▼ Author Community Vote 41 days ago Brian Knowlton Republicans in House Reject Deal Extending Payroll Tax Cut - — WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Tuesday soundly rejected a bill approved by the Senate that would have extended the payroll tax cut for most Americans beyond the end of the year and allowed millions of unemployed people to continue receiving jobless benefits. 82 days ago Brian Knowlton Obama Travels to Texas for Service at Fort Hood - — WASHINGTON — President Obama headed to Texas on Tuesday morning to meet with victims of the rampage at Fort Hood and the families of the 13 who were slain, address the grieving community at the sprawling military base and, ultimately … 167 days ago Brian Knowlton New U.S. Envoy Takes Up Post - — WASHINGTON — As Charles H. Rivkin prepares to take up the storied position of U.S. ambassador to Paris, a choice niche once occupied by Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, he finds himself a particularly interesting case study in the long debate … 192 days ago Brian Knowlton Global Views of U.S. Helped by Obama, Survey Says - — WASHINGTON — A new global survey has found a vast improvement in views of the United States since the election of President Barack Obama. But it also finds broad opposition to one of his key policies — sending more troops to Afghanistan … 210 days ago Brian Knowlton Biden Suggests U.S. Not Standing in Israel's Way on Iran - — WASHINGTON — Plunging squarely into one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. suggested on Sunday that the United States would not stand in the way of Israeli military action aimed at the Iranian nuclear program. 264 days ago Brian Knowlton Insolvency for Social Security and Medicare Is Seen Closer - — WASHINGTON — The financial outlook for Medicare and Social Security has significantly worsened, as the bad economy and mounting job losses have pushed both programs years closer to insolvency, according to a grim report issued Tuesday by the Obama administration. 287 days ago Brian Knowlton Obama Advisers Challenge G.O.P. to Offer Alternatives - — WASHINGTON — Top White House advisers on Sunday challenged Republicans to offer alternatives and not simply criticize administration approaches, as Congress prepared to return from a two-week recess and take up a charged agenda centered on core Obama objectives.