Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson has opened his eyes and shown other small signs of recovery from brain surgery that are encouraging to his family, a spokeswoman said Friday...

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid visited Johnson, 59, at George Washington University Hospital again Friday and said he looked "good, fine."...

He was responding to the voice of his wife, Barbara, and following directions a few hours after the surgery. When she asked him to open his eyes, he did, and then reached out to hold her hand, said Johnson spokeswoman Julianne Fisher.

"They are just very encouraged by the little things right now," Fisher said Friday.