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Politics News
for 01/10/2009

(last updated 7:30am EST 01/10/2009)

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• $100 Studio-in-a-Box — Get on the ... $100 Studio-in-a-Box — Get on the Mic and Podcast
01/09/2009
You get headphones, mic with gain knob that makes level adjusting easy and podcasting kit — all for a C-note. The sound is great, so go for it — podcast your pearls of wisdom. (10 h ago)

• Gadget Roundup: Innovation Is Back at CE... Gadget Roundup: Innovation Is Back at CES 2009
01/09/2009
: The Gadget Lab crew is scouring CES 2009 this week for the hottest new toys and tools debuting this year. Companies are taking some risks with new inventions and ideas, and you never know what to expect at the booths. Here are the best finds so far. Check out Wired.com's full CES 2009 coverage for the latest headlines. Left: Powermat's wireless power system, which goes by the same name as the company, isn't exactly wireless. The mat has a single power cord to connect to an outlet, and by placing gadgets on the mat, you can charge them — regardless of their voltage. We won't toss our cables in the recycling bin any time soon, but Powermat's offering is impressive. For more action from the show floor, go to Wired.com Video , and get the latest news from CES 2009 as it develops. : This 12.2-megapixel camera comes in a purse-size 16.6mm (0.65 inch) thick form factor, has a big 2.7-inch screen for checking images and has the usual face-detection and image-stabilization features. A new Smart Auto feature detects exactly what you are snapping and picks the exposure mode. Shoot people and it switches to portrait mode. Shoot a landscape and you get landscape mode. Neat, especially as most people probably never takes the camera off auto. Smart Albums allow in-camera storage, which groups similar images and videos. It won't let you show all the pictures with your grandkid in them, but it narrows the selection based on color, file type or date. Expect it at around $250. : Control the 64-GB HMX-H106 using a touchscreen but thankfully, you have to hit a real red button to record. The camera will also shoot 4.7-megapixel stills and has a built-in flash. Specs aside, people are excited about the handgrip, which swivels. You can change your grip without removing the strap from your hand. It sounds simple, and it is. The Samsung guy at the stand even said that it "probably only took around five minutes of R&D time." But, apparently, people love it. Price? Take a guess. Samsung is waiting until these ship to see if the economy has recovered enough to allow them to overcharge. : The new 10.2-megapixel HZ10W is a camera that gets everything right and yet fails to bring it together. It's as if Dr. Frankenstein had stitched together his monster, screwed the bolts into its neck and forgotten to hook up the lightning conductor. The double-stabilized image works in both lens shift and in-body. Other than that you get a bright and sharp 2.7-inch LED, a 10x zoom, the Samsung standard Schneider lens and 720p hi-def video, crunched down into H.264 format. Price is unannounced. : The first ready-for-primetime music game involves real instruments, rather than plastic ones. We captured some footage of Disney Star Guitarist so you can see how the game is played. Check it out at left. : This concept motion-sensing remote from Hillcrest Labs uses company software to let users to operate it much like the Nintendo Wiimote. Through a combination of sensors and accelerometers, the remote senses the users' movements and reflects them on the screen. Users can then click the right or the left button on the remote to make selections. The design does away with the many buttons on a traditional remote and makes the remote-clicking process more intuitive. Last year, Hillcrest filed a lawsuit against Nintendo alleging patent infringement over its motion-sensing technology. : The smallest PC sporting an OLED (organic light-emitting diode, an alternative technology to LCD) display took center stage. The luminous, crisp screen sets it apart and OQO claims it's the world's first PC with integrated active-matrix OLED display. The little American beauty called OQO model 2+ is based on the 1.86-GHz Intel Atom processor, has 2 GB RAM and a Qualcomm chip to support 3G worldwide. The device offers up to 3.5 hours of battery life, has an integrated touchscreen and runs Windows XP or Vista operating system. Other key features: 60-GB to 120-GB hard disk drive storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, 5-inch display. The device weighs a pound with standard battery. This is the second version of the OQO PC. The model 2+ will be available in the first half of 2009, with two versions priced at $1000 and $1500. : Asus's latest 12.1-inch notebook is special not only because a cow died for it. More interesting for gadget geeks, the notebook can hold a solid-state drive over half a terabyte large. Lined with brown leather, the S121 is part of Asus' high-end line of 12.1-inch notebooks. The notebook, powered by a 1.3-GHz Atom processor, normally ships with a hard disk drive, but Asus offers a 512-GB SSD as an optional upgrade. That's pretty damn huge for solid state. Just a year ago, the industry was barely breaking double digits in terms of gigabyte capacity for solid-state drives. The advantage of solid state is no moving parts, so these drives are less fragile and quieter. Asus' S101 starts at $1,650 with the default configuration. The company didn't have a price yet for the SSD option, but you'd probably have to pay at least an extra $700. The S101 ships at the end of January. : Motorola showed off femtocells, small cellular base stations designed to boost cellphone signals, in a digital picture-frame exterior to attract consumers to the trend. The CDMA femtocell 9100 Series includes a VoIP soft phone and offers enhanced phone coverage inside the home. Touching the screen activates the femtocell. Through the screen, users can specify coverage radius, average number of walls, windows and doors, or select one or more mobile devices to optimize performance, says Motorola. You can handle device, subscriber-management and access-control settings through the femtocell frame. Motorola will start trials of the femtocell frame in the first half of the year and hopes to have it available by the end of the year. The company hasn't finalized any deals with carriers yet, but Verizon could be the possible service provider. In Europe, femtocells are available for about 10 euro a month. Motorola hopes to ink deals that will bring similar pricing to North America. : Plustek's $700 Reader scans books through a cool optical character-recognition tech that understands words even when they're faded or smudged on the physical page. It can duplicate books in PDF and various other file types. But the killer app is a bit controversial — the scan automatically creates MP3 files of books. This means you can make an audio file of any book you own in only a few steps. This might not be Audible.com's worst nightmare, it might be no competition for celebrity voiceovers, but there's no way they'd like their customers to know about it. According to the company, setting up the book scan is simple – you just place the book on the base and the machine does the rest. (The sensitive curved lamp scans every word, even in the crack of the book's spine.) : The casing on Motorola's new candybar-shaped W233 Renew handset is pretty basic but it has solid green credentials. The phone is made of plastic from recycled water bottles. The device's small form factor takes 20 percent less energy to create than many other phones, says the company, and it comes with an envelope to send in your old phone for recycling. The W233 Renew has 2 GB of memory and offers a whopping nine hours of talk time. It has a music player but no camera or internet-browsing capability. : Panasonic and LG showcased flat-panel, high-definition TVs bundled with wireless systems that appear very similar. Panasonic's TC-P54Z1 television comes with an SCZT1 wireless receiver box. You'd connect devices such as your Blu-ray player or Xbox 360 to the receiver, and on top of the receiver is a transmitter that wirelessly outputs to another receiver on the TV. LG's 47LH85 wireless system (top) works the same way. And both companies say their wireless systems transfer perfectly uncompressed data up to 30 feet away from the TV. Panasonic's shipping in June or July; LG did not have a ship date ("sometime 2009"). : Canon is saving any new still cameras it might have for the PMA show, but here at CES 2009, the company is showing its new range of Vixia camcorders. They range in capabilities and price, but the best is the HF S10. This has a large (but not as large as Samsung's 64 GB) 32 GB of solid state storage, or you can opt for an SDHC card instead. All the new cameras have Canon's new DIGIC DV III chip, which is a step up from the — you guessed it — DIGIC DV II. This brings the magic of side-of-face recognition, which detects faces even if they're side-on or facing down. The CMOS sensors don't just do HD video. All cameras in the range will snap stills at a respectable 8 megapixels. Prices and availability unknown. : Struggling smartphone pioneer Palm announced a new phone, dubbed the Pre, along with a new operating system that could give the company a fighting chance against its more powerful rivals. The new Palm Pre is a sleek black device that resembles the iPhone touchscreen and form factor. But it's no ordinary iPhone clone. It offers a clean interface, a combination of touchscreen and keyboard inputs and a curvy black exterior. The 3.1-inch touchscreen Palm Pre weighs 4.8 ounces and comes with a QWERTY slide-out keyboard. The phone supports Wi-Fi and EVDO and has 8 GB of storage. : The Cybershot DSC-G3 is the first camera to have built in 802.11 (b,g) Wi-Fi along with a web browser. As a camera, it's no slouch. Ten megapixels, a 10x zoom, a hi-res 921,600-dot 3.5 inch touchscreen and smile detection. There is a decent 4-GB memory built-in, but if you want more you'll have to buy a Sony Memory Stick. You can hook up to any Wi-Fi point and using the browser you can sign in to hotspots. From there, you can upload directly to Photobucket, YouTube, DailyMotion, Picasa and Shutterfly, but, oddly, not Flickr. The real gimmick is the browser, and it's terrible. Buttons disappear half off the screen in forms, HTML links are tiny and hard to click (hence the plastic stylus on the end of the strap) and if you think you'll be browsing your online photo collection you're dead wrong. This is strictly HTML only — web 1.0. No Flash, no Javascript. You'll never have an iPhone-like experience here. In fact, if you need the uploading functions, just grab an Eye-Fi card instead. Priced at $500, you can buy it now only at SonyStyle, coming to stores soon. (13 h ago)

• Top 11 Most Anticipated Games of 2009 Top 11 Most Anticipated Games of 2009
01/09/2009
It's gonna be a great year for videogames, and these titles look likely to deliver maximum fun. From big winners to little-known gems, Wired.com runs down the year's most promising games. (15 h ago)

• Why the Budget All-in-One Desktop Will F... Why the Budget All-in-One Desktop Will Fail
01/09/2009
Attempting to ride the success of netbooks, companies are introducing inexpensive all-in-one PC desktops. They don't stand a chance in the market, and here's why. (15 h ago)

• Online Threat to Kill Obama Leads to Arr... Online Threat to Kill Obama Leads to Arrest
01/09/2009
Secret Service agents raid the home of a man suspected of promising Barack Obama a "50 cal in the head" on a Yahoo message board. They take away his .50 caliber rifle. (17 h ago)

• Army Assembles 'Mad Scientist' Conferenc... Army Assembles 'Mad Scientist' Conference. Really
01/09/2009
The "Mad Scientist Future Technology Seminar," a three-day conference hosted by the U.S. Army, posits a near future where access to advanced military technology is available to all. So we'd better get our problems sorted out pretty damned quick. (18 h ago)

• Video: the Magic of Mushroom Spores Video: the Magic of Mushroom Spores
01/09/2009
High-speed video reveals that the fantastic variety of shapes of mushroom spores serves to help them catapult themselves into the air. (18 h ago)

• How Video Will Save the Audio Star How Video Will Save the Audio Star
01/09/2009
Audiophiles, rejoice: Sound quality is about to get much better, thanks to high-definition video standards. (18 h ago)

• Intel Cash Register Knows Who You Are, W... Intel Cash Register Knows Who You Are, What You Want
01/09/2009
Asking the question: "Do you know who I am?" is not likely to score you any points at the store, even in these trying economic times. But Intel wants to change that with a proof of concept cash register that knows not only who you are, but also what you want. (18 h ago)

• Obama Urges DTV Delay as Time, Money Run... Obama Urges DTV Delay as Time, Money Runs Out
01/09/2009
The deadline for switching to digital-only TV is 39 days away, but the move is in serious trouble. Millions of households aren't ready for the conversion and a government program to subsidize the hardware needed by many is out of money. (19 h ago)

