Cut to the News . . . Your Daily News Briefing
Saturday, February 7, 2009 Make us your homepage
Leading the News
Obama Strikes Deal With Senate on Stimulus . . . Agreement brings $930 Billion bill down to $819 billion level passed by the House.
Los Angeles Times
Iraq Withdrawal Could Extend to 23 Months . . . Obama considers shelving pledge to get troops out in 16 months. Advisory forces would stay. Associated Press
Politics
Obama Moves to Heal Rift With Europe . . . Seeks to break with unilateralist tilt of the Bush years by emphasizing cooperation and diplomacy. Reuters
Biden rejects Russian Sphere of Influence . . . Says U.S. will play tough with Iran. New York Times
Justice Ginsburg Plans Fast Return to the Bench . . . Aims to be back for court's next public session, less than three weeks after surgery for pancreatic cancer. Associated Press
Obama Has Successful Meeting with 9/11 Families . . .Victims' relatives say president quelled some of their fears about closing Guantanamo Bay. McClatchy Newspapers
U.S. Wants New Afghanistan Strategy by April . . . "Not everything has collapsed but the trends don't look good," says National Security Adviser James Jones. Reuters
New RNC Chair Faces Probe . . . Michael Steele's 2006 Senate campaign paid company run by sister for services that never performed, his finance chairman alleges. Washington Post
National Security
NATO Chief Demands Europe Help on Afghanistan . . . Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer says countries like France and Germany must step up. Associated Press
North Korea Open to Disarmament Progress . . . Says its aid demands must be met. Plays down concerns over possible missile launches. Reuters
Pakistan Steps Up Attacks on Militants . . . Government helicopter gunships killed 52 militants in two attacks in northwestern Pakistan. Associated Press
Kyrgyzstan: U.S. Base Closing Final . . . Officials won't discuss any further the closure of vital link in U.S. Afghanistan war supply chain.
Christian Science Monitor
Russia Says U.S. Can Ship Aid Across its Territory . . . Foreign minister offers to allow U.S. to move nonlethal provision to Afghanistan.
New York Times
Business
Treasury Plan to Offer Mortgage Help . . . Would spend up to $100 billion to buy and modify troubled mortgages. Will buy or insure banks' distressed assets. Reuters
Fed's Yellen Sees Parallels to the Depression . . . U.S. not facing a downturn as deep as the Great Depression, but many of the current dynamics are similar. Reuters
New FEC Chief Promises To Do Better . . . Says agency will be tougher, faster in wake of missed Madoff fiasco. Financial Times
International
Far Right Israeli Politician Gains . . . Avigdor Lieberman's loyalty oath idea connects with voters suspicious of Israeli Arabs. Could push new government to the right. Los Angeles Times
Holocaust Denying Bishop Will Review 'Evidence' . . . Cleric reinstated by Pope Benedict would then consider apology to Jews. Reuters
Hate Crimes Against Jews On Rise in Venezuela . . . As Chavez intensifies anti-Israel campaign, Jews threatened in street. Largest Caracas synagogue vandalized. Associated Press
Tainted Medicine in Nigeria Kills 84 Children . . . Workers hunting down errant bottles of a poisonous teething formula. Associated Press
Australian Bush Fires Turn Deadly . . . As many as 40 may have died. BBC
Also Today. . .
Octuplets Doctor Investigated . . . California board wants to know why doctor went ahead when mother was a single mom who already had six children. Associated Press
Blood Test on Tap to Observe DNA of Fetuses . . . Easier and safer than amniocentesis. But critics raise specter of eugenics. Globe and Mail
James Whitmore Dies at 87 . . . A leading character actor whose craggy face became a familiar one to film, television and stage audiences for decades. New York Times
You Are Making Yourself Look Older . . . Study shows environmental and behavioral factors outweigh genes in making a face age. WebMD
Today's Video
Census Moved to White House: Politicized? . . . MSNBC
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