Ken Stanford

The United States and the European Union are preparing a powerful one-two punch against the Russian economy, with EU ambassadors meeting Tuesday to discuss a dramatic escalation in the trade bloc's sanctions.

In an escalation of tensions, the Obama administration accused Russia on Monday of conducting tests in violation of a 1987 nuclear missile treaty, calling the breach "a very serious matter" and going public with allegations that have simmered for some time.

Israel escalated its military campaign against Hamas on Tuesday, striking symbols of the group's control in Gaza and firing tank shells that shut down the strip's only power plant in the heaviest bombardment in the fighting so far.

A law expected to be implemented in 2015 will allow state and local court systems to recoup unpaid fines from Georgians' state income tax returns.

Months after Russia annexed Crimea and stepped up support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, Europe and the United States are still searching for a way to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to change course.

Republicans are on the offensive in the opening days of Georgia's Senate campaign, hammering Democrat Michelle Nunn as a rubber stamp for President Barack Obama and questioning her resume as a non-profit executive - the very experience that anchors her appeal as a moderate who gets things done without partisan wrangling.

Firefighters in Northern California are battling a wildfire that has destroyed 10 homes and forced hundreds of evacuations in the Sierra Nevada foothills, while a fire near Yosemite grew significantly overnight.

The District of Columbia's ban on carrying handguns outside the home is unconstitutional, a federal judge has ruled.