Political motive seen as HHS expands quality bonuses to health plans facing election-year cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Millions of seniors in popular private insurance plans offered through Medicare will be getting a reprieve from some of the most controversial cuts in President Barack Obama's health care law.

In a policy shift critics see as political, the Health and Human Services department has decided to award quality bonuses to hundreds of Medicare Advantage plans rated merely average.

The $6.7 billion infusion could head off service cuts that would have been a headache for Obama and Democrats in next year's elections for the White House and Congress. More than half the roughly 11 million Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans rated average.

House Democrat files suit forcing donor disclosure

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A top House Democrat is taking legal steps to force the names of political donors to be disclosed.

Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission Thursday, challenging a regulation allowing independent groups spending money on political campaigns to shield the identities of their donors.

Van Hollen's lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Washington.

Iran: Computer worm could have caused huge damage

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- A senior Iranian military official involved in investigating a mysterious computer worm targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and other industrial sites said Saturday the malware could have caused large-scale accidents and loss of life.

It first emerged in September that Iran was battling a powerful computer worm known as Stuxnet, which has the ability to send centrifuges - used in nuclear fuel production - spinning out of control. Its appearance and the suspicion that Israel and the U.S. might have been involved raised the prospect of covert attempts to thwart a nuclear program that the West fears is aimed at weapons production.