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US prison inmates returning to society: How will they be received?

States, eager to save money and adopt alternatives to incarceration, release inmates in record numbers. Is society ready for the surge?
Solar eclipse: How to safely watch this evening's 'ring of fire'

During this evening's 'ring of fire' solar eclipse, what should be a spectacular display will be seen across much of the American West. Here's how to watch it safely.
Chen Guangcheng: What's ahead for Chinese dissident now in the US?

Now that Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng has reached the United States, both Beijing and Washington are hoping to put what could have been a tense diplomatic situation behind them.
Obama, G-8: Recovery takes both growth and cutting

Confronting an economic crisis that threatens them all, President Obama and leaders of other world powers on Saturday declared that their governments must both spark growth and cut the debt that has crippled the European continent and put investors worldwide on edge.
Focus
NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?

A war-weary US faces off with wary NATO allies in Chicago about money and support for Afghanistan after US combat troops withdraw in 2014. Don't expect any "Mission Accomplished" speeches.
Focus
NATO summit: Why US, allies don't just call it quits in Afghanistan

Al Qaeda, oil, and Pakistan, a trifecta of troublesome issues, make the US withdrawal from Afghanistan far more complicated than it was in Iraq.
Focus
NATO summit: Why US, allies don't just call it quits in Afghanistan

Al Qaeda, oil, and Pakistan, a trifecta of troublesome issues, make the US withdrawal from Afghanistan far more complicated than it was in Iraq.
Chen Guangcheng comes to the US, but what about other dissidents?

Chen Guangcheng’s flight to New York Saturday marks a major step in difficult and delicate negotiations between Beijing and Washington. But it also spotlights the difficulty other activists face under a government regime and a system of local authority many view as repressive.
Trio charged in planned attacks ahead of NATO summit

Three men accused of making Molotov cocktails had been planning to attack President Barack Obama's campaign headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home, and other targets during this weekend's NATO summit, prosecutors said Saturday.
Geraldo Rivera (again) says Trayvon Martin's 'thug wear' got him profiled

Geraldo Rivera insisted again Friday that Trayvon Martin’s hoodie represented a kind of ‘thug wear’ that could have alarmed George Zimmerman, who shot Martin to death. The hoodie debate is not over.
Solar eclipse 2012: All systems go for witnessing rare 'ring of fire' (+video)

A rare annular eclipse, where a ‘ring of fire’ outlines the moon as it crosses the sun, will greet US viewers Sunday evening. Residents of the US West will have a good shot at seeing the full fire ring.
As Facebook millionaires party, what future for new shareholders?

An expected 'pop' in share prices never came as Facebook went public this week. But Facebook's IPO was a measured affair, lacking in irrational exuberance, and laying the groundwork for the network's main challenge: Turning 'friends' into consumers.
With NATO summit, Chicago seeks to avoid repeat of 1968 riots

Chicago has ramped up efforts to head off violence at the NATO summit, leading some protesters to say the city has been heavy-handed.
Appeals court upholds key provision of Voting Rights Act. Supreme Court could loom

A federal court on Friday rejected an Alabama county's argument that a key part of the 1965 Voting Rights act is outdated. That could set the stage for a Supreme Court hearing.
'Day One': What Mitt Romney's new ad really tells us

Mitt Romney's first TV ad of the general election bypasses the usual personal narrative to give us his agenda for Day 1 in office: the Keystone pipeline, tax reform, and replacing 'Obamacare.'
Afghanistan security for less? How low can NATO go?

As NATO leaders convene for the weekend summit in Chicago, one pressing issue is whether, and how much, the post-NATO-withdrawal Afghan security forces can be pared down to save money.
China is a lead cyberattacker of US military computers, Pentagon reports

China is especially interested in gleaning how best to defend its own computer networks from cyberattack, says a Pentagon report on cyberwar threats. But China is also improving its offensive abilities.
Decoder Wire
Why Americans Elect failed to find a presidential candidate

After raising millions of dollars to boost a centrist candidate for president, the nonprofit Americans Elect has given up. But there's more involved than just a nation unready for a third party.
G8 summit: Euro crisis and possible 'Grexit' overshadow agenda

The G8 leaders hosted by Obama at Camp David have several global issues on their minds: Syria, nuclear proliferation, famine. But the eurozone debt crisis is once again the dominant concern.
Decoder Wire
Has the tea party sold out? House freshmen aren't who they seem.

A report by the arch-conservative Club for Growth undercuts the notion that freshmen House Republicans are unified – and uniformly committed to the most stringent tea party ideals.