Stories Making Headlines Right Now

OBAMA-ECONOMY
    Obama to lobby GOP lawmakers on stimulus

President Barack Obama travels to Capitol Hill
today to lobby Republicans on his stimulus plan.
    The president wants to impress upon Republicans the urgency of
the moment. He says it calls for “swift and extraordinary
action.“ But Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says Obama also wants to
listen, as GOP lawmakers demand more tax cuts and less spending.
    Last night, several officials said House Democrats are likely to
jettison family planning funds for the low-income from the bill.
Republicans have criticized that as an example of wasteful spending
that won’t create jobs or otherwise improve the economy.
    Whether the move succeeds in gaining votes is unclear,
particularly in the House, where the GOP leadership has advanced an
alternative that consists almost exclusively of tax cuts.

TREASURY-GEITHNER
    Geithner says economy at crucial point

The nation’s new treasury secretary says the
economy and the country are at a “point of maximum challenge.“
    Timothy Geithner (GYT’-nur) took his oath barely an hour after
the Senate confirmed him on a 60-34 vote last night. He promises
that the Treasury Department will be a source of bold initiative.
And he’ll push hard for programs to get the economy back on track
as soon as possible.
    President Barack Obama says Geithner must get to work right away
because the “economic picture is darkening.“
    Geithner’s confirmation came despite bipartisan concern about
his failure to pay his taxes on time earlier in the decade. But
supporters says Geithner’s expertise trumped those concerns,
especially given the dire economic situation.

MELTDOWN-EXECUTIVES
    US bets on the same bank execs who created the mess to fix it

Most of the same bank executives who presided
over their industry’s meltdown are still on the job managing all
that bailout money.
    An Associated Press analysis of regulatory and company documents
shows nearly nine out of every 10 of the most senior executives
from 2006 are still on the job at banks that are getting federal
bailout money.
    Even top executives whose banks made such risky loans they
imperiled the economy have been largely spared any consequences.
    In the words of Jamie Court of the California-based group
Consumer Watchdog, “When you deal with the same dogs, you’re going
to end up with the same fleas.“
    In addition to who’s in, the analysis reveals a stark contrast
with who’s out—more than 100,000 bank employees laid off as
industry unemployment nearly tripled, bank stocks plummeted and
credit dried up.

CONGRESS-MADOFF
    Senators look into Madoff case

Federal regulators can expect a grilling from
the Senate Banking Committee today as it looks into disgraced
investor Bernard Madoff’s alleged multibillion-dollar pyramid
scheme.
    The hearing will mark the first questioning of federal
regulators responsible for inspecting investment firms and
enforcing action against violations.
    The Securities and Exchange Commission has faced heavy criticism
over its failure to discover the $50 billion Ponzi scheme despite
credible allegations brought to the agency over 10 years.
    The SEC also is accused of contributing to the nationwide
financial disaster with lax oversight of Wall Street and the
markets. Lawmakers of both parties are calling for a shake-up of
the agency to help restore investor confidence.

ILLINOIS GOVERNOR-IMPEACHMENT
    NEW: Ill. governor’s own words to haunt him at trial

The governor of Illinois has gone as
public as just about anyone can, but today it’ll be his private
words taking center stage at his impeachment trial.
    The Illinois state Senate is expected to hear secretly made
wiretaps of Rod Blagojevich allegedly discussing how he could
benefit from his power to fill a U.S. Senate seat by appointment.
    Blagojevich doesn’t deny the remarks federal prosecutors
attribute to him. But he insists they’ve been taken out of context
and that he’s done nothing illegal.
    Though his impeachment trial opened yesterday, not only will the
governor not present a defense, he won’t even show up, since he
says he can’t get a fair trial.
    Instead, he spent yesterday going in front of any camera he
could find to proclaim his innocence.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS
    Clashes reported

Palestinian witnesses and the Israeli military
say troops and militants are clashing along the Israel-Gaza border
in the first outbreak of violence since a cease-fire went into
effect last week.
    Residents near the Gaza border crossing of Kissufim say the
sound of heavy gunfire is audible and that Israeli helicopters are
hovering in the air.
    The Israeli military says an explosive device exploded along the
border, targeting an Israeli patrol. The military would not provide
further details.
    Israel and Gaza militants have been holding their fire since
Jan. 18—when Israel ended a punishing three-week offensive aimed
at halting rocket fire from the territory.

