After today, maybe some of those robo-calls and mailers will stop coming to your home. It's Election Day for four local races.

After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) decided last Tuesday, August 3, to cancel a vote on oil spill legislation (S. 3663) after he became concerned that there would be several Democratic defections, renewable energy supporters are preparing to bring the legislation to a vote when the Senate returns in September.

Same-sex couples will be able to get married in California beginning Wednesday at 5 p.m. When Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Prop. 8 , opponents of same-sex marriage petitioned for a stay, which would have meant that no one could have gotten married during the appeal process.

WASHINGTON - New applications for unemployment insurance rose last week to their highest level in almost six months, the latest evidence that some employers are still cutting their staffs. First-time claims for jobless benefits edged up by 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 484,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Analysts had expected a drop. That's the highest total since February. Initial ...

UPDATE: The Senate will convene at 10am on Thursday August 12 to pass the border security bill and a resolution honoring the late Sen. Ted Stevens by unanimous consent. ABC News Matthew Jaffe reports: Its not quite over 400 House... Ted Stevens - United States Senate - United States - United States Congress - Senate