WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama apparently hasn't had a cigarette since March, but the White House stopped short Thursday of declaring that he has officially kicked the habit bedeviling millions of Americans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said he expects disgruntled Democrats to make changes to the sweeping tax-cut deal he cut with Republican leaders, a pact he predicted will win congressional approval.

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit challenging California's voter-approved ban on affirmative action in public university admissions.
U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti ruled against the challenge to Proposition 209, which barred racial, ethnic or gender preferences in public education, employment and contracting.

A spokesman for President Barack Obama says the White House is still confident that Congress will pass a tax deal despite a vote by angry House Democrats to reject the emerging package.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The new U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh has created a five-attorney civil rights unit to handle criminal and civil cases involving hate crimes, police misconduct, and other civil rights issues in the 25-county western district of Pennsylvania.

NEW YORK (AP) -- John Lennon's fans celebrated his life Wednesday by visiting Strawberry Fields, the Central Park garden dedicated in his honor, while a newly released interview he gave shortly before his death showed he was optimistic about his future.

LONDON – WikiLeaks supporters struck back Wednesday at perceived enemies of the site and its jailed founder Julian Assange, launching hacker attacks against MasterCard, Swedish prosecutors, a Swedish lawyer and a Swiss group that froze Assange's bank account.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House leaned hard on fellow Democrats Wednesday to support President Barack Obama's tax deal with Republican leaders, saying it would be foolhardy and "borderline immoral" to allow taxes to climb on the middle class and benefits to run out for the long-term jobless.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The disparity between graduation rates for White and Black players at schools headed to bowl games grew again this year even as overall academic progress increased for both, a study released Monday found.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A line of questioning at an appeals court hearing over California's gay marriage ban suggested the three judges could issue a decision that would legalize same-sex marriage in that state but leave intact bans in other western states under the court's jurisdiction.