Congress Agree to Economic Deal

Hoping to boost the economy, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Republican leader John Boehner, and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson negotiated a tax rebate deal that will give $300-$1200 checks to Americans this spring. [ See story ]

When asked about his own involvement with the stimulus package, President Bush said that he made mistakes as a young adult, but has been clean for years.

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Senate majority leader Harry Reid said he'd defer to Pelosi because "she knows all about giving things 'lifts.'"

Condi Talks up U.S. Economy

At the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice said that despite the fears of a recession, the U.S. economy is "resilient." [ See story ]

She explained: the country is just full of $5 words.

Consumer Spending Drops

In a bad sign for the economy, consumer spending at retailers dropped .4% in December. [See Story]

Economists have pinpointed it to a Macy's "Take .4 Percent Off Christmas Sale."