Maryland

HRC is donating $1 million to campaigns in four states where voters will be considering gay marriage this fall. ?The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is donating $1 million to campaigns in four states where voters will be considering gay marriage this fall. HRC, the nation's largest gay rights advocate, is giving $250,000 each to the campaigns in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington state. The donations bring HRC's contributions on the issue this year to $4.8 million. ?These ballot measures are the critical issues in November for our community, besides reelecting the president,? HRC's Michael Cole-Schwartz told POLITICO.COM. ?And part of why they're a big deal is because our opponents have rightfully had the talking points that all of these states have banned marriage for same-sex couples [in the past],? he said. Cole-Schwartz noted polling that currently favors gay marriage supporters. ?This is the year where we really think that we have the opportunity to be the victors,? he said. ?W

US President Barack Obama marked his 51st birthday Saturday with a round of golf, and a volley of mockery from his Republican foes as November's election looms.

Katie Ledecky of the United States led all the way to win the gold medal in the women's swimming 800m freestyle Friday, winning in the second fastest time in history.

Apple has more than $81 billion parked overseas. Microsoft has $54 billion, Google $43 billion and Cisco $42 billion.

A majority of Maryland voters favor a gay marriage law approved earlier this year by lawmakers. A majority of Maryland voters favor a gay marriage law approved earlier this year by lawmakers. According to a Hart Research Associates survey conducted in July, 54 percent of respondents favor marriage equality, while 40 percent remain opposed. After passage of the marriage law, which does not take effect until January 1, opponents gathered sufficient signatures to put it up to a popular vote at the ballot box in November. Pollsters also found support for gay marriage increased 4 percent among African-American voters since March. One explanation could be President Barack Obama's May announcement in support of such unions. ?The bottom line is that a November win for marriage equality at the ballot box in Maryland is well within our grasp,? pollsters noted in releasing their results. ?Both overall support and the INTENSITY of the support have increased, and, in particular, President Obama's s

US police arrested a man and seized an arsenal of weapons after he threatened his employer and raised fears he was inspired by the recent mass shooting in Colorado, officials said Friday.

Chick-fil-A is a growing American fast-food chain that's as famous for its Bible Belt principles -- it never opens on Sundays -- as it is for its chicken burgers and nuggets.

Growing US fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, as famous for its Bible Belt principles, it never opens on Sundays, as it's food, is at the center of a fight over gay marriage.

A US military judge barred WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning from citing evidence at his trial alleging he caused no serious harm to the United States when he released a massive trove of secret government documents.

An upcoming referendum on gay marriage in Maryland is threatened by a gambling proposal, marriage equality supporters say. An upcoming referendum on gay marriage in Maryland is threatened by a gambling proposal, marriage equality supporters say. Maryland lawmakers approved and Governor Martin O'Malley signed a measure legalizing gay marriage earlier this year. The law won't take effect until January 1, 2013, giving opponents sufficient time to attempt to repeal the law at the ballot box in November. O'Malley is also backing a proposal to open the state's sixth casino to be built in conservative Prince George County and is expected to introduce a draft bill to lawmakers on Friday. If approved during a special session, voters would decide on the measure in the fall. ?Gambling overwhelms every issue in the state,? Chrys Kefalas, former legal counsel to former Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr, told The Washington Post. ?This is a big fight with the potential for collateral damage.? A gambling

Frank Schubert, a leading opponent of gay marriage, has said he loves his lesbian sister. ?Frank Schubert, a leading opponent of gay marriage, has said he loves his lesbian sister. The 56-year-old Schubert led the 2008 campaign to approve Proposition 8, California's gay marriage. Today, he is managing four statewide campaigns where voters will decide the issue in the fall ? in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington state. In an AP profile, Schubert, a Roman Catholic, is described as ?part Karl Rove and part Pat Robertson.? ?Five thousand years have shown that marriage between a man and a woman serves us well,? Schubert said before describing the alternative as a culture based on personal desires. Gay rights activist Julie Davis said she admired Schubert's political skill. ?Whether we like it or not, he's done a very good job of tapping into fears people have about homosexuality that are still very real,? she told the AP. Schubert insisted that his opposition to marriage equality was

Three decades of safe-sex messages to gays have failed to stem the spread of HIV among a population at greater risk of the AIDS virus than heterosexuals, experts warned in The Lancet on Friday.

Lawyers for the alleged Al-Qaeda mastermind of the deadly 2000 attack on the USS Cole demanded Thursday that his Guantanamo military tribunal be televised.

A US military judge ruled Thursday that WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning will not be allowed to cite evidence at his trial alleging he caused no serious harm to the United States when he released a massive trove of secret government documents.

President Barack Obama made "prejudicial" comments about the soldier accused of the biggest intelligence leak in US history and harmed the suspect's defense, a court has heard.

President Barack Obama's comments about the soldier accused of the biggest intelligence leak in US history may have damaged the prospects of a fair trial, a defense lawyer argued Tuesday.

Obama's endorsement of gay marriage could chip away at his overwhelming support among African-Americans, Harry Jackson claims. ?President Barack Obama's endorsement of gay marriage could chip away at his overwhelming support among African-Americans, Bishop Harry Jackson has said. Jackson, a minister at the Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, came to prominence fighting against the District of Columbia's gay marriage law and a similar law approved earlier this year in Maryland. Appearing Friday on Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, Jackson told guest host Juan Williams that George W. Bush won reelection in 2004, when marriage was an issue, because of a slight uptick in black support for Republicans in Ohio and Florida. He said presumed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney could reach blacks with the issue. ?Twenty percent of blacks will not vote for Obama? because of his stance on marriage, Jackson said. The Rev. Conrad Tillard, senior minister of Nazarene Congregational Church

A crippling heat wave that has held large swathes of the United States hostage gave way slightly -- but not before leaving dozens dead in several states, officials and local media said.

A scorching heatwave searing the United States was expected to begin to ease slightly Sunday, but authorities warned that temperatures will still remain high and dangerous through most of the weekend.

A scorching heat wave searing the United States was expected to ease soon, meteorologists said Saturday, heralding relief from record highs blamed for deaths and drought-like conditions.