WASHINGTON As President Barack Obama and other world leaders meet in Italy, a global survey released Thursday reflects wide concern that governments won't meet their budgets in this economic climate - and a universal preference to respond by cutting services rather than raising taxes.

WASHINGTON House Democrats were working Thursday to avert a showdown with President Barack Obama and the CIA over who in Congress should receive sensitive information on the agency's covert activities.

WASHINGTON The Illinois congressional seat that former House Speaker Dennis Hastert once held for 20 years may see a Hastert comeback.

WASHINGTON Amid the great debates of the day over health care, global warming and economic recovery, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday there will be no pause in the action to honor Michael Jackson.

WASHINGTON The Drug Enforcement Administration has removed an agent from his pilot duties after he refused to be sent to Afghanistan on a 60-day detail.

WASHINGTON The Senate wants to force the Homeland Security Department to stick with a proposed Bush administration policy requiring employers to fire immigrant workers whose names don't match their Social Security numbers.

WASHINGTON A Democratic official says Roland Burris will not run for a full Senate term in 2010. The source says Burris has begun informing Democratic officials about his decision. The official spoke anonymously because Burris had yet to announce his decision publicly.

WASHINGTON Stymied by a veto threat, House Democrats on Thursday moved toward compromise with the Obama administration on legislation to broaden lawmakers' access to secret intelligence briefings.

WASHINGTON A group is urging Congress to enact a federal homeowners' insurance program for natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires before the next one strikes, saying such events pose a serious threat to the economy.

WASHINGTON A U.S. government agency is demanding that Iran release seven Baha'i prisoners rather than submit them to trials on charges of spying for Israel and religious charges.

WASHINGTON The drive to remake the nation's health care system suffered yet another setback in Congress on Thursday when a pivotal group of House Democrats demanded numerous changes in legislation the leadership was drafting on a fast track.

A glance at President Barack Obama's itinerary for his overseas trip:

WASHINGTON Joe Biden, the vice president who might have been secretary of state, is widening his role as globe-trotting diplomat, drawing praise on some fronts and puzzlement on others.

WASHINGTON The national motto, "In God We Trust," will be engraved in the Capitol Visitor Center, responding to critics who said Congress spent $621 million on the new facility without paying due respect to the nation's religious heritage.

WASHINGTON The bundles of bad home mortgages that panicked the Bush and Obama administrations have turned out to be not so toxic for the financial industry after all.