From full coverage of the debt ceiling and default deal, to Rosalynn Carter's recent diagnosis, here are the top national news stories from the past week.
'American Pickers' Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe reunite
The tears were flowing.
Iowa native Frank Fritz and lifelong friend and reality-show co-star Mike Wolfe have reunited after nearly three years without seeing one another.
From left, Danielle Colby, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz speak to their "American Pickers" fans at a 2010 LeClaire festival in honor of their History Channel reality show.
Photos: 'American Pickers' attend Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire in 2018
Tony and Taylor Taronno of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, set up their booth during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
American Pickers star Mike Wolfe holds his six-year-old daughter Charlie Faeth Wolfe while talking to kids before the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018. Wolfe and Frank Fritz from "American Pickers," plan to return to the LeClaire area to film episodes of the hit series from Monday, May 27 through Sunday, June 9.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scott and Vicki Ballentine of Jamestown, Indiana, look through antiques during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Oliver Cotterill, 10, left, and Shane Jensen, 9, of the Cedar Rapids area sell antiques and painted rocks while mom, Tina Burrus, handles the money during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
American Pickers star Mike Wolfe holds his six-year-old daughter Charlie Faeth Wolfe while getting the crowd ready to sell antiques during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Brynnleigh Wernke, 7, of Farley, Iowa, has a unicorn painted on her face during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Kid pickers pose for a photo with American Pickers star Mike Wolfe before the start of the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Lead singer and guitarist Maddie Jacobs, 16, of Finding Home, a band of young musicians from Sterling, Illinois, performs during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Drummer Max Jacobs, 15, of Finding Home, a band of young musicians from Sterling, Illinois, performs during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Violinist and pianist Molly Jacobs, 19, of Finding Home, a band of young musicians from Sterling, Illinois, performs during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Backup vocalist Mary Kate, 13, of Finding Home, a band of young musicians from Sterling, Illinois, smiles while performing during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Bass guitarist Menter Jacobs, 11, of Finding Home, a band of young musicians from Sterling, Illinois, smiles while performing during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Hannah Thome, 9, left, and Niah Garza, 10, of Sterling play along the shore of the Mississippi River to cool down during the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Scenes from the Kid Pickers Flea Market in LeClaire on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Andy Abeyta Quad-City Times
Tina Turner fell in love with husband Erwin Bach when he delivered her a new Mercedes
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia, the Carter Center says
ATLANTA (AP) — Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia and remains at home, her family has announced.
Carter, now 95, remains at home with former President Jimmy Carter, who has been at home receiving hospice care since early this year.
Photos: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter through the years
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
Jimmy Carter gets his bars pinned on by his wife Rosalynn, left and his mother, Mrs. Lillian Carter at the U.S. Naval Academy in this undated photo. (AP Photo)
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1966
FILE - In this Sept. 15, 1966 file photo, then Georgia State Sen. Jimmy Carter hugs his wife, Rosalynn, at his Atlanta campaign headquarters.
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1970
Former State Sen. Jimmy Carter listens to applause at the Capitol in Atlanta on April 3, 1970, after announcing his candidacy or governor. In background, his wife Rosalyn holds two-year-old daughter Amy who joined in the applause. Carter, 45, of Plains, Ga., finished third in the 1966 Democratic Primary behind Gov. Lester Maddox and Ellis Arnall. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly)
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1971
Gov. Jimmy Carter, holding daughter Amy, and Rosalynn Carter, right, listen while Lt. Gov. Lester Maddox makes his acceptance speech, Jan. 12, 1971, Atlanta, Ga. Carter had just been sworn in as Governor of Georgia. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976
President-elect Jimmy Carter and his family wave to supporters at a celebration in Atlanta, Ga., following Carter's victory over incumbent Pres. Gerald Ford, Nov. 3, 1976. At center is daughter Amy and at right, wife Rosalynn. (AP Photo)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976
Jimmy Carter gives a victory sign after finding he'd won Wisconsin's Democratic presidential primary, April 7, 1976, Milwaukee, Wisc. His wife, Rosalynn Carter, holds a newspaper which in an earlier edition said Udall had won. (AP Photo/Paul Shane)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976
Jimmy Carter, his wife Rosalynn and daughter Amy, lower left, respond to a huge crowd that welcomed them to New York, July 10, 1976. They are here for the Democratic National Convention which is expected to pick Carter as its presidential candidate. (AP Photo)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976
Jimmy Carter with Wife Rosalynn Carter at the National Convention in Madison Square Garden in New York July 15, 1976. (AP Photo)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976
In this Oct. 22, 1976 file photo, Jimmy Carter, second from left, gets a hug from his wife Rosalynn Carter after the third Presidential debate ended, Friday, Oct. 22, 1976, Williamsburg, Va. First Lady Betty Ford, center, and moderator Barbara Walters, right, can be seen in the background.
