Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle
WASHINGTON (AP) — Invoking the memory of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare. The 60-39 vote cleared the way for a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation, which is designed to extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally.
Biden says Senate handed Obama a big victory
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden told Iowa Democrats on Saturday that the Senate handed the president a big victory with its decision to move forward with debate on sweeping legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system. "Tonight we have more momentum than we've ever had in the history of health care discussions,'" Biden told about 1,000 Democrats in Des Moines.
Terror trials differ in civilian, military courts
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal courts and military tribunals that will prosecute suspected terrorists vary sharply in their independence, public stature and use of evidence. But the Obama administration has so far offered no clear-cut rationale for how it chooses which system will try a detainee. The fuzzy line drawn by the administration has made it easier for critics on both the left and right to assert that no firm legal principle is guiding the choices.
Obama trumpets Asia trip as boost to US economy
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's eight-day trip to Asia produced no tangible wins for the United States, though he is citing talks with Asian allies that he says could help create thousands of job and open new markets for American goods in the future. Citing progress on a trip that took him from Tokyo to Seoul, Obama noted that "Asia is a region where we now buy more goods and do more trade with than any other place in the world — commerce that supports millions of jobs back home."
Levin: More e-mails from Ft. Hood suspect possible
WASHINGTON — The government intercepted at least 18 e-mails between the alleged Fort Hood gunman and a radical Muslim cleric, and a key senator says there could be more communications that might have tipped off law enforcement or military officials. Federal investigators say they intercepted the messages between the suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, and Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical American-born cleric. They were passed along to two Joint Terrorism Task Force cells led by the FBI, but a senior defense official said no one at the Defense Department knew about the messages until after the shootings. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence procedures.
McCain: Tension between aides, Palin 'no big deal'
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — U.S. Sen. John McCain said Saturday that he enjoyed reading running mate Sarah Palin's new memoir and downplayed any tension between their campaign aides as "no big deal." "I enjoyed the book and she and I are dear friends. I talked to her on the phone yesterday. We got along fine," said McCain in an interview Saturday with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Halifax International Security Forum.
More Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans traveling away from home for Thanksgiving will be up only slightly this year from 2008, according to a report from the AAA auto club. The group, which surveyed 1,350 households, said there will be about 33.2 million people traveling by car this year — a 2.1 percent increase from last year.
Fort Hood suspect ordered held until court-martial
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people at Fort Hood will be confined until his military trial, initially staying in a hospital where he is recovering from gunshot wounds, his attorney said Saturday. During a hearing at Maj. Nidal Hasan's hospital room in San Antonio on Saturday, a magistrate ruled that there was probable cause that Hasan committed the Nov. 5 shooting spree at Fort Hood, said his civilian attorney, John Galligan. Hasan has been at Brooke Army Medical Center since the shooting, and his attorney said Hasan has been told he has permanent paralysis.
Obama has low-key evening out after long week
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and his family spent a low-key night out at the home of a senior White House adviser after a whirlwind week spent on a presidential trip to Asia. The president golfed for more than four hours Saturday on the course at Andrews Air Force Base, then took first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha to dinner at the Georgetown home of Valerie Jarrett.
McCain links political correctness to shootings
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — Sen. John McCain says he has no doubt that "political correctness" played a role in preventing concerns about the alleged Fort Hood gunman from reaching the right people. The Arizona senator says it remains to be determined how big a role it may have had in causing military authorities to ignore warning signals about the shooting suspect.
