• Health care bill nears crucial Senate test vote 11/21/2009, 6:00 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Democratic senators called an overhaul of the U.S. health care system long overdue as historic legislation advanced toward a crucial first vote Saturday night, an early test of party unity on President Barack Obama's top domestic initiative

• Chinese activist detained during Obama trip 11/20/2009, 9:32 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - A leading Chinese human rights lawyer who tried unsuccessfully to meet with President Barack Obama in Beijing this week was detained and interrogated twice during Obama's visit to China, a U.S. lawmaker and an American-based Chinese activist said.

• Prosecutors plan commission case in Cole bombing 11/20/2009, 8:37 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Military prosecutors said Friday they plan to seek new charges against the alleged mastermind of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole.

• US senator says more e-mails from Hasan possible 11/20/2009, 7:25 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - There may be additional e-mails that could have tipped off law enforcement or military officials to the Fort Hood shooter before he went on his deadly rampage, the chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee said Friday.

• FAA says equipment outage caused 819 flight delays 11/20/2009, 6:48 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration is blaming an equipment outage this week for delaying 819 flights.

• GOP: Health test recommendations could affect care 11/20/2009, 6:09 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Republicans are seizing on this week's recommendations for fewer pap smears and mammograms to fuel concern about government-rationed medical care-and to try to chip away support by women for President Barack Obama's proposed health care overhaul.

• Guests for the Sunday TV news shows 11/20/2009, 6:07 p.m. EST
(AP) — Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows:

• Levin: could be more e-mails from Ft. Hood suspect 11/20/2009, 6:05 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON-The government intercepted at least 18 e-mails between the alleged Fort Hood gunman and a radical Muslim cleric, and a key senator says there could be more communications that might have tipped off law enforcement or military officials.

• US to drop shooting case against Blackwater guard 11/20/2009, 4:44 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The Justice Department intends to drop manslaughter and weapons charges against one of the Blackwater Worldwide security guards involved in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, prosecutors said in court documents Friday.

• US couple pleads guilty in Cuban spying case 11/20/2009, 3:33 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - A retired State Department worker and his wife accused of a three-decade-long plot to spy for Cuba have pleaded guilty in federal court.

• Ethics committee says no punishment for Burris 11/20/2009, 1:36 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The Senate ethics committee admonished a U.S. senator on Friday for making "inconsistent, misleading or incomplete" statements about the circumstances surrounding his appointment to the Senate seat once held by Barack Obama. The committee recommended no action beyond the letter.

• Ethics committee: No punishment for Burris 11/20/2009, 11:46 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The Senate ethics committee on Friday admonished Democratic Sen. Roland Burris for misleading investigators about his maneuvering to get Barack Obama's old Senate seat from the governor who was ousted for trying to sell it.

• Past CNN head, Bush aide named to broadcast board 11/20/2009, 9:47 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has nominated a former press secretary to President George W. Bush and a past chairman of CNN to the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The independent agency oversees nonmilitary international broadcasts sponsored by the federal government, including Voice of America.

• Google adding automatic captions to YouTube videos 11/19/2009, 1:53 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Think of it as closed captioning for the new media world.

• GOP governors assail health care plans 11/19/2009, 12:55 p.m. EST
(AP) — CEDAR CREEK, Texas - GOP governors are blistering Democratic health care plans in Congress. They say the legislation will result in crippling costs to states already grappling with huge budget deficits in a recession.

• Reid: Congress closer than ever to health overhaul 11/19/2009, 12:48 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The Senate Democratic leader says Congress is closer than ever to overhauling the nation's health care system.

• Many parents inaccurately claim college tax credit 11/19/2009, 12:39 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - A government report says more than 314,000 taxpayers made inaccurate claims for a popular tax credit that helps pay college expenses, getting $532 million they weren't entitled to receive.

• Feinstein seeks national energy standards for TVs 11/19/2009, 12:15 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Sen. Dianne Feinstein is encouraging the Obama administration to adopt new energy efficiency standards for televisions, similar to those just approved in her home state of California.

• Gov't rewarding firms checking immigrant status 11/19/2009, 10:47 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The Homeland Security Department says it will give a "seal of approval" to businesses volunteering to use an electronic program to check workers' immigration status.

• Newseum puts Tim Russert's NBC office on display 11/19/2009, 10:43 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Museum visitors in Washington will get the chance to step into "Meet the Press" moderator Tim Russert's old NBC office, which has been reassembled at the Newseum.

• AP-US-SCI--Odd Crocs,1st Ld-Writethru, US 11/19/2009, 10:30 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - A 20-foot-long crocodile with three sets of fangs-like wild boar tusks-roamed parts of northern Africa millions of years ago, researchers reported Thursday.

• FAA says flight computer system working again 11/19/2009, 10:11 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - FAA says flight computer system working again.

• Treasury secretary urges US financial overhaul 11/19/2009, 10:08 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is pushing Congress to move quickly in overhauling badly flawed U.S. financial rules, which he says is essential for the health of the economy.

• Geithner urges prompt action on financial overhaul 11/19/2009, 10:01 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is pushing Congress to move quickly in overhauling the nation's badly flawed financial rules, which he says is essential for the health of the economy.

• Mortgage delinquencies hit record-high in 3Q 11/19/2009, 10:00 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - An industry group says more than 14 percent of American homeowners with a mortgage were either behind on their payments or in foreclosure at the end of September, a record-high for the ninth straight quarter.