white house

President Barack Obama's new budget depicts a still-fragile economy continuing its slow but steady recovery from the deep 2007-2009 recession. The White House forecast does not foresee U.S. unemployment falling to pre-recessionary levels below 6 percent until after Obama leaves office.

The White House says 480 workers on the president's budget staff have been notified they may have to take days off without pay because of a partisan budget stalemate.

The White House says it is "encouraged" by recent progress on efforts to overhaul immigration.

President Barack Obama's spokesman says the White House is concerned by war threats coming from North Korea.

The White House is seeking to keep delicate immigration negotiations on track, as a key Republican senator distances himself further from a draft bill President Barack Obama's aides are readying in case congressional talks crumble.

The White House says President Barack Obama opposes raising the eligibility age for Medicare, an idea he once was willing to consider in budget negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner.

The White House says it doesn't have any indication that last week's deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was premeditated. But White House spokesman Jay Carney says the matter still is under investigation and that assessment could change.

The consequences could be severe, according to the Congressional Budget Office, if Congress can't find a way to keep tax cuts from expiring and to keep automatic spending cuts from taking effect in January.

The White House says President Barack Obama will not push for stricter gun laws this election year.

President Barack Obama is thanking his predecessor for something he left behind at the White House.