President Barack Obama is exploring executive orders to help prevent mass shootings in America, Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday.

MONEY-walmart-gun-debate-biden

After initially declining an invitation to attend, Wal-Mart announced Wednesday that it will participate in a meeting with Vice President Joseph Biden's gun violence task force.

POL-Gun-Town-Hall

A congressman took the renewed gun debate from Capitol Hill to his constituents in California, holding a town hall Tuesday night on gun control nearly a month after a gunman massacred 27 people in Newtown, Connecticut before shooting himself.

POL-Cuomo-Gun-Violence

Ban assault weapons. It's a call that's been trumpeted on the airwaves, in protests and in some TV ads. But now it's coming from a high-profile governor, signaling what could be a major move in the renewed push for tighter gun laws after the Connecticut elementary school shooting last month--a massacre that capped a year marked by other high-profile shootings. Speaking to a crowd of elected officials, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said Wednesday the state must enact "the toughest assault weapons ban in the nation, period."

POL-Christie-Interviews

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sidestepped more questions about his potential interest in a 2016 presidential run and pushed for an expansive debate on gun violence during a round of interviews Wednesday morning.

POL-Connecticut-Governor-Guns

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy choked up Wednesday when addressing the Newtown elementary school shooting that left 20 students dead, and bluntly rejected the notion of putting more guns in classrooms as protection.

POL-Santorum-Hagel-Nomination

Rick Santorum will launch a drive against the nomination of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as Defense secretary, CNN has learned.

POL-Labor-Secretary-Resigns

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis resigned her post Wednesday, offering no specific reason but that she "enjoyed my first opportunity in years to reflect on the past and my future" over the holidays.

POL-Obama-boys-club

As Democrats in Congress celebrate a historic number of women elected to their ranks, the White House's top ranks reflect a very different picture -- one that is largely male.

POL-State-Clinton

Outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she's "thrilled to be back" after an illness, concussion and treatment for a blood clot sidelined her for more than three weeks.

POL-Fiscal-Cliff-McConnell-Target

A top political adviser to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing back against a series of new on-line ads in McConnell's home state of Kentucky that target the top Senate Republican for helping to negotiate a deal that prevented the U.S. from falling off the fiscal cliff.

POL-Obama-Inauguration-Poet

Richard Blanco, the poet who likes to describe himself as being made in Cuba, assembled in Spain and imported to the United States, will serve as the inaugural poet when President Barack Obama takes the oath of office for a second term this month. Blanco will be the first Latino, the first openly gay person and the youngest poet to serve in the highly coveted role.

MONEY

MONEY-aig-lawsuit

The board of AIG decided Wednesday not to join a shareholder lawsuit against taxpayers which challenges the terms of the bailout that saved the insurer from bankruptcy in 2008. The board did not detail the reasons for the decision, saying it will make that clear in court filings in the coming weeks. But when reports surfaced Tuesday that it was even considering joining the suit, it sparked widespread outrage against the company.

MONEY-Stocks-markets

U.S. stocks rose Wednesday, as investors welcomed an upbeat start to corporate earnings season.

MONEY-gun-stocks-biden

A recent rally in gun stocks hit a snag Wednesday amid talk that Vice President Joseph Biden's Gun Violence Task Force could result in tighter restrictions on firearms ownership in the wake of recent mass shootings.