Chicago pledges improvements after scathing police report

Chicago officials are pledging to revamp the city Police Department following a scathing federal report, but a change in presidential administrations could spell uncertainty for the critical next step in the process: negotiating a court-enforceable improvement plan with the Justice Department. A report released Friday in the final days of Attorney General Loretta Lynch's tenure found that police in the nation's second-largest department had violated the constitutional rights of residents for years, including the frequent use of excessive force, shooting at people who did not pose imminent threats and using stun guns on others only because they refused to follow commands.

IRS letters warn millions about health insurance penalty

" If you haven't signed up for health insurance, you may soon be getting a not-too-subtle nudge from the taxman. The IRS is sending personalized letters to millions of taxpayers who might be uninsured, reminding them that they could be on the hook for hundreds of dollars in fines under the federal health care law if they don't sign up soon through HealthCare.gov.

Early win on budget pressures GOP to deliver on health care

" Republicans have won a gateway victory in Congress in their seven-year trek toward scuttling President Barack Obama's health care law. Now with Donald Trump a week from taking the presidential oath, achieving that goal is possible, but the pressure is on for them to deliver a final product.

Trump security adviser, Russian official already talking

In this Dec. 12, 2016 file photo, National Security Adviser-designate Michael T. Flynn waits for an elevator in the lobby at Trump Tower in New York. The Obama administration is aware of frequent contacts between President-elect Donald Trump's top national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russia's ambassador to the United States, including on the day President Barack Obama hit Moscow with sanctions in retaliation for election-related hacking, a senior U.S. official said Friday, Jan. 13, 2017.

Ap Fact Check: No federal pension for Obama’s mother-in-law

A story widely shared online that claims President Barack Obama's mother-in-law will receive a lifetime government pension is false. The post published by The Boston Tribune , a satire website that mimics an actual news publication, is headlined " First Grandma Marian Robinson to Receive Lifetime $160K Government Pension."

Klinsmann believes US Soccer made progress before his firing

Freezing rain moved into the southern Plains early Friday, creating icy condition that prompted flight cancellations and school closures as forecasters warned that the weather could cripple the region through the... A thick glaze of ice covered roads from Oklahoma to southern Illinois on Friday amid a winter storm that caused numerous wrecks, forced school cancellations, grounded flights and prompted dire warnings for people to stay... A senior U.S. official says the Obama administration is aware of frequent contacts between President-elect Donald Trump's top national security adviser and Russia's ambassador to the United States.

President Obama to NASA: Thanks for Sending My Signature to Mars

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover arrived at the Red Planet in 2012, carrying a special embellishment: a plaque with signatures from the country's top officials, including U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Last night , Obama responded to a NASA tweet about that plaque with a thank you, calling it "out of this world."

Top Trump aide in frequent contact with Russia’s ambassador

President-elect Donald Trump's national security adviser and Russia's ambassador to the U.S. have been in frequent contact in recent weeks, including on the day the Obama administration hit Moscow with sanctions in retaliation for election-related hacking, a senior official said Friday. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer acknowledged contacts between Michael Flynn and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, but said a phone conversation occurred on Dec. 28, one day before the sanctions were levied.

Anti-Trump protests to kick off with Washington civil rights march

A week of protests ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president is set to kick off on Saturday with a civil rights march in Washington by activists angry over the Republican's comments on minority groups including Muslims and Mexicans.

Havana hails end to special US immigration policy for Cubans

The Cuban government hailed President Barack Obama's decision ending automatic legal residency for any Cuban who touches U.S. soil, while ordinary citizens mourned the end of an easy pathway to a new life in the United States. Average Cubans and opponents of the island's communist leaders said they expected pressure for reform to increase with the elimination of a mechanism that siphoned off the island's most dissatisfied citizens and turned them into sources of remittances supporting relatives who remained on the island.