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• Automatic Spending Cuts Threaten National Parks

  

  If Congress can't agree on a deficit-reduction plan soon, vacationers heading to the country's national parks this spring and summer could find reduced staffs, shorter visiting hours and even closings.

• Obama Offers Compromise on Birth Control Coverage

  

  The Obama administration is offering a compromise on new Obamacare rules that would allow religious employers to exclude contraceptives from health insurance for employees, but would still guarantee those employees access to free coverage for birth control.

• Obama Energy Secretary Steven Chu Resigning

  

  Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the Nobel-winning physicist who survived the uproar after the solar energy company Solyndra went bankrupt, is stepping down.

• Tax Reform Will Be a 'Death Struggle': Alan Simpson

  

  Congress has done the easy part of deficit and debt reduction, but the more difficult decisions on controlling health care costs, reforming the tax code and fixing entitlements still lie ahead, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles told the TD Ameritrade conference on Friday.

• New York's 'Hizzoner' Ed Koch Dead at 88

  

  Edward I. Koch, the master showman of City Hall, who parlayed shrewd political instincts and plenty of chutzpah into three tumultuous terms as mayor of New York with all the tenacity, zest and combativeness that personified his city of golden dreams, died Friday morning at age 88.

• Congress Clears Increase in Debt Limit Through May 18

  

  The Democratic-led Senate on Thursday approved must-do legislation to permit the government to borrow hundreds of billions of dollars more to meet its obligations, putting off one Washington showdown even as others loom in coming weeks.

• Hagel's Long, Bumpy Road to Confirmation 

  

  Former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel (R) faces a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee to become Defense Secretary. The decorated Vietnam War veteran faced tough questioning regarding some of his past votes and statements.

• The Five Highest Tax States for the Highest Earners

  

  Virtually every state's tax system unfairly takes from those who make the least, says a new report. But which states take the most from their richest residents?

• Obamacare Just Got Less Affordable for Millions

  

  The Obama administration has adopted a strict definition of affordable health insurance that will deny assistance to millions of Americans with modest incomes who cannot afford family coverage offered by employers, The NYT reports.

• No Budget, No Pay? No Big Deal for Rich in Congress

  

  In principle, it sounds self-sacrificing: Congress swears off collecting its paychecks until it passes a budget. But Congress has long been richer than a typical collection of 535 Americans, The New York Times reports.

• New Hawks and Doves at Fed Likely Won't Alter Policy

  

  The cast of voting members on the Fed's policy committee is changing, but Ben Bernanke will likely retain a solid majority for his drive to keep interest rates low well into the future despite critics who worry about the risks.

• Kudlow: Spending Sequester Will Grow Private Economy

  

  The latest GDP report shows that falling government spending can coexist with rising private economic activity, Larry Kudlow says.

• Obama: 'Now Is the Time' to Fix Immigration Laws

  

  President Obama called on Congress to make good on plans to overhaul the immigration system and offer a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. He said that if Congress is unable to act quickly, he will propose legislation and demand lawmakers vote on it.

• SEC ‘Sheriff’ Mary Jo White Has Worn Bank Hats

  

  Former prosecutor Mary Jo White's nomination to head the SEC was meant to signal that the agency would be getting tough on Wall Street. But she has spent the last decade vigorously defending some of the biggest banks, The New York Times reports.

• Obama Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Leaving

  

  Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the only Republican still left in President Barack Obama's first-term Cabinet, says he plans to leave the Obama administration.

• Stuck in Reverse, Detroit Edges Closer to Bankruptcy

  

  At the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, luxury was in the air. Pricey new Bentleys and Maseratis glittered - including a Maserati 2014 Quattroporte with a $132,000 price tag; U.S. Cabinet Secretaries and dignitaries rubbed shoulders; and many of the well-heeled attendees ponied up for a $300-a-ticket black-tie charity ball.

• Senators Unveil 'First Step' Plan on Immigration Reform

  

  A bipartisan group of leading senators unveiled an agreement Monday on the principles for a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, including a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in this country.

• Tom Harkin of Iowa Won’t Seek Re-election to Senate

  

  Senator Tom Harkin, the Democrat from Iowa who championed landmark legislation banning discrimination against people with disabilities, said Saturday that he would retire and not seek re-election next year.

• Pentagon to Expand US Cybersecurity Force

  

  The Pentagon is moving toward a major expansion of its cybersecurity force to counter increasing attacks on the nation's computer networks, and will increase the size of the unit by 4,000 people. The New York Times reports.

• Tax Tattoos? Red States Look to Sales Over Income Taxes

  

  Republican governors are moving to cut income taxes, including proposals that would increase reliance on state sales taxes, setting up ambitious experiments in tax reform that could shape what is possible on a national level.