• First Post-HP 'Pretexting' Charges Filed First Post-HP 'Pretexting' Charges Filed
01/09/2009
Federal prosecutors in Alabama and Ohio file "pretexting" charges under a law passed in the wake of the 2006 Hewlett-Packard spying scandal. (19 h ago)

• Hotel 747 Now Boarding Hotel 747 Now Boarding
01/09/2009
What d'ya do with a decommissioned 747 you picked up for cheap? Turn it into a youth hostel, of course. (19 h ago)

• Detroit Auto Show a Leaner, Greener Affa... Detroit Auto Show a Leaner, Greener Affair
01/09/2009
With the auto industry in turmoil, the economy in recession and vehicle sales tanking, the North American International Auto Show is a low-key affair with just one goal: to get people back in the showrooms. Automakers are rolling out some sweet cars that might do the trick. (19 h ago)

• Video: Wireless Power Energizes Many Dev... Video: Wireless Power Energizes Many Devices
01/09/2009
Powermat displays new wireless charging systems at CES 2009, a convenient wireless alternative to mobile phone, computer and appliance chargers. The system uses magnetic conduction to transfer energy to almost any device. (20 h ago)

• Darpa Chief Staying On, for Now Darpa Chief Staying On, for Now
01/09/2009
Tony Tether, Darpa's controversial chief, will continue holding the reins after Barack Obama takes office. It's a bit strange, considering Darpa's history as an agency that prides itself on rapid turnover. (20 h ago)

• Five Things Google Could Do to Save News... Five Things Google Could Do to Save Newspapers
01/09/2009
Google thrives on curating the flow of information from media outlets, so it has a stake in the future of newspapers. But should the internet behemoth necessarily intervene to try and save newspapers? Some think not. But here are five things it could do, if it wanted to. (1 d ago)

• Gaza War's New Front: Facebook Gaza War's New Front: Facebook
01/09/2009
At first glance Israel seems to be dominating the information war over Gaza. The Israeli government has launched a campaign to dominate the blogosphere: Pro-Israel hackers are waging cyberwar against Hamas, and the Israeli military has kept the international press off the battlefield. But social networking site Facebook has become an important venue in the Arab world for protesting the Israeli campaign, as well as a potent fundraising tool for supporters of the Palestinian cause. (1 d ago)

• Conceptual Interface is Controlled by Ha... Conceptual Interface is Controlled by Hand Gestures
01/09/2009
Toshiba showed off a conceptual computer interface at this year's CES that uses hand gestures for control. With simple motion sensing technology and a software interface, Toshiba hopes to open up possible applications for video games and other interactive media. (1 d ago)

• Broadcasts To Mobile Devices To Start In... Broadcasts To Mobile Devices To Start In 22 Cities
01/09/2009
TV stations in 22 U.S. cities say they will start broadcasting their signals this year in a format designed to be received by mobile devices like cell phones, MP3 players, GPS units and in-car entertainment systems. The broadcasts would most likely be free, would provide access to local news, weather and traffic updates and could an important role in emergencies like hurricanes. (1 d ago)

• STEELERS FRONT FIVE TOE THE LINE TOGETHE... STEELERS FRONT FIVE TOE THE LINE TOGETHER
01/10/2009
PITTSBURGH - They spend as many as eight hours a day together for at least five months, practicing three to four times a week. They lift weights. Watch film. Break down game plans. Not surprisingly, they occasionally get tired of seeing one... (4 h ago)

• TITANS, RAVENS BRACE FOR PHYSICAL FOOTBA... TITANS, RAVENS BRACE FOR PHYSICAL FOOTBALL
01/10/2009
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - If you like seeing finesse football, watch something else. When the Ravens and Titans lock up in today's AFC divisional playoff game there will not be much razzle-dazzle. Instead, it will be smash-mouth, defense-first, whoever... (4 h ago)

• BIG BLUE BELIEVES UPSET IN THE CARDS BIG BLUE BELIEVES UPSET IN THE CARDS
01/10/2009
CHARLOTTE - The Cardinals lost all five of their trips east this year, and the Panthers won all eight games at home by an average margin of 15.4 points. Those are just two reasons why the Panthers are 10-point favorites in tonight's NFC... (4 h ago)

• LILLO'S LUCKY BRONX TALE LILLO'S LUCKY BRONX TALE
01/10/2009
Lillo Brancato spun his own Bronx tale yesterday - and it spared him an extra five years in prison. After telling a judge of his rampant drug addiction and remorse over how it led to the death of an off-duty cop, he was given a reduced 10-year... (4 h ago)

• LONG LIVE THIS OLD LOBSTER LONG LIVE THIS OLD LOBSTER
01/10/2009
George, a 140-year-old lobster who was the popular mascot at a Manhattan eatery, is high-tailing it to freedom. City Crab and Seafood Company, which agreed to PETA's request that it give the 20-pounder his liberty, yesterday set the ancient... (6 h ago)

• GATORS' TEBOW NOT FLAWLESS, BUT HE'S CLO... GATORS' TEBOW NOT FLAWLESS, BUT HE'S CLOSE
01/10/2009
MIAMI - Tim Tebow is not perfect. There it is. Forget what you saw on the game-clinching, fourth-quarter drive in Florida's 24-14 win over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game. Yes, Tebow was perfect on that touchdown drive. He threw six passes... (6 h ago)

• JASPER GUARD RUBS SHOULDERS WITH GREATNE... JASPER GUARD RUBS SHOULDERS WITH GREATNESS
01/10/2009
CHRIS Smith lives the life most college basketball players only see in video games. Most players drive BMWs only when playing "Grand Theft Auto IV." Most players work out with LeBron James only while playing "NBA Live '09." But not Smith, a... (6 h ago)

• BEARS WILL LEARN FROM LIKELY HALL OF FAM... BEARS WILL LEARN FROM LIKELY HALL OF FAMER
01/10/2009
HERE'S all you need to know about the competitor that is Tim Raines. In 1991, Raines came over to the American League and the White Sox after a dozen years with the Expos. On Day 1, he squared off against Roger Clemens - Rocket vs. Rock. "I was one... (6 h ago)

• PENNY'S DEAL FINALIZED PENNY'S DEAL FINALIZED
01/10/2009
The Red Sox have finalized a one-year contract with pitcher Brad Penny, a deal worth about $5 million. The 30-year-old Penny is a two-time All-Star who struggled with injuries to his shoulder and side last season with the Dodgers. He went 6-9... (6 h ago)

• SPEED NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP SPEED NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP
01/10/2009
THE single best, fastest performance by a thoroughbred in 2008, according to the Beyer speed figures, was Commentator's runaway win in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga in July. Visually, it was dazzling. The aged gelding went to the lead at the... (6 h ago)

• BOXING'S REVIVAL WILL HINGE ON WELTER DI... BOXING'S REVIVAL WILL HINGE ON WELTER DIVISION
01/10/2009
IF 2009 is going to be the year boxing enjoys its resurgence, it will begin with the most talented weight class in the sport: the welterweights. Next Saturday, HBO begins its "Boxing After Dark" schedule with Andre Berto defending his WBC... (6 h ago)

• SPORTS SHORTS SPORTS SHORTS
01/10/2009
SPORTS SHORTS NBA: Blazers, Miles in legal snafu The NBA players' association plans to file a grievance against the Trail Blazers, who have threatened litigation against any NBA club considering signing Darius Miles. If Miles, attempting a... (6 h ago)

• JASPERS TOP MARIST JASPERS TOP MARIST
01/10/2009
Devon Austin's floater under the basket with 1:12 remaining lifted Manhattan to a 73-67 victory over Marist in The Bronx last night. Antoine Pearson scored 20 points - including four straight free throws down the stretch - to lead the Jaspers... (6 h ago)

• TED TAKES IT HOLM! TED TAKES IT HOLM!
01/10/2009
In his rookie season of tackling college football spreads, The Post's Ted Holmlund raced to a championship in both the Overall and Best Bet categories of the 2008 version of Saturday's Heroes. Holmlund fell just two weeks short of leading... (6 h ago)

• ED FOUNTAINE'S STAKES SPOT PLAYS ED FOUNTAINE'S STAKES SPOT PLAYS
01/10/2009
FT. LAUDERDALE Gulfstream Park, 9th race. Purse: $100,000. Mile-and-a-sixteenth, turf, 4-year-olds and up. Post: 5:04 p.m. LOWDOWN: In two starts over the Gulfstream turf course last winter, Pick Six finished full of run to fall short by a... (6 h ago)

• LEGENDARY TURF WRITER HIRSCH DEAD AT 80 LEGENDARY TURF WRITER HIRSCH DEAD AT 80
01/10/2009
Joe Hirsch, the dean of American turf writers who chronicled thoroughbred racing for a half-century in the Morning Telegraph and Daily Racing Form, died early yesterday morning in New York City after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was... (6 h ago)

• THROUGH THE BINOCS THROUGH THE BINOCS
01/10/2009
Leading rider Ramon Dominguez wasn't having his best day, losing on several short-priced horses earlier in card, but he came through on 11-1 shot Awesome Ashley, once highly regarded 5-year-old mare by Unbridled's Song, in $65,000 Plankton... (6 h ago)

• TEARS FOR FALLEN BX. MARINE TEARS FOR FALLEN BX. MARINE
01/09/2009
Hundreds of mourners gathered at a Bronx church yesterday to say a tearful last goodbye to Marine Lance Cpl. Alberto Francesconi, who was killed in combat in Afghanistan on New Year's Day. "He was an exceptional young man who died while... (7 h ago)

• B'KLYN SEWAGE-PLANT TRAGEDY B'KLYN SEWAGE-PLANT TRAGEDY
01/09/2009
A father of two was killed yesterday when a conveyor belt collapsed on him at the Brooklyn sewage-treatment plant where he worked, officials said. Gennaro Montello, 45, a seven-year veteran of the Department of Environmental Protection, was... (7 h ago)

• RAINBOW ROOM'S EVICT FEAR RAINBOW ROOM'S EVICT FEAR
01/09/2009
The sun may be setting on the Rainbow Room. The beloved restaurant with sweeping views of the city and a revolving dance floor is facing eviction from its prime spot atop Rockefeller Center because it's four months behind on the rent, a spokesman... (7 h ago)

• Greens call for stronger finance regulat... Greens call for stronger finance regulator
01/10/2009
That report found there had been a breakdown in communications in the follow-up and response by the authority. Fine Gael Spokesman on Finance Richard Bruton said it remained to be investigated why th... (6 h ago)

• Notice of Pendency of Securities Fraud C... Notice of Pendency of Securities Fraud Class Action Against TD Ameritrade and the Reserve Yield Plus Fund
01/10/2009
A securities fraud class action has been commenced in the Northern District of Georgia (Case No. 1:08-cv-3731) against TD Ameritrade, Inc., TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., Reserve Yield Plus Fund ("... (6 h ago)

• Securities and Exchange Board of India ... Securities and Exchange Board of India passes order against Rupesh V Shah in matter of Jet IPO
01/10/2009
Mumbai, Jan 9 : Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has passed an order against Rupesh V Shah for allegedly committing irregularities in the Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) ... (6 h ago)

• Volkswagen acheives target of 15 dealers Volkswagen acheives target of 15 dealers
01/10/2009
Mumbai, Jan 9 : Volkswagen India today said it had successfully achieved the target of appointment of 15 dealers in the country with the launch of Volkswagen Pune. (6 h ago)

