Obama ytries to rally support for health care overhal, says debate is ‘not a game’

WASHINGTON — Six months in office, President Barack Obama sought to rally support for sweeping health care legislation Wednesday night as Congress struggled to find agreement on a historic overhaul. He vowed to reject any measure “primarily funded through taxing middle-class families.”

Text of Obama’s opening remarks at news conference

Text of President Barack Obama’s opening remarks at a news conference at the White House on Wednesday, as prepared for delivery and provided by the White House:

Obama lists industry executives consulted about health overhaul in private meetings

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s administration began holding private meetings with health industry executives at the White House a few weeks after Obama took office.

Obama urges faster action on health care overhaul, says debate is ‘not a game’

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that Medicare and Medicaid are the “biggest driving force behind” massive federal deficits, and must be tamed as part of any health care legislation.

Hoping for Obama’s backing, coalition pushes bill seeking to reduce need for abortions

NEW YORK — Seeking elusive common ground on abortion, prominent activists and clergy on both sides of the debate are throwing their support behind a bill aimed at preventing unintended pregnancies and supporting pregnant women.

Bernanke resists Obama plan to create consumer-products agency, strip Fed of some oversight

WASHINGTON — Ben Bernanke put himself at odds with the Obama administration Wednesday by resisting its plan to create a consumer protection agency for risky financial products. The Federal Reserve chief said those responsibilities should stay with the central bank.

Bill to allow people to carry concealed guns from state to state fails in close Senate vote

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday rejected letting people carry hidden guns in 48 states if they have a concealed weapon permit in any one of them, a rare victory for gun control advocates in a Democratic-controlled Congress that has been friendly to the gun lobby.

Obama says US on schedule to leave Iraq in 2011, now in ‘full transition’

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Wednesday that despite continuing violence in Iraq, the U.S. is on schedule to remove all troops by the end of 2011.

Michelle Obama’s mother: White House is very big, very beautiful and her ‘life is wonderful’

WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama’s mother summed up her life at the White House in one word: wonderful.

Senate rejects bill making concealed gun permits valid in other states

WASHINGTON — In a rare win for gun control advocates, the Senate on Wednesday rejected a measure allowing a person with a concealed weapon permit in one state to also hide his firearm when visiting another state.

Another White House bid? One-time loser Clinton says she ‘doubts very much’ she’ll try again

BANGKOK — Hillary for president, again?

PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama health care industry talks echo Cheney energy task force

WASHINGTON — In cutting deals with hospitals and drug makers, President Barack Obama is giving a private inside track to special interests that’s at odds with his promise to make policy in the open.

Democratic divisions over health care overhaul on display despite fresh plea from Obama

WASHINGTON — House Democrats put their divisions on display over the details and timing of health care legislation Tuesday despite fresh attempts by President Barack Obama to hasten a compromise on the issue that looms increasingly as a major test of his clout.

PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama health care industry talks less public than promised

WASHINGTON — In cutting deals with hospitals and drugmakers, President Barack Obama is giving a private inside track to special interests that’s at odds with his promise to make policy in the open.

Ohio executes spree killer; 1,000th lethal injection in US since death penalty reinstated

LUCASVILLE, Ohio — A man who went on a 1992 Christmas holiday killing spree that left six people dead, including an 18-year-old mother gunned down at a pay phone, was executed Tuesday, the state’s second execution in two weeks and the 1,000th lethal injection in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Ohio executes man for killing spree; 1,000th execution in US since death penalty reinstated

LUCASVILLE, Ohio — A man who went on a 1992 Christmas holiday killing spree that left six people dead, including an 18-year-old mother gunned down at a pay phone, was executed Tuesday, the state’s second lethal injection in two weeks and the 1,000th execution in the U.S. since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Obama pushes health care reform, emphasizes areas of agreement instead of push for delays

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama remained on the offensive Tuesday on the pace and shape of legislation reinventing health care, against stiffening opposition from Republicans and growing wariness among rank-and-file congressional Democrats.

Concerns raised Myanmar may be moving toward nuclear status with North Korean help

BANGKOK — The recent aborted voyage of a North Korean ship, photographs of massive tunnels and a secret meeting have raised concern that one of the world’s poorest nations may be aspiring to join the nuclear club — with help from its friends in Pyongyang.

Obama declines to take surtax off table in finding way to underwrite new health care system

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is declining to take a surtax off the table in the escalating debate over how to pay for a new health care system that would cover millions of uninsured people.

Obama summons Democrats on key House panel to White House, intensifies health care push

WASHINGTON — With his signature health care initiative buffeted from all sides, President Barack Obama is summoning key House Democrats to the White House as he increases pressure on Congress to get the job done.

With North Korean help, is Myanmar moving toward nuclear status?

BANGKOK — The recent aborted voyage of a North Korean ship, photographs of massive tunnels and a top secret meeting have raised alarm bells that one of the world’s poorest nations may be aspiring to join the nuclear club — with help from its friends in Pyongyang. No one expects military-run Myanmar, also known as Burma, to obtain an atomic bomb anytime soon, but experts have the Southeast Asian nation on their radar screen.

White House announces that Obama’s news conference moved to 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday

WASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama’s news conference on Wednesday will begin at 8 p.m. EDT, one hour earlier than previously announced.

Justice Dept. moving some operations to SC, leasing building from Univ. of South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice is relocating some of its U.S. attorney operations from Washington to South Carolina under a 20-year lease agreement with the state’s flagship university, officials announced Monday.

RNC chairman says Obama’s health care plan is socialism, argues it will hurt economy

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Republican Party on Monday called President Barack Obama’s plan to overhaul health care “socialism,” accusing the president of conducting a risky experiment that will hurt the economy and force millions to drop their current coverage.

Administration officials urge critics’ restraint on 5 unfinished health care plans, none final

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s advisers are urging critics of their health care overhaul to wait for Congress to finish writing legislation before issuing verdicts. They also signaled they are willing to wait longer than their White House-imposed August deadline for action if it means they can sway wary lawmakers.

White House must revise budget figures to reflect severity of recession, but takes its time

WASHINGTON — The White House is being forced to acknowledge the wide gap between its once-upbeat predictions about the economy and today’s bleak landscape.

Obama administration asks public to hold off judging health care proposal until it’s complete

WASHINGTON — Administration officials defended President Barack Obama’s broad health care proposals on Sunday and urged a skeptical public not to judge the Democrats’ overhaul until Congress writes a final version.

Obama stays course on health care as critics decry costs, ad wars begin; concessions coming?

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is using a touch-all-bases approach to try push through his health care overhaul, a struggle that might demand deep concessions.

Obama to Congress: Don’t squander chance to make meaningful changes to health care system now

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama told the nation Saturday his health care overhaul is financially sound, but a new analysis by congressional budget experts of emerging House legislation said it would increase deficits by $239 billion over a decade.

Obama health care plan facing a tag of war with congress

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Saturday defended his broad health care overhaul, calling it fiscally sound and urging Congress not to squander its moment to pass reform. Stepping up their criticism, Republicans cast the plan as a financial burden that shouldn’t be rushed.