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US Debt talks begin critical phase
Efforts to avoid an unprecedented U.S. default enter crunch time on Friday, with President Barack Obama and top lawmakers engaged in a sometimes chaotic drive to strike a sweeping deficit-reduction deal. With the clock ticking toward an August 2 deadline to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, Obama and the senior Republican in Congress, House Speaker John Boehner, worked toward a plan that could include up to $3 trillion in spending cuts but might leave tax reform for later, congressional aides said. The main obstacle remained the issue of tax increases that Obama's Democrats demand and Republicans vehemently oppose. There ... (full story)