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976
President-elect Jimmy Carter with his wife, Rosalynn, and daughter, Amy, 9, at their home in Plains, Georgia o Dec. 5, 1976. (AP Photo/CWH)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977
Rosalynn Carter, left, looks up at her husband Jimmy Carter as he takes the oath of office as the 39th President of the United States at the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 20, 1977, Washington, D.C. Mrs. Carter held a family Bible for her husband. (AP Photo)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977
This Jan. 20, 1977 file photo shows President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter waving as they walk down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington after Carter was sworn in as the nation's 39th president.
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977
President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter in the blue room of the White House in Washington, Jan. 21, 1977, dancing, following his inauguration, also informal groups in the White House. (AP Photo/Peter Bregg)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977
In this Feb. 17, 1977 black-and-white file photo, President Jimmy Carter talks with his wife Rosalynn Carter, prior to signing an executive order establishing a Presidential Commission on Mental Health, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi, File)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977
President Jimmy Carter, and grandson Jason, two-years-old, return to the White House on Sunday, April 11, 1977, after a holiday weekend in Calhoun, Ga. Jason is the son of Carter's son, Jack, whose home the First Family visited in Calhoun. (AP Photo/ Peter Bregg)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977
President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, carry their luggage to their home in Plains, Georgia Wednesday, Dec. 22, 1977 as they arrived to start their Christmas vacation at home. (AP Photo/DC)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1978
President Jimmy Carter and Mrs.Rosalynn Carter laugh while applauding speeches after a dinner in Atlanta Friday, Jan. 20, 1978, where they were honored guests. Carter returned to Atlanta on the first anniversary of his inauguration as President. (AP Photo)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1978
President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn lead their guests in dancing at the annual Congressional Christmas Ball at the White House in Washington on Dec. 13, 1978.
Ira Schwarz, Associated Press archives
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1979
Pope John Paul II stands on the balcony of the White House with President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 6, 1979. (AP Photo)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1979
In this May 10, 1979 file photo, President Jimmy Carter pauses to kiss first lady Rosalynn Carter as he boards a helicopter in Washington, for the trip from the White House to Camp David, Maryland. Sign at upper left is on the tail of the helicopter. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma, File)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1980
President Jimmy Carter with wife and others at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy June 1980. (AP Photo)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1980
President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, ride on a bicycle built for two in Plains, Georgia on Dec. 24, 1980. The bike was a gift to the Carters and after it was presented to them downtown they rode it to their nearby Plains home. (AP Photo/Ira Schwarz)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1984
Former president Jimmy carter and his wife Rosalynn wave from the podium of San Francisco's Moscone Center, Monday, July 16, 1984 before carter addressed the opening session of the 1984 Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Peter Southwick)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1985
Willie Nelson, center, is shown on stage with former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter, following the singing of "Amazing Grace," May 18, 1985 in Plains Ga. at Nelson's Plains Centennial Concert. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1988
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn responded by delegates on Monday, July 18, 1988 during the session of the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1995
Former Pres. Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, stand between Millard Fuller, left, founder of Habitat for Humanity, and Leroy Troyer, right, House Leader of Habitat for Humanity's Los Angeles projects, as they review the building plans for 20 houses in the Watts-Willowbrook area, June 18, 1995, Los Angeles, Calif. The former president has been active as one of Habitat for Humanity's most visible volunteers for over a decade. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2004
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter reacts after she christened the nuclear-powered attack submarine Jimmy Carter with the traditional bottle of champagne during a ceremony at Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp. in Groton, Conn., Saturday, June 5, 2004. From left are John P. Casey, Electric B oat head; Rosalyn Carter; Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England; former President Jimmy Carter; U.S. Rep. Rob Simmon s, R-Conn. (AP Photo/Bob Child)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2007
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn walk on the tarmac at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007, in Grand Rapids, Mich., as they arrive for the interment of President Gerald R. Ford. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2007
In this Sept. 10, 2007 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter pose for a portrait during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2008
Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife Rosalynn wave to the audience at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2009
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn look at a new interactive exhibit Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2009 at the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2009
This Oct. 1, 2009 file photo shows former President Jimmy Carter getting a kiss from his wife Rosalynn as she introduces him during a reopening ceremony for the newly redesigned Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2009
This Oct. 7, 2009 photo shows former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, left, smiling next to his wife Rosalynn Carter during a visit to Dajabon, on the border with Haiti. Carter is visiting Haiti and the Dominican Republic to urge their leaders to forge a pact to rid the island of Hispaniola of malaria. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2010
Former president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, cheer as the Atlanta Braves are introduced before Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2011
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, left, and his wife Rosalynn visit a Habitat for Humanity project in Leogane, Haiti, Monday Nov. 7, 2011. The Carters joined volunteers from around the world to build 100 homes in partnership with earthquake-affected families in Haiti during a week-long Habitat for Humanity housing project. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2014
Former President Jimmy Carter, right, blows out candles on a birthday cake as wife Rosalynn looks on during his 90th birthday celebration, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2015
Former President Jimmy Carter kisses his wife,Rosalynn, on the "Kiss Cam" during a baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2015
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, right, work at a Habitat for Humanity building site Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have volunteered a week of their time annually to Habitat for Humanity since 1984, events dubbed "Carter work projects" that draw thousands of volunteers and take months of planning. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
AP FILE
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2017
Former President Jimmy Carter, center right, and his wife Rosalynn arrive for a ribbon cutting ceremony for a solar panel project on farmland he owns in their hometown of Plains, Ga., Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2018
Former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter are seen ahead of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2018
Former President Jimmy Carter, and Rosalynn Carter hold hands as they walk from a State Funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2019
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter, left, sit as guests of Maranatha Baptist Church come and go to have their photo made with them, after Jimmy taught Sunday school there, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/John Amis)
AP FILE
Former President Jimmy Carter praised for his election observation work around the world
Habitat for Humanity homeowners reflect on Jimmy Carter's work
'She wants to perform': Celine Dion is doing 'everything she can' to get back on stage
Not real news: Here's a look at what didn't happen this week
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:
A 3D printed ‘Smart Egg’ is helping bird experts at Oregon Zoo save the critically endangered California condor.
Jury finds ‘That ’70s Show’ star Danny Masterson guilty of 2 out of 3 counts of rape in retrial
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury found “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson guilty of two out of three counts of rape Wednesday in a Los Angeles retrial in which the Church of Scientology played a central role.
The jury of seven women and five men reached the verdict after deliberating for seven days spread over two weeks. They could not reach a verdict on the third count, that alleged Masterson raped a longtime girlfriend. They had voted 8-4 in favor of conviction.
CEOs got smaller raises last year. It would still take a typical worker 2 lifetimes to make their annual pay. A closer look at the numbers.
After ballooning for years, CEO pay growth is finally slowing.
The typical compensation package for chief executives who run S&P 500 companies rose just 0.9% last year, to a median of $14.8 million, according to data analyzed for The Associated Press by Equilar. That means half the CEOs in the survey made more and half made less. It was the smallest increase since 2015.
Biden, GOP reach tentative deal to raise debt ceiling, avoid calamitous US default
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached an “agreement in principle” to raise the nation's legal debt ceiling late Saturday as they raced to strike a deal to limit federal spending and avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default.
Can Biden win again? Here's how past incumbents fared
Intro
No president wants to give up the power and prestige that comes with the office after only one term, and Joe Biden is no exception. He's pushing forward even though polls show a majority of Americans don't want to see him run again.
We went back to look at when modern presidents announced their decisions to seek a second term, what their Gallup approval ratings were at the time and how things turned out for them.
One theme: Primary battles are a sign of whether a president will win reelection. That's good news for Biden, who appears to have avoided any significant challengers.
AP file
Harry Truman
HARRY TRUMAN
He was vice president when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in 1945, near the end of World War II. Truman decided to run for a full term of his own, and he announced his candidacy on March 8, 1948. He had an approval rating of 53% in a poll conducted two months earlier. Truman was expected to lose the general election to Thomas Dewey, a Republican, but he pulled off a narrow victory.
