WHITE HOUSE

Unwavering Republican resistance to higher taxes has been a central obstacle to a debt talks deal, and no Congressman has embodied the anti-tax stance more than House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va.

President Barack Obama's Monday night address to the nation voiced the gravity of situation and the urgency to reach a "fair compromise" on the ongoing debt talk. "Defaulting on our obligations is a reckless and irresponsible outcome to this debate. ... We would risk sparking a deep economic crisis - one caused almost entirely by Washington," Obama said.

The head of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights group on Monday condemned state laws requiring photo identification of voters as an attempt to disenfranchise minorities through some "of the last existing legal pillars of Jim Crow."

Oregon Democratic Congressman David Wu, accused of an unwanted sexual encounter with the teenage daughter of a campaign contributor, has decided not to run for reelection next year, a spokesman said on Monday.

U.S. stock index futures fell sharply on Sunday as failure so far by the government to strike a deal on the debt ceiling made the prospect of default -- once considered an impossible outcome -- more likely.

Call it 'dueling debt plans': Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. announced Monday a $2.7 trillion spending reduction plan, while House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, announced a 2-stage spending cut plan, $1 trillion now, and $1.2 trillion next year. If the two sides can get down to negotiating, Monday will be a day of progress in the debt deal saga.

The dollar slipped in early Asia-Pacific trade on Monday as investors looked for signs of progress to break the deadlock that will avert a U.S. debt default.

Much of the United States may be frying in near-record temperatures but Wall Street has been feeling the heat for months. Wrangling over the debt ceiling has kept markets on edge, and investors are still waiting for a breakthrough that leads to a deal to avoid a devastating default.

Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann hit back at a Republican rival on Sunday, saying her experience with the conservative Tea Party movement made her uniquely qualified to trim down Washington.

President Barack Obama said the federal government should not stand in the way of any state that chooses to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. According to a new poll released last week, over half of all Americans support the White House position.

A new internet-based political party might give competition to the established Republican and Democratic political parties in the U.S.

Wall Street futures fell, the dollar dropped and gold rallied as Washington appeared no closer on Sunday to raising the debt ceiling to avert a devastating default.

President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders have missed a self-imposed Sunday deadline reach a deal to raise the U.S. federal debt limit, bringing the default deadline for U.S. obligations even closer.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, took pains to underscore that not only have the debt deal talks resumed, he says all parties are working toward an agreement. Time certainly is of the essence: the U.S. has less than 10 days to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a default.

Top House and Senate leaders arrived at the White House on Saturday in a meeting called by President Barack Obama with the aim of advancing a negotiation to avert a federal default.

President Barack Obama summoned House Speaker John Boehner to White House after the Republican from Ohio threw the debt ceiling talks into disarray by withdrawing from discussions.

President Barack Obama said Friday that time for negotiations had ended after House Speaker John Boehner broke off talks on reaching a deal to raise the federal debt limit and handle the United States' long term debts and deficits.

The U.S. military is prepared to accept servicemembers who are openly gay and lesbian as President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen have certified that such a move won't harm military readiness.

President Barack Obama faces a powerful backlash from his own party for a proposed debt bargain that Democrats see as Obama handing a major victory to Republicans without preserving Democratic priorities.

President Barack Obama, D-Ill. and Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio moved closer toward a landmark debt deal late Thursday -- one that would avoid a U.S. default and implement major tax code changes, if approved. However, aides to both were lowering expectations, given the importance of the talks, so as to not jeopardize delicate negotiations within each caucus.

The ongoing healthcare reforms cannot be isolated from the controversy that has exposed President Barack Obama's desperation to tag along his mother, who was often portrayed as a victim of health care insurers.