Call it Obamacare or call it Clintoncare. But don't call it "socialized medicine."

The leader of a student protest movement that has emerged as a major challenge to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has won a $500,000 prize from a U.S.-based libertarian think tank.

A heavier federal hand is reaching into American life as politicians in both parties demand an overhaul of government financial regulation and more protection for homeowners in the face of mortgage woes and a weakening economy.

A package of global warming bills expected to pass the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday has critics alleging they offer false promises with a potentially crippling price tag, even as proponents cheer the county's green leadership.