Truman announced on March 29, 1952, that he would not seek a second full term after losing in the New Hampshire primary to Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee. His approval rating had sunk to 22% amid economic trouble and the Korean War.
AP file
Dwight Eisenhower
DWIGHT EISENHOWER
Eisenhower, a Republican, had an approval rating of 75% shortly before he announced his reelection campaign on Feb. 29, 1956. He had suffered a heart attack months earlier at age 64, leading to questions over whether he would run.
As the former supreme allied commander during World War II, Eisenhower convinced Americans that he was the right leader on the world stage. He defeated Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson.
AP file
John F. Kennedy
JOHN F. KENNEDY
Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, before he had a chance to run for a second term.
AP file
Lyndon B. Johnson
LYNDON B. JOHNSON
Johnson was vice president at the time of Kennedy's death, and he swiftly ran for his first full term in 1964, winning a landslide victory over Republican Barry Goldwater. However, the Democrat's popularity slipped badly over the Vietnam War and domestic turmoil.
It became clear that Johnson was at risk of losing his party's nomination in 1968 after Eugene McCarthy's strong showing in the New Hampshire primary. Soon after, Johnson shocked the country by announcing on March 31, 1968, that he would not seek a second term. His approval rating was only 36% that month.
Charles Gorry, Associated Press
Richard Nixon
RICHARD NIXON
Nixon had an approval rating of 50% when he announced his reelection campaign on Jan. 7, 1972. The Watergate break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters occurred that summer, but the scandal didn't gain enough momentum to drag him down.
Nixon, a Republican, defeated George McGovern, a Democrat, in a landslide. However, he would not finish his second term, resigning in 1974 after revelations about Watergate caught up with him.
AP file
Gerald Ford
GERALD FORD
Ford, a Republican, became president when Nixon stepped down, and he announced that he would run for a full term of his own on July 8, 1975. He had a 52% approval rating the month before.
He faced discontent over inflation and controversy from his decision to pardon Nixon, and he lost the election to Jimmy Carter, a Democrat.
AP file
Jimmy Carter
JIMMY CARTER
Carter announced his reelection campaign on Dec. 4, 1979. His approval rating had just hit 51%. However, the American people had grown weary of inflation, an energy crisis and a hostage crisis in Iran. Carter was wounded by a primary challenge from Sen. Ted Kennedy, and he was ultimately defeated by Ronald Reagan, a Republican.
AP file
Ronald Reagan
RONALD REAGAN
Reagan announced his reelection bid on Jan. 29, 1984. His approval rating was 52% that month. Despite concerns about his age — he was 73 and the oldest president in history at the time — Reagan handily defeated Walter Mondale, a Democrat.
Ron Edmonds, Associated Press
George H.W. Bush
GEORGE H.W. BUSH
Bush's popularity skyrocketed after the Gulf War, when U.S. forces pushed Iraq out of Kuwait. However, his approval rating had subsided to 65% by the time he announced his reelection campaign on Oct. 11, 1991.
Pat Buchanan challenged Bush in the Republican primary. Although Bush won the nomination, his shot at a second term dimmed amid an economic downturn. He ultimately lost to Bill Clinton, a Democrat.
Charles Tasnadi, Associated Press
Bill Clinton
BILL CLINTON
Clinton's approval rating was 47% when he announced that he would run for reelection on April 14, 1995. Democrats had suffered a wipeout midterm election in 1994, leading some to question whether Clinton would be a one-term president. But he rebounded with the help of a growing economy, and he defeated Bob Dole, a Republican.
Doug Mills, Associated Press
George W. Bush
GEORGE W. BUSH
The Sept. 11 attacks of 2001 led Bush, a Republican, to invade Afghanistan, followed by another war in Iraq. One month after U.S. forces entered Baghdad, Bush announced he would run for reelection on May 16, 2003. His approval rating was 69% that month. He defeated John Kerry, a Democrat.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press
Barack Obama
BARACK OBAMA
Obama, a Democrat, had a 48% approval rating when he announced his reelection campaign on April 4, 2011. He struggled to convince Americans that the economy was improving after the financial collapse and subsequent recession, but he ultimately defeated Mitt Romney, a Republican.
