Recovery

US unemployment below 8 pct, first time since 2009

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER and PAUL WISEMANAP Economics Writers WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. unemployment rate dropped below 8 percent for the first time since the month President Barack Obama took office, a surprising lift for both the economy and his re-election hopes in the final weeks of the

Job trends key to presidents seeking re-election

By Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Rising unemployment hurts an incumbent president's re-election prospects. Here's a look at the role unemployment trends have played in elections since 1980 when sitting presidents sought to stay in the White House.

WHY IT MATTERS: Issues at stake in election

By The Associated Press A selection of issues at stake in the presidential election and their impact on Americans, in brief: Abortion: Abortion and birth control are divisive issues in politics, and they've flared up at times in this campaign despite the candidates' reluctance to dwell

CBO tallies 2012 deficit at $1.1T

By ANDREW TAYLORAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - A new estimate puts the deficit for the just-completed 2012 budget year at $1.1 trillion, the fourth straight year of trillion dollar deficits on President Barack Obama's watch. The result was a slight, $207 billion improvement from the