National Public Radio

Whether Mitt Romney's record on gay rights in consistent depends on who you ask. Whether Mitt Romney's record on gay rights in consistent depends on who you ask. Romney, who served as governor of Massachusetts when the state's highest court legalized gay marriage, found himself in an awkward situation on Monday in New Hampshire when he told a 63-year-old Vietnam veteran that he did not support marriage equality. The gay vet chided Romney for not supporting equality. But back during his 1994 campaign to unseat Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy, Romney promised a gay GOP group that he would do more for ?full equality? for gay men and lesbians than his opponent. Romney has denied any inconsistency, saying that back then gay rights advocates were not calling for marriage rights. ?What happened was that the gay community changed their perspective as to what they wanted,? Romney told Piers Morgan on his CNN talk show Piers Morgan Tonight. ?I oppose same-sex marriage,? he said. ?At the same time

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Internal Revenue Service's crackdown on overseas tax cheats is having an unintended consequence on American expats. It's prompting many of them to pay penalties for failure to file paperwork that may be drastically out of proportion to the actual amount of taxes owed.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Black Keys returned to rock 'n' roll on Tuesday with their new album "El Camino" that earned solid critical praise and quickly reached the top spot on iTunes' album chart.

The Arab Spring uprisings and Occupy-style US protests have inspired a new genre of serious videogames designed to help activists develop strategy -- all in the safety of cyberspace.

Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, Congress' first openly gay member, on Thursday said he believes discrimination against gay people is fading. ?Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, Congress' first openly gay member, on Thursday said he believes discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people is fading. In discussing his recent decision to retire after serving 16 terms, Frank said he was proud of the role his coming out in 1987 played in advancing gay rights. ?It will be my 25th anniversary,? Frank said during an NPR interview. ?I was very frightened when I did it, it turned out unnecessarily. Yeah, I think one of the great success stories in America is the extent to which we have overcome prejudice based on being lesbian or gay, bisexual, transgender.? ?It's not completely gone but the end is in sight. And I am proud of my role in that. I think coming out was a big part of it because reality beats prejudice and presenting people, those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexu

The author of scores of books in a spate of different series, Ms. McCaffrey was best known for ``Dragonriders,'' more than 20 novels written over four decades.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A high-profile effort to trim stubborn U.S. budget deficits appeared near collapse on Friday as Democrats and Republicans were unable to agree on tax increases and benefit cuts.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A high-profile effort to trim stubborn U.S. budget deficits appeared near collapse on Friday as Democrats and Republicans were unable to agree on tax increases and benefit cuts.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A high-profile effort to trim stubborn U.S. budget deficits appeared near collapse on Friday as Democrats and Republicans were unable to agree on tax increases and benefit cuts.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A high-profile effort to trim stubborn U.S. budget deficits appeared near collapse on Friday as Democrats and Republicans were unable to agree on tax increases and benefit cuts.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department did its homework on a $535 million loan guarantee it gave to now-bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra, Energy Secretary Steven Chu plans to tell lawmakers at a hearing on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has said it may take similar skills to navigate Washington politics as it does to make advances in physics research, a field in which he won a Nobel Prize in 1997.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Contributors to President Barack Obama's campaign did not influence the decisions on government aid to the now-bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra, Energy Secretary Steven Chu told National Public Radio.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Contributors to President Barack Obama's campaign did not influence the decisions on government aid to the now-bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra, Energy Secretary Steven Chu told National Public Radio.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Contributors to President Barack Obama's campaign did not influence the decisions on government aid to the now-bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra, Energy Secretary Steven Chu told National Public Radio.

Dozens of state lawmakers in Washington are expected next week to introduce a bill that would legalize gay marriage in the state. ?Dozens of state lawmakers in Washington are expected next week to introduce a bill that would legalize gay marriage in the state. Democratic state Senator Ed Murray from Seattle is the chief sponsor of the bill. On Thursday, state Rep. Jim Moeller announced he would join the effort. ?Let's trust adults to make the call ? not any state office, agency or bureaucracy ? when it comes to adult decisions such as marital vows,? Moeller, an openly gay Democrat from Vancouver, said in a statement. ?Our objective is to strengthen the social and legal protections for average mainstream Washington families ? the men, women and their children who make their homes in our communities and neighborhoods,? he said. Murray, who is also openly gay, has previously sponsored bills shoring up the state's domestic partnership law. The latest expansion approved in 2009 gives gay an

(Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc erroneously portrayed its ambitions as a healthcare provider in a document sent to potential vendors recently, leading to the mistaken impression that the world's largest retailer wanted to become a national primary care provider.

MSNBC is being called on to sanction 'Morning Joe' contributor Pat Buchanan for his anti-gay remarks. MSNBC is being called on to sanction Morning Joe contributor Pat Buchanan for his anti-gay remarks. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay rights group, joined media watchdog group Media Matters on Thursday in calling on the cable network to take action against Buchanan after he called homosexuality ?unnatural? during a Wednesday interview on National Public Radio (NPR). ?I believe that homosexuality is ? that it is unnatural activity. Unnatural and immoral,? Buchanan told Diane Rehm, host of The Diane Rehm Show. ?I would say that kind of conduct should be discouraged in a good society, in a healthy society.? ?And it used to be discouraged. And I do think that the idea that men can marry men and women marry women in the USA is a sign of a civilization in its final throes. I mean, we saw things like this at the end of the Weimar Republic. Things like this at the end o

Jerry Grayson isn't exactly what you would call a starving artist. He holds a day job as a graphic designer and illustrator. He pays his bills creating things like the signs offering free buffets for senior citizens. Still, he could use some extra cash.

(Reuters) - Norman Corwin, the award-winning writer and director of golden-age radio plays who was also Oscar nominated for his work in films has died of natural causes at home in Los Angeles. He was 101.