WASHINGTON (AP) — Letters sent to President Barack Obama and a Mississippi senator tested positive for poisonous ricin in preliminary checks Wednesday, and authorities chased reports of other suspicious mail at a U.S. Capitol already on edge.

2. Corps Not Budging on Mississippi River Flap - Monday, December 10, 2012

The Army Corps of Engineers has turned back requests by federal lawmakers and the barge industry to release more of the Missouri River it is withholding, believing the drought-starved Mississippi River the Missouri feeds still will remain open to shipping despite mounting concerns.

3. Senators Ask Obama to Protect Mississippi River - Wednesday, November 28, 2012

ST. LOUIS (AP) – A group of U.S. senators is asking President Barack Obama for an emergency declaration in an effort to keep barges moving on the drought-stricken Mississippi River.

A spokesman for Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., told the Associated Press that senators from Mississippi River states are seeking a directive that would increase the flow of water from a dam on the upper Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi. They also want faster removal of rock formations on the Mississippi that impede barge traffic when water is low.

4. Senate Passes Cuts for All but Richest Americans - Friday, July 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has debated, sniped and voted on the politically fraught issue of tax cuts, and next week the House is likely to do it all over again. Still, Americans won't know until after the November elections how much more of their paychecks will go to the government next year.

5. Senators Propose Rigid Spending Cap - Wednesday, February 02, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Social Security, Medicare and virtually every other federal program would face the budget ax under legislation unveiled in the Senate that seeks to force Congress to cut spending dramatically over the coming decade.

6. Senate Rejects Near-Freeze on Spending - Friday, January 29, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Just days after President Barack Obama endorsed a partial freeze on domestic spending, his Democratic allies in the Senate have rejected a plan attempting to do pretty much the same thing.

7. CBO: Federal Deficit Projected at $1.35T - Wednesday, January 27, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate on Tuesday rejected a plan backed by President Barack Obama to create a bipartisan task force to tackle the federal deficit this year, despite glaring new figures showing the enormity of the red-ink threat.

8. Obama Caps Executive Pay Tied to Bailout Money - Thursday, February 05, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama on Wednesday imposed $500,000 caps on senior executive pay for the most distressed financial institutions receiving federal bailout money, saying Americans are upset with “executives being rewarded for failure.”

9. Hill Opposition Jeopardizes Auto Industry Rescue - Friday, December 12, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - Prospects for a $14 billion auto industry rescue bill dimmed Thursday amid growing opposition in both parties and despite urgent appeals by both President-elect Barack Obama and President George W. Bush.

10. McCain Touts Plan To Create Jobs, Help Workers In Tough Economy - Tuesday, July 08, 2008

PHOENIX (AP) – Republican presidential candidate John McCain acknowledged the steep drop in U.S. jobs and said he would help the economy by cutting taxes, encouraging free trade, building nuclear power plants and launching other initiatives.