• RTA signs a strategic agreement with Tec... RTA signs a strategic agreement with Tecom Investments to expand and develop mass transportation in Dubai
01/10/2009
Public Transport Agency at Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) signed at its Head Office yesterday a strategic agreement in a form of a Memorandum of Understanding with Energy & Sustained Enviro... (6 h ago)

• Meet your 2009 financial goals Meet your 2009 financial goals
01/10/2009
By CLAUDIA BUCK Sacramento Bee When it comes to New Year's resolutions, Kathy Johnson of Sacramento, Calif. has two simple money-savers in mind: "to get out of debt and pay off all my credit card... (6 h ago)

• Financial peace workshops are offered Financial peace workshops are offered
01/10/2009
Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, a faith-based financial workshop, will be held in Nashville and surrounding areas this month.A workshop will be held beginning at 4 p.m., Jan. 25 at Woodmont ... (6 h ago)

• PBS chief upset government is out of fun... PBS chief upset government is out of funds for TV switch
01/10/2009
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger is not a happy woman.Oh, she's charming, low-key and committed to providing great programming for American viewers — with an e... (6 h ago)

• Obama, Democrats look to revamp financia... Obama, Democrats look to revamp financial bailout
01/09/2009
WASHINGTON (AP) Barack Obama's economic team is talking with the Bush administration about having Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson ask Congress within the next week for access to the $350 bi... (7 h ago)

• Two-Minute Portfolio beats index in toug... Two-Minute Portfolio beats index in tough year
01/09/2009
Things were so rotten in the stock market last year that the 19-per-cent loss in the Two-Minute Portfolio looks like quite the sweet deal. The Two-Minute Portfolio is a continuing experiment design... (7 h ago)

• Bush prepares request for rest of bailou... Bush prepares request for rest of bailout funds
01/09/2009
WASHINGTON - Senior Bush administration officials, consulting with the Obama transition team, have prepared a plan to ask lawmakers for the second half of the $700 billion financial rescue package des... (7 h ago)

• Bankers discuss regulatory rules Bankers discuss regulatory rules
01/09/2009
Bankers discuss regulatory rules By Francesco Guerrera in New York and Peter Thal Larsen,in London Published: January 10 2009 02:00 | Last updated: January 10 2009 02:00 (7 h ago)

• Market seeks to read earnings, economic ... Market seeks to read earnings, economic tea leaves
01/09/2009
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Investors will get their first taste next week of what's expected to be a gruesome earnings season, with a double helping of sour 2009 outlooks and even more evidence of the d... (7 h ago)

• Citigroup and Morgan Stanley in talks ov... Citigroup and Morgan Stanley in talks over Smith Barney
01/09/2009
The Reuters newsagency says Citigroup is exploring the sale of its Smith Barney brokerage unit to Morgan Stanley. (9 h ago)

• U.S. bank bail-out may be extended to ot... U.S. bank bail-out may be extended to other parts of economy
01/09/2009
Changes are being foreshadowed to the $700 billion bailout of banking and financial sectors of the economy. (9 h ago)

• Half million U.S. jobs lost in December Half million U.S. jobs lost in December
01/09/2009
Unemployment in the United States accelerated in December. (9 h ago)

• Financial freeze stalls developers Financial freeze stalls developers
01/09/2009
It's been common in recent years for developers to complain about how long government officials take to approve projects. These days, the frozen real estate market has developers trying to stall the p... (9 h ago)

• Madoff bail to be decided Monday Madoff bail to be decided Monday
01/09/2009
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A U.S. judge will issue a written ruling at noon Monday on a request by U.S. prosecutors to revoke the bail of accused swindler Bernard Madoff and jail him, a court spokesman sai... (10 h ago)

• U.S. stocks tumble on unemployment data U.S. stocks tumble on unemployment data
01/09/2009
U.S. stocks were markedly lower Friday as data was released showing unemployment had risen to its highest level in sixteen years. (23 h ago)

• Help for Indian Non Banking Finance Comp... Help for Indian Non Banking Finance Companies
01/09/2009
New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Union Cabinet today approved the framework for addressing the liquidity constraints of non-deposit taking systemically important Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs). (1 d ago)

• What will Dems do about Burris now? What will Dems do about Burris now?
01/09/2009
Friday afternoon, Roland Burris got some good news and some bad news from the Illinois Supreme Court. On the one hand, the court rejected his bid to force Jesse White, the Illinois secretary of state, to sign the paper appointing him to the Senate. On the other hand, the court said Burris doesn't even need that signature, that his appointment is valid without it. That opened up a whole new can of worms: Democrats had been using the lack of White's seal of approval as justification for keeping Burris out. So what will the Senate leadership do now that a court has said their rationale isn't on solid legal ground? Well, so far there's no word from Majority Leader Harry Reid. But his deputy, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., says they're standing fast. He indicated that the impasse might go on until Gov. Rod Blagojevich is removed from office or resigns and his successor makes a new appointment. That, however, would appear to go against the wishes of President-elect Barack Obama, whose team reportedly asked Senate Dems to move the process along and seat Burris. Update: Reid spokesman Jim Manley sends out a statement: "The Senate Parliamentarian, the Secretary of the Senate and Senate Legal Counsel are advising Senate Leadership as we consider a way forward." (15 h ago)

• Don't blame Proposition 8 on African-Ame... Don't blame Proposition 8 on African-Americans
01/09/2009
In the wake of California's passage of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state, many speculated that it was homophobia among African-Americans that led to the measure's success, since exit polls suggested that as many as 70 percent of black voters supported the ban. Now, a new study by Patrick J. Egan of New York University and Kenneth Sherrill of Hunter College (h/t Hilzoy ) purports to debunk that notion. In their statistical analysis, Egan and Sherrill found that the exit polls dramatically overstated African-American support for Proposition 8. According to the two professors, 58 percent of African-Americans voted for the measure. By comparison, 59 percent of Latinos and Hispanics supported it, along with 49 percent of whites and 48 percent of Asians. Egan and Sherrill came to their conclusions after doing a precinct-level statistical analysis of voting data. They examined the voting in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco counties, where 66 percent of California's African-American voters live. Using estimates of the precincts' racial composition, they were able to then create an aggregate model comparing race and support of Proposition 8. The report calls the exit poll results an "outlier," and surveys conducted by two separate agencies just before the election seem to affirm Egan and Sherrill's conclusions. Both surveys found that the statistical differences between African-American support for Proposition 8 and the feelings of Californians generally were insignificant. So what did account for the results of the vote? "Party identification, age, religiosity and political view had much bigger effects than race, gender or having gay and lesbian family and friends," the authors say. They add: African Americans are more religious (as measured by frequency of attendance at religious services) than any other racial or ethnic group of California voters ... controlling for frequency of religious attendance helps explain why African Americans supported Proposition 8 at higher levels than the population as a whole. Among Californians who attend worship at least weekly, support for Proposition 8 was nearly uniform across all racial and ethnic groups. Among those who attend worship less than weekly, majorities of every racial and ethnic group voted "no" on Proposition 8. Egan and Sherrill found that 70 percent of those who attend church weekly reported voting for the measure. Eighty-one percent of those identifying themselves as Republicans also voted for it. In related news, on Thursday, Proposition 8 supporters filed a suit that seeks to have a federal judge invalidate the state laws that require the publication on the state's Web site of the identities of campaign donors who give $100 or more. The plaintiffs say the disclosure policy restricts free speech and has led to acts of vandalism against them. (17 h ago)

• Blago: impeachment because he "[fought] ... Blago: impeachment because he "[fought] for families"
01/09/2009
The circus that is the Rod Blagojevich scandal got a little more bizarre Friday afternoon, when the embattled governor held a press conference to discuss his impeachment. His breathing loud and labored, his delivery at a constant 100 mph pace, Blagojevich said the Illinois House's vote to impeach him wasn't a surprise, and that it had been long in coming -- not because of any of the criminal allegations against him, but because he'd been working so hard for the children and families of his state. It was clear before the press conference began that he might make an argument like that -- in fact, the start was delayed as a group of mostly minority residents, including one man in a wheelchair, was brought onstage. (Another member of the group, a baby, could occasionally be heard crying as the governor spoke.) It didn't take long for Blagojevich to start discussing them. "[T]he House's action today and the causes of the impeachment are because I've done things to fight for families who are with me here today," he said, continuing: We're joined here by several families who've benefited by some of the programs and some of the initiatives, because I wouldn't take no for an answer from a House that was designed to block everything that could help people for whatever their motivations. Omar Castillo is a young man who was on the All Kids program. He was 17, 18 years old. And then it was discovered that he had a rare liver disease -- kidney disease. And as a result of that, his life was in peril unless he can have a surgery and get a kidney that his brother was going to provide for him -- his loving brother was going to provide for him. But he couldn't get the surgery that would save his life because his parents didn't have health insurance, and he was no longer 18, he was 19, and he wasn't eligible for the All Kids program. We intervened and acted in a way, with legal advice, around the legislature. Omar Castillo got that surgery. He got his liver. He's now alive and well and he's going to live a long and full and happy life. Is that an impeachable offense? Blagojevich also proclaimed his innocence regarding the criminal investigation into him. "Let me reassert to all of you, once more, that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing," he said. That issue will be dealt with on a separate course, in an appropriate forum, a federal court. And I'm confident that, at the end of the day, I will be properly exonerated." Finally, after a long digression explaining why he had chosen this particular poem, he closed the press conference by quoting Alfred Lord Tennyson's Ulysses: "Though we are not now the strength which in old days moved Earth and Heaven, that which we are, we are. One equal temper, of heroic hearts, made weak by time and by fate, but strong in will, to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." (18 h ago)

• Blago speaks on impeachment Blago speaks on impeachment
01/09/2009
This should make for interesting television -- Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is scheduled to speak right now (that is, at 3 p.m. ET) about having been impeached. You can watch the press conference live below, and I'll report back once it's over. (19 h ago)

• Is Obama deliberately snubbing Dean? Is Obama deliberately snubbing Dean?
01/09/2009
Politico's Jonathan Martin has an interesting article today about Howard Dean's absence from the announcement of Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as Barack Obama's choice to take over the Democratic National Committee. As noted in this space yesterday, the outgoing chair wasn't at the event because of a scheduling commitment -- specifically, he was working in American Samoa. But Dean insiders are angry; they see the timing as a snub. Martin quotes one as saying, "The snub today was no accident. I guarantee you he would have rescheduled his trip if asked to attend. It’s easy to [screw] over people when you are riding high in the polls, let's see how many people are singing his praises in six months." Dean insiders say they're puzzled by what they see as the poor treatment accorded to the man who led the Democrats back to power, Martin reports. "It’s the most puzzling thing I’ve ever seen in my life,”a Dean friend told Martin. “I have tried my best through [Obama advisers] Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod and David Plouffe to ask if he ever committed some crime. I don’t get it. He’s been a good soldier.” They attribute the situation to Obama's new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. The two men clashed over strategy for taking back Congress in 2006. But people close to Emanuel are denying there's any trouble. "I talk to Rahm every day,” one friend of his said. "Neither he nor I have mentioned the name of Howard Dean. It’s just not on his radar screen... Rahm never stabs you in the back. He stabs you in front. But I promise that this was accidental." (20 h ago)

• Blagojevich impeached Blagojevich impeached
01/09/2009
The Illinois House moved quickly Friday morning to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, voting within hours after debate began. The tally, not surprisingly, went overwhelmingly against the governor -- 114 members voted for impeachment, while only one voted against. (Three were absent.) With impeachment -- the equivalent of an indictment -- taken care of, the proceedings now move to the state Senate, which will conduct the actual trial. The Chicago Tribune reports that a spokesman for Blagojevich says the governor has no plans to resign. He'll be holding a news conference this afternoon. This marks the first time in the state' s history that a governor has been impeached. (22 h ago)

