U.S. Downturn Dragging World Into Recession"The world is falling into the first global recession since World War II as the crisis that started in the United States engulfs once-booming developing nations, confronting them with massive financial shortfalls that could turn back the clock on poverty reduction by years, the World Bank warned yesterday.
The World Bank also cautioned that the cost of helping poorer nations in crisis would exceed the current financial resources of multilateral lenders. Such aid could prove critical to political stability as concerns mount over unrest in poorer nations, particularly in Eastern Europe, generated by their sharp reversal of fortunes as private investment evaporates and global trade collapses."
Obama to reverse Bush-era stem cell policy"President Barack Obama is ending former President George W. Bush's limits on using federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research, with advisers calling the move a clear signal that science — not political ideology — will guide the administration.
Obama was to sign an executive order on stem cells and memo on science Monday in an East Room ceremony, a long-promised move that would fulfill a campaign promise. Advisers said it was part of a broader declaration on science that would guide the administration's policies on matters ranging from renewable energy to climate change."
12,000 U.S. Troops to Leave Iraq"The U.S. military announced Sunday that 12,000 American soldiers would withdraw from Iraq by September, marking the first step in the Obama administration's plan to pull U.S. combat forces out of the country by August 2010.
In setting the deadline last month, President Obama declared that the United States would restrict itself to achievable goals before departing. The timing of Sunday's announcement underscored that Iraq is likely to remain dangerous, turbulent and vulnerable to major acts of bloodshed during an American withdrawal."
Money Stimulates Debate in States Over Plan's Goals"As tens of billions of dollars in stimulus funds begin to flow across the country, states and federal agencies are gripped by disputes over whether the money is being used in ways that violate the letter or spirit of the legislation, battles that raise new questions about precisely what the intent of the legislation was and that threaten to delay the infusion of funds into the staggering economy.
Kansas may save some of the state funds that will be freed up by stimulus money it is getting -- even though putting money in the bank would not stimulate the economy. Texas is spending nearly a tenth of its transportation funding on a long-delayed highway loop around Houston, despite criticism that the project goes against President Obama's call to move away from oil dependence. West Virginia wants to expand access to Medicaid but is still waiting for an answer about whether that goal is being encouraged under the law.
In many ways, the questions swirling at the state level are a continuation of unresolved debates in Washington over the purpose of the $787 billion package -- whether it was meant solely to boost the economy or also to lay the groundwork for longer-term reforms and transformation."
U.S. to Nation’s Schools: Spend Fast, Keep Receipts"Arne Duncan, the secretary of education, sent a message to the nation’s school officials last week: Heads up! We’ll be sending you billions of dollars by month’s end. Spend the money quickly but wisely. And keep receipts; we’ll be asking.
The message, which went out Friday in documents e-mailed to governors, state education commissioners and thousands of school superintendents, provided the first broad guidelines for how the Education Department intends to channel $100 billion to the nation’s 14,000 school districts over the next few months. The expenditure is part of the Obama administration’s economic stimulus package."
U.S. seeks hard bargain on missile defense"If the Obama administration intends to give up missile defense in Europe as part of a security deal with Russia, as early maneuvering seems to suggest, then Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is driving a hard bargain.
On a trip to Europe and the Middle East that ended Sunday, Clinton spoke positively of the prospect of making missile defense an integral part of U.S. defense strategy, even while suggesting it may be less critical in Europe if Iran quit its nuclear program."
Minn. Senate race leaves voters tired of drama"More than four months after Election Day, Minnesota voters are only marginally closer to knowing whether Democrat Al Franken or Republican Norm Coleman will represent them in Washington.
The stakes go beyond Minnesota: Franken would put Democrats in position to muscle their agenda through with barely any Republican help, and he could be a difference-maker on the federal budget and a proposal giving labor unions a leg up on management when organizing."
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