WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) – Federal employee Leslie
Shah went back to work just after her second child celebrated
his first birthday, one of a growing number of American mothers
who are choosing full-time work since the U.S. economic
downturn.

“It really came down to a financial decision,” said Shah,
44, who lives in Maryland just outside Washington. “Gas prices
are up, my grocery bill is up.”

WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on
Wednesday blamed the decision to halt the popular White House
tours on mandatory cutbacks to the Secret Service budget and
said he was looking for ways to allow groups such as students to
visit.

“I have to say this was not a decision that went up to the
White House. What the Secret Service explained to us was that
they’re going to have to furlough some folks,” Obama told ABC
News in explaining why the tours were canceled after $85 billion
in automatic spending cuts known as “sequestration” kicked in.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Cyber security threats against the United States are growing, President Barack Obama said before a meeting on Wednesday with corporate leaders about the issue, as concerns rise about hacking attacks emanating from China.

Speaking in a television interview, Obama stopped short of echoing concerns expressed by some lawmakers that the United States was engaged in some kind of electronic war with China.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama is looking for ways to restart popular tours of the White House to allow certain groups such as students to visit.

“What I’m asking them is are there ways, for example, for us to accommodate school groups, you know, who may have traveled here with some bake sales. Can we make sure that kids … can still come to tour?” Obama told ABC News in an interview on Tuesday and aired on Wednesday.