BARACK OBAMA

NASA has embraced a presidential directive to plant astronauts on an asteroid, a mission that officials say represents the most ambitious yet for the space agency.

BlackRock's CEO Larry Fink urges President Obama and John Boehner to come to an agreement.

Stocks fell on Tuesday as concerns about debt ceiling talks offset strong earnings from blue chip companies.

Wall Street was set to open little changed on Tuesday as earnings from blue chips like Ford extended optimism about a strong earnings season, but the debt ceiling stalemate kept investors nervous.

Stock index futures edged higher on Tuesday after earnings from blue chips like Ford extended optimism about a strong earnings season but the debt ceiling stalemate kept investors nervous.

Stock index futures edged higher on Tuesday after earnings from blue chips like Ford extended optimism about a strong earnings season but the debt ceiling stalemate kept investors nervous.

The United States edged closer on Tuesday to a devastating default as Republicans and Democrats were deadlocked over competing plans to raise the debt ceiling, one week before a deadline to act.

The debt talks enter a critical stage Tuesday, and there's little time left to waste on rhetoric. The two parties have less than eight days to devise a plan to cut the deficit and raise the debt ceiling. U.S. and global stock and bond markets have remained calm and patient, but that may change soon, if the markets don't see progress in D.C.

Stock index futures were slightly higher on Tuesday after earnings from blue chip companies like Ford extended optimism about a strong earnings season but the debt ceiling stalemate kept investors nervous.

The United States edged closer on Tuesday to a devastating default as Republicans and Democrats were deadlocked over competing plans to raise the debt ceiling, one week before a deadline to act.

President Barack Obama's Monday night address to the nation voiced the gravity of situation and the urgency to reach a "fair compromise" on the ongoing debt talk. "Defaulting on our obligations is a reckless and irresponsible outcome to this debate. ... We would risk sparking a deep economic crisis - one caused almost entirely by Washington," Obama said.

Asian shares edged higher on Tuesday, rebounding from Monday's fall, but the dollar slid to a record low against the Swiss franc after a speech by U.S. President Barack Obama gave no sign a deadlock in Washington over raising the debt limit was easing.

President Barack Obama called on Republican and Democratic leaders on Monday night to reach a fair compromise on raising the debt ceiling to avert a reckless and irresponsible national default.

The Congress faces an August 2 deadline for raising the government's $14.3 trillion limit on borrowing and averting a potentially catastrophic default.

Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda kept up his warning to markets against pushing up the yen too much, saying that he was aware of demands from the business sector for authorities to act against yen rises that hurt the export-reliant economy.

Asian shares edged higher on Tuesday, bouncing back from a slide the previous day, after U.S. stocks posted only modest losses in reaction to the worsening deadlock in Washington over raising the debt limit and avoiding a technical bond default.

The head of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights group on Monday condemned state laws requiring photo identification of voters as an attempt to disenfranchise minorities through some "of the last existing legal pillars of Jim Crow."

President Barack Obama, in an address to the nation Monday night, reiterated the need for a "balanced approach" to deficit reduction -- one that includes both substantial budget cuts and revenue increases, and he warned that if the debt ceiling is not raised, it would trigger a "deep economic crisis."

Top lawmakers rolled out dueling debt plans on Monday that offered little prospect for compromise, increasing the threat of a ratings downgrade and national default, as President Barack Obama prepared to address Americans on the impasse.

The U.S. dollar remained on the defensive in early Asia-Pacific having hit record lows on the safe-haven Swiss franc as the market awaited the latest attempt by President Barack Obama to break the deadlock on debt talks.

The future of NASA is all about deep space exploration now.