ST. PAUL, Minn. — As more state legislatures around the country consider whether to legalize same-sex weddings, an analysis of gay marriage votes in eight states shows that Republican lawmakers who … more

NEW YORK —Under pressure over its long-standing ban on gays, the Boy Scouts of America is proposing to lift the ban for youth members but continue to exclude gays as adult leaders.The Scouts … more

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's proposed budget will call for reductions in the growth of Social Security and other benefit programs while still insisting on more taxes from the wealthy in a … more

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The head of the NCAA says the organization's need to enforce its own rules is part of the reason it sued over a new Pennsylvania law designed to keep the $60 million Penn State … more

RAPID CITY, S.D. — A budget misstep is forcing Pennington County to dip into emergency funds to keep up the fight against the mountain pine beetle. County Commissioner Lyndell Petersen tells the … more

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is not receiving key information from drugmakers about whether some of the riskiest prescription drugs on the market are being used safely by … more

WASHINGTON— Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, the powerful Senate Finance chairman who steered President Barack Obama's health care overhaul into law but broke with his party on gun control, said Tuesday … more

LOS ANGELES — Detectives will review recently released clergy abuse files from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles to see if there's evidence of criminal activity by church authorities, … more

LOS ANGELES — As Jay Leno lobs potshots at ratings-challenged NBC in his "Tonight Show" monologues, speculation is swirling the network is taking steps to replace the host with Jimmy Fallon next … more

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday defended the Justice Department’s secret examination of Associated Press phone records although he declared he had played no role in it. He … more