Pope Francis waves to faithful as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca) by Rachell ZollAssociated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) — In recent years, many American bishops have drawn a harder line with parishioners on what could be considered truly Roman Catholic, adopting a more aggressive style of correction and telling abortion rights supporters to stay away from the sacrament of Communion.
OHIO VOTER--Lauren Howie, 27, poses outside the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan) EDITOR'S NOTE _ "America at the Tipping Point: The Changing Face of a Nation" is an occasional series examining the cultural mosaic of the U.S. and its historic shift to a majority-minority nation. by Hope Yen WASHINGTON (AP) — Black Americans voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the White turnout for the first time, reflecting a deeply polarized presidential election in which Blacks strongly supported Barack Obama while many Whites stayed home.
BUILDING LEGACY--In this April 11 photo, President Barack Obama is seen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) by Liz Sidoti WASHINGTON (AP) — He wants to slash funding for the Democratic sacred cows of Social Security and Medicare. He doesn't agree with a judge and women's rights groups that girls of any age should have easy access to emergency contraception. He has hinted that he may disappoint environmentalists by letting the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline be built.
SEN. RAND PAUL, R-KY (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File) by Ashley Killough (CNN) -- Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who's considering a 2016 presidential bid, made a pitch for his party Wednesday at the historically Black Howard University, arguing why the GOP and African Americans should fall in the same column.
BILL PASSES--House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., holds a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, to discuss the reintroduction of the Violence Against Women Act. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) by Jim Abrams Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Thursday passed and sent to President Barack Obama a far-reaching extension of the Violence Against Women Act.
by Nelson LichtensteinSpecial to CNN (CNN) -- Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's stunning decision to sign a right-to-work law poses the question: Are these anti-union statutes, which make illegal any union contract that requires union membership or payment of dues a condition of employment, the future? During the last two years Indiana and Wisconsin have also passed laws that curb union strength and slash dues income. NELSON LICHTENSTEIN
