After Congress pushed the nation to the verge of catastrophe last year by delaying a deal to raise the debt ceiling until the eleventh hour, our capacity to be surprised by that body’s irresponsible gamesmanship was somewhat diminished.

The swift retreat of the Susan G. Komen foundation Friday from its assault on Planned Parenthood is a timely reminder of the power of protest, especially when its target and purpose are clear and its voices are not only strong but also credible. The national Komen organization earlier in the week had cut off funding […]

For the first time in years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reworked nutrition rules for school meals. The effort was billed as a step in the fight against childhood obesity, and part of Michelle Obama’s pet Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

When President Barack Obama exchanged a few words with officials in the House chamber before his State of the Union address, the microphone picked up a cryptic comment to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta: “Leon, good job tonight.”

A new federal study found that Americans are getting screened for three major cancers — breast, cervical and colorectal — at rates far below national targets. The shortfall is especially high among adults who lack insurance or regular access to a doctor, partly because the recession drove employers to lay off workers or cut health benefits.

Mitt Romney has had a rough time explaining how he would maintain a social safety net for the poor. His recent remarks have suggested callousness. But amid the kerfuffle, he offered one good idea: specifically, he told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he backs indexing the federal minimum wage to inflation, just as he did when running for governor of Massachusetts a decade ago.

Let us say the outset that we have nothing against politics. In fact, we find it the best way to translate the will of the people into policy. Some aspects of government, however, work best outside the election cycle free-for-all.

As the Giants and Patriots face off tonight in Indianapolis, fans will see and hear things that would have never been part of the football past.

Gov. Paul LePage held two meetings with southern Maine Democrats this week, and he’s not talking about what went on. But the governor can’t be happy about what he heard.