Failed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene sued the St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald on Wednesday, claiming they published knowingly false articles timed to damage his chances of winning.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Scott named Jacksonville state Rep. Jennifer Carroll as his running mate Thursday. 

The U.S. Justice Department sued Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Thursday, saying the Arizona lawman refused for more than a year to turn over records in an investigation into allegations his department discriminates against Hispanics.

Sen. Barbara Boxer and Republican challenger Carly Fiorina exchanged feisty jabs on taxes, the economy and their records in Congress and corporate America during the first debate in their Senate race. 

A new study from the Pew Hispanic Center found that the number of illegal immigrants in the United States dropped significantly for the first time in two decades — but the population out of Mexico has held steady since reaching its peak in 2007. 

Orders to U.S. factories managed a slight gain in July as a surge in demand for commercial aircraft helped offset widespread weakness in other areas. 

Imprisoned former Illinois Gov. George Ryan is seeking to have elements of his conviction thrown out based on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that sharply curtailed an anti-fraud law employed by prosecutors nationwide to convict politicians and executives. 

Defense Secretary Robert Gates touched down in Kabul Thursday, in a surprise visit to Afghanistan for a lightning round of strategy sessions with top commanders and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. 

The number of people requesting unemployment benefits declined for the second straight week, suggesting that the slowing economy isn’t prompting widespread job cuts. 

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has arrived in Afghanistan’s capital for meetings with President Hamid Karzai and top NATO commander Gen. David Petraeus.