WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The huge U.S. budget deficit poses a national security threat and projects a “message of weakness” internationally, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday as she urged Democrats and Republicans to tackle the problem.

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - With a huge lead in polls, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney appears poised for an easy win in Nevada on Saturday that would put him in firm command of the party's see-sawing presidential nominating race.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (Reuters) - If Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was unsettled by making headlines that jangled nerves from Kabul to Washington on his trip to Europe this week, it didn't dampen his infectious chuckle as he headed to a security summit in Germany on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A leading senator warned Egypt's military-led government on Friday that "the days of blank checks are over" as an Egyptian army team huddled with State Department officials to discuss the future of $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid.

BOSTON (Reuters) - He won't be in this Sunday's Super Bowl and his Denver Broncos are already 50-to-1 longshots for next year's National Football League title, but if Tim Tebow swapped the pigskin for politics, he just might be a shoo-in for the White House.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats have begun preparing a backup plan to extend a tax cut for workers if a special congressional negotiating committee fails to reach quick agreement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican-sponsored transportation legislation that would radically change funding for public transit advanced in the House of Representatives on Friday, leaving Democrats, city leaders and transit groups concerned that commuter systems could be imperiled.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An unexpectedly strong jobs report on Friday boosted President Barack Obama's re-election prospects, but the trend must last to deny his opponents the biggest cudgel they have to bash him before the November election.