MITCHELL-MIDEAST
    Obama says Israel, Palestinians must make tough decisions

President Barack Obama has told Al-Arabiya
television that he wants U.S. middle east envoy George Mitchell to
start his peace mission in the region by listening.
    In an interview with Al-Arabiya television, Obama said that too
often the U.S. has started “by dictating.“
    Obama said the U.S. cannot tell either the Israelis or the
Palestinians what’s best for them, but that they should realize
that the path they’re on is one that is not going to result in
prosperity and security for their people.
    Obama says the U.S. remains committed to Israel as an ally, and
to its right to defend itself but that it has some hard decisions
to make, as do the Palestinians.
    Mitchell, the former Senate majority leader, begins his
eight-day mission Tuesday in Egypt, followed by visits to Israel,
the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. His schedule
includes stops in Paris and London early next week on his way back
to Washington.

WINTER STORM
    5 killed in ice storm in Midwest and South

A winter storm stretching from Texas into
the Midwest is blamed for at least five traffic deaths.
    The storm has knocked out power to thousands of customers.
    And as the storm moves east, highway and emergency crews are
braced for icy conditions in Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and the
southern portions of Illinois and Indiana.
    Dozens of school districts have canceled classes as well as some
universities…
    Law enforcement agencies have responded to dozens of
injury-causing accidents throughout the Ozarks region and into
southeast Missouri.

PORTLAND SHOOTING
    Suspected shooter left car and PlayStation to roommate

The man suspected of shooting nine people
and himself outside a nightclub in Portland, Oregon, left a note
bequeathing his car and PlayStation 3 to a roommate.
    Police released the note from Erik Ayala that meticulously lists
off his bank account information and how his roommate can get top
dollar for the game station.
    Ayala apologizes to family and friends and tells his roommate he
is especially sorry. He also tells the roommate: “you are entitled
to everything that I own. Maybe these things can bring in a few
bucks.“
    Ayala remains in critical condition.
    Police don’t know what led him to fatally shoot two girls and
wound seven other people. One girl killed was an exchange student
from Peru. Five students from other countries were hurt.

CALIFORNIA-OCTUPLETS
    Doctor says eighth baby was a surprise
   
The medical team was expecting a woman
to give birth to seven babies—but was surprised to find one
more. One doctor says her eyes “were wide” when she saw number
eight.
    The octuplets—six boys and two girls—were born at a
hospital near Los Angeles Monday morning. They’re nine weeks
premature. Most are breathing on their own.
    Another doctor says the first baby came out crying and kicking.
    It’s only the second time in history all eight have survived for
more than a few hours.
    The only thing hospital officials will say about the mother is
that she plans to breast feed her children.
    She figures to be out of the hospital in about a week but the
babies will probably remain there for at least two months.
    Forty-six hospital staff and four delivery rooms were used.

NEW ZEALAND-US-MILITARY FILES
    Report: NZ man’s MP3 player holds US military files

A man from New Zealand reportedly
found something he didn’t expect loaded on an MP3 player he bought
from a thrift shop in Oklahoma.
    TV One News in New Zealand says the device had 60 U.S. military
files, including names, Social Security numbers and telephone
numbers for American soldiers. According to the report, some of the
soldiers spent time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mission briefings and
equipment details were also on the player.
    A security expert in New Zealand says the material shouldn’t be
in the public domain—but national security probably isn’t
compromised. U.S. officials haven’t commented.
    In Afghanistan in 2006, U.S. investigators reportedly bought
back stolen flash drives that contained sensitive military data
from shops outside a main U.S. base in the Afghan city of Bagram.