SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California’s charter schools (search) are 33 percent more likely to meet their academic goals than traditional public schools, a study released Wednesday found. Classroom-based charter middle schools stood out in particular, with 81 percent meeting the state-set goals for student improvement, compared with 54 percent of traditional …

WASHINGTON – South Korean scientists have dramatically sped up the creation of human embryonic stem cells (search), growing 11 new batches that for the first time were a genetic match for injured or sick patients. It is a major advancement in the quest to grow patients’ own replacement tissue to …

See you weeknights in the No Spin Zone at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET! Tonight … “The O’Reilly Factor” is on… As the left continues to blame the Newsweek (search) fiasco on the Bush administration, the fallout is causing anger between the press and the White House. Is the …

WASHINGTON – An international conference on strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (search) to keep weapons out of the hands of rogue nations and terrorists is unlikely to stem North Korea’s ambitions, forcing the United States to take a different approach to Pyongyang. As members of the United Nations conference met …

LONDON – Prime Minister Tony Blair (search) said Wednesday he wants to stay in office for a third term — which he says will be his last — to carry forward his domestic and international policies. Blair’s governing Labour Party (search), which has held a steady lead in opinion polls, …

IRVINE, Calif. – California high school sports officials have approved three new regulations aimed at curbing steroid (search) use among teen athletes, making it the first state in the nation to take such action. The California Interscholastic Federation (search) voted Friday to require parents, players and school officials to sign …

SEATTLE – An Algerian convicted of plotting to bomb Los Angeles International Airport (search) on the eve of the millennium later provided information about more than 100 potential terrorists, according to the man’s lawyers. Ahmed Ressam (search) was caught smuggling a trunkload of bomb-making materials into the United States through …

WASHINGTON – Tens of thousands of people who want to wipe out their debts in bankruptcy court would have to work out repayment plans instead under legislation Congress approved Thursday. A 302-126 vote by the House sent the legislation to President Bush, who said he was eager to sign the …

WASHINGTON – A longtime Republican foe of this year’s planned closing of military bases (search) is trying to derail the process by blocking Senate confirmation of the head of the commission that helps pick which facilities will be shuttered, congressional aides and lobbyists said Thursday. Most GOP leaders support closing …

NEW YORK – Comcast Corp. (CMCSA), the top U.S. cable operator, said on Thursday its quarterly profit rose nearly fivefold, boosted by growth in high-speed Internet subscribers and surging demand for new digital video services. Comcast, based in Philadelphia, also said its board of directors authorized the repurchase $2 billion …