WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama plunged into rare pre-inaugural crisis talks with congressional leaders Monday, declaring the national economy was “bad and getting worse” and embracing tax cuts now expected to reach $300 billion. He predicted lawmakers would approve a mammoth revitalization package within two weeks of his taking office….
Casualties have been pouring into overcrowded hospitals in Gaza as Israel continues its offensive against militant groups.
It’s been a rough start for President-elect Barack Obama in his first week back at work in Washington, from violence flaring in Gaza to showdowns brewing in the U.S. Senate. But Obama is staying focused on his economic stimulus plan, even if key Republicans remain skeptical.
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Sen. John Kerry will join Vice President-elect Joe Biden on a weeklong fact-finding trip to Southwest Asia beginning later this week.
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The Chinese government is starting 2009 with a crusade to make the Internet safe for its young population to surf without encountering pornography. While Beijing has previously tried to crack down on obscenity, this time government officials are using some of their harshest language yet, threatening actions against 19 Internet companies — including China’s most popular search engine, Baidu, and Google. Both Baidu and Google also offer blogging services that the government said had been used to distribute obscene content.
Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris has said he intends to go the Capitol Tuesday and begin serving as the state’s junior U.S. senator. That looks unlikely, however, because the man who appointed Burris, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is facing corruption charges.
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US carmakers report sharp falls in their sales in December as the economic slowdown drives customers away from showrooms.
Massachusetts and 10 other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states have agreed to create a low carbon fuel standard to reduce greenhouse gases.
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Freezing rain and snow delayed the opening of scores of schools today, but wasn’t really a big deal. Wednesday may be different. Snow followed by icing may cause power outages, though not on the scale of last month’s devastating storm.
Backers of Seattle’s convention center say it needs a $766 million expansion to lure more free-spending conventioneers downtown. But the Washington State Convention & Trade Center’s track record — and the struggles of convention centers elsewhere — raise questions about the wisdom of expansion.
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