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Congressmen sound off against SEC in Madoff affair
(AP)
AP - Republican and Democratic House members said Monday that the alleged $50 billion fraud involving Wall Street figure Bernard Madoff reflects deep, systemic problems at the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Obama says his plan with tax cuts to get quick OK
(AP)
AP - President-elect Barack Obama plunged into rare pre-inaugural crisis talks with congressional leaders Monday, declaring the national economy was "bad and getting worse" and embracing tax cuts now expected to reach $300 billion. He predicted lawmakers would approve a mammoth revitalization package within two weeks of his taking office.
Sheriff: Man arrested in Ohio mother's slaying
(AP)
AP - A man was arrested in the shooting death of a woman whose 4-year son was abducted and left unharmed at a highway rest area, authorities said Monday.
US First Cat 'India' dies
(AFP)
AFP - The Bush family's 18-year-old cat, India, has died at the White House, First Lady Laura Bush's office announced Monday.
Crystal, china maker Waterford Wedgwood collapses
(AP)
AP - Waterford Wedgwood PLC, the maker of classic china and crystal, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday after attempts to restructure the struggling business or find a buyer failed.
Stop picking on Jimmy Carter
(The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - In this season of new resolutions, Americans would do well to rethink their perceptions of Jimmy Carter. President Carter has suffered the misfortune of having his legacy almost entirely shaped by his political enemies rather than by objective reality or a basic sense of American fairness.
Calls to use oil as weapon in Gaza fight fall flat
(AP)
AP - The call to use oil as a weapon against Israel's friends once would have echoed in capitals across the Middle East. But even as fighting widens in Gaza, threats of an oil embargo by some in Iran and Bahrain are falling flat.
Gaza hospital overwhelmed by dead, wounded
(AP)
AP - Wailing in grief, Salah Samouni banged his head against a wall inside the hospital morgue where the bodies of his three young nephews lay on the floor Monday.
US auto sales plunge whopping 36 percent in Dec.
(AP)
AP - Huge rebates and zero-percent loans couldn't overcome economic uncertainty as U.S. auto sales plunged 36 percent in December, capping a dismal year that saw sales free-fall by 2.9 million vehicles from 2007.
Obama picks Leon Panetta to head CIA
(AP)
AP - Two Democratic officials say President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Clinton White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to run the CIA. Panetta was a surprise pick for the post, with no experience in the intelligence world. An Obama transition official and another Democrat disclosed his nomination on a condition of anonymity since it was not yet public.
How Israel, Hamas define victory in Gaza
(The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - Escalating a week-long assault against Hamas, Israel invaded Gaza over the weekend to stop the Islamist militants who continue to launch cross-border rocket attacks.
Officials: Obama taps Panetta, Blair for spy jobs
(AP)
AP - President-elect Barack Obama's decision to fill the nation's top intelligence jobs with two men short on direct experience in intelligence gathering surprised the spy community and signaled the Democrat's intention for a clean break from Bush administration policies.
Pink iguanas unseen by Darwin offer evolution clue
(Reuters)
Reuters - Pink iguanas unknown to Charles Darwin during his visits to the Galapagos islands may provide evidence of species divergence far earlier than the English naturalist's famous finches, researchers said Monday.
Gaza civilian toll rises; diplomats seek truce
(AP)
AP - GAZA CITY, Gaza — Israel ignored mounting international calls for a cease-fire Monday and said it won't stop its crippling 10-day assault until "peace and tranquility" are achieved in southern Israeli towns in the line of Palestinian rocket fire.
Obama Said to Push for Tax Cuts in Stimulus Plan
(Bloomberg)
Bloomberg - Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama’s
economic stimulus package will include hundreds of billions of
dollars worth of tax breaks for individuals and businesses,
according to a transition official and Democratic aides.
Scientists find a gene that makes cancer spread
(Reuters)
Reuters - A single gene appears to play a crucial role in deadly breast cancers, increasing the chances the cancer will spread and making it resistant to chemotherapy, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
U.S. opens new Iraq embassy
(Reuters)
Reuters - The United States dedicated its new embassy building in Baghdad on Monday, a step meant to symbolize its transition from occupying power to an ally of a sovereign Iraqi government.
To boost recruits, US Army relaxes weight rules
(The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - The waistlines of America's youth are expanding, shrinking the pool of those eligible to join the US military. But an Army program is giving overweight enlistees a second chance – and helping the military with its own expansion.
Boy, 4, shoots babysitter for stepping on his foot
(AP)
AP - Police say an angry 4-year-old Ohio boy grabbed a gun from a closet and shot his baby sitter. Nathan Beavers, 18, was hospitalized Sunday with minor wounds to his arm and side after the shotgun attack. Police say another teen was also injured.
Prosecutor wants Madoff jailed without bail
(AP)
AP - A prosecutor on Monday asked that Bernard Madoff be jailed pending trial, saying the disgraced financier violated an agreement with the court by mailing watches, jewelry, cufflinks and mittens worth more than $1 million to relatives and friends.