Morry Gash, Associated Press
Donald Trump
DONALD TRUMP
Trump, a Republican, announced that he would run for reelection on June 18, 2019. The previous month, his approval rating was 41%. He was impeached for the first time at the end of the year, and then the coronavirus pandemic stalled the economy. Joe Biden, a Democrat, defeated Trump, who tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.
Evan Vucci, Associated Press
Joe Biden
JOE BIDEN
Biden announced his reelection campaign on April 25. His approval rating was 40% the previous month. Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term, leading to fears that he's too old to keep such a demanding job.
However, Biden has not drawn any significant primary challengers. The only Democrats running are Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Meanwhile, Trump is leading in Republican primary polls as he seeks the party's nomination, raising the potential for a rematch with Biden.
Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press
How do these 7 values make America distinct? | The Ethical Life podcast
WASHINGTON — Fending off a U.S. default, the Senate gave final approval late Thursday to a debt ceiling and budget cuts package, grinding into the night to wrap up work on the bipartisan deal and send it to President Joe Biden's desk to become law before the fast-approaching deadline.
The compromise package negotiated between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy leaves neither Republicans nor Democrats fully pleased with the outcome. But the result, after weeks of hard-fought budget negotiations, shelves the volatile debt ceiling issue that risked upending the U.S. and global economy until 2025 after the next presidential election.
The debt ceiling has existed since 1917. Here's how it's impacted government spending ever since
The debt ceiling has existed since 1917. Here's how it's impacted government spending ever since
The Constitution gives Congress the power to borrow money on the United States’ credit and it has imposed a cap or ceiling on how much debt the Treasury can assume to pay for programs already approved. In the past, congressional votes to increase borrowing was a bipartisan affair, but in today’s highly partisan atmosphere, battles over the debt ceiling have brought the country to the brink of default.
By 2012, Republicans had raised the debt ceiling 54 times, and Democrats had upped it 40 times, according to an analysis bythe Guardian. Ronald Reagan boosted the debt ceiling 18 times, and Jimmy Carter and Lyndon Johnson each raised it 10 times.
Economists warn ofsevere consequencesif the United States does not resolve a debt ceiling crisis. Stock prices could tumble, interest rates could soar, and the country’s financial reputation could end in tatters. Domestic programs such as Medicare could be in jeopardy.
Stackercompiled a list of 10 key moments defining how the country’s debt ceiling affects its spending by reviewing news articles, government reports, and academic papers. Here is a look at how we got to where we are and how the crisis might be eased.
Joshua Roberts // Getty Images
When was the debt ceiling imposed?
Before 1917, Congress permitted the U.S. Treasury to borrow for specific programs, with each loan needing Congressional authorization in separate legislation. But when the country entered World War I, Congress began to allow the Treasury to sell war bonds, aka Liberty Bonds, as needed. The Second Liberty Bond Act of 1917 established a debt ceiling of $11.5 billion. Congress continued to permit the Treasury more latitude during the 1920s and 1930s until imposing an overall limit on federal debt in 1939 of $45 billion. That was about 10% above the total debt, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Universal History Archive // Getty Images
How often has the ceiling been changed?
The debt limit has been revised about 100 times since the end of World War II. It increased three-fold in the 1980s, from less than $1 trillion to nearly $3 trillion, then doubled in the next decade, to nearly $6 trillion in the 1990s, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The ceiling doubled again in the 2000s to more than $12 trillion. The Budget Control Act of 2011 increased it by $900 billion and in addition, authorized the president to raise it by another $1.2 trillion. Separately legislators have suspended the ceiling seven times since 2013, and on a few occasions it has gone down.
Ramin Talaie // Getty Images
Who else has a debt ceiling?
Among major Western countries, only Denmark has a ceiling on its debt and it is relatively much higher to its spending. After its debt neared 75% of the ceiling in 2010, the limit was more than doubled, the Council on Foreign Relations noted. Denmark put the limit in place in the 1990s when it delegated the country’s finances to its central bank. Unlike the U.S., Denmark does not let political drama interfere.
NIELS CHRISTIAN VILMANN // Getty Images
President Reagan campaigns against the federal debt
When Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1980, he blasted the size of the federal debt, then about $1 trillion. "So-called temporary increases or extensions in the debt ceiling have been allowed 21 times in these 10 years, and now I've been forced to ask for another increase in the debt ceiling or the government will be unable to function past the middle of February,” he said in a speech in February 1981 after taking office. “And I've only been here 16 days." But far from falling, the national debt tripled over the decade to $3 trillion, and President Reagan ended up raising the ceiling 18 times. He blamed Congress.
