Democrat Walter Dalton and Republican Pat McCrory stuck to tried themes during their first debate of the general election campaign for North Carolina governor.

The dominant figure in a Virginia Senate race that could determine the direction of Congress next year is President Barack Obama even though both candidates for the seat are former governors well-known to voters.

Republican Pat McCrory and Democrat Walter Dalton are taking to the stage together to answer questions for the first time in their six-week old general election campaign for North Carolina governor.

It's a safe bet that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will not garner many votes from African-Americans in November.

The Supreme Court's review of health reform means any or all of the law's mandates, such as coverage of adult dependents up to age 26 and protections for people with pre-existing conditions, could be in jeopardy.

With time running out for Congress to prevent a doubling of interest rates on federal student loans, the White House and Republican leaders exchanged accusations Thursday on who was to blame for the lack of an agreement.

The North Carolina Legislature has agreed to a state government spending plan for next year that's now heading to Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue's desk.

A day after electing their first African-American president, Southern Baptists passed a resolution opposing the idea that same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue.

The House has approved a precedent-setting resolution to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in criminal contempt of Congress. It was the first time a sitting Cabinet member has been held in contempt.

Elaine Riddick of Atlanta said Wednesday she's considering legal action against the state for sterilizing her and other people decades ago.

Calvin Mercer says he's taking steps to not accept the pay increase passed in the new City of Greenville budget, which Mercer voted against.

President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is running new Spanish-language television ads touting the benefits of Obama's health care overhaul for Hispanic voters.

In a new memoir, John Edwards' mistress Rielle Hunter says she contemplated what life would be like for them if he were to be convicted and imprisoned on campaign finance charges.

Arizona Sen. John McCain says foreign cash is sneaking into U.S. elections through super PACs, including one backing ally Mitt Romney.

- With global anxiety rising, President Barack Obama is searching for bolder, swifter signals from Europe that it will contain its financial mess and keep it from torpedoing the U.S. economy and his re-election chances along with it.

The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented $800,000 in revitalization grants to 3 cities Thursday.

The House overrode a veto by Governor Perdue to put legislation back in effect that allows community college presidents the ability to decide if participating in a low-interest federal loan program is in the best interest of their college.

The North Carolina House has approved a form of natural gas drilling critics say will contaminate groundwater.

President Barack Obama and Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney are offering dueling speeches about how to fix the economy in Ohio.

Fracking has cleared another hurdle on its way to becoming legal in North Carolina.

The lawsuit pushes for adoption reform to legally recognize second-parent adoption, because in the case of unmarried and same-sex couples in north carolina, only one parent can be a legal guardian to an adopted child.

The House gave its final approval Wednesday to legislation supporters say scales back the Racial Justice Act by narrowing the use of statistics from capital cases.

North Carolina's leading teacher lobbying group has endorsed Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton to be the state's next governor.

The NC Senate proposes tolls on all ferries to be effective July 1st despite the governor's call for a moratorium on tolls.