NEW YORK — The FBI is playing a significant role in the investigation into the death of a New York City woman in Istanbul while on a solo vacation, a U.S. congressman said Monday. Rep. Michael … more

WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is raising the possibility of a filibuster of President Barack Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary. In interview this … more

WASHINGTON — The nation's schools chief says more needs to be done to make sure children live long enough to attend college. He is joining more than 350 university presidents in urging Congress to … more

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Supersonic skydiver Felix Baumgartner was faster than he or anyone else thought when he jumped from 24 miles up. The Austrian parachutist known as "Fearless Felix" reached … more

TORONTO — Canada started phasing out its penny, the nuisance coins that clutter dressers and cost more than their one-cent value to produce. The Royal Canadian Mint on Monday officially ended … more

BERLIN — Theories about when the last Neanderthals walked the Earth may have to be revised, according to a study that suggests they became extinct in their last refuge in Spain much earlier … more

CALLAO, Peru — The ocean off Peru boasts the world's richest fishing grounds, but Taurino Querevalu is returning to port empty again after a hunt for Peruvian anchovy, cursing his empty nets and an … more

MINNEAPOLIS — President Barack Obama declared Monday on his first trip outside Washington to promote gun control that a consensus is emerging for universal background checks for purchasers, though … more

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill raising the government's borrowing limit, averting a default and delaying the next clash over the nation's debt until later this … more

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government accused Standard & Poor's of inflating ratings on mortgage investments to boost its bottom line, taking aim at a key player in the run-up to the financial … more