Wally McNamee // Getty Images
Speaker Gingrich upends Washington
Georgia’s Newt Gingrich became speaker of the House in 1994 when Republicans gained the majority, and the fiscal conservative zeroed in on trying toenact the deep budget cutshe favored. He refused to schedule a vote on increasing the limit until President Clinton agreed to the Republicans’ balanced budget. The result? Apartial government shutdownthat roiled the country over 21 days at the end of 1995 and the beginning of 1996, until the GOP gave way in the face ofpublic opposition.
Consolidated News Pictures // Getty Images
Debt ceiling crisis results in credit rating drop
Republican opposition to the Affordable Care Act led to an impasse over the debt limit in 2011, and spurred Standard & Poor’s to downgrade the U.S. credit rating. President Barack Obama and Congress came together on the Budget Control Act of 2011, which boosted the debt ceiling by $900 billion and authorized the president to raise it by another $1.2 trillion.
The White House // Getty Images
Crisis averted when ceiling suspended
During the debt ceiling crisis of 2013, the limit was suspended for a time and the Treasury took what is known as extraordinary measures, which typically include suspending new investments or payments to federal employees’ retirement accounts. The Government Accounting Office found there was nevertheless a cost to taxpayers. As the date neared when the Treasury would have no other options, some investors eschewed Treasury securities, worried they would not be paid on time. Others insisted on a greater return for the risk they faced.
Bill Clark // Getty Images
Suspending the debt ceiling for two years
The debt ceiling was suspended until July 31, 2021, under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019. The ceiling stood at $22 trillion when Congress passed the bill and since then the government has borrowed $6.5 trillion as of June 30, 2021. When it was reimposed in August, and the debt had climbed to $28.5 trillion, the Treasury again was faced with taking extraordinary measures to avoid defaulting on its loans. In October 2021, Democrats who control the House temporarily raised the borrowing limit to $28.9 trillion. The vote delayed the deadline for a default only until December 2021.
Tom Williams // Getty Images
Another debt ceiling deadline looms
As theDecember 2021 deadlineapproaches for another debt ceiling crisis, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and the Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky held discussions on how to avert a default. The Treasury Department warned of a Dec. 15 deadline, after which it will be unable to meet its financial obligations. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia suggested there may be a way to pass legislation with a simple majority instead of the 60 votes usually required. MeanwhileTreasury Secretary Janet Yellensaid she supports discarding the borrowing limit as it’s currently structured. Proposals that were introduced in Congress include appealing the limit outright or transferring authority over the borrowing limit to the Treasury Department.
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Biden, McCarthy reach final deal to prevent default, now must sell to Congress
WASHINGTON — With days to spare before a potential first-ever government default, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached final agreement Sunday on a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling and worked to ensure enough Republican and Democratic votes to pass the measure in the coming week.
Here's how Biden and McCarthy struck a debt limit deal and staved off a catastrophe
WASHINGTON — It was advice that Mitch McConnell had offered to Joe Biden once already: To resolve the debt limit standoff, he needed to strike a deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — and McCarthy alone. But after the first meeting of the top four congressional leaders with the president in early May, the Senate minority leader felt the need to reemphasize his counsel.
