In the wake of the horrific Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the contentious debate over gun control has been reignited, spurring new policy proposals by lawmakers and mobilizing gun-rights advocates.

The family of slain Border Patrol agent Brian Terry is suing federal officials over the botched “Fast and Furious” gunrunning operation.

Responding to a “devastating” new medical device tax, lawmakers are scrambling to delay ObamaCare’s latest job-killing provision.

In a controversial push, Michigan state Republican legislators made waves Thursday by passing a series of right-to-work measures, attracting a wave of protests from union members and other opponents of the bills. The statutes would bar unions from requiring employees to become union members, or to pay dues or fees as a condition of employment.

NSA whistleblower William Binney says the FBI’s probe into General David Petraeus indicates that “every American is under surveillance.”

Airport security screeners for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have formally ratified a union contract that will add some 45,000 members to the ranks of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a labor union representing over 650,000 employees of the federal government. Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the AFGE is the largest union for non-postal federal employees and the largest union for District of Columbia workers who report directly to the mayor.

The growing energy boom in the United States could make it the largest global oil producer by the end of the decade, temporarily exceeding Saudi Arabia, and a top exporter of natural gas, according to a new report. Released Monday, the International Energy Agency (IEA), a French research group for oil-importing nations, published data showing that by 2030, the United States will be energy self-sufficient on net and North America will become a net oil exporter.

Republican Rep. Allen West, the outspoken Army veteran who won Florida's 18th congressional contest during the 2008 Tea Party blitz, lost by a slight margin Tuesday in his hotly-contested battle against Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy. But while Murphy has declared himself the winner, after securing an initial vote count in front by 2,456 — out of more than 300,000 total votes — West has yet to concede the race and is asking for a recount.

To improve business competitiveness and revitalize the economy, France’s government has pledged $25 billion in tax credits to businesses.

In the wake of the November 6 elections, voters have approved a number of contentious state initiatives, including a $6-billion-a-year bundle of tax increases sponsored by California Governor Jerry Brown. Proposition 30, a focal point of Brown’s administration, would increase the sales tax by 0.25 cent for the next four years, while raising income taxes on those earning more than $250,000 for the next seven years.