Week of February 22, 2009
President Barack Obama is bringing together dozens of advisers and adversaries
to discuss how to curb a burgeoning federal deficit laden with Social Security,
Medicare and Medicaid obligations. Obama's summit at the White House on
Monday is the first meeting toward a strategy to address the long-term fiscal
health of the nation. The gathering also comes as Obama prepares ambitious
plans to cut the federal deficit by half within four years.
Thousands of protesters surrounded the prime
minister's office Tuesday demanding Thailand's
Parliament be dissolved and new elections held.
The rally by demonstrators allied with exiled
former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
came three days before Thailand is to host the
annual summit of the 10-member Association of
Southeast Asian Nations. About 7,000 people
attended, police said.
President Barack Obama introduced former
Washington Gov. Gary Locke as his nominee
for Commerce secretary trying a third time to fill
a key Cabinet post for a country in recession.
"I'm sure it's not lost on anyone that we've tried
this a couple of times. But I'm a big believer in
keeping at something until you get it right. And Gary is the right man for this job,"
Obama said, standing with the fellow Democrat in the Indian Treaty Room at the
Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House.
A Turkish Airlines plane carrying 135 people slammed into a muddy field while
attempting to land at Amsterdam's main airport in misty weather Wednesday.
Nine people were killed and more than 50 were injured, many seriously, officials
said.
The economy contracted at a staggering 6.2 percent pace at the end of 2008, the
worst showing in a quarter-century, as consumers and businesses ratcheted
back spending, plunging the country deeper into recession.
The U.S. government will exchange up to $25 billion in emergency bailout money
it provided Citigroup Inc. for as much as a 36 percent equity stake in the
struggling bank, greatly increasing the risks to taxpayers as voter unhappiness
about the broader bailout program rises.
Week of February 22, 2009
Some good news as commercial banks and investment firms trimmed borrowing
over the past week from the Federal Reserve's emergency lending program, a
modest sign of some easing in credit strains.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency because of three
years of below-average rain and snowfall in California, a step that urges urban
water agencies to reduce water use by 20 percent.
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is President Barack Obama's choice for
secretary of health and human services, a White House source said Saturday.
Annual Academy
Awards - Some
winners:
Best picture
Slumdog
Millionaire
Actress
Kate Winslet, The
Reader
Actor
Sean Penn, Milk
Supporting actor
Heath Ledger,
The Dark Knight
Supporting
Actress
Penelope Cruz,
Vicky Cristina
Barcelona
Original song
A.R. Rahman and
Gulzar, Jai Ho
from Slumdog
Millionaire
Slumdog
Millionaire 's rags-
to-riches
trajectory was
completed as the
indie film picked
up eight Academy
Awards, including
Week of February 22, 2009
Best Picture and Best Director. Actor Hugh Jackman emceed the event, cracking
jokes about the recession, and singing and dancing his heart out. "Due to
cutbacks, the Academy said they didn't have enough money for an opening
number. … I'm going to do one anyway," he bantered. Former best supporting
actor winners Alan Arkin, Kevin Klein, Joel Gray, Christopher Walken, and Cuba
Gooding Jr. awarded Ledger, while Eva Marie Saint, Whoopi Goldberg, Goldie
Hawn, Angelica Houston, and Tilda Swinton presented best supporting actress.
It happened a few weeks ago at the Golden Globes and then again at the
Oscars: Angelina Jolie seems to be avoiding E! red carpet host Ryan Seacrest.
Seacrest apparently got in a single question (asking the obvious, "How does it
feel to be nominated?") With Brad Pitt, to which the hunky star gave a brief
answer before darting off in search of his better half, but Angelina didn't so much
as acknowledge him. Sources even say that she actually went so far as to walk
in an arc around the E! station on the red carpet to avoid speaking with Seacrest.
Britney Spears will be sawed
in half -- among other stunts --
on her upcoming Circus tour.
“Right away, she got into the
boxes and into the magic
contraptions to learn the stuff,
and she's so excited about this
tour and all the elements that
are in it," illusionist-comedian
Ed Alonzo said. Alonzo, the
lead illusionist on MyNetwork
TV's Masters of Illusion , will be
doing a number with Spears at
each performance. "We're
going to be doing the classics of magic but a little high-tech," he said. "We'll be
doing a little dissection, transposition, a vanish, an appearance," he said.
Jerry Seinfeld is reteaming with NBC to launch his first reality series.
The comedian's project is tentatively called "The Marriage Ref" and features
celebrities, comedians and athletes who will judge couples in the midst of marital
disputes while recommending various strategies to resolve their problems.
Seinfeld is partnering with "The Oprah Winfrey Show" veteran Ellen Rakieten on
the project, which reunites the comedian with the network that aired his hit sitcom
"Seinfeld" for nine years.
Week of February 22, 2009
Fox has just ordered two more seasons of the show, making it the longest-
running in primetime history. The network has picked up an extra 44 episodes,
increasing the total number of Simpson cartoons to a total of 493.
The previous record holder for the longest-running series was Gunsmoke , which
was on the air for 20 years.
All the divorce business between
Kimora Lee Simmons and
Russell Simmons has been
sorted out. Kimora was granted
sole custody of the two daughters
(9-year Ming and 6-year old Aoki)
she had with the music mogul
and he’ll pay $40,000 per month
for child support until they each
daughter reaches 19 ½. Kimora
and Russell's divorce was
finalized in January.
Fans of singers Chris Brown and Rihanna expressed dismay on at reports the
couple had reunited just three weeks after Brown was alleged to have assaulted
her. Celebrity magazines People and Us Weekly said that the R&B stars were
spending time together at the Miami home of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
-- and that Rihanna's father was supporting her decision.