Can Nancy Pelosi Get the Votes?

Are there enough votes in the House to pass the Senate's health-care bill? As of today, it's clear there aren't. House Democratic leaders have brushed aside White House calls to bring the bill forward by March 18, when President Barack Obama heads to Asia. Nevertheless, analysts close to the Democratic leadership tell me they're confident the leadership will find some way to squeeze out the 216 votes needed for a majority.

Texas education board's social studies vote may have wide impact

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas' state education board, rocked by primary elections that may push the influential panel's far-right leanings toward the center, is set to take its first vote on a new social studies curriculum that could reverberate in classrooms nationwide.

Minority births on track to outnumber white births

WASHINGTON – Minorities make up nearly half the children born in the U.S., part of a historic trend in which minorities are expected to become the U.S. majority over the next 40 years.

In fact, demographers say this year could be the "tipping point" when the number of babies born to minorities outnumbers that of babies born to whites.

7.2 aftershock hits Chile as new president takes office

SANTIAGO, Chile – The strongest aftershock since Chile's devastating earthquake rocked the South American country Thursday as President Sebastian Pinera was sworn into office.

The 7.2-magnitude aftershock was stronger than the quake that destroyed the Haitian capital on Jan. 12.

Officials meet to fix I-35 congestion

WACO - State officials say relieving traffic on I-35 is a top priority.

The Texas Department of Transportation officials held a meeting in Waco to discuss the situation with local officials.

Some ideas included extending state Highway 130 and building a high speed rail system that would connect Dallas, Houston and San Antonio using the Killeen-Temple area as a central hub.

Officials say they want public input. They will present ideas next month to four advisory committees to develop a plan.

Mexico’s Slim tops the list of world’s richest

Carlos Slim Helu takes No. 1 spot on Forbes World's Billionaires list as a record 164 10-figure titans return to the ranking amid the global economic recovery.

For the third time in three years, the world has a new richest man.

Riding surging prices of his various telecom holdings, including giant mobile outfit America Movil, Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helu has beaten out Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to become the wealthiest person on earth and nab the top spot on the 2010 Forbes list of the World's Billionaires.

Jamie Jungers wins Tiger Woods mistress beauty pageant

Jamie Jungers won the Tiger Woods Mistress Beauty Pageant on the "Howard Stern Show" this morning. The winning alleged mistress earned $75,000 for her championship performance, and listeners were treated to juicy tidbits from Jungers, Jaimee Grubbs and Loredana Jolie.

According to tweets from listeners and attendees, Jungers claimed that Woods was well endowed. "Tiger's wood was nine inches," she evidently said. Former Playboy model Loredana Jolie, meanwhile, claimed Woods was "bigger and better" than Michael Jordan.

Unemployment rises in 30 states in January

WASHINGTON - Unemployment rose in 30 states in January, the Labor Department said Wednesday, evidence that jobs remain scarce in most regions of the country.
The data is somewhat better than December, when 43 states reported higher unemployment rates, but worse than November, when rates fell in most states.

Still, five states reported record-high joblessness in January: California, at 12.5 percent; South Carolina, 12.6 percent; Florida, 11.9 percent; North Carolina, 11.1 percent; and Georgia, 10.4 percent.

House to vote on pullout from Afghanistan

WASHINGTON – In a test of congressional support for President Barack Obama's new Afghanistan strategy, lawmakers are set to vote on Wednesday on a resolution that would direct him to pull U.S. forces out of the war.

The resolution by liberal Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich is not expected to pass. But it could be an important indicator of how Obama's Democrats feel about the war, particularly ahead of November congressional elections in which Republicans are expected to make gains.

Defeated candidate Wilson supporting opponent, candidate Flores

WACO - Defeated U.S. House hopeful Chuck Wilson says he will support his former opponent Bill Flores in a run off.

Flores is facing Republican Rob Curnock for the seat.

Wilson says Flores shares a common rural experience with local residents.