A rough chronology of John McCain's and Barack Obama's negotiations concerning the bailout bill and the debate: ...more

September 28, 2008

WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders said Saturday they hoped to reach an agreement on a multibillion-dollar bailout plan for the financial sector before the markets open Monday, even if House and Senate votes would come later. ...more

September 27, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama says he is set for a presidential debate tonight at the University of Mississippi, the first of three 90-minute debates he is scheduled to have with Sen. John McCain. ...more

September 26, 2008

President Bush on Wednesday warned Americans and lawmakers reluctant to pass a $700 billion financial rescue plan that failing to act fast risks wiping out retirement savings, rising foreclosures, lost jobs, closed businesses and even "a long and painful recession." ...more

September 25, 2008

WASHINGTON - With his financial rescue plan a tough sell on Capitol Hill, President Bush hopes a prime-time address Wednesday will convince regular Americans of its relevance and "get this over the goal line" with lawmakers. ...more

September 24, 2008

The Bush administration Saturday raised the price tag on its emergency plan to revive the U.S. financial system, asking Congress for authority to spend up to $700 billion to relieve crippled financial institutions of their mortgage-based assets, a sum that would exceed the current cost of the war in Iraq. ...more

September 21, 2008

The financial crisis has turned the race between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama into an audition for who could best handle a national economic emergency. ...more

September 19, 2008

In another breathtaking display of government intervention, top officials at the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve began discussing with congressional leaders a plan to buy up vast numbers of distressed mortgages held by ailing financial institutions. ...more

September 19, 2008

Revelations about anthrax scientist Bruce Ivins' mental instability have exposed what congressional leaders and security experts call startling gaps in how the federal government safeguards its most dangerous biological materials, even as the number of bioscience laboratories has grown rapidly since the 2001 terror attacks. ...more

August 8, 2008

Congressional leaders and regulators have to be feeling a little like the superhero Batman, as depicted in the stunning blockbuster "The Dark Knight." ...more

August 5, 2008