AP - With a fresh sense of urgency, President Barack Obama sought to reassure seniors Monday about health care legislation approaching a final vote in Congress, pledging it would make preventive care cost-free and close a gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage. "This proposal adds almost a decade of solvency to Medicare," Obama said in a visit to a senior center.

AP - A Defense Department official is under investigation for allegedly hiring private contractors to gather intelligence on suspected insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a U.S. official said Monday.

AP - A new Democratic Senate bill to tame the financial markets would give the government new powers to break up firms that threaten the economy, force the industry to pay for its failures and create a consumer watchdog within the Federal Reserve.

AP - The Obama administration is demanding that Israel call off a contentious building project in east Jerusalem and make a public gesture toward the Palestinians to help defuse one of the worst U.S.-Israeli feuds in memory, officials on both sides said Monday.

AP - Torrential rains and high winds pounded the Northeast for a third day Monday, taking a heavy toll on people and property in a region that only recently restored power or finished digging out from the last of several major winter storms.

AP - Toyota cast doubt Monday on a California man's claim that his Prius sped out of control, saying the report is inconsistent with the findings of the company's preliminary investigation.

AP - The mistress of former presidential candidate John Edwards says she is helping him live "a life of truth" and the two remain in love even after their affair helped trigger his downfall from the pinnacle of U.S. politics.

AP - British movie star Kate Winslet has separated from her film director husband Sam Mendes after nearly seven years of marriage, their law firm said Monday.

AP - Iowa City police arrested a woman who allegedly attacked her sister with the lid of a toilet tank. Nitasha Johnson, of Iowa City, was arrested early Sunday and was charged with domestic abuse assault causing injury and interference with official acts. According to police, Johnson removed the lid and hit her sister during a fight. Authorities said the sister suffered an injured foot and finger.

Reuters - President Barack Obama on Monday delivered an emotional closing argument for his healthcare plan, kicking off a week he hopes will end with a conclusive vote in Congress after a year of debate.

Reuters - Euro zone finance ministers discussed the mechanics of a financial rescue for Greece on Monday but gave few details of their standby planning as Athens tries to fix its public finances alone.

Reuters - Tens of thousands of protesters pressed ahead with a mass street rally in Bangkok on Monday after Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rebuffed their demand for elections at a time of heightened political tension.

Reuters - The U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee took the first step on Monday toward passing a healthcare reform bill, launching a process that could culminate with a final House vote this week.

Reuters - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected any curbs on Jewish settlement in and around Jerusalem, defying Washington in Israel's deepening crisis with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration.

Reuters - The U.S. military handed over a $107 million prison and nearly 3,000 inmates to the Iraqi government on Monday as it prepares to leave Iraq seven years after ousting Saddam Hussein.

AFP - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday settlement building in east Jerusalem would continue, in a move likely to further heighten tensions with key ally the United States.

AFP - Faced with a brazen challenge from drug cartels, US FBI agents have joined a Mexican probe into attacks on US consular staff and their families that left three dead in this border city, officials said Monday.