• Forget "Hannity and Colmes," here's "Han... Forget "Hannity and Colmes," here's "Hannity and Sharpton"
01/09/2009
We'll all miss Alan Colmes, whose time as co-host of Fox News' "Hannity and Colmes" is coming to an end. But don't worry -- this is FNC, and they're fair and balanced. So on Monday, the first episode of the show without Colmes, there'll be another liberal there to take whatever insults Sean Hannity has to dish out: Al Sharpton. It really is amazing how predictable this sort of thing is. Back in 2007, I wrote an article about the "Fox News Democrats," the Democrats has on as contributors and regular guests. In it, I pointed out that most of them can be put into one of three categories: loser, scary liberal or enabler. Colmes, of course, was the classic enabler, while for the network's exceedingly conservative audience there aren't many people scarier than Sharpton. And that's the spectrum of liberal thought represented. Admittedly, things might get better; the show will now feature a rotating panel, and so there might be other Democrats on there who don't fall into one of these categories. But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Hall & Oates Pay Tribute to Alan Colmes Barack Obama Interview John McCain Interview Sarah Palin Video Funny Election Video (23 h ago)

• Blagojevich isn't giving up yet Blagojevich isn't giving up yet
01/09/2009
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich apparently has no intention of going gentle into that good night. After a committee in the lower house of the state's legislature recommended on Thursday that he be impeached, Blagojevich's office released this statement: Today's vote was not a surprise. The outcome was a foregone conclusion especially when you consider the committee released its report hours before wrapping up testimony. The Governor believes that the impeachment proceedings were flawed, biased and did not follow the rules of law. His team was not allowed to subpoena witnesses, they were never allowed to cross examine people and never given the chance to put on any kind of defense. In all, the Governor's rights to due process were deprived. When the case moves to the Senate, an actual judge will preside over the hearings, and the Governor believes the outcome will be much different. The full Illinois House is debating impeachment today. (1 d ago)

• Quote of the day Quote of the day
01/08/2009
Let me just start this off by saying I do think the new Spider-Man comic book in which he prevents a villain from interrupting Barack Obama's inauguration looks generally corny and all-around awful. (Though the joke about Spider-Man having previously mistaken Joe Biden for the Vulture , one of his enemies, isn't half bad.) That said, though, it's also true that right-wing blogger Debbie Schlussel may have gone just a wee bit overboard in attacking the comic in a post published on Andrew Breitbart's new site Big Hollywood. Some of the choicer bits: Once, comic books were against Nazis and Hitler and were very up front in supporting America’s fight against them. But those days are over. Both DC and Marvel Comics long ago embraced left-wing politics, and when it came to the war on terror, they were for the most part silent ... Now, though, comic books are back to supporting the President, since he embodies their far-left ideology. Yup, Spider-Man is in the tank for Obama and lets us know, telling us he’s left Washington “in capable hands ..." I’m just wondering: When Obama goes to share some baklava with his new friend Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or his buds in HAMAS [sic], will we see Spidey cheering that on, too, and, again, tell America’s comic book readers we’re in “capable hands”? Boy, I long for the days of Superman, Sgt. Fury, and other comic book superheroes fighting the Nazis ... not sitting down to talk and eat wienerschnitzel with them or praising Presidents who want to do just that ... So sad that these days, the superheroes’ objective is girlie-man foreign policy. The irony, a friend who knows about these things pointed out, is that Marvel has done pro-war comics. In fact, back in 2004 they hired a guy named Karl Zinsmeister to write a whole series about the war in Iraq. You may recognize Zinsmeister's name, actually -- he went on to become President Bush's chief domestic policy advisor. (1 d ago)

• No good candidates for RNC chair No good candidates for RNC chair
01/08/2009
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine was just officially introduced as Barack Obama's choice to head the Democratic National Committee, but on the other side of the aisle there's still a spirited battle for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee. The problem for the GOP? Out of the six candidates vying for the job, not one seems like the kind of person who can bring the party out of the wilderness. Whoever wins will lead a dispirited GOP that's taken major losses in the past two elections, and will face monumental obstacles standing in the way of a quick turnaround. The nation's changing demographics favor Democrats, while the Republican Party has gradually become isolated in its power base in the South, at the expense of its support in the rest of the country. Given the seriousness of the situation, the weak field of candidates is shocking. Love Kaine or hate him, he at least seems to have the right combination of qualifications for the job: He's from Virginia, which is newly important to the Democrats, and while he's been governor, the state has become bluer by the year. Obama won its Electoral College votes, and both Senate seats flipped, as did three of 11 House districts. None of the potential leaders of the RNC would come in with the same kind of pedigree. True, one's from a swing state and two are from blue states, but the remainder come from red areas of the South. None hail from New England or the Mountain West, two areas where Republicans have been losing ground and badly need a comeback. Not one is Hispanic, even though that demographic group will be key to future races. (The party did once have a Hispanic chair, Florida Sen. Mel Martinez. It didn't go well -- he lasted less than a year in the job.) And only two of them have a record of significant wins. Most, in fact, have a history of losing big races. What follows is Salon's breakdown of the field. Mike Duncan: The current RNC chair, Duncan took office in 2007. He was just in time to preside over an election in which Republicans lost the White House, 21 seats in the House of Representatives. a governor's chair and either seven or eight senators, depending on how the Coleman-Franken race ends up. Ken Blackwell: Yes, he's had some successes. He was a member of Cincinnati's City Council, then its mayor, and he was elected Ohio's state treasurer and won two terms as its secretary of state. But he wasn't actually elected mayor; at the time, the mayor was chosen by the city council from among its members. He lost a 1990 race for a seat in the House of Representatives, and in 2006 his one try at a statewide office with a higher profile ended in an embarrassing defeat, as he lost his bid to become governor by an astounding 23 percentage points. On top of that, the backing Blackwell's gotten from key social conservative leaders seems to indicate his election would mean more of the same from the party -- not a good thing for its prospects at the ballot box. Michael Steele : Steele's the former lieutenant governor of Maryland, but before he won that post in 2002, he hadn't held elective office. He had been chair of the state GOP for a couple years, but during his time in that job, he did little to wrest Maryland from Democratic hands. Nor was his election as lieutenant governor a major feat. He and running mate Bob Ehrlich were running to succeed an unpopular Democratic governor, and they faced a weak opponent. In 2006, Steele ran for the Senate and was beaten badly, losing by 10 percentage points. Saul Anuzis: One of the dark horse candidates in the race, Anuzis is the chair of Michigan's Republican Party, which he's led since 2005. He worked on some successful campaigns back in the 1980s, but his stint at the head of the Michigan GOP hasn't been much to write home about. Under his watch, Republicans lost the lower house of the state legislature, Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow won a second term and Sen. John McCain's attempt to make a play for the state in the presidential election failed. Plus, despite Republicans' gerrymandering of the state's congressional districts following the 2000 census, two House seats there went blue in 2008, giving Democrats the majority in the delegation. Katon Dawson: Dawson, who heads South Carolina's state GOP, is one candidate who actually has a history of winning. Under his leadership, Republicans have held a firm grip on the reins and even took back the state house from a one-term Democratic governor. Then again, as Blackwell quipped at a recent debate between the candidates, "We all know how difficult it is to win elections in that swing state of South Carolina." Chip Saltsman: Saltsman, a longshot, actually comes into the race with what's probably the most impressive record of all the candidates. During Saltsman's time as chair of the Tennessee GOP, George W. Bush won the state, Al Gore's home, out from under his opponent. Without that victory, Bush wouldn't have become president. Saltsman also engineered the surprisingly strong presidential campaign of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. But that's a history of winning over Southerners and the kind of people who vote Huckabee in a Republican primary; the party doesn't need any help there. And his decision to send associates a CD containing the songs "Barack the Magic Negro" and " Star Spanglish Banner " for Christmas wasn't exactly evidence he's ready to start appealing to the demographics the GOP does need. (1 d ago)

• Report: Brennan will be top counterterro... Report: Brennan will be top counterterror advisor
01/08/2009
John Brennan may not get to head the CIA -- he withdrew from consideration after an outcry over his support for controversial Bush administration policies -- but he'll reportedly still play a key role in shaping the Obama administration's counterterror policy. Multiple outlets are reporting that Brennan will be President-elect Barack Obama's top counterterrorism advisor, leading an apparatus that will be restructured and folded into the National Security Council. His appointment is expected to be announced Friday; the position does not require confirmation by the Senate. (1 d ago)

• Obama formally puts Kaine in charge of D... Obama formally puts Kaine in charge of DNC
01/08/2009
WASHINGTON -- The problem, for Barack Obama? How to announce that Tim Kaine is his choice to be the new Democratic National Committee chairman without stepping on the other big news of the day, Obama's speech on his economic stimulus plan earlier this morning. The solution? Keep the Kaine thing as news-free as possible. Aides billed it as a press conference, but Obama's event with Kaine at the DNC was, really, more of a lecture -- Obama and Kaine strolled into the room, spoke for a combined total of 10 minutes, and walked right back out, without taking any questions. (Not even the strange one a reporter shouted out as they left: "What's the symbolism of your tie?") Obama made clear that he expected Kaine to help the White House keep the grassroots involved in policy next year. "At a time when the challenges we face in this country are so vast, we cannot afford to abandon the movement we've built," he said. "We have to strengthen it. We must build a movement for change that can endure beyond a single election, and that will require redoubling our efforts to reach out to Americans throughout our 50 states, north and south, east and west." He thanked Howard Dean, the outgoing chairman , though Dean wasn't at the event, for reasons that aren't entirely clear . And then he praised Kaine's record as Virginia governor, a job he'll be juggling with the DNC post for the next year. (There was a certain irony in the fact that the governor of Virginia was being named the DNC chairman only a few days after another former DNC chairman formally announced he'd be running for Virginia governor.) Kaine was an early supporter of Obama's who helped him carry the state in the primary and the general election, and he made the final cut for vice presidential candidates before Obama picked Joe Biden. It took some work to persuade him to take the job. But today, it certainly didn't seem like Kaine thought running the DNC was a step down; he had a wide grin as Obama spoke. "I want to promote this president's agenda," Kaine said. "I want to carry the proud banner of a proud party. And I want to work to creatively engage citizens in new ways through this party to be active in civic life." That probably covers just about all of his duties. Since the election, there had been a steady debate over whether Obama's massive organization should be housed out of the DNC or in some new, more independent group. But with Kaine -- a close loyalist -- as chairman, and Jen O'Malley Dillon -- a key organizer for Obama -- as the party's executive director it's clear the DNC will basically absorb Obama's campaign infrastructure. With, of course, an eye on the 2010 elections and -- it's never too early -- Obama's 2012 reelection bid. Being party chairman when your party controls the White House basically means you're a high-profile fundraiser; the strategic decisions about political questions will probably be answered across town by Obama's advisors. Update: Politico's Ben Smith reports that Dean's absence was due to a scheduling conflict, which is "being taken by some close to Dean as a snub." Smith also notes that when Obama applauded the outgoing chair for winning back control of the House of Representatives, he referred to him "working with my chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel." Since the two men had actually clashed over strategy in 2006, and Dean's ideas proved successful, at least one "prominent Dean loyalist" was angry about the remark, e-mailing Smith, "This is really insulting." (1 d ago)

