Dictatorship and Death: Otto Warmbier, 22, the American college student released from a North Korean prison in a coma last week, died yesterday in a Cincinnati hospital. The North Koreans said Warmbier contracted botulism poisoning and took a sleeping pill before …

Nation: Brittany Maynard, the terminally ill 29-year-old woman who moved to Oregon to be legally able to end her life, died Saturday. Her announcement that she would kill herself to end her suffering Nov. 1, just two days after her …

Iraq: The country’s biggest oil refinery appears to have fallen into the hands of Sunni Islamic militants after the army and helicopter gunships failed to hold them back. Black militant banners are reported to be hanging high within the refinery. …

Kick the Can: Federal workers are returning today after President Obama signed a resolution to re-open the government and raise the debt ceiling. Republicans got almost nothing out of a nuclear standoff. After 16 days of a government shutdown and …

Shutdown: Day 10. House Republicans today are considering a short-term raise in the debt limit to prevent the financial markets from taking a suicide jump. The Dow Jones is up almost 200 points on the news.   Treasury Secy. Jack …

Shutdown Throwdown: Day 8. President Obama challenged House Speaker John Boehner to hold an open up or down vote on whether to fund the federal government. “Let every member of Congress vote their conscience and they can determine whether or …