Your customized headlines for Tue, Jul 31, 2012

The deep federal spending cuts scheduled to take effect at the start of next year may trigger dismissal notices for tens of thousands of employees of government contractors, companies and analysts say, and the warnings may start going out at a particularly sensitive time:

Lawsuits are mounting against some of the world's biggest banks over the ma­nipu­la­tion of the global interest rate known as Libor as smaller lenders, municipalities and investors take stock of losses tied to the widening scandal.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had some very kind things to say about the Israeli health care system at a fundraiser there Monday. He praised Israel for spending just 8 percent of its GDP on health care and still remaining a "pretty healthy nation:"

PARIS— Europe was buzzing Monday with reports of yet another plan to save the euro by convincing skeptical financial markets that the continent's debt-ridden governments are creditworthy enough to merit new loans.

House and Senate leaders are nearing a temporary spending deal that would keep the federal government running for the first half of the next fiscal year, which will begin in October, aides in both parties said Monday, an effort to avoid a messy government shutdown fight on the eve of the November election.

The deep federal spending cuts scheduled to take effect at the start of next year may trigger dismissal notices for tens of thousands of employees of government contractors, companies and analysts say, and the warnings may start going out at a particularly sensitive time:

When Congress calls, Barbara Bovbjerg is ready with the answers.

As a managing director at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Bovbjerg oversees a staff of some 200 people who provide analysis and insight for Congress on issues involving aging, retirement security, pensions, elementary and secondary education, child welfare, employment and workforce policies.

House and Senate leaders are nearing a temporary spending deal that would keep the federal government running for the first half of the next fiscal year, which will begin in October, aides in both parties said Monday, an effort to avoid a messy government shutdown fight on the eve of the November election.

Touring U.S. allies this week in his first foreign trip as the likely Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney often appeared to be visiting just another set of swing states, pleasing audiences with parochial promises, puzzling others with off-the-cuff remarks, and raising loads and loads of money.

President Obama's extraordinary family story gained a new layer this week as a team of genealogists found evidence that he is most likely a descendant of one of the first documented African slaves in this country.