Topic: Barack Obama

Beyond the 'cliff': Why spending cuts are next on the agenda

The just-concluded fiscal cliff deal answered most questions about taxes, for now, but until Obama and Congress address spending cuts, the federal deficit problem has not been solved.

Obama-Karzai talks near: How many US troops should stay in Afghanistan?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will be in Washington next week to meet with President Obama. Top of the agenda: deciding whether US troops should stay beyond 2014 – and how many.

Opinion: Why I'll be avoiding the sequel to the 'fiscal cliff' drama

I invested a great deal of time following the Fiscal Cliff Drama and its main characters, John Boehner and President Obama. But the great fight over taxes and spending cuts ended with a cop-out. There was no satisfying dénouement, and the ticking time-bomb turned out to be fake.

Decoder Wire
Chris Christie: Did primal scream help or hurt his presidential prospects? (+video)

Gov. Chris Christie tore into Speaker Boehner and the House GOP over the delay in a vote on Sandy relief. That could help him get reelected but hurt him in a Republican primary campaign.

Backchannels
Backward step for reform in Myanmar?

Yes, Myanmar's military backed government has promised elections in 2015 and released Aun San Suu Kyi from prison. But it's still calling the shots - and violently.

Global News Blog
Gerard Depardieu's latest drama: a Russian passport (+video)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a Russian passport to the famous French movie star in what some see as part of an escalating war of words between Russia and the West.

House speaker vote: John Boehner wins reelection after tough few weeks

John Boehner's reelection to a second term as House speaker followed failed negotiations with Obama, a divisive fiscal cliff vote, and a bashing over delays in relief aid for hurricane Sandy.

Chapter & Verse
Presidential biographer Edmund Morris discusses Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and more

'I was not drawn to either man because he was president,' says Morris of Roosevelt and Reagan, but instead by 'the enduring fascination of their character.'

Briefing
A look at America's gun industry

Per capita ownership of firearms in the US has doubled since 1968.

Congress will vote on Sandy aid this week, says Boehner (+video)

House Speaker John Boehner rescheduled a vote on Sandy relief funding for Friday at the urging of lawmakers from the storm's hardest hit regions. The funding is slated to go toward immediate relief for victims as well as rebuilding efforts. 

Sandy Hook students will resume classes

Sandy Hook Elementary School, the site of the December 14 shootings, is still an active crime scene accessible only to police. Survivors of the shootings will begin classes at the nearby former Chalk Hill Middle School on Thursday.

Judge dismisses case involving targeted killing of Americans overseas

The ACLU and New York Times had sought access to government documents explaining the legal justification for a US drone strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen and suspected Al Qaeda operative in Yemen.

Opinion: Love it or loathe it, the 'fiscal cliff' deal brought compromise

As unsatisfying as the bargain is in substance, its achievement reaffirms an essential element of America’s democracy – the need for compromise. That aspect of the 'fiscal cliff' deal will be needed as the US approaches the debt ceiling and debate on spending cuts and tax reform.

Under pressure, Boehner is said to promise votes on hurricane Sandy relief (+ video)

Rep. Peter King says Boehner made the promise to Republicans from the affected states. Earlier, President Obama joined a bipartisan chorus seeking immediate action on Sandy from the House.

'Fiscal cliff' deal: What will it mean for you?

Some aspects of the fiscal cliff deal are well-known – such as rising tax rates on the rich. But, actually, everyone will be paying more taxes. Here's a look at the deal's details.

'Fiscal cliff' deal: After rush of relief, debt ceiling clash already looms

The fiscal cliff deal passed the House after Republicans broke ranks over taxes. But spending cuts loom large in the next clash, over raising the debt ceiling, which Obama says is non-negotiable.

How Obama won and lost in 'fiscal cliff' deal

President Obama would have looked incompetent if the nation had gone over the fiscal cliff. But now he faces three more cliffs early in 2013, and those could limit his scope.

Stock markets leap after 'fiscal cliff' compromise, but problems lurk

The House of Representatives passed the budget bill late Tuesday night, a contentious exercise because many Republicans had wanted a deal that did more to cut government spending.

Is Russia trying a dead whistle-blower because of a US law?

The US recently enacted legislation targeting those Russian officials involved in the 2009 death of whistle-blowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, spurring an angry reaction from the Kremlin.

Decoder Wire
Donald Trump slams GOP: How would he have struck 'fiscal cliff' deal?

Donald Trump slams GOP in tweets, saying that Republicans got nothing in the fiscal cliff deal. Here's a look at some principles the real estate mogul might have followed had he been negotiating.

Opinion: India gang rape: Why US should ratify UN treaty on women's rights

The gang rape and death of a student in India, which has sparked protests there to change cultural views on women, should remind the United States why it’s high time to ratify the UN 'bill of rights' for women. American criticism of the treaty is based on misconceptions.

$1 million Apple heist: Thieves hit Paris store on New Year's Eve

$1 million Apple heist at the flagship store in Paris was a 'well prepared' operation, police said. Four armed thieves used the commotion around New Year's Eve festivities in downtown Paris to carry out the $1 million Apple heist.

Fiscal deal will cost you: 8 tax changes

[Editor's note: This story was updated on Jan. 2 at 10:00 am ET.]

Congress has passed a fiscal deal that averts the worst of the tax increases under the "fiscal cliff." But most Americans will still end up paying more in federal taxes. Here are eight tax changes under the fiscal deal that may hit your pocketbook:   

In 'fiscal cliff' deal, Joe Biden upstages President Obama (+ video)

With 'fiscal cliff' talks teetering, Vice President Joe Biden – a former longtime senator – stepped in to broker a deal with his old colleagues and and stave off big tax hikes for most Americans.

The Vote
Dancing troupe of middle-class taxpayers: Obama's 'fiscal cliff' trump card?

President Obama took to the stage Monday to press Congress not to allow taxes to go up on middle-class taxpayers – and he had a rambunctious group of them on hand to support him.