The Senate Finance Committee's health care reform plan would cost $829 billion over 10 years, but would meet President Barack Obama's goal of reducing the federal budget deficit by 2019, according to a cost estimate released Wednesday.

Chicago's Olympic hopes were dashed Friday when it was eliminated in the first round of voting for the 2016 host city, following a star-studded bid that featured personal appeals by President Barack Obama, the first lady and Oprah Winfrey.