• Sarah Palin is not bitter Sarah Palin is not bitter
01/08/2009
Shocking news of the week -- Sarah Palin thinks she was treated unfairly by the liberal media during the election, and she's not yet over it. Palin was interviewed earlier this week by former conservative radio host John Ziegler for a documentary he's working on about how media bias got Obama elected. Excerpts from their conversation have now been posted to YouTube; they can be seen below. The interview seems to reflect pretty clearly what The New Republic's Noam Scheiber wrote about Palin in " Barracuda ," an article about her that was published this past October: "A trip through Palin's past reveals that almost every step of her career can be understood as a reaction to elitist condescension -- much of it in her own mind." Some of the claims she makes about media coverage of her are just patently untrue. She seems to believe, for instance, that reporters for mainstream publications were spreading the rumor that her son Trig was in fact the child of her daughter Bristol, but that's just not true. She also refers to "this report that Bristol and Levi [Johnston, Bristol's fiancé], they're high school dropouts and they're just going to look for government handouts to raise their child." If it wasn't obvious, no one has reported that last part -- plus, though Palin has been publicly fighting back against what she says are media descriptions of Bristol as a dropout, it's not clear what media outlet, if any, actually said that. Palin also struck out at noted antagonists Katie Couric and Tina Fey, and slipped in an unsubtle jab at former McCain aide Nicolle Wallace, a frequent target for the ire of the governor's supporters, implicitly blaming her -- without naming names -- for sending Palin back for multiple interviews with Couric. And she addressed the potential appointment of Caroline Kennedy to fill Hillary Clinton's seat in the Senate, saying, "I’ve been interested to see how Caroline Kennedy will be handled and if she will be handled with kid gloves or if she will be under such a microscope also. It’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out and I think that as we watch that we will perhaps be able to prove that there is a class issue here also that was such a factor in the scrutiny of my candidacy versus, say, the scrutiny of what her candidacy may be.” That's an argument where she may have more of a case, but that's still at least debatable. On the one hand, it seems true that Kennedy's class has helped her win support from people like Maureen Dowd , who wouldn't know her personally if it weren't for that. At the same time, though, Palin had plenty of people in the media who met her at some point, like Bill Kristol, out defending her. And people who don't know Kennedy haven't been treating her with kid gloves; the interview she did with two New York Times reporters was brutal, on the level of the Couric-Palin confrontations. (1 d ago)

• Obama beats McCain (officially) Obama beats McCain (officially)
01/08/2009
WASHINGTON -- As far as gripping drama went, Thursday's counting and certification of the Electoral College votes didn't deliver much. A handful of lawmakers took turns reading out states in alphabetical order, and listing who won how many votes in each -- Barack Obama or John McCain for president, and Joe Biden and Sarah Palin for vice president. (In case you hadn't heard the news, Obama won.) But what the moment lacked suspense, it carried in historic importance; the certification by the Congress is the last procedural step before Obama can take the oath of office in 12 days and become the 44th president. (Unless, that is, some crackpot legal theories pan out.) The House chamber was packed for the joint session of Congress, though there were some notable absences (like McCain, and Obama's rival-turned-Cabinet-member, Hillary Clinton). Lawmakers applauded nearly every state that Obama won, with some half-hearted attempts to start ovations for McCain states, too; Democrats have a pretty wide majority in the new Congress, and their members appeared to be much more eager to show up for the formal certification than Republicans did. And, of course, there was that familiar-looking guy presiding over the whole thing. "Barack Obama of the state of Illinois has received, for president of the United States, 365 votes," intoned Dick Cheney, in one of his last official acts as vice president. He went on to say the certification "shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the election," before the loudest, most sustained ovation of the afternoon session. Cheney stuck to the script, closing the session down as soon as Obama was certified the victor, and he appeared to sneak out of the chamber by the back entrance without greeting any lawmakers. There was none of the bitter irony of eight years ago, when Al Gore had to gavel down protests from Democrats trying to block the certification of his own defeat. Some Republicans looked a little less than thrilled to be there -- Mitch McConnell and Jon Kyl, in the front row, sat glumly through most of the proceeding, while their Democratic counterparts, Harry Reid and Dick Durbin, smiled and chatted. After the news that Obama had 365 electoral votes got a big standing ovation, so did the announcement that Biden received the same number of votes for vice president. And for that matter, so did the 173 votes McCain got, and, slightly less enthusiastically from all parts of the room, the votes for Palin. Up next, the inauguration. Which, presumably, will involve a bit more pomp and circumstance than the ceremony Thursday. (1 d ago)

• Chris Matthews won't run for Senate Chris Matthews won't run for Senate
01/08/2009
Rest easy, Pennsylvanians -- Chris Matthews won't be your next senator after all. The MSNBC host had explored the idea of running as a Democrat against incumbent Republican Sen. Arlen Specter in 2010, and had even met with state party leaders and attended politically important events, but ultimately decided against a campaign. Matthews told his staff of his decision on Wednesday night, the New York Times reports. Some people within the network had previously speculated that his public flirtation with the idea was really just a ploy in contract negotiations. And, in fact, his position is now better than it was -- but he'll still ultimately make less than in-house rival Keith Olbermann, which probably smarts a bit. (1 d ago)

• Bad news for GOP: Sen. Kit Bond retiring Bad news for GOP: Sen. Kit Bond retiring
01/08/2009
Republicans hoping to put a dent in Democrats' Senate majority in 2010 got some disheartening news Thursday in the form of Missouri Sen. Kit Bond's announcement that he won't seek reelection. This is not the kind of open seat the GOP wants to have to defend, as Democrats have been gaining ground in Missouri recently. Claire McCaskill defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Talent there in 2006, Jay Nixon turned the state house blue last year and John McCain was just barely able to eke out a victory over Barack Obama there, winning by about 4,000 votes, compared to the 200,000 vote margin George W. Bush had over John Kerry in the state. Nor does it help that the year's slate of Senate seats overall puts the GOP at a disadvantage. They already have to deal with the retirement of Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, and while most of the Democrats running for re-election are fairly safe, Republicans Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Richard Burr of North Carolina, George Voinovich of Ohio and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania could all face tough fights. The only bright spot for the party so far is the number of Democratic vacancies caused by the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the White House, as well as by appointments to Obama's administration. (1 d ago)

• Cheney: "I've got a lot of rivers to fis... Cheney: "I've got a lot of rivers to fish"
01/08/2009
If you're reading this and you happen to be a fish living in the general area of Wyoming, you might want to get to migrating. Like right now. Because Dick Cheney is coming. Wednesday, the outgoing vice president told CBS radio that he's done with public life. "I think it's time for somebody like me to step aside and make room for others. And I've got things I want to do and ways I can spend my time," Cheney said. "I've got a lot of rivers to fish. So I don't think anybody will feel sorry for me. They shouldn't." Cheney, who talked about the possibility of writing a book, also defended his time in the Bush administration and said his role has been exaggerated. "The notion that somehow I was pulling strings or making presidential-level decisions. I was not," he said. "There was never any question about who was in charge. It was George Bush... This whole notion that somehow I exceeded my authority here, was usurping his authority, is simply not true. It's an urban legend, never happened." (1 d ago)

• GOP introduces bill to fight nonexistent... GOP introduces bill to fight nonexistent enemy
01/08/2009
It's a good thing there are no really important problems the country has to deal with. That frees up Congress to worry about things like the possible return of the Fairness Doctrine, even though there's almost no chance it actually will return anytime soon. The Fairness Doctrine was an FCC regulation that required broadcasters to provide equal time for opposing viewpoints. It was killed during the Reagan adminstration -- over the objections of the left, actually -- but over the past couple years, the right has been continuously sounding the alarm, saying its return might be imminent. They worry that it would cripple conservative talk radio. So on Wednesday, several Republican members of Congress introduced a bill that would prevent the FCC from reimposing the rule without an act of Congress. Of course, the legislation is almost certainly unnecessary -- President-elect Barack Obama opposes the return of the doctrine, and somehow the Clinton administration managed to go eight years during Rush Limbaugh's prime without ever moving to bring it back. (2 d ago)

• Can Harry Reid do anything right? Can Harry Reid do anything right?
01/07/2009
It's been a rough month for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He's been repeatedly embarrassed by the fracas surrounding the appointment of Roland Burris to President-elect Barack Obama's old Senate seat -- and by his apparent capitulation on the issue. Details of his conversations with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the appointment were leaked to the press. And he had to watch two prominent members of his caucus come out in opposition to Obama's choice to head the CIA. Now, in a series of interviews, he's said a few things he might eventually want to take back. Speaking to The Hill, Reid said Democrats have to be "very, very careful" not to overreach in this new Congress, explaining that this year will be different from 1993 -- the last time Democrats controlled both the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch. The paper reports, "Back then, Reid said, Democrats had controlled the House for decades and behaved as though the opposition did not exist. This time around, their recent stint in the minority would give them a commitment to bipartisanship." That sort of comment isn't the kind of thing likely to endear him to a Democratic base that's already less-than-enthusiastic about his performance as majority leader. That's especially true because 2009 is also different from 1993 in that there are more Democratic senators now than there were then, there's now a Democratic president who won election with a majority -- rather than a plurality -- of the vote and Republican positions and politicians are wildly unpopular at the moment. Separately, in an interview with Politico , Reid weighed in on the legal woes of former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to say he doesn't think Stevens, who was recently convicted on federal corruption charges, should have to serve time in prison. ""My personal feeling, you guys, I don't know what good that [would do]... He was a real war hero too, you know. He's been punished enough," Reid said, adding that he felt Stevens' problem was that he hadn't adapted to new Congressional rules requiring members to disclose gifts they received: "It's a different world we live in, and Stevens did not understand that." (2 d ago)

• Joe the Plumber's now Joe the Reporter Joe the Plumber's now Joe the Reporter
01/07/2009
Looking back some day, we might remember this moment as the one when the seriously overhyped phenomenon known as citizen journalism finally jumped the proverbial shark. Joe the Plumber (real name Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher) has just announced that he'll be traveling to Israel as a reporter, sponsored by Pajamas TV , a Web site run by Pajamas Media, a right-leaning blog network. Describing the company's plans to report from Israel in a recent blog post , Pajamas Media co-founder Roger Simon wrote that they intended to "right" what they perceive as an anti-Israel "imbalance" in the mainstream media's coverage. Of course, Joe's not exactly a noted truth-teller himself: The question that made him famous was predicated on the idea that he'd be affected by Obama's plan to raise taxes on those who make more than $250,000 a year. It was later revealed , however, that he wouldn't reach that threshold and might in fact be eligible for a tax cut. Wurzelbacher also made headlines during the campaign when, in response to a question from a McCain supporter, he said he believed that a vote for Barack Obama was tantamount to a vote for the death of Israel. (2 d ago)

• Obama Presses Congress To Act On Stimulu... Obama Presses Congress To Act On Stimulus
01/09/2009
Facing unwelcome resistance from fellow Democrats, President-elect Barack Obama is encouraging critics of his $800 billion economic recovery plan to "just show me" their own ideas. (13 h ago)

• Feds End Probe Of Ex-Reagan Budget Chief Feds End Probe Of Ex-Reagan Budget Chief
01/09/2009
Federal prosecutors dropped charges against former Reagan budget director David Stockman, who was accused of overseeing a sweeping fraud at a troubled auto parts supplier that he led before the company collapsed into bankruptcy. (13 h ago)

