WASHINGTON — The nation's labor unions suffered sharp declines in membership last year, led by losses among public sector workers in cash-strapped states, cities, counties and towns.

Nearly two years before he faces re-election in 2014, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell has been under regular attack for his policy stances — from both conservative and progressive groups in Kentucky.

Update at 3:30 p.m. ET. Clinton Testifies Before House Committee:

One of the defining moments of Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state was her strong advocacy for U.S. military intervention that helped oust Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

But as she prepared to step down from the post, she faced a grilling from Republicans in both the House and the Senate over what went wrong in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012, when four Americans were killed, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

The National Institutes of Health should retire most of its chimps that are currently living in research facilities, according to a working group put together by the NIH to look at the future need for biomedical research on chimps.

The group did recommend keeping a small number of chimps in reserve in case they are needed for studies later on. But it also laid out a detailed description of the kind of living conditions that would be needed for those chimps, and said any proposed research should go through a review committee that includes members of the public.

Communism in China brought mixed reactions for a young Harry Wu.

When he visited poorer regions of the country, Wu could see some benefits for the poor. But Wu's father was a banker, among the capitalist class who were being persecuted in Mao's China. He considered leaving — maybe going to the then-British controlled Hong Kong — but he decided to stay in China and study. 

His family's past wealth caused him harassment until, in 1960, he was shipped off to a labor camp. And in labor camps he'd stay for the next 19 years.

Start your car. See that puff from the tailpipe in your rearview mirror? Benzene, butadiene, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide.

 Reverend Maurice "Bojangles" Blanchard was arrested Tuesday evening after applying for a marriage license at Louisville's County Clerk's office. The arrest followed a protest and sit-in Blanchard called the Southern Satyagraha, which happened on West Jefferson Street near the Hall of Justice. 

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence used his first State of the State address to lobby for a personal income tax cut, an expansion of Indiana's school voucher system and improved vocational training.

The Republican's speech tonight didn’t reveal much new information about what he wants to accomplish. Instead, he's used it to push for a handful of priorities he's laid out since taking office last week.