WASHINGTON – President Obama’s stimulus package was passed by the House Wednesday in a 244-188 vote. The stimulus package, which consists of federal tax cuts and spending worth $819 billion, is intended to jump-start the economy out of its current crisis.
– nytimes.com
MASSACHUSETTS – The American writer John Updike passed away Jan. 27 at the age of 76. Updike, who was famous for the novel “The Witches of Eastwick,” was also a PEN/Faulkner and Pulitzer Prize winner.
– nytimes.com
UNITED NATIONS – The new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan E. Rice, told top U.N. ambassadors on Monday that the Obama administration would collaborate more intensively with its international partners. Rice’s statement suggests a significantly different stance from that of many recent predecessors.
– washingtonpost.com
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