Cut to the News . . . Your Daily News Briefing
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Make us your homepage
Top Breaking News
This Morning's Cut
Leading The News
Data Point to Better Economy . . . Most banks have stopped toughening lending standards and manufacturing is at highest level in five years. Wall Street Journal
Obama Budget Seeks New Spending . . . Democrats hail $3.8 trillion plan while GOP savages measures as a recipe for fiscal disaster. Washington Post
Abstinence Sex Ed Works Landmark study finds classes focused on delaying sex were more effective than mixed approaches. Washington Post
Politics
Washington Post
Obama to Detail Small Business Plan . . . President will roll out a proposed $30 billion small-business lending program.
Wall Street Journal
Obama Wants $192B for Wars . . . Hefty sum aimed at escalating the war in Afghanistan amid waning support at home.
Boston Globe
Congress Concerned Over CIA Moonlighting . . . Intelligence agencies allow workers to perform work for private companies.
Politico
Five Things to Watch in Illinois . . . The dark blue state plays host to the first primary election of the 2010 cycle. Politico
National Security
Pentagon to Ease 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' . . . Pentagon expected to announce today it will significantly relax enforcement of ban on gays serving openly in the military. Boston Globe
Gates Fires Officer in Charge of F-35 . . . Voices strong dissatisfaction with lack of progress on the F-35 joint strike fighter program. McClatchy Newspapers
Pakistan Taliban May be on the Ropes . . . Its leader is dead, its troops are on the run, and public opinion is against it.
Washington Post
Somali Group to Ally With al Qaeda . . . The militant group al Shabaab said it would ally with al Qaeda in a drive to establish Islamic state in Somalia. Wall Street Journal
Pakistan Says Will Help Train Afghanis . . . Gen. Kayani seeks to counter criticism of his nation as a reluctant ally in the West's war in Afghanistan. Los Angeles Times
Money
Toyota's Fast Fix Raises Questions . . . What appears to be rapid development of a fix for sticky pedals is raising suspicion it has known about problem much longer than it says. USA Today
Toyota Braces for Sales Hit . . . Pedal fix is too late to prevent consumer backlash in the U.S. and elsewhere that is battering its sales. Associated Press
Bad Karma for Feng Shui Master . . . Tony Chan’s claim to billionaire Nina Wang's fortune is thrown out despite claim that he was her secret lover. Times of London
International
Ciudad Juarez police baffled by shooting . . . Attack on a party attended by high school and college students has "no apparent motive." Death toll at 16.
Los Angeles Times
Obama to Skip EU Summit . . . White House said it's a scheduling matter, but European officials say there had been no hint he would not attend. New York Times
Girls Says Baptists Took Her From Her Mother . . . Haitians accuse group of 10 U.S. Baptists of trying to take kids out of country illegally. Toronto Globe and Mail
Chavez's Socialist Project Badly Hobbled . . . Venezuela has inflation, blackouts, violent crime and a scandal involving bankers close to Chavez. Associated Press
China Warns Obama Not to Meet Dalai Lama . . . Obama passed up meeting in Novembers but plans to sit down with him early this year. New York Times
You Must Also Know . . .
Planes With Problems Take Off . . . During past six years, millions have been on flights of planes that weren't properly maintained. USA Today
One in Eight Visit Food Banks . . . One in eight Americans - 37 million - received emergency food help last year, up 46 percent from 2005. USA Today
Stumping for Oscars . . . Well in advance of Tuesday's Oscar nominations, actors knew to take a page from politics' script.
Washington Post
The Fighting Flock . . . Evangelical churches are embracing mixed martial arts in an effort to appeal to young men. New York Times
Cut to Your Stocks
Watch the Dow(^DJI), S&P 500 (^GSPC), NASDAQ (^IXIC), Europe (^STOXX), the Nikkei (^N225), and the ten-year Treasury (^TNX). Add your own stocks too.