• Blagojevich Unfazed By Impeachment Blagojevich Unfazed By Impeachment
01/09/2009
Gov. Rod Blagojevich says the Illinois House's decision to impeach him was no surprise because he's been engaged in a struggle with lawmakers since his re-election in 2006. (14 h ago)

• Obama's Stimulus Plan: The Energy Debate Obama's Stimulus Plan: The Energy Debate
01/09/2009
Shortly after President-elect Barack Obama set a goal of doubling the country's renewable energy in three years, the jockeying over the energy portions of his administration's stimulus plan began. (16 h ago)

• Baltimore Mayor Charged With Theft Baltimore Mayor Charged With Theft
01/09/2009
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted Friday on charges that she accepted illegal gifts during her time as mayor and City Council president, including travel, fur coats and gift cards that she allegedly used for a holiday shopping spree. (16 h ago)

• Biden Holds Talks With Pakistani Leaders Biden Holds Talks With Pakistani Leaders
01/09/2009
Vice President-elect Joe Biden has met with leaders in Pakistan during an Asian trip meant to show the new administration's interest in the troubled region. (18 h ago)

• Obama Rolls Out Panetta As CIA Head Obama Rolls Out Panetta As CIA Head
01/09/2009
President-elect Barack Obama completed national security team Friday by announcing his unusual choices for CIA director and a national intelligence director who may face tough Senate confirmation questioning. (20 h ago)

• Dec. Jobless Rate Jumped To 7.2% Dec. Jobless Rate Jumped To 7.2%
01/09/2009
The government says the U.S. unemployment rate bolted to 7.2 percent in December, the highest since early 1993, as employers slashed 524,000 jobs. (20 h ago)

• Questions, Doubts Loom Over Bailout Mone... Questions, Doubts Loom Over Bailout Money
01/09/2009
President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is broadening the mission of the $700 billion bailout for the financial sector, aiming to unfreeze credit for homeowners, consumers, small businesses and local governments. (20 h ago)

• Treasury Nominee Plans Bailout Overhaul Treasury Nominee Plans Bailout Overhaul
01/09/2009
President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is urgently overhauling the embattled initiative and broadening its scope well beyond Wall Street, sources familiar with the discussions said. (22 h ago)

• Bloomberg Blasts Congress On Stimulus Bloomberg Blasts Congress On Stimulus
01/09/2009
Lawmakers are under orders to finish action on President-elect Barack Obama's nearly $800 billion economic recovery plan by mid-February. But already it is plain that a set of serious fissures need to be bridged. (1 d ago)

• Obama Unveils Ambitious Economic Agenda Obama Unveils Ambitious Economic Agenda
01/08/2009
President-elect Barack Obama warned of dire and lasting consequences if Congress doesn't pump unprecedented dollars into the economy, making an urgent pitch for his mammoth spending proposal in his first speech since his election. (1 d ago)

• Ill. House Panel Says Impeach Blago Ill. House Panel Says Impeach Blago
01/08/2009
A key panel unanimously recommended Thursday that Gov. Rod Blagojevich be impeached for abusing his power, mismanaging Illinois government and committing possible criminal acts. (1 d ago)

• Burris Says There Was No Quid Pro Quo Burris Says There Was No Quid Pro Quo
01/08/2009
U.S. Senate appointee Roland Burris said he's never been involved in an improper deal in his two decades in government and didn't strike any agreement to become embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pick for the U.S. Senate. (1 d ago)

• Obama Urges Delay In Digital TV Transiti... Obama Urges Delay In Digital TV Transition
01/08/2009
President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, arguing that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels won't be ready. (1 d ago)

• Obama Introduces New DNC Chief Obama Introduces New DNC Chief
01/08/2009
President-elect Barack Obama formally introduced his choice as the new Democratic Party chairman Thursday, and praised the departing chairman, who was not present. (1 d ago)

• Senate Democrats Criticize Obama Tax Pla... Senate Democrats Criticize Obama Tax Plan
01/08/2009
President-elect Barack Obama's proposed tax cuts ran into opposition Thursday from senators in his own party who said they wouldn't do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs. (1 d ago)

• Panel Set To Back Blago Impeachment Vote Panel Set To Back Blago Impeachment Vote
01/08/2009
The Illinois House committee investigating Gov. Rod Blagojevich released a draft report Thursday that concludes the Democratic governor has abused his power and was poised to recommend he be impeached by the full chamber. (1 d ago)

• The Polling Challenges For 2009 The Polling Challenges For 2009
01/07/2009
Did we learn anything in 2008 election campaign polling that will help us measure the public"s assessment of the new administration in Washington? CBS News director of surveys Kathy Frankovic reports. (2 d ago)

• Panetta's Peers Back Him for CIA Panetta's Peers Back Him for CIA
01/07/2009
As questions continued to swirl about Barack Obama's selection of Panetta to be his CIA director, several of his former White House colleagues rebutted criticism that he lacked the necessary experience, reports The Washington Post. (2 d ago)

• Bush prepares request for rest of bailou... Bush prepares request for rest of bailout cash
01/10/2009
Senior Bush administration officials, consulting with the Obama transition team, have prepared a plan to ask lawmakers for the second half of the $700 billion financial rescue package, sources said. (3 h ago)

• Biden makes 'quick visit' to Afghanistan Biden makes 'quick visit' to Afghanistan
01/10/2009
U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday for talks with the country's leaders, as surging Taliban violence claimed the lives of more American troops. (4 h ago)

• Illinois House impeaches Gov. Blagojevic... Illinois House impeaches Gov. Blagojevich
01/09/2009
The Illinois House voted overwhelmingly Friday to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, an unprecedented action that sets up a Senate trial on whether he should be thrown out for abuse of power. (14 h ago)

• Obama, Dems look to revamp bailout Obama, Dems look to revamp bailout
01/09/2009
President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats want to apply greater scrutiny to the financial sector bailout and a more defined mission to the $700 billion program. (15 h ago)

• A guide to the Blagojevich impeachment A guide to the Blagojevich impeachment
01/09/2009
Here is a quick guide to the process by which Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois might be removed from office. (16 h ago)

• Obama: U.S. will not torture Obama: U.S. will not torture
01/09/2009
At a press conference to announce his CIA and national intelligence nominees, President-elect Barack Obama said Friday his administration would not compromise its ideals to fight terrorism. (17 h ago)

• Ill. court: Burris doesn't need 2nd sign... Ill. court: Burris doesn't need 2nd signature
01/09/2009
The Illinois Supreme Court says Secretary of State Jesse White doesn't need to sign Roland Burris' appointment to the U.S. Senate to make it valid. (19 h ago)

• Biden holds talks with Pakistani leaders Biden holds talks with Pakistani leaders
01/09/2009
Vice President-elect Joe Biden on Friday met with Pakistani leaders during an Asian trip meant to show the new administration's interest in the troubled region. (20 h ago)

• Brownstein: Dems boosted by demography, ... Brownstein: Dems boosted by demography, destiny
01/09/2009
The population trends that gave Democrats an edge in November show no sign of slowing. (21 h ago)

• Kennedy's bid reignites 'mommy wars' Kennedy's bid reignites 'mommy wars'
01/09/2009
The bid by Caroline Kennedy for the Senate has reignited the "mommy wars" between mothers with careers and those who take a break from paid employment. (1 d ago)

• NYT analysis: Difficult road for Panetta... NYT analysis: Difficult road for Panetta at CIA
01/09/2009
For Leon E. Panetta, President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for CIA chief, achieving success will be especially difficult because of intense pressure over recent counterterrorism policies in which the C.I.A. played a leading role. (1 d ago)

• Palin lashes out at the media Palin lashes out at the media
01/09/2009
Sarah Palin, still smarting over coverage of her vice presidential run, calls the media's reporting on her family "very scary". (1 d ago)

• Panel advises Obama to ease science secu... Panel advises Obama to ease science security
01/08/2009
The system for keeping U.S. science secrets safe is broken and needs to be revamped -- and immigration controls need to be eased for qualified scientists from other countries, the National Research Council advised on Thursday. (1 d ago)

• Obama urges delay in digital TV transiti... Obama urges delay in digital TV transition
01/08/2009
President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting. (1 d ago)

• Moon buggy to debut in inaugural parade Moon buggy to debut in inaugural parade
01/08/2009
Before it gets to space, a moon buggy will make history by being the first to boogie along an inaugural parade. (1 d ago)

• Opening act for Congress: raising taxes Opening act for Congress: raising taxes
01/08/2009
While tax cuts are an integral part of President-elect Barack Obama’s stimulus plan, the newly convened Congress and Obama are nonetheless preparing for a tax hike. But don't worry just yet, unless you're a smoker. (1 d ago)

• Readers share their road to the inaugura... Readers share their road to the inauguration
01/08/2009
Msnbc.com users explain why Obama's swearing-in is a can't-miss event. (1 d ago)

• Obama warns that major stimulus needed Obama warns that major stimulus needed
01/08/2009
President-elect Barack Obama warned Thursday that the nation's recession could "linger for years" unless Congress acts to pump huge sums from Washington into the U.S. economy. (1 d ago)

• Obama plans to overhaul counterterrorism Obama plans to overhaul counterterrorism
01/08/2009
The President-elect is laying plans to dissolve a White House security panel created in the wake of 9/11 and restructure counterterrorism policy under intelligence veteran John Brennan. (1 d ago)

• Ted Haggard Returns Ted Haggard Returns
01/09/2009
Ted Haggard's sex scandal cost him his church, and some of his faith. (15 h ago)

• Tepperman: The Right Way to Prosecute Wa... Tepperman: The Right Way to Prosecute War Crimes
01/09/2009
Two war-crimes cases provide more reasons why the United States shouldn't abuse prisoners. (15 h ago)

• Clift: Can Obama Deliver on His Promises... Clift: Can Obama Deliver on His Promises?
01/09/2009
The president elect has excited America with promises of better government. But will this car drive? (16 h ago)

• Alter: A Reader's Guide to Chicago Polit... Alter: A Reader's Guide to Chicago Politics
01/09/2009
A reader's guide to the web of players caught up in the Blago/Burris drama (17 h ago)

• Tony Blair on the Gaza Crisis, and What'... Tony Blair on the Gaza Crisis, and What's Next
01/09/2009
Tony Blair, now international envoy to the Middle East, on how to stop the fighting in Gaza. (19 h ago)

• Cancer: Is There a Brain Tumor Virus? Cancer: Is There a Brain Tumor Virus?
01/09/2009
Thanks to the efforts of a relentless neurosurgeon, we may be closer to understanding what causes one of the most deadly cancers. (21 h ago)

• Why Jesse White Didn't Certify Blago's S... Why Jesse White Didn't Certify Blago's Senate Pick
01/08/2009
Who is the man who refused to certify Gov. Rod Blagojevich's appointee to the U.S. Senate? Meet Jesse White. (1 d ago)

• Tech: The Palm Pre Takes on Apple's iPho... Tech: The Palm Pre Takes on Apple's iPhone
01/08/2009
Once a tech industry heavyweight, Palm was nearly knocked out by its competitors. Can its latest smartphone help spur a comeback? (1 d ago)

• What We Lie to Doctors About and Why it ... What We Lie to Doctors About and Why it Matters
01/08/2009
When it comes to sex, drugs and junk food (among other things), patients don't always tell their doctors the truth. But not 'fessing up can have serious health consequences. (1 d ago)

• Obama Has Big Plans for Mideast Peace Pr... Obama Has Big Plans for Mideast Peace Process
01/08/2009
The new president's got big plans for the Mideast, starting with Dennis Ross. (1 d ago)

