Politics - Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Highway funding and tax breaks for hiring workers figure prominently in a jobs-creation bill that Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate hope will attract rare joint support in an election year, lawmakers said on Tuesday. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A possible jobs-creation package being crafted by Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate may end up costing about $80 billion, a key Republican said on Tuesday. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republicans flexed their new political muscle on Tuesday and blocked President Barack Obama's nomination of a union lawyer to help referee labor disputes. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the anniversary of the passage of the U.S. economic stimulus plan looms and President Barack Obama presses for new jobs legislation, states and the government are assessing the impact the program has had on transportation. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alarmed that nearly a third of U.S. children are obese or overweight -- and likely to stay that way all their lives -- President Barack Obama launched an initiative on Tuesday to roll back the numbers and put his wife in charge of promoting it. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Qatar and Saudi Arabia next week for talks that a U.S. official said on Tuesday would likely focus on Iran, Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama found common ground with Republicans on Tuesday over his top priorities of job creation and deficit reduction but drew a rebuke on healthcare reform. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Republican leader John Boehner said on Tuesday he was considering appointing Republicans to President Barack Obama's planned deficit commission and also that it was time to "start over" on healthcare reform. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers said on Tuesday that the job market was stabilizing but the economy still had a long way to go to return to health. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's call for a healthcare summit including both his fellow Democrats and Republicans sets the stage for a final push to get stalled legislation through Congress, but skeptical Republicans said on Monday the only solution is to start over. Full Story »