Thousands of union supporters descended on the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday to protest a proposal to dramatically curtail bargaining powers of government workers. Republican lawmakers in Ohio are hoping to advance the measure quickly, pushing Ohio to the forefront of states where efforts to curtail public-sector unions have met heavy resistance.

President Obama awarded the 2010 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal to 20 recipients at the White House on Wednesday.

Moammar Gaddafi has ruled Libya for more than 40 years. Now, he is strongly rejecting opposition demands that he give up power, as anti-government demonstrators continue to push for his ouster.

An athlete. A principal. A painter. These six new members of Congress come from all walks of life.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden over sex crimes claims, a judge said Thursday. Assange's lawyer said he would appeal against the ruling to the High Court.

Rahm Emanuel, a former House member and chief of staff to President Obama, overcame legal obstacles to become the next mayor of Chicago.

Thune is among a number of Republicans weighing a 2012 bid for the presidency.

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is considering a run for president in 2012.

Activists of DC Vote staged a protest outside the residence of Speaker John Boehner on Capitol Hill over proposed cuts to DC funding. The speaker left his home escorted by security officers and Capitol police. The protesters clam that a new bill set to be voted on in the House today would give Congress the power to control how and when the District spends not federal but its own money.

The largest conservative gathering of the year kicked off in Washington with a series of speeches from potential Republican presidential candidates, who demanded a reversal of President Obama's economic, energy and foreign policy agendas.

President Obama awarded the Medal of Freedom Tuesday to 15 people, including former president George H.W. Bush. The medal is the highest honor the U.S. government can bestow on any person outside of the military. It is given to individuals with ¿especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.¿

Hosni Mubarak came to power in Egypt nearly 30 years ago. Here's a look at his tenure.

Rep. Chris Lee (R-N.Y.) resigned from the House Wednesday evening effective immediately, an announcement that came just hours after a Web site reported that the married congressman had sent a shirtless image of himself to a woman he met on Craigslist.

This weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference will bring together most of the GOP's potential 2012 presidential contenders (with two notable exceptions: Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee). Here's who to watch.