Mafia, violent criminals turning to Medicare fraud for greater payoff, lighter sentences

MIAMI — Lured by easier money and shorter prison sentences, Mafia figures and other violent criminals are increasingly moving into Medicare fraud and spilling blood over what was once a white-collar crime.

GOP lawmakers seek scolding for Democrat who said Republicans want the sick to ‘die quickly’

WASHINGTON — House Republicans say it’s payback time for the recent reprimand of one of their own for heckling President Barack Obama. They want a Democratic lawmaker to apologize or face a reprimand for saying the GOP wants Americans to “die quickly” if they get sick.

INSIDE WASHINGTON: Hawaii lawmaker with long reach tries to shape a project 3,800 miles away

WASHINGTON — Thousands of miles from his Hawaii congressional district, Democratic Rep. Neil Abercrombie has discovered a lifeline for his state’s struggling construction industry — and a potential boost in his campaign for governor.

Ready for health care confrontation, Obama says ’sensible, reasoned’ arguments will prevail

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — A day before facing a potentially boisterous town hall in New Hampshire, President Barack Obama praised the spirited debate over his health care plans on Monday and predicted “sensible and reasoned arguments” would ultimately prevail in Congress.

White House launches Web site to counter critics of health care overhaul

WASHINGTON —The White House on Monday turned to its favorite tool — the Internet — to bolster President Barack Obama’s push for health care overhaul and challenge misconceptions about Democratic plans.

Obama wants health care overhaul this year even without bipartisan support

WAKARUSA, Ind. — President Barack Obama said Wednesday he’s determined to get an overhaul of the health care system before the end of the year and, if necessary, without bipartisan support.

Nev., Fla. officials protest resorts’ reported inclusion on federal conference ‘blacklist’

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Politicians from Nevada and Florida expressed outrage Thursday at a report that some federal agencies have put the two tourist hotspots in the states on a “blacklist” when deciding where to hold conferences or meetings.

Obama condemns Indonesia bomb attacks

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama condemned Friday the bombing of two prominent hotels in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta that killed at least nine people and injured dozens more.

Ahmadinejad denounces Obama, suggests talks on improving relations imperiled

EDITOR’S NOTE: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

DC Holocaust museum closed to honor guard who died stopping gunman identified as anti-Semite

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Holocaust Memorial and Museum was shuttered Thursday with its flags at half-staff as it mourned a guard who died stopping a rifle attack by a gunman authorities identified as an 88-year-old white supremacist.

Holocaust museum that bears witness to violence against Jews scene of bloodshed; 1 guard dead

WASHINGTON — The most prominent American museum bearing witness to violence against Jews was the scene of bloodshed, its doors breached by an assailant who opened fire with a rifle, killing a guard in an attack linked to a white supremacist’s hate.

Swraj Paul stays loyal as donors talk of ditching Labour: report

LONDON - Major donors of Britain’s ruling Labour Party say they will withdraw their financial support over a deepening parliamentary expenses scandal, a newspaper reported.

Selanne compares Ducks teammate Getzlaf favorably with Ovechkin, Crosby and Malkin

DETROIT — Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf and Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen seem to have some similarities.

Bea Arthur, stage, film star of ‘Mame’ and TV’s ‘Maude’ and ‘The Golden Girls,’ dies at 86

LOS ANGELES — Beatrice Arthur, the tall, deep-voiced actress who considered herself lucky to be discovered by television executives after a long stage career that included a Tony award for the musical “Mame,” died Saturday at age 86.

People’s view: Samajwadi Party’s anti-English stand outrageous

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI - Outrageous, illogical and regressive - these are some of the angry reactions from people in Lucknow and other metros of the country to the Samajwadi Party’s manifesto that promises to curb English medium education and the use of computers.

Gambling threatens U.S. military readiness, says book

WASHINGTON - A book has warned that a surge of legalized gambling in the last two decade is affecting security and military readiness in the United States.

Jacqui Smith faces new grilling for barbecue and garden patio set

LONDON - British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is once again in the news after she claimed 200 pounds in expenses to buy a barbecue and garden patio set.

Seven more held for assaulting women in Mangalore, hunt on for leaders

BANGALORE - Seven more people have been arrested and hunt is on for at least four more for Saturday’s vicious attack on women in a pub in the Karnataka coastal city of Mangalore by activists of Sri Rama Sene (army of god Rama), police said. Ten people were arrested Sunday.