Extortion charge added to former speaker's slate

BOSTON - Federal prosecutors added extortion to the list of charges facing former state House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and gave details on what they said was another scheme to enlist DiMasi's help securing management contracts for public buildings.

Democratic Senate hopefuls hone pitches

BROOKLINE - It wasn't exactly a debate, but the four Democratic candidates for the late Edward Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat met for the first time on the same turf Monday to woo party die-hards.

President Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

OSLO (AP) - President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a stunning decision designed to encourage his initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism.

United front on casinos: Western Massachusetts legislators say if there are any, one goes here

Casinos are big business - and local lawmakers are taking steps to ensure some of that business comes to western Massachusetts. Last Friday, 10 western Massachusetts legislators pledged to vote no on a casino bill that did not guarantee a gaming facility in their region.

Health bill expected to cut deficit

WASHINGTON - Health care legislation drafted by a key Senate committee would expand coverage to 94 percent of all eligible Americans at a 10-year cost of $829 billion, congressional budget experts said Wednesday, a preliminary estimate trumpeted by the White House and likely to power the measure past a major hurdle within days.

$121 billion agriculture bill has aid for the hungry

WASHINGTON - Nutrition, food stamp and dairy aid programs were among the winners as the House on Wednesday approved a $121 billion agriculture spending bill for the 2010 budget year.

Reflecting the growing number of people scrambling to get by in tough economic times, the bill provides $58.2 billion for the food stamp program, a jump of $4.3 billion from last year.

Senate candidates report fundraising totals; Coakley leads pack, topping $2 million raised

BOSTON (AP) - Democratic Senate candidate Martha Coakley has outpaced all of her political rivals by raising over $2 million for her campaign to succeed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

The attorney general more than doubled the $1 million goal she announced when she declared her candidacy early last month.