After returning from the White House that day, McConnell called the president to privately urge him to "shrink the room" – meaning no direct involvement in the talks for himself, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
FILE - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., listen as President Joe Biden speaks before a meeting to discuss the debt limit in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Evan Vucci
President Joe Biden speaks about the debt limit talks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Evan Vucci
Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, center, and Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, right, top negotiators for President Joe Biden on the debt limit crisis, enter the Capitol for talks, Monday, May 22, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin
FILE - From left, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., sit together during a ceremony at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. If a debt limit deal can be reached between McCarthy and President Joe Biden, McCarthy has promised his conference that he will give lawmakers 72 hours to read the bill before they vote on it and send it to the Senate. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
J. Scott Applewhite
President Joe Biden listens as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., speaks during their meeting to discuss the debt limit in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alex Brandon
President Joe Biden meets with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., to discuss the debt limit in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alex Brandon
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of Calif., talks to reporters as Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., listens after meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House, Monday, May 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Evan Vucci
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of Calif., walks from the West Wing to talk to reporters after meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House, Monday, May 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Evan Vucci
From left, Brittan Specht, Kevin McCarthy's chief of staff's senior policy advisor, Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, Dan Meyer, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's chief of staff, Louisa Terrell, legislative affairs director, Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, and Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., listen as President Joe Biden meets with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., to discuss the debt limit in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alex Brandon
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a key Republican in the debt limit negotiations and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, joins Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as they meet with reporters following their discussions at the White House with President Joe Biden on the impasse over the government's debt ceiling, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday evening, May 22, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
J. Scott Applewhite
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., speaks to reporters, Tuesday, May 23, 2023, as returns to his office from the House floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, as debt limit negotiations continue. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., expresses his frustration with Democrats and President Biden over the debt limit negotiations as he speaks to reporters in Statuary Hall at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
J. Scott Applewhite
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., speaks about the threat of default during a news conference, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Mariam Zuhaib
The national debt clock is seen in midtown Manhattan, Thursday, May 25, 2023. Both President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are speaking hopefully of the likelihood of an agreement to raise the government's debt limit and avert an economically chaotic federal default. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Mary Altaffer
After long days and nights haggling over the debt limit, Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., the top Republican negotiator for the Republicans, pauses as Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, May 28, 2023. The mediators came to an "agreement in principle" with the White House that would avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default, but still has to pass both houses of Congress. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
J. Scott Applewhite
President Joe Biden walks on the South Lawn upon his return to the White House in Washington, Sunday, May 28, 2023, after he and first lady Jill Biden were in Delaware to watch granddaughter Natalie Biden graduate from high school. Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy came to an “agreement in principle” on the debt limit Saturday that would avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default, but still has to pass both houses of Congress. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Manuel Balce Ceneta
President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Sunday, May 28, 2023, in Washington. Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached a final agreement Sunday on a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling while trying to ensure enough Republican and Democratic votes to pass the measure in the coming week. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Manuel Balce Ceneta
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to reporters as he leaves Capitol Hill, Monday, May 29, 2023, in Washington. After weeks of negotiations, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have struck an agreement to avert a potentially devastating government default. The stakes are high for both men — and now each will have to persuade lawmakers in their parties to vote for it. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Jose Luis Magana
Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Susan Walsh
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, speaks as the House Rules Committee meets to prepare the debt limit bill, The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, for a vote on the floor, Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., left, wearing a pin simulating the increasing U.S. National Debt, joined at right by Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., both members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, whispers to Norman as the House Rules Committee meets to prepare the debt limit bill, The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, for a vote on the floor, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Jacquelyn Martin
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee accompanied by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., along with other House Republican members, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Jose Luis Magana
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., joined at left by Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., the Democratic Caucus chair, talks to reporters about the closed-door meeting they had with fellow Democrats on the debt limit deal, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The agreement negotiated by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and President Joe Biden, will be voted on in the House later tonight. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
J. Scott Applewhite
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., walks to the House chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. as the House moves toward passage of the debt limit bill. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Jose Luis Magana
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif. along with other Republican members of the House, speaks at a news conference after the House passed the debt ceiling bill at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The bill now goes to the Senate. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Jose Luis Magana
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif. listens at a news conference after the House passed the debt ceiling bill at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The bill now goes to the Senate. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Jose Luis Magana
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.,along with other Republican members of the House, speaks at a news conference after the House passed the debt ceiling bill at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The bill now goes to the Senate. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Jose Luis Magana
Voting tally sheets are seen in the press gallery after a hectic series of amendment votes and final passage on the big debt ceiling and budget cuts package, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 1, 2023. The legislation now goes to President Joe Biden's desk to become law before the fast-approaching default deadline. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
J. Scott Applewhite
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters after a hectic series of amendment votes and final passage on the big debt ceiling and budget cuts package, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 1, 2023. The legislation now goes to President Joe Biden's desk to become law before the fast-approaching default deadline. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
J. Scott Applewhite
Biden marks Memorial Day lauding generations of fallen US troops who 'dared all and gave all'
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who “dared all and gave all” fighting for their country and called on Americans to ensure that their “sacrifice was not in vain” as he marked Memorial Day with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Biden was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, for the 155th National Memorial Day Observance. He had a moment of contemplation in front of the wreath, which was adorned with flowers and a red, white and blue bow, and then bowed his head in prayer.
