IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Internal Revenue Service official at the center of the storm over the agency's targeting of conservative groups told Congress on Wednesday that she had done nothing wrong in the episode, and then invoked her constitutional right to refuse to answer lawmakers' questions....

Others who took the 5th: McGwire, Abramoff, North
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lois Lerner of the IRS joins a diverse roll call of people who have invoked Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination in refusing to answer questions at congressional hearings over the years....

House panel seeks to curb military sexual assaults
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Determined to check the growing epidemic of sexual assaults in the armed forces, a House panel is poised to approve a series of revisions to longstanding military law. They include stripping commanding officers of their unilateral authority to change or dismiss a court-martial conviction and requiring that service members found guilty of sexual offenses be dismissed or dishonorably discharged....

GOP questions IRS scrutiny of anti-abortion groups
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- When a small anti-abortion group in Iowa sought nonprofit status, the Internal Revenue Service asked its board to promise not to organize protests outside Planned Parenthood and demanded to know how its prayer meetings and protest signs were educational....

Officials: Suspect lunged at FBI agent with knife
BOSTON (AP) -- Law enforcement officials say a man was shot while he was being questioned in the Boston Marathon bombing case after he lunged at an FBI agent with a knife....

Anthony Weiner launches bid to become NYC mayor
NEW YORK (AP) -- Anthony Weiner's run for redemption is officially on....

Senate rejects bid to let states run food stamps
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate has rejected a Republican amendment to turn the federal food stamp program over to the states....

House Republicans promote 20-week abortion ban
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republican who oppose abortion promoted legislation Wednesday that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy....

Pentagon to seek new vets record system
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A U.S. official says the Pentagon has decided to buy a new computerized health records system that will allow the department to better share and merge its data with the Department of Veterans Affairs....

Republican divisions may hinder party's momentum
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A string of unrelated events is highlighting divisions among Republicans just when they'd like to show a united front and take full advantage of President Barack Obama's latest political problems....