One of the first promises the newly triumphant House Democrats issued after their election victory was to slash interest rates on educational loans–a move that heartened students and parents but frightened those who invest in lenders' stocks.
After months of hand-wringing about the risks of Rep. Charles Rangel's defunding the Iraq war or Rep. John Conyers's moving to impeach the president, Republicans unexpectedly have a batch of Democratic committee chairmen in the Senate to worry about as well. The lineup is nearly identical to the one Bush faced from 2001 to 2003, but the Democrats have renewed enthusiasm this time and a like-minded leadership in the House. Here are the future chairmen of the most powerful committees:
Business leaders love to emulate battlefield commanders as they deploy their troops and make critical decisions. That's why otherwise-arcane military books like The Art of War by Sun Tzu and On War by Carl von Clausewitz remain brisk sellers: They're considered obligatory titles on the bookshelf of any executive with a taste for corporate battle.
AP - A roadside bomb killed four Iraqi civilians and injured one other in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, while police said they were searching for gunmen who kidnapped about 50 Shiite travelers on a highway south of the capital the night before.
AP - The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution Saturday that sought to condemn an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and demand Israeli troops pull out of the territory.
AP - Daniel Ortega returns to Nicaragua's presidency a shadow of the fiery revolutionary who in Cold War times vowed an endless fight against a U.S. government determined to overthrow him.