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Republicans accused of using vote as payback after Obama's administration revoked oil-drilling permits near national parksPresident Barack Obama suffered a very public rebuff to his plans to green America's economy today when Republicans in the Senate blocked his choice of overseer for oil and gas exploration.David Hayes, an environmental lawyer, fell three votes short of the 60 needed for confirmation as the deputy interior secretary. Hayes had served in the same post when Bill Clinton was president.It was the first time an Obama nominee has fallen on the Senate floor, in a defeat engineered by Republicans from oil-rich states.Angry Democrats accused Republicans of using the vote as payback against efforts by the Obama administration to overturn several controversial measures brought in during the final days of Bush's presidency.The interior secretary, Ken Salazar, has revoked 77 oil-drilling permits in Utah, awarded under Bush-era regulations that made it easier for oil and gas compa

The online classifieds site is dropping its controversial 'erotic services' category in response to law enforcers who said the ads were a front for prostitution. The category will be replaced with one listing 'adult services,' and a fee will be charged. Employees will monitor every posting before it appears online.

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 May 2009, 10:10 CDT Choice, privacy and a sense of identity are just some of the things that older people living in residential care need to maintain a good quality of life...

Last May, Sidney Ribeau became the 16th president of Howard University, a leading historically black college in Washington, D.C. Ribeau talks about his new post and responds to criticism that historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are no longer relevant.

Editor's Note: Peggy Delaney is sailing on a newly refurbished research vessel, the JOIDES Resolution, that left Honolulu on March 10 with an international group of researchers on board. The ship, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, conducts scientific investigations beneath the seafloor by drilling the ocean floor and retrieving long “cores” of mud for testing and data collection. This is her thirteenth blog post. To see all her posts, see "60 Seconds in the Mid-Pacific."SOMEWHERE IN THE MID-PACIFIC (April 29, 2009)--We are underway toward Hawaii now, with the JOIDES Resolution averaging at least 11 knots. I just stepped outside for a few minutes of my 3 A.M. break, and I got to thinking about the night sky, the science of the expedition, and life at home. [More]

She's pregnant. They're thrilled. Both husband and wife have all kinds of hopes and plans and dreams for this baby ... and then the pain begins, and they learn that no baby will be born as a result... iParenting.com network has more than 40 community sites covering preconception, pregnancy, parents and families. Research baby names, start a parenting blog, post a question on our extensive message boards or read expert advice in our articles, expert Q&A and news sections. No other parenting site has gathered more wisdom than iParenting.com ? Join the community! http://www.iparenting.com

Manuscript images, statues, post-medieval portraits and other images associated with Joan of Arc, the Maid of Lorraine.

Twenty-one educators from across the region were honored yesterday evening in a reception at The Washington Post's headquarters as winners of the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Awards.