US News

House passes economic stimulus bill

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:31:00 +0000

House passes economic stimulus bill

By John Fritze and Rich Wolf, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — With Democrats arguing that the economic crisis requires a large and immediate infusion of government spending, a deeply divided House of Representatives approved a final version of President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus plan Friday afternoon.
After about 90 minutes of debate, the House voted 246-183 largely along party lines to approve the legislation, which includes $46 billion for transportation projects, $40 billion to extend and increase unemployment benefits, and $115 billion in new income tax credits for 95% of workers. No Republicans voted for the legislation. The Senate is slated to vote on the bill Friday night.

Read Article: USA TODAY

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Obama: Stimulus delay 'inexcusable and irresponsible'

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:49:00 +0000

Obama: Stimulus delay 'inexcusable and irresponsible'

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama ratcheted up the pressure on Congress, saying Friday it would be "inexcusable and irresponsible" to delay approval of his gigantic stimulus plan as a grim new unemployment report revealed the depths of the U.S. economic tailspin.
The nearly $1 trillion package is Obama's top legislative priority in his early presidency, its urgency highlighted by Friday's report. The package's passage, which could potentially come as early as Friday afternoon, would be a huge relief for the president, who has struggled to win the backing he sought from opposition Republicans.

Read Aricle: USA TODAY

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Stimulus seeks to bar illegals from tax credit

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Stimulus seeks to bar illegals from tax credit

WASHINGTON - Illegal immigrants without Social Security numbers could not get tax credits under the $800 billion-plus economic stimulus package making its way through Congress.

A senior GOP congressional official expressed concern Thursday that the bill could steer government checks to undocumented workers, but in fact the measure prevents anyone without a Social Security number from claiming tax credits of $500 per worker and $1,000 per couple. It also expressly disqualifies nonresident aliens.

The Republican spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. But Democrats were quick to reject the notion.

Read Article: AZ Central

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Economy shrinks at 3.8% pace, worst since '82

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:49:00 +0000

Economy shrinks at 3.8% pace, worst since '82

WASHINGTON - The economy shrank at a 3.8 percent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, as the deepening recession forced consumers and businesses to throttle back spending.

Although the initial result was better than economists expected, the figure is likely to be revised even lower in the months ahead and some believe the economy is contracting in the current quarter at an even faster pace.

The new figure, released Friday by the Commerce Department, showed the economy sinking at a much faster clip in the October-December period than the 0.5 percent decline logged in prior quarter. Economists had forecast an even worse fourth-quarter performance — a staggering 5.4 percent rate of decline — but the results were still grim.

Read Article: AZ Central

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Tijuana off-limits to U.S. Marines

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:27:00 +0000

Tijuana off-limits to U.S. Marines

By William M. Welch, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — For tens of thousands of U.S. Marines in Southern California, new orders from the brass amount to: Baghdad si, Tijuana no.
Citing a wave of violence and murder in Mexico, the commanding officer of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Pendleton has made the popular military "R&R" destinations of Tijuana and nearby beaches effectively off-limits for his Marines.

The order by Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland restricts travel into Mexico by the 44,000 members of the unit, many of whom have had multiple tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones under their belts — or are there now.

Read Article: USA TODAY

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Schedule of events for Obama's inauguration

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Schedule of events for Obama's inauguration

A schedule of some official and unofficial activities surrounding Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20:

TUESDAY, JAN. 20 (INAUGURATION DAY)

Gates to the Inaugural Ceremony open at 8 a.m. EST. The inaugural festivities are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. They will include
Musical selections of The United States Marine Band, followed by the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein provides call to order and welcoming remarks.

Invocation by the Rev. Rick Warren.

Musical selection of Aretha Franklin.

Biden will be sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.

Read Article: AZ Central

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Hudson River hero is ex-Air Force fighter pilot

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Hudson River hero is ex-Air Force fighter pilot

NEW YORK - Civil engineer Robert Bea wasn't surprised when he learned the name of the cool-headed pilot who guided his hobbled jetliner over the city and landed it in the Hudson River. The pilot, after all, had been studying crisis management.

Bea, co-founder of UC Berkeley's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management, said he could think of few pilots as well-situated to bring the plane down safely than Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III.

Sullenberger, 57, of Danville, Calif., is a former fighter pilot who runs a safety consulting firm in addition to flying commercial aircraft. He had been studying the psychology of keeping airline crews functioning even in the face of crisis, Bea said.

Read Article: AZ Central

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U.S. jobless rate jumps to 7.2% in December

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:18:00 +0000

U.S. jobless rate jumps to 7.2% in December

WASHINGTON - The nation's unemployment rate bolted to 7.2 percent in December, the highest level in 16 years, as nervous employers slashed 524,000 jobs. The labor market is expected to remain weak as mass layoffs continue.

