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A descendant of Col. Charles Beckwith, who in 1977 founded the Army's Delta Force that today hunts and kills Islamic terrorists, passed the test in May to become a member of the elite special operations forces. The graduate is not a burly Beckwith man, but the late colonel's 20-year-old granddaughter.

Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II used to be on record supporting a federal constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage, but now that he is running for governor, he refuses to take a stand. "You want to drag me out of Virginia," Mr. Cuccinelli recently told editors and reporters of The Washington Times when asked to weigh in on the thorny issue.

House Republicans are meeting Wednesday to hash out their own strategy on immigration, but already one major difference has emerged between them and their Senate counterparts , they are far less enthusiastic about an eventual path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Dr. Ben Carson, the world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon whose entrance into America's political debate has energized conservatives, on Wednesday joined The Washington Times as a weekly opinion columnist.

LOS ANGELES - An advocacy group says teenage female characters are sexual fodder for network TV series, especially comedies. According to the Parents Television Council study released Tuesday, the likelihood that a scene would include sexual exploitation increased when a teen girl was involved.

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec , Canadian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into a deadly oil train derailment that killed at least 15 people over the weekend. Quebec police inspector Michel Forget told a news briefing Tuesday that investigators have "discovered elements" that have led to a criminal probe. Forget did not give details, but he ruled out terrorism.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., As a player Patrick Ewing never envisioned himself as an NBA head coach. Now he can't wait to become one. The Georgetown product and Hall of Famer who played 17 seasons in the NBA and has spent nine more as an assistant coach said he's not angry about being passed over again for a head coaching job.

America's favorite snack food is returning, now with nearly double the shelf life. The new Hostess Brands said that when Twinkies return on Monday they'll have a 45-day shelf life, significantly longer than the 26-day shelf life they previously had, CNN reported.

ATTLEBORO, Mass., Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was "argumentative" and slammed the door on police during their first encounter following his friend's death, according to court records. He also called his girlfriend's cellphone and stopped her from speaking with police after they pulled her over and told her the friend, Odin Lloyd, was dead.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley made a rare public disclosure Monday about how she was physically abused by a child-care provider when she was a child. "It doesn't matter your background, it doesn't matter your education, it doesn't matter the wealth of your family," the Republican said at a press conference in Greenville. "Every child is subject to child abuse."

A Golden Corral employee in Port Orange, Fla., was so disgusted by his company's actions prior to health inspections that he decided to expose the buffet chain's practices to the world via YouTube. Brandon Huber filmed what Golden Corral employees do with the meat they want to hide for when an inspector is scheduled to stop by: They hide it in the dumpsters.

A new report by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization has found that Mexico has surpassed the United States as the world's fattest nation, with about 70 percent of its citizens being overweight or obese. The report found that Mexico has a 32.8 percent adult obesity rate, surpassing the U.S. rate of 31.8 percent.

After failing to introduce new taxes on soda and cigarettes, city officials in Philadelphia have decided to start taxing lap dances at strip clubs as part of an "amusement fee." "It's over the top. Unbelievable," said George Bochetto, a lawyer representing the two most popular gentlemen's clubs in the city, Club Risque and Cheerleaders, Philly.com reported.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. , Illinois became the last state in the nation to allow public possession of concealed guns as lawmakers rushed Tuesday to finalize a proposal ahead of a federal court's deadline. Both chambers of the Legislature voted to override changes Gov. Pat Quinn made to the bill they approved more than a month ago.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden on Tuesday said 19 elite firefighters who died battling an Arizona wildfire were heroes "long before we knew their names." "All men are created equal, but then a few became firefighters," Mr. Biden told a memorial service in Prescott, Ariz. "Thank God for you all."