BARACK OBAMA

The Obama administration wants to ensure that legislation being crafted by Congress to fight global climate change does not violate international trade rules and backfire on U.S. exports, the top U.S. trade official said in a letter to a Republican lawmaker.

President Barack Obama offered a

President Barack Obama promised Americans his administration would rewrite the monstrous U.S. tax code as millions faced an annual deadline on Wednesday for filing federal income tax returns.

One in every eight U.S. households, a record share, ended 2008 behind on their mortgage payments or in the foreclosure process as job losses intensified a housing crisis spawned by lax lending practices, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Thursday.

A meeting of Pakistan's allies and donors this week could give Iran a chance to show willingness to play a more active role in stabilizing the region, Japan's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan said on Wednesday.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul called on Wednesday for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, hoping that a U.S.-Russian pledge to join forces to eradicate nuclear weapons will encourage the region.

Black American community workers are wrestling with how to translate their pride over Barack Obama's presidency into tangible gains for a racial minority that often lags behind the rest of the country.

The Obama administration will name former Justice Department official Alan Bersin to oversee its policy on illegal immigration and drug-related violence along the U.S. border with Mexico, Politico reported on Tuesday.

U.S. senator and former presidential candidate John Kerry arrived in Sudan Wednesday for a three-day visit as the diplomatic detente between Washington and Khartoum shows further signs of a thaw.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday Iran had prepared proposals to end a stalemate over its nuclear ambitions with six world powers, state television reported.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he expects U.S. Senate movement soon on the nomination of Ashton Carter as the Pentagon's chief arms buyer.

U.S. President Barack Obama hopes to get a climate change bill on his desk this year and is open to discussing how stringent the rules of a carbon emissions trading system should be for industry, a top adviser said on Tuesday.

U.S. President Obama said in a speech on economy Tuesday that recent stimulus measures are starting to generate signs of economic progress, but more tough times are ahead.

On Tuesday hopes of the recession coming to an end were dashed sending U.S. stocks down after reports of the economy and banking sector.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold $5 billion of stock to help fulfill what it called its duty to repay a federal bailout, but the government worries a quick return of funds could pressure other banks to repay their aid prematurely.

Stocks fell on Tuesday as a surprising drop in retail sales dented hopes the recession was abating and financial shares slid on fears that Goldman Sachs' share offering could prompt others to follow suit.

Hopes of seeing the end to the recession were crushed on Tuesday at the U.S. retail sales saw an unexpected drop of 1.1 percent in March compared to the previous month, the Commerce Department said.

Stocks fell on Tuesday as a surprising drop in retail sales dented hopes the recession was abating and financial shares slid on fears that Goldman Sachs' share offering could prompt others to follow suit.

Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell 1.1 percent in March after rising for two straight months, government data showed on Tuesday, dimming hopes the 16-month-old recession was close to hitting bottom.

Stocks tumbled on Tuesday as an unexpected drop in March retail sales suggested that the economic slump was far from abating and as Goldman Sachs slid sharply after a stock offering.

The Obama administration is expected to name Fannie Mae Chief Executive Herb Allison to head the U.S. government's $700 billion financial rescue program, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.