White house

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is warning that if $607 billion in tax increases and spending cuts all hit as scheduled, the U.S. will likely go into recession in 2013. It's a "fiscal cliff" we don't have to jump off.

Almost everyone agrees the federal deficit is a ticking bomb, but when it comes to ideas for solving the problem, some are contradictory and all are controversial. No wonder: If you look at where the money actually goes, it's easy to see why it's so hard to balance the budget.

Being a U.S. president is a well-paying gig -- but it didn't pay off for all of them. Turns out, getting your face on our nation's currency doesn't always mean that much currency flowed your way. Here's our look at the White House's biggest fiscal winners ... and losers.

President Obama's proposed cuts to national defense spending have critics in a panicked tizzy. But while the document outlining his plan suggests that real change is afoot, it clearly contradicts the outlandish claims of its detractors.

Taxes. We resent paying them, yet, for the most part, they fund things we'd rather not do without. But exactly how much of our money is going to each service? The White House has made it easy to answer that question. So here's a receipt for where your tax dollars are spent.

Tax increases on the wealthy just got another outspoken defender: Google's 59th employee, Doug Edwards. On Monday, in a town hall meeting in California, President Obama called on a seemingly-anonymous member of the audience to ask a question. What happened next was surprising.

With the 2012 election season looming, the retail sector is getting vocally political for the first time. The National Retail Federation has launched "Retail Means Jobs," a year-long, $10 million advocacy campaign designed to push for retail-friendly policies in Washington.

There is emerging evidence that the Treasury Department may have money to pay U.S. obligations beyond the August 2 deadline. While the real date may still be in August, an extra week or two could have a big impact on consumers' wallets, as well as stocks.

For the most part, the business community has cheered the president's appointment of Wall Street banker -- and former secretary of commerce -- William Daley as the new White House chief of staff. Daley is widely expected to enhance the administration's business reputation, but that's hardly a cake walk, even for a businessman.

President Barack Obama is considering naming former Commerce Secretary William Daley to a top White House post, perhaps chief of staff, The Associated Press reported. Daley, 62, is a JPMorgan Chase (JPM) executive and brother of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. His appointment could help the Obama...