According to a Jan. 1 Newsweek article, Penn alumnus and United States Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, Jr. might be gearing up for a possible run at the 2012 presidency.

The U.S. Senate handed student activists mixed results this weekend, derailing the DREAM Act but putting an end to the ban on openly gay individuals serving in the military.

A new report released Thursday from Obama's panel on bioethics, chaired by Penn President Amy Gutmann, is calling for more transparency and oversight of synthetic biology research.

Judith Rodin, who served as Penn's president from 1994 to 2004, was appointed to the White House Council for Community Solutions on Monday.

President Obama recently agreed to extend income tax cuts for all American citizens, as opposed to his former stance to extend benefits for all but the wealthiest two percent of Americans. The compromise — which will be presented to the Senate Monday — includes a plan for tuition spending as well.

College Republicans and Penn Dems hold different views regarding the nuclear arms agreement signed by President Obama and Russian President Medvedev in April.

The lame-duck Senate voted Thursday to delay a vote on the DREAM Act — a measure that aims to grant citizenship to immigrants who are not legal residents.

Student activists at Penn were encouraged by the passage of the DREAM Act in the House on Tuesday night. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill Thursday.

While the debate over lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights continues at the national level, one Penn student is pushing for LBGT equality locally.

The Democratic Socialists and the Penn Tea Party met Monday to discuss current political issues. The five-student panel debated on topics ranging from education to the role of government in taxation.

The Penn Caucus — a group designed to educate members of the Pennsylvania state legislature about the value of Penn — advocates for University funding on the floor of the general assembly.

In an election year featuring heavy anti-incumbent sentiment, dozens of incoming lawmakers have pledged to limit their congressional terms — which some Penn politicos oppose.

College sophomores Isabel Friedman and Jake Shuster will take charge of the Penn Democrats as president and vice president, respectively. Having been elected Wednesday, they discussed their plans for the group with The DP.

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives would require universities that receive federal funding to prohibit harassment based on a student’s sexual orientation.

Penn alumnus Joe Torsella, an active figure in Pennsylvania government and politics, was named to a position in President Barack Obama’s administration on Monday.

As in past election cycles, Democratic candidates won a majority of the Jewish vote in the midterm elections, but the complete story of the Jewish vote is far more complex.

For Penn, millions of dollars are potentially at risk with the change in political power in Harrisburg, Pa., and Washington, D.C., next year after the midterm elections.