Wall Street Journal (U.S. News)
· Officials Amp Up Spying Defense
The NSA director mounted his most vigorous defense of data-surveillance programs, saying they helped thwart more than 50 terror plots and might have helped prevent the 9/11 attacks.
· U.S. to Propose New Phase In Nuclear-Arms Cuts
Obama is set to make the case for a new phase in nuclear-weapons reductions in a major foreign-policy speech in Berlin.
· House Votes for New Abortions Limits
The Republican-led House voted to impose the strictest new limits on abortion in a decade, revisiting an issue that energizes the GOP's conservative base.
· Immigration Bill Seen Cutting Deficit
A sweeping effort to rewrite the nation's immigration laws would shrink federal deficits during the next two decades, the Congressional Budget Office said in a report that could help win Republican support for the measure.
· SEC Seeks Admissions of Fault
U.S. securities regulators plan to require certain defendants to admit to wrongdoing as a condition of settling securities-fraud charges, SEC Chairman Mary Jo White said Tuesday.
· Taliban Open Door to Peace Talks
The Taliban set the stage for peace talks with envoys of President Hamid Karzai and the U.S., establishing a venue and an opening to the Afghan leadership.
· Health-Insurance Exchanges Behind Schedule
Government officials have missed several deadlines to set up new health-insurance exchanges for small businesses and consumers—a key part of the federal health overhaul, Congress's watchdog arm said.
· More Organ-Donor Testing is Advised
The federal government recommended expanding the number of diseases that organ donors should be screened for, adding hepatitis B and hepatitis C to the list.
· Mortgage Rates Rise but Still a Bargain
Economists say increasing mortgage rates are unlikely to derail the U.S. housing recovery unless they move substantially higher.
· ManpowerGroup CEO: What's Next for Hiring
The corporate sector's appetite for temporary staff hasn't translated into big gains for ManpowerGroup: CEO Jeffrey A. Joerres blames conditions in Europe and cites his decision to hold the line on prices.
· How to Interpret Bernanke's Message on Bond Buying
Columnist David Wessel lays out the telltale signs to watch for on whether Fed chief Ben Bernanke clarifies or clouds the central-bank message on the fate and rate of its bond-buying program.