Two competing bills aimed at averting huge spending cuts failed Thursday in the Senate, virtually assuring that the $85 billion in across-the-board cuts will kick in after Friday night's deadline. Photo by Sul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images With the U.S. Capitol emptied…

President Obama spoke Tuesday from the White House with emergency responders in attendance. The president continues to pressure Congress to avert automatic budget cuts set to kick in Friday. Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images A central question hangs…

Guns for sale. Photo by Mike Fritz/PBS NewsHour. Even as a government spending crisis nears, President Obama and Vice President Biden have been working steadily on gun control measures, both in public and private. The president's newly revamped campaign arm,…