[Updated at 12:58 p.m. ET] In rare bipartisan accord, normally quarrelsome U.S. lawmakers passed a measure designed to end budget-related air traffic controller furloughs blamed for widespread flight delays.
The House of Representatives approved the legislation, capping a major congressional initiative as delays snarled traffic at airports. The House vote comes a day after unanimous approval by the U.S. Senate.
The measure - which is expected to be signed into law by President Obama - gives the Transportation Department budget planners new flexibility for dealing with forced spending cuts.
FULL STORYRoman Catholic cardinals continue their conclave to elect a new pope. Watch CNN.com Live for ongoing coverage from the Vatican.
Today's programming highlights...
Ongoing coverage - Papal conclave
10:30 am ET - Budget debate - The House Budget Committee considers the proposed 2014 budget plan released this week by Rep. Paul Ryan. Senate Democrats release their own budget proposal at 2:00 pm ET.
$85 billion in automatic across-the-board cuts became law last week, as President Obama and Congress struggle to find a solution to the crisis. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of this story.
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The Jodi Arias trial is in recess until Wednesday, March 13
10:30 am ET - The funeral of Hugo Chavez - Heads of state and dignitaries from dozens of countries gather in Caracas for the state funeral of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Nicolas Maduro will be sworn in as interim president at 6:30 pm ET.
$85 billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts became law last week, as President Obama and Congress struggle to find a solution to the crisis. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
10:00 am ET - North Korea policy hearing - As North Korea makes new threats amid possible U.N. sanctions over its nuclear ambitions, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meets to discuss existing U.S. policy toward Pyongyang.
$85 billion in automatic across-the-board cuts became law last week, as President Obama and Congress struggle to find a solution to the crisis. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
9:30 am ET - Justice Department oversight hearing - Attorney General Eric Holder may discuss spending cuts and drones when he testifies at an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
$85 billion in automatic across-the-board cuts became law last week, as President Obama and Congress struggle to find a solution to the crisis. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
8:30 am ET - Menendez speaks at AIPAC - Embattled Sen. Robert Menendez returns to the public eye this morning as he addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's policy conference in Washington.
$85 billion in automatic across-the-board cuts became law last week, as President Obama and Congress struggle to find a solution to the crisis. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
10:15 am ET - Obama reveals OMB nomination - President Obama is expected to nominate the head of the Walmart Foundation to be the next director of the Office of Management and Budget.
$85 billion in automatic spending cuts begin today as President Obama and Congress struggle to find a solution to the crisis. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
The Jodi Arias trial resumes on Monday.
10:10 am ET - SpaceX launches cargo mission - SpaceX will attempt to launch its second official cargo supply mission to the International Space Station.
$85 billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts will happen unless President Obama and Congress reach a deal by tomorrow. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
10:00 am ET - State of the U.S. economy hearing - The threat of forced budget cuts will likely be discussed when the Joint Economic Committee meets to discuss the health of the U.S. economy.
Congressional leaders have been invited to the White House on Friday, the day forced federal spending cuts are scheduled to start taking effect, according to a senior Republican aide.
The aide told CNN that Republicans do not anticipate the meeting to be anything more than optics – an effort, the aide said, by President Barack Obama to show he is at least talking to Congress on the day the cuts are supposed to kick in.
But the aide added it wasn't clear what was on the president's agenda.
FULL STORY$85 billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts will take place if President Obama and Congress can't reach a deal by March 1. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
10:00 am ET - Assault weapons ban legislation briefing - The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on proposed legislation that, if signed into law, would ban the sale and manufacturing of dozens of firearms.
$85 billion in automatic across-the-board cuts will happen unless President Obama and Congress come to an agreement by March 1. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
10:00 am ET - Ben Bernanke on Capitol Hill - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is slated to discuss the economy and U.S. monetary policy before a Senate committee today, but he may also discuss the threat of forced spending cuts.
$85 billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts could happen if President Obama and Congress don't reach a deal by March 1. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
The Jodi Arias murder trial is in recess until Monday.
11:20 am ET - White House briefing - Spending cuts, immigration and gun control will likely dominate Press Secretary Jay Carney's briefing with the White House press corps.
Billions of dollars in automatic across-the-board spending cuts could take place on March 1 unless President Obama and Congress do something about it. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage on this story.
Today's programming highlights...
11:00 am ET - Kerry speaks at university - Secretary of State John Kerry makes his first major public address since taking over the post. The remarks will be made on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
President Obama and Congress look to avert $85 billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts scheduled for March 1. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the sequestration crisis.
Today's programming highlights...
10:45 am ET - Obama's sequestration warning - President Obama will ask Congress to work with him to avoid the March 1 spending cuts in remarks from Washington.
President Obama and Congress look to avert $85 billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts scheduled for March 1. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the sequestration crisis.
Today's programming highlights...
10:00 am ET - Sequestration threat hearing - Three Cabinet secretaries and others will testify before a Senate committee on how the threatened spending cuts would affect their departments.
President Obama and Congress look to avert $85 billion in automatic across-the-board spending cuts scheduled for March 1. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the sequestration crisis.
Today's programming highlights...
10:00 am ET - Postal Service crisis hearing - The U.S. Postal Service is ending most Saturday delivery amid concerns that its time is running short. Can the USPS be saved? The House Government Affairs Committee looks into the matter.
The talk in Washington is all about the "fiscal cliff" and what the president and Congress need to do to avoid it. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the fiscal cliff debate.
Today's programming highlights...
11:30 am ET (est.) - Senate Democrats briefing on fiscal cliff - Sen. Tom Harkin and others will call on Congressional Republicans to help resolve the fiscal cliff crisis at a Capitol Hill briefing.
CNN.com Live is your home for breaking news as it happens.
The talk in Washington is all about the "fiscal cliff" and what the president and Congress need to do to avoid it. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the fiscal cliff debate.
Today's programming highlights...
Ongoing coverage - Winter weather
11:30 am ET - Obama returns to Washington - President Obama cuts short his Christmas vacation in Hawaii to return to Washington and resume work on a deal to avert the fiscal cliff.
CNN.com Live is your home for breaking news as it happens.
The talk in Washington is all about the "fiscal cliff" and what the president and Congress need to do to avoid it. Watch CNN.com Live for continuing coverage of the fiscal cliff debate.
Today's programming highlights...
Ongoing coverage - Severe weather in the Southern, Eastern U.S.
CNN.com Live is your home for breaking news as it happens.
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