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Credit card legislation nearing success
Legislation to rein in credit card practices and eliminate sudden rate hikes and late fees that have entangled millions of Americans moved closer to becoming law Thursday, bolstered by presidential pressure and the backdrop of economic calamity.
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Congress adopts budget plan endorsing Obama goals
Democrats in Congress capped President Barack Obama's 100th day in office by advancing a $3.4 trillion federal budget for next year — a third of it borrowed — that prevents Republicans from blocking his proposed trillion-dollar expansion of government-provided health care over the next decade.
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FACT CHECK: Obama disowns deficit he helped shape
"That wasn't me," President Barack Obama said on his 100th day in office, disclaiming responsibility for the huge budget deficit waiting for him on Day One.
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Obama, Biden, welcome Specter to Democratic Party
President Barack Obama on Wednesday hailed Arlen Specter's conversion to the Democratic Party, while Specter vowed that he'll be an asset as Obama tries to get his ambitious agenda through Congress.
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Specter says he's switching from GOP to Dems
Veteran Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania abruptly switched parties Tuesday, a move intended to boost his re-election chances that also pushed Democrats within one seat of a 60-vote filibuster-resistant majority.
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Anti-flu funding sufficient, White House says
The White House said there's plenty of money in reserve to fight the spate of flu cases rapidly spreading around the country, but a leading congressman promised to add more, just in case.
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Obama administration expands housing aid plan
The Obama administration is expected to announce Tuesday that it is expanding its plan to stem the housing crisis by offering mortgage lenders incentives to lower borrowers' bills on second mortgages.
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Iraq: U.S. raid 'crime' that breaks security pact
Iraq's prime minister denounced a deadly U.S. raid on Sunday as a "crime" that violated the security pact with Washington and demanded American commanders hand over those responsible to face possible trial in Iraqi courts.
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Holder close to making decision on Gitmo detainees
The United States is "relatively close" to making decisions on what to do with an initial group of Guantanamo Bay detainees, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Sunday.
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AP Poll: After Obama's 100 days, US on right track
Millions of people jobless. Billions of dollars in bailouts. Trillions of dollars in U.S. debt. And yet, for the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is on the right track.
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First lady jokes new puppy is 'kind of crazy'
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Obama pledges protections for credit-card users
President Barack Obama says he will push for a law to provide "strong and reliable" protections for the millions of Americans who have credit cards.
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FDA to allow 'morning-after' pill for 17-year-olds
Women's groups cheered the government's decision to allow 17-year-olds to buy the "morning-after" emergency contraceptive without a doctor's prescription, but conservatives denounced it as a blow to parental supervision of teens.
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Obama hosting credit-card CEOs, pledges new rules
President Barack Obama, appealing to mainstream consumers, is pushing for more legal protection for the millions of Americans who use credit cards.
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AP Poll: Americans high on Obama, direction of U.S.
For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public's mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future.
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Maine's marriage debate turns deeply religious
A legislative hearing to extend gay marriage to Maine took on the atmosphere of a religious revival Wednesday as ministers made impassioned speeches for and against the bill before thousands of cheering spectators packed into a civic arena.
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Analysis: Clinton pushes for stronger China role
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has moved aggressively and quickly to secure a stronger role in what she has called the world's most important relationship: U.S. dealings with China. But military and economic tensions between the two powers keep getting in her way.
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Obama heads to Iowa for Earth Day
President Barack Obama is going on the road to pitch his energy plan — as well as environmentally friendly jobs production — in a hard-hit Iowa town, while administration officials make a similar push back in Washington.
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Report links CIA to military harsh interrogations
The brutal treatment of terror detainees and prisoners by members of the military followed directly from the CIA's use of harsh interrogation techniques, according to a Senate report that is likely to add fuel to the debate over the United States' use of torture.
