LOS ANGELES – Republicans are calling House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt’s efforts to capture the immigrant vote blatant, last-minute grandstanding that is misleading because he offers a proposal that can’t be achieved. Earlier this month, Gephardt earned applause at a Washington rally, which included scores of illegal aliens, when he …

CHICAGO – With United Airlines hurtling toward bankruptcy, its flight attendants approved $412 million in wage reductions over the next six years, in a contract ratified Saturday with company management. The salary reductions are part of a last-resort effort by management to salvage a cost-cutting plan, in the hopes of …

WASHINGTON – Leading up to the war in Iraq and in the months after Saddam Hussein (search) fell from power, President Bush (search) remained convinced that the former dictator was hiding something. The president was sure Saddam had weapons of mass destruction (search) somewhere. And despite the fact none were …

The presidency of George W. Bush (search) — part II. What goals will he set — home and abroad — during the upcoming inauguration? We’ll find out from one of his closest advisers, Dan Bartlett, counselor to the President. Plus, Congress has its own ideas about the next four years. …

PITTSBURGH – It’s been a Super Bowl (search) tradition for almost two decades — at the end of the NFL championship, someone on the winning team gets to shout, “I’m going to Disney World!” Not this year. Disney (DIS) has decided against the promotion for Super Bowl XXXIX. A company …

AMHERST, N.Y. – Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (search) collapsed Monday while delivering a speech to a local chamber of commerce, but quickly recovered and resumed her busy schedule. Clinton, D-N.Y., was going to be taken to a hospital but then decided against it after being treated by an emergency crew …

WASHINGTON – Over and over, President Bush and the first lady danced to a medley that included “I Could Have Danced All Night.” Could have, but didn’t. Bush shuttled through his 10-ball dance card at warp speed Thursday night and clocked in back at the White House by 10:03 p.m., …

CHICAGO – Health insurer Wellpoint Health Networks Inc. (WLP) Friday trimmed its earnings forecast for the fourth quarter, citing merger costs and a larger-than-expected debt repurchase last month. Wellpoint, which merged with Anthem Inc. (search) last year to create the No. 1 U.S. health insurance company, now expects to earn …

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia International Airport (search) is back open for business today but officials say few flights are scheduled. The winter storm that dumped a foot of snow on parts of Pennsylvania shut down the airport for five hours yesterday, stranding about 800 passengers. The first such closure in nine …

GENEVA – Less than 25 percent of eligible Iraqi expatriates have signed up to vote in Sunday’s elections, officials said Tuesday, the last day for overseas registration. In the United States, registration is running at about 10 percent. International figures from the first eight days of registration — excluding Tuesday …