Clinton

Where there's smoke, there's Clinton. NORMAN LIEBMANN Thousand Oaks

Hours after Republican members of Congress sharply questioned Hillary Rodham Clinton and the State Department's handling of the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, the former secretary of State did not explicitly mention the controversy in an appearance Wednesday night. But she did reference partisan bickering in the nation's capital as she accepted an award in Beverly Hills. "We truly, still today - despite all of our partisan wrangling, and the gridlock that sometimes seems to take hold - we stand up for the rights and opportunities of all people," Clinton said in a speech that largely focused on U.S. policy toward Asia.

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Thursday urged China to investigate cyber intrusions that led Google to threaten to pull out of that country -- and challenged Beijing to openly publish its findings. "Countries that restrict free access to information or violate the basic rights of Internet users risk walling themselves off from the progress of the next century," she said. Clinton said the U.S. and China "have different views on this issue, and we intend to address those differences candidly and consistently" as part of a cooperative relationship.

The Oracle of Omaha has taken to Twitter. The notoriously tech-shy billionaire launched his @WarrenBuffett handle Thursday, where he quickly garnered more than 180,000 followers. He is the second-richest person with a verified Twitter account, after tech mogul Bill Gates (@BillGates.) His first tweet: "Warren is in the house. " Twitter might be a perfect medium for Warren Buffett, who has built a reputation for a folksy approach to investing. But it's also a surprising move given that he's not exactly the most tech-savvy person on the planet.

NEW YORK -- Former President Clinton underwent successful surgery Thursday to remove fluid and scar tissue that had built up around his lung, and was expected to make a full recovery, doctors said. Clinton, 58, will remain in New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center for three to 10 days, and will have a recovery period of four to six weeks at home, surgeons said. He is expected to be walking today,) they said.

When Haiti was gripped by crisis in 1994, President Clinton sent troops to restore its exiled president to power, organized a $2.6-billion international rescue program and declared the island nation a top priority of his administration. "We should work this way whenever we can," he later wrote of the international effort in his memoir. Yet, by the end of his term, the Clinton administration's interest in Haiti had waned and its patience had worn out. Clinton ordered a halt to most direct U.S. aid, a step some experts say inflicted lasting damage on the Western Hemisphere's poorest country.

The alliance between Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel and the Department of Water and Power workforce strengthened Wednesday as a committee run by leaders of the utility's main union launched TV advertising to buttress her candidacy just as she reduces her own spending on television ads. Working Californians to Elect Wendy Greuel, a committee controlled by the union's leadership, bought about $500,000 worth of TV airtime over the next...

Jason Collins had long been keeping a secret. As a standout high school player at Harvard-Westlake School, as a star at Stanford and through a 12-year NBA career, he had hidden something fundamental about himself from his family, friends and teammates. On Monday Collins came out, becoming the first active male athlete in a major U.S. professional team sport to acknowledge he was gay. The reaction was swift. President Obama, who just last year gave his support for gay marriage, called Collins to say "he was impressed by his courage," according to a White House Twitter post.

DALLAS - A day of festivities leading up to Thursday's dedication of the George W. Bush presidential library cast attention back to his tumultuous presidency and ahead - perhaps - to the next presidential contest. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was hired to speak in Dallas to the National Multi Housing Council, a group of apartment firms. The Wednesday dinner was closed, and officials did not disclose how much Clinton was paid. Earlier, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush spoke before wealthy Republican donors - and also students, teachers and office workers - at an event sponsored by the nonpartisan World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth.

Jennifer Lawrence is still a charmer, whether she's flubbing former President Bill Clinton's name or debuting a new hairdo. The Oscar-winning actress chopped off her long locks and debuted her shoulder-skimming fringe 'do at the GLAAD Media Awards. She has returned from her "Hunger Games" brunet shade , which she swiftly dyed the day after the Oscars for reshoots of the series' latest film in Hawaii. The "Silver Linings Playbook" star was at the awards Saturday to present the former president with the Advocate for Change award at the ceremony held at the at the JW Marriott Los Angeles.

Former President Bill Clinton, stumping for Wendy Greuel in Los Angeles on Saturday, castigated the voter turnout in the mayoral primary as "ridiculous. " "We can't tolerate … the kind of low turnout you all have in these mayors' races," Clinton said of the 20.8% of registered voters who cast ballots in the March primary. "It's ridiculous. There are too many people in Los Angeles, of all ages, that have a big stake in the future. " The former president, who endorsed Greuel in March, lauded her resume as he spoke to scores of her supporters at Langer's Deli.

Bill Clinton will appear with mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel in the Los Angeles-area on Saturday, according to a source familiar with the plan. Additional details about the event, which is expected to include other Greuel supporters, were not available Friday. Clinton backed  Greuel's bid in March, in what was viewed as among the most significant endorsements in the campaign. In addition to being beloved by Democrats, Clinton has long-standing ties with African American voters and is appealing to some moderate Republicans - two critical voting blocs in the May 21 runoff against City Councilman Eric Garcetti.

WASHINGTON - It sounds like a bad joke from an old comedy routine. Question: How do you take on Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination? Answer: Very carefully. Clinton is almost universally popular among Democrats as they look ahead to the 2016 race, with memories of her strong 2008 campaign enhanced by her work as secretary of State. If she runs again, she'll have the most money in the bank, an experienced organization at her back and the emotional advantage of trying to finally achieve what many voters consider a long-overdue goal: the election of the first female president.

Margaret Thatcher was a historic, transformational figure who did many amazing and contradictory things in her life. She was a free market authoritarian who metaphorically bashed her opponents with her famous handbag until they submitted to her will. In her drive to dig Britain out of its post-war doldrums and to reverse what she saw as its horrifying descent into Socialism, she ignored the misery caused by her policies as the country was transformed from a welfare state to a more brutal, capitalist endeavor.