WASHINGTON Senate Democrats, struggling to reach agreement on how to overhaul the country's health care system, got some practical political advice Tuesday from former President Bill Clinton, whose own effort collapsed 15 years ago.

Text of President Barack Obama's remarks Tuesday during a memorial service at Fort Hood, Texas, as transcribed by the White House:

WASHINGTON A New Jersey man alleged in a lawsuit Tuesday that U.S. officials were responsible for falsely imprisoning him for several months in Africa on suspicion of having ties to al-Qaida.

WASHINGTON The euphoria of 2008 is over: America is in a funk. Elected last November on a wave of optimism, President Barack Obama now finds himself governing an increasingly pessimistic country in recession while muscling through Congress a health care reform overhaul and weighing whether to commit more troops to the 8-year-old Afghanistan war.

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WASHINGTON The Pentagon says a small shipment of swine flu vaccine has arrived at the Guantanamo Bay military prison. It's unlikely any of the terror detainees held there will get any of the sought-after vaccine now.

WASHINGTON U.S. officials say a Pentagon worker on a terrorism task force looked into Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan's background months ago, and concluded he did not merit further investigation.

SINGAPORE The Obama administration will nominate a young former executive with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to run America's top foreign assistance program, ending months of speculation and complaints about who would take the vacant post, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE The White House says President Barack Obama has narrowed down his decision for an Afghanistan strategy to four options.

WASHINGTON The White House on Tuesday shuffled its communications team, with Anita Dunn stepping down as expected and her deputy taking over day-to-day management of President Barack Obama's vaunted messaging machine.

A look at key issues in the health care debate:

FORT HOOD, Texas One by one, President Barack Obama spoke the names and told the stories Tuesday of the 13 people slain in the Fort Hood shooting rampage, honoring their memories as he denounced the "twisted logic" that led to their deaths.

White House pastry chef Bill Yosses' light, flaky pie crusts have earned him the nickname "The Crustmaster" from President Barack Obama. His trick to making fruit pies worthy of a president is to bake the bottom crust first, then fill and top the pie and bake it again.

WASHINGTON Poor Bill Yosses. He's the White House pastry chef. He makes desserts for a living.

WASHINGTON A senior U.S. diplomat will travel to North Korea before year's end to try to pull the Koreans back into international negotiations on nuclear disarmament, the State Department said Tuesday.