President Barack Obama honored the Miami Heat for winning the 2012 NBA Championship title after falling short just a year before.

Signals a shift from late-night, last-minute backroom deals at the White House toward more open (and confrontational) legislative procedure.

The two leaders -- who are known for their mutual distrust and generally pained relationship -- spoke by phone Monday.

The president and Secretary of State chuckled as they described their partnership and stoked speculation that Obama may prefer Clinton to succeed him in the White House after the 2016 elections.

Far-reaching decision by conservative jurists could limit president's ability to make recess appointments; White House is expected to appeal to Supreme Court.

Hope to jump-start negotiations and avoid the deadlock that doomed previous efforts at overhaul.

GOP retreat with House passage of a bill hiking U.S. borrowing limit through May 18 ends the immediate danger of fiscal nightmare.

GOP intransigence remains an immense stumbling block.

Whether the Democrat backs the popular Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Gulf Coast will color environmentalists' attitude toward 2nd term.

Wind at his back, re-elected pol driven by conviction that he has upper hand in negotiations with increasingly isolated congressional GOP.