For President Obama, the positive outcome of the stimulus bill negotiation could either be an opening act for a more ambitious agenda or a harbinger of reduced expectations.
AP - Moving with lightning speed, the Democratic-controlled Congress and White House agreed Wednesday on a compromise $790 billion economic stimulus bill designed to create millions of jobs in a nation reeling from recession. President Barack Obama could sign the measure within days.
AP - The nation's top bankers came to account for themselves Wednesday to a wary public, displaying a blend of financial might and humility as they pledged to build public trust with greater lending and fewer perks.
AP - A big share of the financial burden of raising Nadya Suleman's 14 children could fall on the shoulders of California's taxpayers, compounding the public furor in a state already billions of dollars in the red.
Two men, who were arrested Thursday in connection with the deadly wildfires that have swept through southeastern Australia, were released without being charged, police said. Meanwhile, authorities said the death toll from the fires, which sits at 181, could reach as high as 300.
Nearly two centuries ago Wednesday, Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed an obscure redistricting law that helped his party stay in office and, more importantly, codified one of the most enduring legacies in U.S. politics: gerrymandering.
Negotiators have worked out a disagreement between the Senate and House over education that threatened to throw a last-minute roadblock in front of the economic stimulus bill, Democratic sources said. The snag arose about 90 minutes after it was announced that a compromise had been reached on a $789 billion package.