Russia says U.S. spy ring allegations ‘baseless’

U.S. allegations that Russian spies have been working under cover in the U.S. for years are “baseless and improper,” Russia’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding that their arrests are a throwback to the Cold War. The ministry said in a statement that U.S. actions were unfounded and pursued “unseemly goals.” It voiced regret that [...]

White House Expresses Optimism on Kagan Hearing

Top White House officials dismissed efforts to derail the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan as ineffectual on Friday, predicting a strong performance from Kagan at her confirmation hearing next week. “From the first day of this nomination, it just feels as if we have an opposition in search of a rationale,” David Axelrod, [...]

G20 parts ways in search of lasting recovery

World leaders agreed on Sunday to take different paths for cutting budget deficits and making their banking systems safer, a reflection of the uneven and fragile economic recovery in many countries. In a reversal from the unity of the past three crisis-era Group of 20 summits, the leaders left room to move at their own [...]

Gulf Oil Spill Update: Tropical Storm Alex isn’t on track to hit spill area

Tropical Storm Alex strengthened Saturday as it careened toward the Gulf of Mexico with 65-mph winds approaching hurricane status. Officials are keeping a close eye on the first named storm of the season, which looks likely to avoid Houston and to remain at least 400 miles from cleanup efforts of the largest oil spill in [...]

Hurricanes Darby, Celia move away from Mexican coast

Hurricane Darby moved further away from Mexican coasts on Friday and was expected to lose more speed over the weekend, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Darby grew into a Category 3 hurricane earlier on Friday. It had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph and was 265 miles southwest of the Mexican beach resort of [...]