BARACK OBAMA

A modest job-creation bill advanced in the Senate on Monday as the chamber's newest Republican bucked his party and sided with Democrats on a $15 billion package of tax cuts and highway spending.

President Barack Obama made a last-ditch bid to revive his stalled healthcare overhaul on Monday with a plan to make insurance more affordable and to bolster government authority to regulate premium hikes.

The liberal grass-roots group ACORN is reeling after scandals that have hurt its fund-raising ability and prompted its big New York and California chapters to quit and set up fresh organizations.

The Obama administration heralded new rules protecting U.S. credit card holders from certain fees and rate increases on Monday, even as Connecticut's Attorney General criticized the Federal Reserve for not using the rules to reverse earlier card rate hikes.

An Obama administration spokesman on Monday stressed the importance of independent authority for a proposed U.S. financial consumer watchdog and said where it was housed was another issue.

The number of American soldiers killed in Afghanistan has reached 1,000, an independent website said on Tuesday, a grim reminder that eight years of fighting has failed to defeat Taliban insurgents.

NATO must boost security cooperation with Russia and streamline operations to face new challenges -- both military and civilian -- in coming years, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday.

After eight years of war in Afghanistan, an initial report about a new push by President Barack Obama to replace the Taliban with a new government within the next 18 months is reassuring, U.S. Senator Carl Levin said on Monday.

Stocks finished flat on Monday as investors held back before congressional testimony by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, while scattered buying lifted shares of health insurers and banks.

Stocks finished flat on Monday as investors held back before congressional testimony by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, while scattered buying lifted shares of health insurers and banks.

U.S. stocks were little changed on Monday as investors were cautious before the head of the Federal Reserve was due to discuss interest rate policy this week after the Fed's hike in the discount rate.

A senior House Republican on Monday rejected a proposal by President Barack Obama to revive a stalled healthcare overhaul, saying it did not address public concerns about the sweeping legislation.

U.S. stocks fell slightly in choppy trading on Monday on investor uncertainty about the Federal Reserve's intentions after last week's increase in the interest rate for emergency loans to banks.

The Obama administration on Monday urged support for a U.S. financial consumer watchdog that is strong and independent, pushing Senate Democrats to resist compromises sought by Republicans and bank lobbyists.

President Barack Obama tried to rejuvenate his stalled healthcare overhaul on Monday with a revised plan to make insurance coverage more affordable and bolster federal authority to regulate premium hikes.

The S&P 500 tracked Asian indices to open up higher, then reversed course dramatically after President Barack Obama's health care proposal was announced at 10:00 a.m in New York. followed by modest gains which have turned negative.

Ahead of a televised health care reform discussion among Washington's top politicians on Thursday, the White House today proposed creating a new Health Rate Authority to help investigate unreasonable rate increases.

President Barack Obama will pitch his bid to revamp the U.S. healthcare system as a way to control big insurance company rate increases when he releases his healthcare plan on Monday, the White House said.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Monday after Schlumberger agreed to buy Smith International for $11.34 billion in stock and Lowe's Co. posted better-than-expected earnings, indicating increased confidence among corporate managers and consumers.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Monday after Schlumberger agreed to buy Smith International for $11.34 billion in stock and Lowe's Co. posted better-than-expected earnings, indicating increased confidence among corporate managers and consumers.

Gearing up for a bipartisan meeting it hopes will help seize back control of the healthcare debate, the White House will unveil its own plan on Monday for how to overhaul the $2.5 trillion medical care system.