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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.

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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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New legislature in the UK has made it legal for law enforcement agencies to use spyware on suspected criminals without any court approval.

As gadget makers gear up to show their wares at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Shows in Las Vegas, Chinese hardware maker Lenovo debuted a host of new laptop PCs, the most striking of which offers users a dual-screen configuration. The ThinkPad W700ds features a 17-inch primary screen with a 10.6-inch slide-out secondary screen. It is the first mobile workstation with two built-in displays, according to Lenovo, and will enable users accustomed to working with two monitors the ability to operate in a mobile environment. Prices start at $3,663.

Yard-waste service in Seattle — including Christmas-tree pickup — will resume today on a normal schedule for residential customers. Extra yard waste will be collected at no extra charge through Jan. 16.
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Leon Panetta To Head Up The C.I.A.

We note that mr Panetta has no ties to the current bush adminstration.