I know the liberals in Los Angeles — Beverly Hills, Malibu, the Hollywood Hills — hate any war talk unless it’s a movie. They don’t like Bush because he’s worried about the Axis of Evil, and they do like Gore because he’s not so worried about bad guys unless they’re …

WASHINGTON – A week after his special-election victory — and six months after his predecessor pleaded guilty to bribery — San Diego Republican Brian Bilbray was sworn in to the House Tuesday to replace ex-Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham. After House Speaker Dennis Hastert administered the oath, Bilbray, 55, gave a …

WIMBLEDON, England – Roger Federer won his record 42nd straight grass-court match Tuesday, beating Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to open his bid for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon championship. The top-ranked Federer broke the record he shared with Bjorn Borg, the five-time Wimbledon champion who won 41 straight matches on …

RENO, Nev. – A former pawn shop owner wanted in the slaying of his estranged wife and the sniper shooting of a judge surrendered to authorities at a Mexican hotel after nearly two weeks on the run. Darren Mack, 45, was arrested in the Pacific Coast resort city of Puerto …

WASHINGTON – Senate Republican leader Bill Frist asked House leaders for help reducing taxes on inherited estates, conceding that the GOP cannot eliminate them during this election year. “I understand we are not going to get total repeal this Congress,” Frist, R-Tenn., told reporters Friday. Frist promised to hold a …

WASHINGTON – In Jack Abramoff‘s world, prominent Washington tax-cut advocate Grover Norquist was a godsend. Moving money from a casino-operating Indian tribe to Ralph Reed, the Christian Coalition founder and professed gambling opponent, was a problem. Lobbyist Abramoff turned to his longtime friend Norquist, apparently to provide a buffer for …

This is a partial transcript of “Special Report With Brit Hume” from Feb. 9, 2006, that has been edited for clarity. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PRESIDENT BUSH: We now know that in October 2001 Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the mastermind of the September 11 attacks, had already set in motion a plan …

SAN FRANCISCO – The city’s annual Chinese New Year Parade — an extravaganza of lion dances, firecrackers and colorful floats — has been thrown into turmoil over organizers’ decision to exclude members of Falun Gong, the spiritual movement outlawed as a dangerous cult in China. The San Francisco Chinese Chamber …

WASHINGTON – Presidents and their wives have been an amorous lot, their White House years coming at the pinnacle of lives entwined. The men pursued and loved these women as intensely as they clawed to power and unleashed armies. “Touch you I must or I’ll burst,” Ronald Reagan wrote to …

If Olympic medals were given to TV networks right now, NBC would probably rank somewhere between chrome and lead. OK, that’s harsh, but the Peacock network is not scoring points with viewers, as counterprogramming such as ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and FOX’s “American Idol” leave NBC’s Torino coverage in the equivalent …