The debt ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy showed concessions from both sides, and preserves in part new work requirements for some food stamp recipients but now with exceptions for certain populations, including veterans. Read more»

Critical of the deal on the debt ceiling that's been struck with the White House, Republican lawmakers say they can wield the same leverage they used to install Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House to strip him of his party leadership. Read more»

Congress began moving the bipartisan debt limit package forward Tuesday, though frustrations with provisions in the bill could make for narrow passage in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Read more»

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy promised his party he'd play hardball during negotiations with Joe Biden over the debt ceiling. So what's with all the Nerf? Read more»

House Republicans pushed the U.S. to the edge of a fiscal crisis because they wanted deep cuts in spending - but the budget was designed to appeal to enough Republicans and Democrats to get it through Congress and does hardly anything to address America’s debt problem. Read more»

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced a deal in principle with President Joe Biden Saturday night that would stave off a first-ever default on the nation’s debt as long as it can clear both chambers of Congress before June 5. Read more»

U.S. House members walked down the steps of the Capitol building Thursday morning to head back to their districts for a Memorial Day recess that began exactly one week before the country could default on the debt. Read more»

Republicans and Democrats in Congress brokered dozens of debt limit agreements, including several during the past decade, but House Republicans now are pushing for the federal government to spend less next year than it will this year in order for the party to move a debt limit bill. Read more»

The Tucson City Council will hold a study session Tuesday to discuss, oh, just about everything they've ever thought about discussing at any particular time. Plus more in other local government meetings this week. Read more»

Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher seems to want to adjust the county's base budget upward a tad after the Great Recession forced supervisors to push it down. It's part of a plan to recruit talent and invest in roads, as the surplus reaches $159 million. Plus more in local government meetings this week. Read more»

With the stroke of a pen on Thursday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs approved a $17.8 billion dollar budget, despite criticism from progressive organizations and many in her own party. Read more»

Latino voters turned out in force to help deliver the state’s top position to Gov. Katie Hobbs, but pro-immigrant groups say the newly approved budget, the culmination of her first year in office, fails to live up to their hopes. Read more»

U.S. House Republicans have requested more than $10 billion in earmarks to be included in next year’s appropriations bills, despite demanding massive spending cuts as a contingent for raising the nation’s debt ceiling. Read more»

The Arizona Legislature passed an almost $18 billion budget Wednesday, one that Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs negotiated with Republican leaders in the House and Senate - but Democrats excoriated Hobbs for her failure to better negotiate. Read more»

A budget deal brokered between Republicans and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs made its way out of the Arizona Senate in the early morning hours Wednesday, though Democratic lawmakers continued to accuse Republicans of attempting to speed through the budgeting process. Read more»