The Labor Department's report, released Friday, underscored the terrible toll the deepening recession is having on workers and companies, and highlights the hard task President-elect Barack Obama faces in resuscitating the flat-lined economy.

For all of 2008, the economy lost a net total of 2.6 million jobs. That was the most since 1945, when nearly 2.8 million jobs were lost. Although the number of jobs in the U.S. has more than tripled since then, losses of this magnitude are still being painfully felt.

Read Article: AZ Central

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Expert predictions: Stock market could be good in 2009

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Expert predictions: Stock market could be good in 2009

By Adam Shell, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — Stock market forecasts tend to be sunny, and 2009 is no exception. Wall Street gurus are again predicting gains. But this year's bullish market call comes with an asterisk.
Wary stock strategists, unsure how the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression will play out, are hedging their bets. Rather than just sharing an opinion about what they think is the most likely outcome for stocks in their '09 outlook reports, some strategists are including worst-case and best-case market scenarios that reflect lower-probability outcomes — but ones that can't be ruled out.

Read Artcile: USA Today

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U.S.: Roadside bombs in Afghanistan doubled in 2008

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:02:00 +0000

U.S.: Roadside bombs in Afghanistan doubled in 2008

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The number of roadside bombs and kidnappings doubled in Afghanistan in 2008 from the year previous, the U.S. ambassador said Tuesday, grim statistics that underscore the country's deteriorating security situation.
The number of roadside bombs rose from roughly 1,000 in 2007 to 2,000 in 2008, while the number of kidnappings jumped from about 150 to 300, said Ambassador William Wood.

Compiling accurate data for roadside bombs and kidnappings is difficult, he said, and the numbers were approximate.

Speaking at an end-of-the-year news conference, Wood called 2008 a "good year but also a hard year."

Afghanistan, he said, saw progress against opium poppies, the main ingredient in heroin, as land for cultivating them dropped by almost 20% in 2008.

Read Article: USA Today

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Medicaid applicants grow as recession widens

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:50:00 +0000

Medicaid applicants grow as recession widens

WASHINGTON (AP) — That day in July was one that Tammy Morse won't soon forget. Five months earlier, her husband lost his job as a recruiter for the financial services industry. Once the family savings were gone, the mother of two from Stratford, Conn., saw no way to get health insurance coverage for her family other than to apply for Medicaid.
"It was humbling," she said of her visit to the state's Department of Social Services office. "For lack of a better way to put it, that was for other people. It wasn't for me."

Around the country, similar stories are playing out for thousands of families.

Since the recession began a year ago, many states have seen increases in the Medicaid rolls just as tax revenues are falling below projections. Governors have lobbied President-elect Barack Obama and Congress to help them weather the downturn by increasing the federal government's share of Medicaid spending for at least two years.

Read Article: USA Today

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Denver crash baffles aviation experts

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:42:00 +0000

Denver crash baffles aviation experts

The co-pilot of the Continental Airlines jet that veered off a Denver runway Saturday has told investigators that the takeoff acceleration was normal until the plane made "a sudden left turn," investigators said Monday.
The unnamed pilot said that he noticed that the Boeing 737-500 jet began to turn away from the center of the runway as it reached about 100 mph, according to Robert Sumwalt, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Sumwalt revealed new data at an evening briefing in Denver that appeared to rule out several possible causes. Evidence at the charred wreckage and from the data recorder shows the engines and brakes were fine, Sumwalt said. The jet was also properly set for takeoff, he said.

The circumstances have so far left aviation safety experts baffled. Jets such as the 737 should be able to roll straight down the runway, even if problems arise during takeoff, said consultant John Cox, a former airline pilot and accident investigator.

"You'd keep the airplane tracking straight with the rudder," Cox said.

Read Article: USA Today

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Winter storm pounds Midwest, Northeast

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:36:00 +0000

Winter storm pounds Midwest, Northeast

A winter storm packing snow, freezing rain and biting wind cut power to tens of thousands of customers Friday, disrupted travel and gave schoolchildren from Iowa to New England an early start on their holiday break.
"One thing about it, you're going to have a white Christmas this year," said Lee Longdyke, as he shoveled a sidewalk in Pontiac, Mich., for the third time Friday morning.

More than 300 flights were canceled at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, and more than 600 at three New York City-area airports.

Read Article: USA Today

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More low-income families need food aid

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:27:00 +0000

More low-income families need food aid

The economic downturn has left many low-income Americans struggling with hunger for the first time, a survey out Thursday by Feeding America shows.
The hunger relief group, formerly known as America's Second Harvest, found that 36% of low-income households say they ate less or skipped meals because they didn't have enough money for food, and 40% say they chose between food or paying for utilities in the past year.

