A political tip sheet for the rest of us outside the Washington Beltway, Thursday, Feb. 9:

State and federal regulators on Thursday announced a settlement worth at least $25 billion with Bank of America and four other large banks, ending several years of litigation over alleged foreclosure abuses. The deal offers some help to struggling homeowners, but experts view it more as a moral victory with limited impact on the broader housing market.

All the people outraged about the Mississippi bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" have missed its satirical intent, the sponsor said Thursday.

A decade after the United States launched two wars that put women at the front lines of unconventional fighting, the Pentagon crept closer Thursday to formally allowing them to serve in combat by announcing an additional 14,000 combat-related jobs for female service members.

President Barack Obama told gay and lesbian supporters at a big-ticket fundraiser Thursday that there's more work to do to ensure fairness for all, but he said he "couldn't be prouder" of his track record for them.

Democrats are deeply divided over President Barack Obama's new rule that religious schools and hospitals must provide insurance for free birth control to their employees amid fresh signs that the administration was scrambling for a way out.

If Mitt Romney needs some good news in an otherwise lousy week, he might find it in an improbable place: the packed hallways of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

A federal judge who was vilified by Republican presidential hopefuls for banning prayer at a Texas high school graduation delivered a scathing and unusually personal response Thursday, saying those who used the case to further political goals "should be ashamed."

FBI background interviews of some people who knew Apple co-founder Steve Jobs reveal a man driven by power and alienating some of the people who worked with him.

Mitt Romney is in danger of losing his fourth straight state in Saturday's caucuses in Maine, where he and his allies have been all but absent from TV.

Death row inmates are suing to stop the importation of a drug used in executions.

Vice President Joe Biden says he believes the Obama administration can address concerns raised by the Catholic church and religious groups about a new birth control policy that says church-affiliated employers must provide contraceptive coverage for their employees.

Eager for Europe to contain its economic troubles, President Barack Obama praised Italian Premier Mario Monti on Thursday for his efforts to lead Italy out of its fiscal quagmire. The president said Monti has boosted confidence in Italy throughout Europe and in the marketplace.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday to curb insider trading by members of Congress and the executive branch, but not without the usual political acrimony that's become a staple of Capitol Hill.

Vice President Joe Biden says he's convinced America is better positioned than other nations to continue to lead the world's economy - whether or not his boss is still in charge.

The Obama administration is working with its European and Arab allies to organize the inaugural meeting of the "Friends of Syria" to explore ways to further isolate President Bashar Assad, support his foes and end ongoing violence.

President Barack Obama says his decision to free 10 states from the No Child Left Behind education law will give the flexibility they need to set high standards for students and hold schools accountable.

The campaign finance system is so broken that legislative changes, including a constitutional amendment, are needed to rein in runaway, secret spending in elections, congressional Democrats said Thursday.

Wild arm swings, sharp robotic turns, pulsing fist pumps.

President Barack Obama says a $25 billion settlement between mortgage lenders and states over foreclosure abuses "will begin to turn the page on an era of recklessness that has left so much damage in its wake."

The following recall has been announced:

The State Department's internal watchdog cleared the agency Thursday of any impropriety in its review of a permit for a controversial pipeline that that would carry Canadian oil produced from tar sands to refineries along the Texas Gulf coast.

Ron Barber was always the behind-the-scenes man for his boss, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Thursday accused President Barack Obama of actively seeking ways to allow Iran to gain a nuclear weapon and suggested that the administration had betrayed Israel by publicly disclosing what may be a plan to attack the Muslim nation.