via BBC News President Barack Obama has thrown down the gauntlet to Republicans by asking Congress for the power to shrink the federal government. He told business leaders that he wants to close the US commerce department and merge six agencies. The White House said the plan would save $3bn (£2bn) over 10 years and […]

Concerned pastors are making a statement to Congress today: Don’t balance the federal budget on the backs of the poor. As Republicans and Democrats fight over cuts, taxes and debt limits, faith leaders are worried that the ultimate losers will be the programs relied on by the poorest Americans for food, education and health care. […]

via CNN   Some leading national Tea Party organizations are anything but happy with Friday night’s deal on the budget that prevented a federal government shutdown. A spokesman for the Tea Party Express tells CNN the group isn’t “very impressed” with the budget deal and says the agreement proves the Tea Party has a lot […]

via BBC News Republicans and Democrats have reached a deal on the US budget, an hour before a deadline that would have forced the government to close many services. They have passed a stop-gap spending bill which will allow the government to keep running while the wider budget plan is finalised. The parties have agreed […]

Civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton vowed this week to file a federal inquiry into the death of Mitrice Richardson, a missing 25-year-old woman thought to be mentally ill whose remains were found last week. She had been allowed to leave a sheriff’s station nearly a year ago against the wishes of her parents.

A $50 billion federal program designed to to help homeowners fight foreclosure was revamped today to boost aid for homeowners struggling with unemployment or mortgages greater than their home is worth because of declining property values. The U.S. Treasury Department estimated the program funded by Troubled Asset Relief Program dollars will help three to four […]