(CNN) - Today is the day lawmakers have known about since August 2011: the day those forced federal spending cuts kick in.
This Friday is also a day many never expected would come. After all, the cuts known as sequestration were designed to be so draconian that lawmakers would be forced to compromise and avoid them.
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Washington (CNN) - Major donors of President Barack Obama are leading candidates for ambassadorships, Democratic sources tell CNN.
Marc Lasry, founder of Avenue Capital Group and a key Wall Street backer of Obama during the election, is the leading candidate for ambassador to France, according to two Democratic sources.
The Lasrys were passionate supporters of Hillary Clinton during the 2008 primary campaign, but became big Obama bundlers in the last election cycle.
Washington (CNN) - By now everyone knows the forced federal spending cuts trigger March 1 - a week from Friday - and will strip $85 billion from federal agencies over the next seven months.
But when exactly do they kick in?
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Washington (CNN) – The Chamber of Commerce and AFL-CIO reached an agreement Thursday over a visa program aimed at lesser-skilled workers, a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over immigration reform.
The announcement follows weeks of meetings between Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka over the issue, left out of the immigration plan unveiled by the White House.
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(CNN) - First lady Michelle Obama and her daughters are headed out West this weekend for their annual ski trip with family friends, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday.
The White House wasn't specific on their skiing destination. Last year, they went to Aspen, Colorado. In 2011 and 2010, the first lady and her daughters, Malia and Sasha, stayed in Vail.
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Washington (CNN) – On Tuesday night Republican Rep. Paul Ryan took issue with President Barack Obama's proposal to increase the minimum wage arguing it will hurt, not help, the working poor.
"The goal ought to be to get people out of entry level jobs and into better jobs, better paying jobs. That's better education, that's a growing economy," the chair of the House Budget Committee said in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, "I don't think raising the minimum wage, and history's very clear about this, doesn't actually accomplish those goals."
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(CNN) – 102-year-old Desiline Victor is among first lady Michelle Obama's guests at the State of the Union Tuesday - and her example is meant to drive home President Barack Obama's commitment to protecting voting rights made during his inaugural address. In that speech he said, "Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote."
Victor, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Haiti, waited in line for three hours to cast an early vote ballot in Florida. According to voting rights advocates who know Victor's story, when she returned later in the day other people in line urged election officials to get her in to vote. It was her second time filling out a ballot since she became a citizen in 2005.
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Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday.
Here are five things to watch for as the president lays out his second-term agenda:
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Washington (CNN) - When President Barack Obama speaks on Capitol Hill Tuesday night he'll have a club in one hand and an olive branch in another, figuratively speaking.
According to Democrats close to the administration, he'll challenge Republicans to get on board with his economic agenda, including his plans for deficit reduction, broad tax reform and new investments.
Watch CNN's comprehensive coverage of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address starting Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET on CNN TV and follow online at CNN.com or via CNN's apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. Follow our real-time State of the Union live blog at cnn.com/conversation.
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Washington (CNN) – When President Barack Obama delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday, he'll return to the topic that's proven to be the most lasting dilemma of his presidency: jobs and the economy.
Administration officials describe the State of the Union as part of a "two-act play," where the "inaugural carries the vision and themes of the second term, and the State of the Union puts meat on the bones" with policy.
Watch CNN's comprehensive coverage of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address starting Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET on CNN TV and follow online at CNN.com or via CNN's apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. Follow our real-time State of the Union live blog at cnn.com/conversation.
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