"We've never seen anything like this," says Vicki Escarra, the group's president. "We're seeing more people come (to food banks) who've never come before."

The group surveyed 450 low-income households. The findings are part of a growing body of research that suggest hunger is worsening in the USA:

• The number of people receiving food stamps jumped from 26.9 million in September 2007 to a record 31.6 million in September 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Read Article: USA Today

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U.S.: Allow pirate hunt in Somalia, its air space

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:50:00 +0000

U.S.: Allow pirate hunt in Somalia, its air space

UNITED NATIONS - As Somalia's government crumbles, the U.S. is proposing that the United Nations authorize tracking down Somali pirates not only at sea, but on land and in Somali air space.

The U.S. is circulating the draft U.N. Security Council resolution as one of the Bush administration's last major foreign-policy initiatives. The resolution proposes that all nations and regional groups cooperating with Somalia's U.N.-backed government in the fight against piracy "may take all necessary measures ashore in Somalia."

But Somalia's struggling government may need even more propping up.

The council's group that monitors Somalia reported Thursday that more than 15,000 soldiers and police - 80 percent of the government's security capabilities - have deserted the government and fled with their vehicles and weapons.

Piracy is booming, meanwhile, with about 1,500 pirates based in the Puntland region raking in millions of dollars, South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo told the council.

Read Article: AZ Central

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Air tests reveal elevated levels of toxics around schools

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:56:00 +0000

Air tests reveal elevated levels of toxics around schools

By Brad Heath and Blake Morrison, USA TODAY
MIDLAND, Pa. — In this borough of 2,900 in the westernmost part of the state, the steel industry used to be the primary employer. Today, Midland's schools offer the most jobs — and now are beginning to unravel a mystery that could affect the health of their students.
For five days this fall, USA TODAY monitored the air near Midland Elementary-Middle School, a red-brick building blocks from the riverside steel plants that defined the town for generations. It was one of 95 schools in 30 states where the newspaper teamed with scientists at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland to take samples and analyze toxic chemicals in the air.

The highest readings appeared near seven of the schools, including Midland. At those locations, USA TODAY's monitoring showed pollution at levels that could make people sick or significantly increase their risk of cancer if they were exposed to the chemicals for long periods.

Read Artcile: USA Today

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Oil, gasoline hit 4-year lows as economy sags

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:34:00 +0000

Oil, gasoline hit 4-year lows as economy sags

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Oil tumbled below $44 a barrel Thursday and average gasoline prices slipped under $1.80 a gallon, both four-year lows, as unemployment benefit claims hit a 26-year high and major companies announced more job cuts.
The unprecedented decline in energy prices has provided some relief to consumers and businesses.

But fewer people have jobs to drive to. Gasoline futures for January delivery closed below a dollar, with optimism about the nation's economic health in serious decline.

It was the first close below $1 since 2006, when gasoline began trading in the current format. When gasoline included the additive MTBE, it last crossed the $1 barrier in February 2004.

Read Article: USA Today

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U.S. 'falling behind' bombings in Afghanistan, panel says

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:22:00 +0000

U.S. 'falling behind' bombings in Afghanistan, panel says

By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — A congressional panel has warned that the U.S. is "falling behind" in Afghanistan in the fight against makeshift bombs, the No. 1 killer of U.S. troops there, after the attacks reached an all-time high this summer.
Improvised explosive device (IED) attacks have increased every year since 2005, according to Pentagon data. The attacks peaked at 329 in August before declining to 264 last month upon the arrival of colder weather, which usually hinders fighting in Afghanistan.

The increased deployment of IEDs has come amid a broad offensive by the Taliban and warnings from U.S. commanders that violence could worsen. The bombs have contributed to an increase in casualties among coalition forces: 129 U.S. servicemembers were killed in Afghanistan through October this year, compared with 83 combat deaths in all of 2007.

Read Article: USA TODAY

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GM extends holiday shutdown, may cut production

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:16:00 +0000

GM extends holiday shutdown, may cut production

By Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer
DETROIT — General Motors (GM) will extend its holiday shutdown or make other production cuts at up to 10 factories as it deals with a continued U.S. auto sales slump and fights to stay solvent.
The cash-strapped automaker told workers about the cuts Friday morning, according to local union officials.

Dave Green, president of a United Auto Workers local in Lordstown, Ohio, said workers were told that the normal holiday shutdown will be extended until Jan. 20 at the sprawling factory complex, which stamps parts for and assembles the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 small cars.

