WASHINGTON — Sen. Robert Menendez is urging the Major League Baseball Players Association to boycott next year's All Star Game in Phoenix over the recently passed Arizona law to crack down on illegal immigrants.

 WASHINGTON  -- President Barack Obama's planned troop buildup in Afghanistan came in for more skepticism on Capitol Hill Thursday with lawmakers zeroing in on how the U.S. will deal with terrorist havens in neighboring Pakistan.

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve and other regulators initiated steps Friday to end "unfair and deceptive" credit card industry practices assailing consumers who are already struggling to cope in a bad economy.

The objections to Dubai Ports World taking over the contracts to manage operations at six U.S. seaports boil down to this: it’s not based on U.S. shores.

WASHINGTON - Charges of blame were flying Thursday for the meltdown of the high-risk mortgage market as pressure mounted for Congress to do something about rising foreclosures among homeowners unable to meet high payments.

WASHINGTON - A United Arab Emirates company has volunteered to postpone its takeover of significant operations at six major U.S. seaports, giving the White House more time to convince skeptical lawmakers the deal poses no increased risks from terrorism.

WASHINGTON - Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist called Tuesday for the Bush administration to stop a deal permitting a United Arab Emirates company to take over six major U.S. seaports.

WASHINGTON — Side by side, leading Democratic and Republican senators pledged Monday to propel far-reaching immigration legislation through the Senate by summer providing a possible path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people now in the U.S. illegally.

Jose de la Isla: Unless the Republican Party chooses to become a permanent minority party, it would be smart to heed the path set by President Richard Nixon in 1969 to expand the electoral base.

WASHINGTON - Congressional Democrats hit President Bush on Wednesday for his Iraq policies and planned Social Security overhaul, hoping a vigorous response to his State of the Union speech will fuel a turnabout from their election setbacks last fall.

WASHINGTON — Republicans see little chance of blocking Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination, a key GOP senator conceded Wednesday. But senators and advocacy groups are still girding for this summer's battle — partly with an eye toward raising money and perhaps preparing for Barack Obama's next nominee.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Many illegal immigrants who were facing deportation despite having no criminal record will be allowed to stay in the country and apply for a work permit under new rules from the Homeland Security Department. Republicans are balking at the change.

WASHINGTON — Is the tea party the new Republican Party?

TRENTON, N.J. - As the waters of the Delaware River gradually began to recede, residents up and down its banks prepared to clear debris, pump out muddy water and tally the flood's cost.

A former Republican congressman narrowly beat his Democratic rival early Wednesday to fill the House seat once held by jailed Randy "Duke" Cunningham, one of several contests in eight states closely watched as a possible early barometer of next fall's vote.