Terror trial verdict

The conviction of the first Guantánamo detainee tried in a civilian court on only one of more than 280 charges has reignited the debate over prosecuting terrorists.

Targeting earmarks

Congressional Republicans, their ranks swelled by campaigns that emphasized reining in federal spending, are promptly following through with an easy response: banning earmarks.

The Fed steps in

While politicians surveyed the stark aftermath of Tuesday's elections and pondered their strategy and policy options, the Federal Reserve Board announced a bold plan to stimulate the sluggish economy.

GOP tsunami

The two "wave" elections that swept Democrats to congressional majorities in 2006 and 2008 were followed Tuesday by a tsunami that gave Republicans control of the House of Representatives and a stronger voice in the Senate.

The Gulf spill probe

The presidential commission investigating the causes of the BP Gulf oil spill shined an unwelcome spotlight on Halliburton last week.

Ballot questions

Virginia voters venturing to the polls Tuesday will find three proposed modifications to the state constitution on the ballot, in addition to congressional candidates.

Karzai's latest

The United States has lavished hundreds of billions of dollars on and committed thousands of troops to Afghanistan, but its president, Hamid Karzai, makes no apologies for accepting more than $1 million a year from Iran.

Faster on I-81

Raising the speed limits on Virginia's interstate highways, including most of I-81 locally, is progress to Gov. Bob McDonnell, but many area residents beg to differ.

Foreclosure mess

The housing bubble, whose bursting helped precipitate the Great Recession, was fueled by imprudent lending, including lax standards, sloppy documentation and a get-'er-done mentality. Those same shortcomings have materialized in the wave of real estate foreclosures. In the last two...

The GOP's 'pledge'

Seeking to put a positive cast on their push to retake the House of Representatives, Republicans last week unveiled "A Pledge to America" to rein in government spending, repeal the health-reform law and extend the Bush tax cuts permanently.