American lawmakers averted a feared government shutdown by approving a stopgap spending bill, but heated debate over future federal spending took shape as they clashed over budget plans.

US lawmakers approved a funding stopgap Thursday that prevents a government shutdown, but their clash over budget blueprints signaled a contentious debate over the future of federal spending.

US lawmakers approved a funding stopgap on Thursday to keep the US government operating through September and took a step towards adopting a blueprint for a decade of budget austerity.

One in three seniors in the United States dies from Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, according to a report published by the Alzheimer's Association on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama courted his Republican critics Wednesday in a bid to break a stalemate over sharp budget differences, with his main political rival calling the meeting a good start.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday diminished the prospects for a grand bargain with Congress on reducing the deficit, saying the gap between the two parties may be "too wide."

President Barack Obama warned America will not balance its budget within a decade because Republican plans to do so would entail slashing social programs many citizens rely on for support.

President Barack Obama warned America will not balance its budget within a decade because Republican plans to do so would entail slashing social programs many citizens rely on for support.

President Barack Obama Tuesday launched an unusual mission to woo lawmakers on Capitol Hill, but budget clashes with Republicans underscored the difficulty of striking a grand deficit bargain.

The White House warned Tuesday that a new Republican budget plan did not add up, would hike taxes on the middle class or fail to cut the deficit and would be sure to hurt healthcare for the elderly.

President Barack Obama's Democrats will unveil their first budget in four years this week in the US Senate as House Republicans put forward their own blueprint, but the two are unlikely to be reconciled.

President Barack Obama's Democrats will unveil their first budget in four years this week in the US Senate as House Republicans put forward their own blueprint, but the two are unlikely to be reconciled.

President Barack Obama's Democrats will unveil their first budget in four years this week in the US Senate, while House Republicans will put forward their own blueprint. But the two are unlikely to be reconciled.

President Barack Obama has reluctantly ordered an $85 billion austerity drive that could slow the US economy and slash jobs, after blaming Republicans for refusing to stop the "dumb" spending cuts.

President Barack Obama reluctantly ordered an $85 billion austerity drive that could slow the US economy and slash jobs, after blaming Republicans for refusing to stop the "dumb" spending cuts.

President Barack Obama reluctantly ordered an $85 billion austerity drive that could slow the US economy and slash jobs, after blaming Republicans for refusing to stop the "dumb" spending cuts.

An $85 billion dollar austerity time bomb was to detonate against the US economy Friday, as President Barack Obama blamed a Republican refusal to compromise for a failure to avert "dumb" spending cuts.

President Barack Obama on Friday blamed Republican refusal to compromise on deficit cutting for "dumb" and "unnecessary" spending cuts about to slam into the fragile US economy.

President Barack Obama summoned congressional leaders Friday but the talks were more for the sake of appearances rather than a deadline day bid to avert a damaging $85 billion in arbitrary budget cuts.

Leaders of a divided Congress acknowledged their failure to avert across-the-board spending cuts set to begin Friday, with lawmakers and the White House trading blame for the doomsday scenario that may lie ahead.