Child sex offenders would be subject to stringent monitoring requirements and face new mandatory penalties under a House-passed bill that was expanded to include protections for gays and lesbians under federal hate crime law. The House voted 371-52 Wednesday in favor of the Children’s Safety Act (search), which, among its …

WASHINGTON – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (search) said Friday he has documentary evidence that the United States plans to invade his country. Chavez, interviewed on ABC’s “Nightline,” said the plan is called “Balboa” and involves aircraft carriers and planes. A transcript of the interview was made available by “Nightline.” He …

On Monday I suggested George Bush (search) might want to think about firing some people, perhaps starting with FEMA director Mike Brown (search), mainly for the offense of spending so much time on TV with his foot in his mouth over the slow response to the disaster. Howls of protest …

PASCAGOULA, Miss. – The two-mile stretch of Beach Boulevard where waterfront mansions stood perched above the lapping gulf waters now resembles a million-dollar junkyard of shattered brick walls and white columns. Poor people living further inland also felt the catastrophic fury of Hurricane Katrina (search), which sent floodwaters up to …

Sick of unwanted telemarketing, junk mail and spam? A few simple steps can slow the torrent to a trickle. Unless you’re a recluse, chances are you’re bombarded daily with direct marketing pitches. Open up your email, and breathless offers for XXX action, cheap prescription drugs and miracle creams (as seen …

CHICAGO – Breast-feeding is thought to protect babies from developing diabetes. Now research suggests it might even help keep their mothers from getting the disease, too. A study found that the longer women nursed, the lower their risks of developing diabetes. The findings are far from conclusive, but the researchers …

CAIRO, Egypt – A videotape posted Friday on the Internet claims to show how Al Qaeda in Iraq carried out Oct. 24 suicide attacks on two Baghdad hotels that killed as many as 17 Iraqi pedestrians and security guards. The video purports to show the terror group rehearsing the attack, …

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Federal court appointments are being held hostage by the abortion issue, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Friday in advocating a briefer, less intrusive confirmation process. Speaking to law students at the University of Alabama, Thomas said former clerks and other lawyers often tell him they’re not …

A look at attacks in Jordan in recent years: — Aug. 19, 2005: Attackers fire at least three rockets from the hills above the Jordanian port city of Aqaba, with one narrowly missing a U.S. Navy ship docked in the port, another hitting close to an airport inside Israel. An …

WASHINGTON – It was Samuel Alito’s kind of crowd Thursday as the conservative lawyers of the Federalist Society opened their annual convention. There was plenty of praise for President Bush’s latest Supreme Court nominee and an undercurrent of relief that it wasn’t Harriet Miers whose nomination was pending. While the …