Sen. Kirk's skull reattached as swelling in brain eases

Doctors say Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., has reached an important milestone in his recovery from a major stroke. Northwestern Memorial Hospital neurosurgeon Richard Fessler said in a statement Tuesday that the swelling in Kirk's brain has subsided and the portion of his skull that was removed has been reattached. Fessler says it's a step toward rehabilitation and that Kirk remains in good condition.

White House steps back • Faced with continued blowback from a new rule on health insurance coverage for birth control, the White House on Tuesday emphasized that the details of the mandate were not yet settled. "We're going to continue to work with religious groups to try to allay their concerns," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters in the daily briefing. But Carney said President Barack Obama remains committed to the policy, which requires some religious institutions to provide their employees with health insurance that covers contraceptives.

Kerrey passes on comeback • Former Sen. Bob Kerrey on Tuesday rejected a comeback run for Senate, dashing Democrats' hopes of holding a coveted Nebraska seat and leaving the party to scramble for a race all but guaranteed to go Republicans' way.

House may shed unused buildings • The House has passed a bill that would set up a commission to help decide which unused buildings the government can dispose of. The commission would make recommendations to the president and Congress on disposing of some of the federal government's thousands of unneeded buildings. Congress would have to vote either to approve or disapprove the commission's choices. Supporters cited estimates that the commission could generate $15 billion in revenue from property sales over a decade.

Obama returning tainted donations • The Obama campaign is returning more than $200,000 in campaign donations from relatives of a fugitive and casino baron believed to be tied to political corruption in Mexico. The decision to return the money came after the contributions were flagged by the New York Times. The newspaper reported late Monday that the money was donated by family members of Juan Jose Rojas "Pepe" Cardona, who is believed to have fled to Mexico after facing drug and fraud charges in the United States.

Alzheimer's aid to get boost • With the president preparing to unveil his final budget proposal before the November election, the Obama administration announced plans to dramatically boost funding for research into Alzheimer's disease. Administration officials said the president would propose an additional $80 million in research funding next year, up from about $450 million this year. The president will also call for an additional $26 million in funding to help support relatives and others who care for Americans suffering from the disease.

Bread, not chips, tops salty list • Bread and rolls are the No. 1 source of salt in the American diet, accounting for more than twice as much sodium as salty junk food like potato chips. That surprising finding comes in a government report released Tuesday that includes a list of the top 10 sources of sodium. Salty snacks actually came in at the bottom of the list compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn — which we think of as the saltiest foods in our diet — are only No. 10," said CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden.

Court rejects Medicare stand • A federal appeals court says American seniors who receive Social Security cannot reject their legal right to Medicare benefits in a rare case of someone suing to get out of a government entitlement. Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey is among the five senior citizens who sued to stop their automatic eligibility for Medicare. But the appeals court ruled in a split decision that the law gives them no way to opt out of their eligibility if they want to keep their Social Security benefits.

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