lawmakers

AP - Democrats are abandoning their demand for a surtax on millionaires to help finance payroll tax cuts in a sign that lawmakers are trying to broker a compromise on Congress' highest-profile year-end dispute.

Lawmakers in Mexico City have proposed letting marriages expire. Couples could decide beforehand how long they want their marriage to last.

After a minimum of two years, the marriage could just end if that's what a couple wants. The Catholic archdiocese in Mexico calls the proposal absurd.

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Millions of homeowners can't qualify for current low interest rates. If they could, they'd save hundreds of dollars a month on their home loans, which might give them money to spend elsewhere.

The president and lawmakers in both parties want to help more homeowners refinance, but critics say it would come at the expense of investors.

Before a joint session of Congress Thursday night, President Obama outlined what he called the American Jobs Act, and he repeatedly called on lawmakers to pass it "right away." Among other things, the proposal includes a cut in payroll taxes for both employers and employees.

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