• An Interview with Barack Obama An Interview with Barack Obama
01/08/2009
In May of 2008, NEWSWEEK's Daren Briscoe interviewed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama during a campaign flight from Oregon to Chicago. It had taken months to secure the interview—months during which Obama and his team had put off requests to interview him for a special reporting project culminating in a book entitled "A Long Time Coming," by Evan Thomas and Newsweek staff, to be published Jan. 12 by Public Affairs. (2 d ago)

• Israel: Why Humans form Primal Attachmen... Israel: Why Humans form Primal Attachments to Land
01/07/2009
Why we are hard-wired to become attached to a particular piece of land—and how these primal tendencies may be playing out in Israeli-Palestinian disputes. (2 d ago)

• As Hamas Fights, Fatah Mulls Its Next Mo... As Hamas Fights, Fatah Mulls Its Next Move
01/07/2009
With Hamas under siege, secular Fatah mulls its next move. (2 d ago)

• Fineman: Obama's Bumpy January Fineman: Obama's Bumpy January
01/07/2009
The inaugural may be glorious, but the pregame is a bit rough. (2 d ago)

• Can Facebook Save the Real Estate Market... Can Facebook Save the Real Estate Market?
01/07/2009
Can Facebook revive the real-estate market? (2 d ago)

• Before Madoff: A WASP Forerunner Before Madoff: A WASP Forerunner
01/07/2009
Long before Bernie, a prestigious swindler took a big fall. (2 d ago)

• Economy: FDIC Sells IndyMac At a Loss Economy: FDIC Sells IndyMac At a Loss
01/07/2009
The FDIC sells failed IndyMac Bank too soon—and for too little. (2 d ago)

• Plan to Jump-Start Economy With No Manua... Plan to Jump-Start Economy With No Manual
01/10/2009
Economists say it is unclear whether President-elect Barack Obama’s stimulus package is big enough and whether it would provide the most bang for the buck. (2 h ago)

• EU Seeks Final Gas Deal With Russia EU Seeks Final Gas Deal With Russia
01/10/2009
The European Union began talks with Russia to finalize a gas monitoring deal that would allow the resumption of gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine. (2 h ago)

• Abbas Says ‘Aggression’ Must Stop Abbas Says ‘Aggression’ Must Stop
01/10/2009
The Palestinian Authority president urged Israel and Hamas to agree to an truce and said Israel would be responsible for a “waterfall of blood” otherwise. (2 h ago)

• Obama Says Plan Can Add or Save 4 Millio... Obama Says Plan Can Add or Save 4 Million Jobs
01/10/2009
Barack Obama said an analysis of his proposals showed that 3 million to 4 million U.S. jobs could be saved or created by 2010, nearly 90 percent in the private sector. (2 h ago)

• For Arab Clan, Days of Agony in a Cross-... For Arab Clan, Days of Agony in a Cross-Fire
01/10/2009
Few families have suffered the wrath of the Israeli military as calamitously as the Samounis. (2 h ago)

• Anger Over Gaza Grows in Arab Street Anger Over Gaza Grows in Arab Street
01/10/2009
Public opinions and governments in the Arab world, particularly Egypt, are at odds over the war. (2 h ago)

• Biden in Afghanistan for Talks Biden in Afghanistan for Talks
01/10/2009
Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived in Afghanistan for talks with the country’s leaders as Taliban violence claimed the lives of more U.S. troops. (3 h ago)

• For Immigrants, Best of 2 Worlds in Char... For Immigrants, Best of 2 Worlds in Charters
01/10/2009
For immigrant families, some charter schools have become havens from American youth culture. (3 h ago)

• Somali Pirates Free Another Ship Somali Pirates Free Another Ship
01/10/2009
Somali pirates released an Iranian-chartered ship that was seized off the coast of Yemen in November. (3 h ago)

• The Fifth Down: A Note About Game Tracki... The Fifth Down: A Note About Game Tracking
01/10/2009
Four questions to ponder before Saturday's divisional playoff games. (4 h ago)

• House Passes 2 Measures on Job Bias House Passes 2 Measures on Job Bias
01/10/2009
Taking aim at a Supreme Court ruling, the House voted to give women new tools against pay inequity. (5 h ago)

• New Timing on Madoff’s Confession New Timing on Madoff’s Confession
01/10/2009
Bernard L. Madoff remained free on bail as questions arose about when he told his brother Peter B. Madoff, the firm’s chief compliance officer, of his Ponzi scheme. (5 h ago)

• TierneyLab: How Many Planets Do You Want... TierneyLab: How Many Planets Do You Want?
01/10/2009
The crux of the continuing debate among some is that there is still not a satisfying definition of planet. (6 h ago)

• Gunshots Hit 5 Young Men at Chicago Scho... Gunshots Hit 5 Young Men at Chicago School
01/10/2009
Five people were shot outside a high school basketball game, the authorities said, when gunmen opened fire on a crowd. (6 h ago)

• Family Mainstay to Move In to White Hous... Family Mainstay to Move In to White House
01/10/2009
Marian Robinson, the mother-in-law of President-elect Barack Obama, is known as loving and tough-minded. (6 h ago)

• Jobless Rate Hits 7.2%, a 16-Year High Jobless Rate Hits 7.2%, a 16-Year High
01/09/2009
The economy lost 524,000 jobs in December, bringing the total for 2008 to 2.6 million, and more was expected in months ahead. (7 h ago)

• Obama says plan could add or save 4 mill... Obama says plan could add or save 4 million jobs
01/10/2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama said on Saturday an analysis of his stimulus proposals shows that between 3 million and 4 million U.S. jobs could be saved or created by 2010, nearly 90 percent of them in the private sector. (2 h ago)

• Israel and Hamas defy truce calls Israel and Hamas defy truce calls
01/10/2009
GAZA (Reuters) - Israel pounded the Gaza Strip for a 15th straight day on Saturday and militants from Hamas fired rockets back at Israel, both sides defying international efforts to put a stop to the conflict. (2 h ago)

• Biden in Afghanistan to meet leaders Biden in Afghanistan to meet leaders
01/09/2009
KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday to meet political and military leaders in the war-torn country, which will become a top foreign policy priority of the new administration. (7 h ago)

• Economists see longest recession since W... Economists see longest recession since World War Two
01/09/2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. recession will probably be the longest since World War Two and could worsen without heavy government spending, according to a closely-watched survey of economists released on Saturday. (9 h ago)

• Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut but... Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter
01/09/2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Minnesota health officials issued a product alert for peanut butter on Friday after finding a jar that was contaminated with a strain of salmonella linked to an outbreak across the United States. (12 h ago)

• Citi, Morgan Stanley in brokerage talks;... Citi, Morgan Stanley in brokerage talks; Rubin quits
01/09/2009
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc is in advanced talks to sell its Smith Barney brokerage unit to Morgan Stanley, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, in a move that would further dismantle the financial supermarket that has been bailed out by the U.S. government. (13 h ago)

• Obama team, Rep. Frank eye bailout fund ... Obama team, Rep. Frank eye bailout fund overhaul
01/09/2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama and a key Democratic lawmaker revealed plans on Friday to overhaul the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund as a way to aid struggling homeowners and speed the flow of credit. (13 h ago)

• Jobless rate at 16-year high as payrolls... Jobless rate at 16-year high as payrolls plunge
01/09/2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The unemployment rate surged to the highest in nearly 16 years last month as a deepening year-long recession forced companies to axe more than half a million jobs, government data showed on Friday. (13 h ago)

• Illinois House votes to impeach Gov. Bla... Illinois House votes to impeach Gov. Blagojevich
01/09/2009
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Illinois House of Representatives impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday for abuse of power, including a charge that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat. (13 h ago)

• Bank industry slams lawmaker-Citi mortga... Bank industry slams lawmaker-Citi mortgage deal
01/09/2009
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A top bank industry group said on Friday that it opposes an agreement between Citigroup Inc and Democratic senators that would rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, saying it could make home loans more expensive. (16 h ago)

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• Blagojevich says his impeachment no surp... Blagojevich says his impeachment no surprise
01/09/2009
Gov. Rod Blagojevich says the Illinois House's decision to impeach him was no surprise because he's been engaged in a struggle with lawmakers since his re-election in 2006. (16 h ago)

• Five people shot at Chicago high school Five people shot at Chicago high school
01/09/2009
At least five people have been shot Friday in Chicago as spectators left a crowded high school basketball game. (16 h ago)

• Salmonella investigation continues Salmonella investigation continues
01/09/2009
Federal officials have not yet identified the cause of a salmonella outbreak that has hit almost 400 people in 42 states. (16 h ago)

• Baltimore mayor's attorney says prosecut... Baltimore mayor's attorney says prosecutor obsessed
01/09/2009
An attorney for indicted Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon says she "has been the state prosecutor's singular, personal obsession for the past four years." (16 h ago)

• California offices to be closed two Frid... California offices to be closed two Fridays each month
01/09/2009
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office has announced that most state agencies will be closed on the first and third Fridays of each month. (17 h ago)

• Cleanup begins as Northwest floodwaters ... Cleanup begins as Northwest floodwaters recede
01/09/2009
As floodwaters recede in the Northwest, officials in Washington state are beginning to reopen major highways. (17 h ago)

• Four killed in mobile home fire Four killed in mobile home fire
01/09/2009
A 20-year-old mother and her three young children have died in a mobile home fire in a small town in northwestern South Carolina. (17 h ago)

• Former Alabama first lady Cornelia Walla... Former Alabama first lady Cornelia Wallace dies
01/09/2009
She's perhaps best remembered for throwing herself over her husband, Gov. George C. Wallace, after he was shot in a 1972 assassination attempt. (17 h ago)

• Driver with guns and ammo arrested at L.... Driver with guns and ammo arrested at L.A. airport
01/09/2009
Authorities in Los Angeles say a motorist with 16 guns and at least 700 rounds of ammunition in his pickup truck was arrested at a vehicle checkpoint at Los Angeles... (17 h ago)

• Police say masked man waited in line to ... Police say masked man waited in line to rob Ohio bank
01/09/2009
An Ohio man may have tipped off his intentions when he stood in line at a bank wearing a ski mask before staging a holdup. (17 h ago)

• Court: Inmate Cannot Sue U.S. for Copyri... Court: Inmate Cannot Sue U.S. for Copyright Infringement
01/08/2009
A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that a U.S. inmate has no right to sue the government for copyright violations. The inmate claimed a calendar he produced and copyrighted while in prison was worth $500,000 and misappropriated by the United States, which sold it to federal agencies. (1 d ago)

• Wage Cyberwar Against Hamas, Surrender Y... Wage Cyberwar Against Hamas, Surrender Your PC
01/08/2009
Israeli cyberwarriors develop a program that makes it easy for just about anyone to attack pro-Hamas websites. But using this "Patriot" software means handing over control of your computer to the Israeli hackers. (1 d ago)

• Hacking Godfather 'Maksik' Sentenced to ... Hacking Godfather 'Maksik' Sentenced to 30 Years by Turkish Court
01/08/2009
A Ukrainian cybercrime lord linked to virtually every major breach of U.S. retail networks in the past four years was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison by a Turkish court, on unrelated charges of hacking banks in that country, according to reports. (1 d ago)

• Pentagon Wants Loving Chat-Bot to Calm T... Pentagon Wants Loving Chat-Bot to Calm Troops' Kids
01/08/2009
The Defense Department wants help in developing a robot that can soothe the children of soldiers posted overseas by mimicking the missing parent. Not everyone thinks this is a great idea. (1 d ago)

