Shomari Jennings was willing to pay the $70 ticket he received for driving without a seatbelt, but not the slew of tacked-on fees and penalties that ballooned the cost more than tenfold. Every $10 of his base fine triggered a $26 "penalty assessment" for courthouse ...

Democratic lawmakers say party leaders are considering winning crucial support from abortion foes for health care overhaul legislation with an executive order by President Barack Obama. The order — which does not require congressional approval — would be aimed at reflecting long-standing law barring federal aid for abortions ...

House Democrats are moving closer toward enacting President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The House Rules Committee has begun meeting to set the terms for the final debate and vote — which is expected on Sunday. The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, California Democrat Henry Waxman, tells the Rules Committee that the country cannot put off major ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top-seeded Duke and Syracuse registered convincing victories to advance to the second round of the NCAA basketball tournament on Friday. Duke's Blue Devils, the top seed in the South Regional, crushed Arkansas-Pine Bluff 73-44, while Syracuse, the number one team in the West Regional, defeated Vermont 79-56. "We wanted to set the tone for the tournament ...