WHITE HOUSE

U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday warned that flooding from Hurricane Irene could worsen as rivers flood their banks and said federal recovery efforts would last a few weeks.

President Barack Obama held a conference call on Saturday evening as Hurricane Irene pounded the U.S. East Coast and scoured north toward New York.

U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the eurozone crisis and financial-market turbulence on Saturday and vowed action to bolster the global economy, the White House said in a statement.

President Barack Obama kept a close eye on Hurricane Irene as it charged north along the East Coast on Saturday by visiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency and receiving an evening briefing from top officials.

President Barack Obama declared August 26 -- the 91st anniversary of the Constitutional amendment that granted women the right to vote -- Women's Equality Day in a proclamation on Thursday.

With the Republican campaign for the White House taking shape, hundreds of Tea Party activists kicked off a national bus tour on Saturday, aiming to rally their base and new recruits to the conservative political cause.

President Barack Obama visited Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters on Saturday to get an update on preparations for Hurricane Irene as it charged north along the U.S. East Coast.

Hurricane Irene battered New York with heavy winds and driving rain on Sunday, knocking out power and flooding some of Lower Manhattan's deserted streets even as it lost some of its power.

Hurricane Irene battered New York with heavy winds and driving rain on Sunday, shutting down the U.S. financial capital and most populous city, halting mass transit and causing massive power blackouts as it churned slowly northward along the eastern seaboard.

The new head of the IMF on Saturday called on global policymakers to pursue urgent action, including forcing European banks to bulk up their capital, to prevent a descent into a renewed world recession.

Hurricane Irene battered New York with ferocious winds and driving rain on Sunday, shutting down the U.S. financial capital and most populous city, halting mass transit and causing massive power blackouts as it churned slowly northward along the eastern seaboard.

Republican Rick Perry initially gained attention after entering the race for the Republican party's presidential nomination for his outspoken, off-the-cuff style, also known as Perryisms. But now the Texas governor on the presidential campaign trail is becoming known as a leader in the race. The latest Gallup poll shows Perry vaulting into the lead for the Republican party's presidential nomination. Perry, who entered the race just a couple of weeks ago, is quickly passing over for...

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry on Thursday described Washington as a seedy place while defending what he said was his manner of speaking plainly.

In his Jackson Hole, Wyo. conference speech, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said, in so many words, that headwinds -- some organic, some Capitol Hill-ish -- confronting the U.S. economy are strong, but the Fed is stronger.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday stopped short of detailing further action to boost the U.S. recovery but said the central bank would consider what more it could do to fight high unemployment, giving some comfort to investors.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Friday the U.S. economy needed more stimulus to get it moving, putting in a plug for government measures shortly before the White House unveils new proposals to boost job growth.

Hurricane Irene will cause horrendous travel conditions in the U.S. East Coast region Saturday and Sunday, one official said. As airlines cancel hundreds of flights ahead of Hurricane Irene's approach, Virginia Gov. Bog McDonnell said Saturday will be a horrendous day for travel as forecasters say the storm will be one of the worst to ever hit the region. Another official -- U.S. President Barack Obama -- is urging Americans in the path of powerful Hurricane Irene to listen to...

President Barack Obama is urging Americans in the path of powerful Hurricane Irene to listen to warning and evacuation instructions from state and local officials. He said from his vacation rental on Martha's Vineyard Friday that citizens urged to evacuate should not hesitate. Don't wait, don't delay, Obama said. I cannot stress this highly enough, if you are in the projected path of this hurricane you have to take precautions now.

Shares of major gold mining companies fell Friday in midday trading, after the head of the U.S. central bank used a closely-watched speech to indicate that the Federal Reserve had no immediate plans to stimulate the lagging economy with another round of bond buying.

Stocks rose Friday after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke used a closely-followed speech to express optimism about the U.S. economic recovery but offer no hint that the central bank would intervene, as it did after his last such talk.

While they have shouldered enormous responsibilities and acted as source of inspiration for millions, the Presidents of the United States have played equally important roles as husbands and fathers.