care debate, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds raw feelings over President Barack Obama's overhaul have subsided. More »

Any pause in harsh political rhetoric may be short-lived

WASHINGTON - Despite President Barack Obama's appeal for civility, history suggests any move toward cooler political rhetoric after the Arizona shootings will soon fade. An early test will come Jan. 25, when some lawmakers are asking Democrats and Republicans to sit side by side for Obama's State of the Union speech, rather than splitting the House chamber by party as usual. More »

African American contributions to Civil War shown

WASHINGTON - Despite President Barack Obama's appeal for civility, history suggests any move toward cooler political rhetoric after the Arizona shootings will soon fade. An early test will come Jan. 25, when some lawmakers are asking Democrats and Republicans to sit side by side for Obama's State of the Union speech, rather than splitting the House chamber by party as usual. More »

Poll: Certainty about equality unchanged since '06

ATLANTA - Despite having their first black president, Americans are no more certain than before that the country is closer to the racial equality preached by Martin Luther King Jr., a poll shows. More »

Trouble lurking ahead for Obama's education focus

WASHINGTON - Signs of trouble are arising for President Barack Obama's plan to put education overhaul at the forefront of his agenda as he adjusts to the new reality of a divided government. More »