msnbc.com staff and news service reports About 40,000 state laws taking effect at the start of the new year will change rules about  getting abortions in New Hampshire, learning about gays and lesbians in California, getting jobs in Alabama and even… more »

(Reuters) - The House of Representatives approved a controversial measure on Wednesday providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who came to the United States before age 16. The "Dream Act" passed by 216-198 after sometimes heated deba… more »

By John Stanton Roll Call Staff Nov. 30, 2010, 10:09 p.m. File Photo A food safety bill that has burned up precious days of the Senate’s lame-duck session appears headed back to the chamber because Democrats violated a constitutional provis… more »

 By Lisa Mascaro, Tribune Washington Bureau(Washington) Democrats on Tuesday broke Republican-led opposition to a bill that would extend unemployment benefits to 2.5 million jobless Americans, but the vote only hardened the political divide and… more »

BBC News The US Senate has given final approval to the biggest overhaul of American financial regulation in decades. The reforms are intended to avert a repeat of the 2008 crisis that brought the world economy to the brink of collapse. The Senate vo… more »