The last scheduled workday will be Dec. 23, although production will start to wind down before that, he said.

Details of the other cuts were not available. GM spokesman Chris Lee would not comment on the announcements.

Read Article: USA TODAY

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Schwarzenegger wants to trim Calif.'s 14 holidays

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:42:00 +0000

Schwarzenegger wants to trim Calif.'s 14 holidays

SACRAMENTO - California's generous offering of holidays for state workers - the equivalent of nearly three work weeks - is among the items Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking to trim to help counter a mounting budget deficit.

Lincoln's Birthday and Columbus Day would get the ax under a proposal the governor's administration estimates will save $114 million during this fiscal year and the next one starting in July.

"We think it's not so painful to give up a couple of holidays," said Mike Genest, Schwarzenegger's finance director.
Union leaders are resisting the move, but California isn't the only state looking to save money by cutting back on paid days off.

New Jersey passed a benefit-cutting bill in September that included eliminating Lincoln's Birthday as a state paid holiday amid a budget deficit projected to reach $1.2 billion in the current fiscal year. Gov. Jon Corzine also stopped the tradition of giving employees the day after Thanksgiving as a paid day off.

Read Arcticle: AZ Central

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U.S. economic picture darkens

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:07:00 +0000

U.S. economic picture darkens

WASHINGTON - A fresh wave of bad economic news, including a half-million Americans newly out of work and the weakest October retail sales in nearly 40 years, pummeled the stock market Thursday, driving the Dow Jones industrials under 9,000 again with a stunning two-day decline of 10 percent.

The high market volatility that characterized the financial meltdown in September and October has returned, and the economic picture is growing notably bleaker, with the holiday shopping season and the new administration of President-elect Barack Obama looming in coming months.

Henry Paulson, President Bush's Treasury secretary, pledged to work closely with Obama for a smooth handoff of power. Paulson said a "methodical and orderly" transition was in the best interests of the financial markets

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US economy loses 240,000 jobs

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000

US economy loses 240,000 jobs

WASHINGTON — The nation's unemployment rate bolted to a 14-year high of 6.5 percent in October as another 240,000 jobs were cut, stark proof the economy is almost certainly in a recession.

The new snapshot, released Friday by the Labor Department, showed the crucial jobs market deteriorating at an alarmingly rapid pace.

The jobless rate zoomed to 6.5 percent in October from 6.1 percent in September, matching the rate in March 1994. Unemployment has now surpassed the high seen after the last recession in 2001. The jobless rate peaked at 6.3 percent in June 2003.

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Powerball jackpot to hit $42 million

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:57:00 +0000

Powerball jackpot to hit $42 million

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Powerball jackpot is expected to reach $42 million dollars Wednesday because none of the tickets sold for the Powerball game Saturday night matched all six numbers drawn.

Saturday's winning numbers were 10-14-32-40-49

Power Play: 4

Players matching all five numbers and the Powerball would have won or shared the $33.6 million jackpot. The prize goes to an estimated $42 million for Wednesday.

Tickets that match the first five numbers, but miss the Powerball, win $200,000 each, and there were two of those. They were sold in: Indiana and Montana.

There was one Power Play Match 5

Read Article: AZ Central

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Democrats bank early votes in battleground states

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:08:00 +0000

Democrats bank early votes in battleground states

WASHINGTON - Two weeks before Election Day, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is busily banking every early vote he can get in key states. Republican nominee John McCain is more selectively working to lock in the early votes of his most iffy supporters, figuring the rest will make it to the polls sooner or later.

Voters in every state can now cast ballots through early voting or absentee voting programs. Results won't be released until Nov. 4, but a look at those who have voted shows the Democrats have been aggressive.

In Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina and Ohio, Democrats - or at least those living in heavily Democratic areas - are requesting and submitting ballots in large numbers. In Florida, Republicans hold an edge, while in Indiana, absentee voting has been split among Republican and Democratic areas.

Read Article: Az Central

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Authorities: Georgia Law Firm Bomb Suspect Died in Blast

noreply@blogger.com (luzmi) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:15:00 +0000

Authorities: Georgia Law Firm Bomb Suspect Died in Blast

The elderly suspect in a Friday morning blast that rocked a Georgia law firm died in the explosion, according to investigators, but his motive was still unclear.

District Attorney Kermit McManus told FOX News that the man believed to have set off the bomb in the McCamy, Phillips, Tuggle & Fordham office in downtown Dalton is dead.

Investigators said later Friday afternoon that the person whose body was found was the 71-year-old man believed responsible. McManus told The Daily Citizen that the suspect is Lloyd Cantrell, but that wasn't immediately confirmed by police.

Read Article: Fox News.Com

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