The U.S. Senate passed landmark legislation Thursday. The bill makes violence against gays and lesbians a federal crime.

In a ceremony on Monday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally endorsed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a second term as president. However, the event was skipped by opposition leaders and critics of the disputed election.

Conservative opposition candidate and supermarket tycoon Ricardo Martinelli emerged victorious in Panama's presidential election on Sunday.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is traveling the world, helping Barack Obama rejuvenate global opinion about America in a new spirit of cooperation, but at least part of her attention is not on the future, but the past – still trying to tackle what her website calls the "2008 primary election debt retirement." What better way that to market her husband? Always hip, always grinning, Bill Clinton is back on the dating scene. For one day.

President Barack Obama spoke in Turkey Monday, calling a partnership with Muslim nations “critical,” the Associated Press reported.

It's pretty well known that the strains of being President wreak havoc on a person. It seems to age them beyond normal expectations. And after only 1 1/2 months in office, Barack Obama is showing the effects: graying at the temples.

The historical ranking of United States Presidents is all over the news today. And the Presidential rankings have some pretty agreeable conclusions.

Juan Williams, an NPR reporter who has also written for the Washington Post, showed some real emotion yesterday when describing Barack Obama's inauguration speech and the benediction delivered by civil rights activist Reverend Joseph Lowery.

Despite the fact that the election was over months ago, people continue to use Barack Obama's middle name, Hussein, as an issue. For example, in her newest book, Guilty, Ann Coulter repeated refers to Barack Obama as B. Hussein Obama. It was thus interesting to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama today, and see the announcer refer to him as Barack H. Obama.

This is quite possibly the first Inauguration Day which will have TV ratings to rival the Super Bowl. And for January 20th, 2009's Day of Change, what are the times, what is the lineup for Barack Obama's inauguration?

No, Barack Obama has not withdrawn his invitation to Rick Warren. Rick Warren is still doing the invocation at Barack Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration, shortly before Obama delivers his much-anticipated inaugural address. But Gene Robinson, the first openly gay diocesan bishop in the Anglican Communion, in an obvious olive branch to the gay community, will share his invocation prayer Sunday afternoon on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during an inaugural kick-off event.

On Saturday, Shaun Donovan, New York City housing commissioner was named by President-elect Barack Obama to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).