• Obama Still Fighting For His Right To Bl... Obama Still Fighting For His Right To Blackberry
01/08/2009
There aren't many people who can tell the president of the United States what to do, but Barack Obama acknowledges that he is still in "a scuffle" with the Secret Service (and his lawyers) over his beloved Blackberry, which they say he must give up. The president-elect hasn't used the "cold, dead hands" defense yet -- but it ain't over until it's over. (2 d ago)

• Audit of California Avocado Co... Audit of California Avocado Commission uncovers at least $1.5 million in questionable spending
01/10/2009
During the three-year audit period, 18 employees used commission credit cards to pay for purchases including meals, flowers, luxury spa services and clothes from high-end retailers, the report says. Something has been rotten at the state agency behind a splashy $7-million annual marketing blitz on television, billboards and in food magazines to promote California-grown avocados, a new state audit indicates. (7 h ago)

• L.A. gang leader sentenced to ... L.A. gang leader sentenced to death
01/10/2009
Timothy McGhee of the Toonerville gang was convicted of three murders. The judge says he made a sport of 'hunting human game.' He may have been involved in several more killings. Even in a city with more than 150 gang slayings a year, Timothy Joseph McGhee's murders stood out. (7 h ago)

• Governor orders state offices ... Governor orders state offices to close 2 days a month
01/10/2009
Schwarzenegger orders many state offices, like the DMV, to close on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. State Treasurer Bill Lockyer says he won't comply with the furlough order. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration issued a plan to close many state offices on the first and third Fridays of each month starting Feb. 6, as part of its effort to save money on employee salaries, according to a department memorandum issued Friday. (7 h ago)

• Neither Israel nor Hamas heeds... Neither Israel nor Hamas heeds U.N. call for cease-fire
01/10/2009
Airstrikes and rocket attacks continue, with Israel saying it won't let outside bodies decide its security and the Palestinian group angered that it wasn't consulted. Talks via Egypt continue. Israel and Hamas ignored a United Nations cease-fire resolution Friday, with the Israeli army attacking 70 targets in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian militants firing a barrage of rockets at southern Israel from the beleaguered seaside enclave. (7 h ago)

• Legislators vote to impeach Bl... Legislators vote to impeach Blagojevich
01/10/2009
The Illinois governor says he'll continue to fight charges. His trial in the state Senate is to start Jan. 26. The Illinois House voted Friday to impeach disgraced Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and send him to trial in the Senate with the aim of removing the two-term Democrat from state public office forever. (7 h ago)

• Senate panel wants testimony a... Senate panel wants testimony about Eric Holder
01/10/2009
A former pardons attorney has said the attorney general nominee pushed subordinates to acquiesce in a controversial clemency case when he worked for President Clinton. Senate Judiciary Committee staffers vetting Eric H. Holder Jr.'s nomination for attorney general said Friday they are seeking testimony from the Justice Department's former pardon attorney as they inquire into Holder's role in the 1999 grant of clemency to members of a Puerto Rican terrorist organization. (7 h ago)

• 2008 saw notable increase in m... 2008 saw notable increase in moderate Southern California earthquakes
01/10/2009
There were 267 quakes of magnitude 3 or greater in 2008, up from 125 in 2007. Seismologists say such clusters could indicate a bigger temblor to come -- but then again, maybe not. Do you think the ground feels a little shakier these days? It's not your imagination. (7 h ago)

• Job losses at highest level si... Job losses at highest level since 1945
01/10/2009
The Labor Department says 524,000 jobs were lost in December, bringing the total for 2008 to 2.6 million. The 7.2% unemployment rate doesn't count many who are out of work. With jobs disappearing in numbers not seen since the end of World War II, pressure mounted on Congress and President-elect Barack Obama on Friday to overcome their differences and reach agreement on a massive recovery program to stave off economic catastrophe. (7 h ago)

• Obama's intelligence team ente... Obama's intelligence team entering new era in counter-terrorism
01/10/2009
It promises a break from Bush policies. But questions remain on what will come next. With the introduction of President-elect Barack Obama's intelligence team on Friday, the United States is poised to enter what might be considered the second phase in the counter-terrorism campaign launched after the Sept. 11 attacks. (7 h ago)

• East L.A. cityhood drive passe... East L.A. cityhood drive passes first hurdle
01/09/2009
A group that wants cityhood for unincorporated East Los Angeles says it's passed the first hurdle. (15 h ago)

• Hilda Solis deflects Republica... Hilda Solis deflects Republican questions over union issues
01/10/2009
At her confirmation hearing, the nominee to head Labor avoids being drawn into a fight over matters such as the 'card check' bill, which she co-sponsored in the House. Senate Republicans spent much of Friday morning trying to draw Barack Obama's choice for Labor secretary, Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte), into a fight over union issues. (7 h ago)

• Gaza Strip tunnels prove daunt... Gaza Strip tunnels prove daunting for Israel
01/10/2009
Shutting down the network by force has proved difficult, and an underground economy in Egypt may block any diplomatic efforts. Some of them are said to be big enough to accommodate railroad cars. They may reach a depth of 60 feet, and are reported to be equipped with cables and electric motors that move food, fuel -- and probably some of the heaviest rockets that Hamas aims at Israel. (7 h ago)

• Illinois high court gives Burr... Illinois high court gives Burris a boost
01/10/2009
Just days after his prospective colleagues in Washington turned him back from the Capitol, Democrat Roland Burris seized on an Illinois high court decision filed Friday to assert he should be accepted as President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate. (7 h ago)

• Lawmakers seek reform of bailo... Lawmakers seek reform of bailout
01/10/2009
Officials work with Geithner to impose curbs on recipients and ensure some of the cash aids homeowners. Upset about how the first half of the $700-billion Wall Street bailout fund was spent, lawmakers are working with incoming Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner to impose tougher restrictions on recipients of the remaining money and make sure a large chunk is used to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. (7 h ago)

• Supreme Court might change civ... Supreme Court might change civil rights law
01/10/2009
The justices agree to hear two cases, filed in Connecticut and Texas, that could end rules giving special protection to minorities in the voting booth and the workplace. The Supreme Court served notice Friday it may make a far-reaching change in civil rights law this year and knock down a pair of long-standing rules that give special protections to minorities in the workplace and in the voting booth. (7 h ago)

• U.S. Supreme Court to hear two... U.S. Supreme Court to hear two appeals on 'race politics'
01/09/2009
Justices will decide whether to strike down laws that provide special protections to minorities in the workplace and in the voting booth. The outcome could signal a major change in civil rights laws. The Supreme Court agreed today to focus on the lingering role of race in American life and to decide whether to strike down laws that give special protections to minorities in the workplace and in the voting booth. (17 h ago)

• Obama says jobs report shows n... Obama says jobs report shows need for fact action on stimulus package
01/09/2009
'We can't ... drag this out,' the president-elect says in the wake of December's big jump in unemployment. Obama adds that he is willing to accept 'good ideas' from Congress. President-elect Barack Obama seized on today's report that the economy lost 524,000 jobs in December to renew his call for quick action on a large economic stimulus in order to prevent the economic situation from worsening significantly. (20 h ago)

• Chávez restores free home heating o... Chávez restores free home heating oil program to US poor
01/08/2009
In an abrupt turn, the Venezuelan president reinstated the program two days after its suspension. (1 d ago)

• In findings on reading, some surprises In findings on reading, some surprises
01/08/2009
A look at skills among the youngest could change how preschools teach children. (1 d ago)

• Rafah: A border town caught between Egyp... Rafah: A border town caught between Egypt and Hamas
01/08/2009
The Rafah crossing is seen by Israel as a weapons supply line for Hamas and a humanitarian lifeline by Gazans. (1 d ago)

• United Nations halts relief work in Gaza... United Nations halts relief work in Gaza
01/08/2009
The U.N. and Red Cross criticized Israel for imperiling relief workers and restricting the delivery of aid throughout the Gaza Strip. (1 d ago)

• Falling US consumer spending making toug... Falling US consumer spending making tough times tougher
01/08/2009
Personal consumption may fall this year to levels not seen since 1942, some economists say. (1 d ago)

• Rocket fire from Lebanon: a second front... Rocket fire from Lebanon: a second front for Israel?
01/08/2009
Hezbollah denies firing three rockets Thursday. Israeli officials blame Al Qaeda militants. (1 d ago)

• IMPEACHED BLAGO CAN RUN BUT CAN'T HIDE IMPEACHED BLAGO CAN RUN BUT CAN'T HIDE
01/10/2009
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, setting up an unprecedented trial in the state Senate on whether he should be thrown out for abuse of power. The governor responded with what... (5 h ago)

• 'O' SO MUCH TO DEAL WITH 'O' SO MUCH TO DEAL WITH
01/10/2009
President-elect Barack Obama turned an announcement of his latest appointments into a wide-ranging press conference yesterday, in which he offered opinions on everything from the cool reception his economic plan received in Congress to the college... (6 h ago)

• INAUGURATION TICKETS SCARFED UP INAUGURATION TICKETS SCARFED UP
01/10/2009
President-elect Barack Obama's transition committee yesterday made 5,000 tickets to his historic Jan. 21 inauguration available for purchase at $25 a pop - and, as might have been expected, all were scarfed up in a matter of minutes, officials said... (6 h ago)

• BAD 'SIGN' FOR BURRIS BID BAD 'SIGN' FOR BURRIS BID
01/09/2009
CHICAGO - Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said yesterday that Roland Burris won't be accepted as President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the Senate without the Illinois secretary of state's signature - even after a court ruling favorable to the... (7 h ago)

• CAROLINE WOULD BEST KING: POLL CAROLINE WOULD BEST KING: POLL
01/09/2009
ALBANY - Caroline Kennedy would trounce Republican Congressman Peter King by 18 percentage points if the election for Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate seat were held today, according to a survey released yesterday. The Rasmussen poll found Kennedy... (7 h ago)

• CHENEY: CIA DID NOTHING WRONG TO PARDON CHENEY: CIA DID NOTHING WRONG TO PARDON
01/08/2009
WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said yesterday he sees no reason for President Bush to preemptively pardon anyone at the CIA involved in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists. "I don't have any reason to believe that anybody in the... (1 d ago)

• Anagram: Just Another Day/Trashed Aunt J... Anagram: Just Another Day/Trashed Aunt Joy
01/09/2009
The Market lost 143.28 points, or slightly over one and a half percent today, and five percent this week after a holiday inspired bull run that added around 1500 points since around thanksgiving, in large part due to concerns that the global recession is worsening, fed by economic data on the Jobs front. There is [...] (8 h ago)

• Anagram: Divisional Round/On Livid Dinos... Anagram: Divisional Round/On Livid Dinosaur
01/08/2009
Time once again to put away the news and politics for a few and put on the prognosticators hat and talk a bit of football. Let’s talk about how I did last week. A best of video showing the best hits from this year to start things off. My Call #1: Ravens 31, Dolphins 17 Actual Score: Ravens 27, Dolphins [...] (1 d ago)

• Anagram: Making Friends/Mind Sank Grief Anagram: Making Friends/Mind Sank Grief
01/07/2009
A Video talking about jobs numbers before I run through the news. Good Evening. Rhino here. I have declined for a while to talk about the stock market because, despite the fact that there has been nothing but bad news for a dogs age from the financial pages, the Market itself has been remarkably [...] (2 d ago)

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