Topic: Washington, DC
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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2012's 'good news' stories
2012 saw jobs returning to the US, health concerns improve in historic numbers, and more.
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'Zero Dark Thirty': Top 3 controversies from the Osama bin Laden film
"Zero Dark Thirty," which tells the story of the hunt and capture of Osama bin Laden, is already garnering critical accolades – and plenty of criticism, too. Here are the top three controversies currently surrounding the film.
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Focus
The Monitor's top 11 US stories of 2012
From storms to politics, the year was a wild ride. What are the most meaningful US stories of 2012? Here's the Monitor's list, in roughly chronological order.
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Gender pay gap: Top 5 best and worst states
The pay gap between men and women has steadily narrowed during the past few decades. Women earned 77 cents for every dollar men earned in 2011, compared with 59 cents in 1963. Here is a look at states with biggest and smallest gender pay gaps today.
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Focus
Republican Party 2.0: 4 GOP leaders share ideas for political upgrade
In the aftermath of election 2012, four prominent Republicans share their visions for how the GOP can adapt its messaging to reflect a diversifying US electorate.
All Content
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Obama, Congress struggle toward fiscal cliff deal
On Friday President Barack Obama met with congressional leaders once again to try negotiating a budget deal. Obama said he walked away from the meeting 'optimistic.'
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Stocks fall again with 'fiscal cliff' closing in
Stocks tumbled for a fifth day as a 'fiscal cliff' deal goes unfulfilled in Washington. Despite the fiscal gridlock in Washington, major stock indexes are holding on to gains for the year.
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Port strike averted in eastern US, for now. Is labor starting to claw back?
Eastern port operators and longshoremen agreed Friday on a royalties package, extending contract negotiations 30 days. The strike threat at ports signals that labor is ready to fight for its life, experts say.
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'Fiscal cliff' meeting at White House: Will it be 'Lincoln' moment for Obama?
Many Senate Republicans say that with Congress deadlocked on averting the fiscal cliff, it is up to Obama to force a deal. The lesson from the movie 'Lincoln,' they say, is 'the president has to lead.'
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Drone use surges in Yemen, the frontline against Al Qaeda
Drone strikes in Yemen skyrocketed in 2012, as much as tripling in frequency when compared to 2011.
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Opinion: Putin shows Russian insecurity in signing ban on US adoption of orphans
Russia's ban on US adoption of orphans is retaliation for a US law that targets human-rights abusers in Russia. Moscow's response reveals one of its greatest weaknesses, a deep-seated national sense of insecurity. Now Russians themselves must demand better for their children.
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Focus
Immigration reform: Is 'amnesty' a possibility now?Congress seems primed to address immigration reform in 2013, and even a path to citizenship – which critics deride as 'amnesty' for illegals – may be on the table. The shift in the national conversation came suddenly. Here's why.
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LNG exports still iffy, even if they win approval
The Obama administration looks like it will approve exports of liquefied natural gas. But that doesn't mean LNG exports will take off.
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Gun owner map ricochet: Blogger publishes journalists' personal data
A newspaper published names and addresses of thousands of legal handgun owners, generating widespread criticism. In retaliation, a blogger mapped the names and addresses of the journalists.
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Gun control: Is David Gregory’s on-air stunt proof of media bias?
Washington police are investigating ‘Meet the Press’ host David Gregory for holding up a rifle clip on air. Gun control opponents see the incident as proof the media are biased against them.
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Syrian conflict threatens to fracture Iraq
Semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan and the central Iraqi government are on a collision course as the Kurds increasingly side with the Syrian opposition and Baghdad stands by the Assad regime.
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Chuck Hagel: why his candidacy for Defense post is losing altitude
Critics of Chuck Hagel's potential candidacy have focused on remarks he made years ago about Israel, Iran, and Hamas. Some even called him anti-Semitic, a charge branded as outrageous, even by other critics.
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Tax VOX
Worst fiscal policy ideas of 2012TaxVox's Lump of Coal Awards covers a broad swath of fiscal policy missteps for the year.
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Mattel and Hasbro 'terrified': Do kids want gadgets more than toys?
Mattel and Hasbro terrified that kids will want toys less next year, according to reports. Hot toys did well this Christmas, but retailers in general saw less growth than expected.
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Retail sales just ho-hum this holiday season
Preliminary reports show holiday sales rose only 0.7 percent over November and December, which could be the economy's worst holiday performance since 2008.
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'Fiscal cliff': Is Washington missing its chance to 'go big'?
President Obama and Congress are preparing to have another go at a deal on the fiscal cliff, but more and more it's looking like an opportunity for something grand to be wasted.
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Dakota Indians remember largest mass hanging in US history
In 1862, while the Civil War raged, the US government also fought a war against the Dakota Indians. On Dec. 26, 38 Dakota were hanged, an event memorialized by the tribe today by a 300-mile horseback ride.
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Obama cuts short Hawaiian holiday for fiscal cliff negotiations
With fiscal cliff negotiations still at a standstill, President Barack Obama cut short his family vacation in his home state of Hawaii, and will return to Washington. Congress will reconvene Thursday.
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Fighting poverty, unrelated adults increasingly share housing
From just 2010 to 2011, the number of 'additional adults' in households grew by 1.9 million, the Census found. Poverty and the 2007-09 recession played key roles in people deciding to share houses and apartments.
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Shinzo Abe officially chosen as Japan's next prime minister (+video)
Hawkish Shinzo Abe was voted back into office as prime minister Wednesday and immediately named a new Cabinet, ending three years of liberal party government.
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Christmas snow storm kills 3, tornadoes knock out power in South (+video)
A snow storm caused flights across the country to be cancelled. Three died, and many were injured in dangerous highway conditions and as trees fell on homes. In the South, tornadoes left 100,000 without power on Christmas Day.
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Decoder Wire
Might Ben Affleck try leap from Hollywood to US Senate? So far, he's cagey.The actor and director says he's 'happy being involved from outside in government.' But Ben Affleck didn't exactly put the kibosh on talk about a possible run for John Kerry's Senate seat.
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Tax VOX
Fiscal cliff debate: It's not just the politics that are weirdIn trying to reach a compromise on the 'fiscal cliff,' Democrats and Republicans seem determined to protect millions of high-income people from paying more taxes. But the working class could easily end up paying more.
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Can you invest in Middle East peace?
There are ways to invest in the economies of Israel and the Palestinian territories, separately – and women's progress in the Middle East, indirectly. But investing in the Middle East is not for the faint of heart.
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Gloomy predictions as Washington approaches the 'fiscal cliff'
It's still possible that the 'fiscal cliff' with its automatic tax increases and across-the-board spending cuts can be avoided. But the clock is ticking toward Jan.1, and most lawmakers are pessimistic.
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