The latest news on Mass Layoffs, Economic Stimulus, Environment, Legal Aid Cuts, College Endowments Drop, Amb. Rice at the U.N., Worker's Rights, Bagram Prison, Mitchell to Mideast, Israel-Gaza, Mexico, International Criminal Court, Zimbabwe, and Select O

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Mass layoffs. Layoffs Spread to More Sectors of the Economy "Furloughs, wage reductions, hiring freezes and shorter hours simply did not do enough. A year into this recession, companies across the board are resorting to mass job cuts." Layoffs Cut Deeper Into Economy "The nation's employers, including some of its largest and most sturdy, announced plans to slash more than 55,000 jobs, a staggering one-day toll that highlighted how quickly layoffs are accelerating and how widely misery is spreading throughout the labor market." Wave of layoffs here and in Europe reflects severity of the recession "Household names such as Caterpillar, Home Depot and Sprint Nextel said that they are laying off a combined 35,000 workers in moves that stressed the severity of the worldwide recession and kicked off what is likely to be a week of gloomy earnings announcements, further job cuts and dismal data."

Economic Stimulus. Obama ramps up bipartisan efforts "President Obama travels to the Capitol today to meet with House and Senate Republicans, the latest in a series of high-profile efforts to reach across the aisle and make good on his campaign promise to swim against the partisan tide that has flooded Washington for decades." $200B for states in stimulus doubles projected shortfalls "States and local governments would be the big winners in an $825 billion economic stimulus program set for a House vote Wednesday. More than $200 billion would go to states, enough to offset $100 billion in projected budget shortfalls they now face in the next two years, plus fund big spending increases."

Environment. With New Environmental Rules, Obama Continues Effort to Roll Back Bush Policies "President Obama announced a series of new policies yesterday intended to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, capping a week of widespread changes aimed at reversing the legacy of George W. Bush." Climate change has a firm grip "Even if by some miracle the nations of the world could bring carbon dioxide levels back to those of the pre-industrial era, it would still take 1,000 years or longer for the climate changes already triggered to be reversed."

Legal aid cuts. Poor economy hits courts, hurts programs for poor "Public defenders and legal aid programs are facing their deepest budget cuts in years just as the recession creates more demand for their services."

College endowments drop. Market Losses Tighten Screws On Colleges "American colleges and universities lost an average of 23 percent on their endowment investments last semester, according to a national survey to be released today, a drop that is hurting the bottom line across the board, from major state institutions to the Ivy League." Data Show College Endowments Loss Is Worst Drop Since '70s "The steep declines are forcing colleges and universities across the country to contemplate wage freezes, layoffs and a halt to construction projects."

Amb. Rice at the U.N. U.N. Envoy Vows More Collaboration; Rice Meets With Ban, Reporters "Susan E. Rice, the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and top U.N. ambassadors that she had not come with orders and that the Obama administration would collaborate more intensively with its international partners." Susan Rice offers Obama promise of 'cooperation' "Newly arrived U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice pledged that the Obama administration would support broad U.N. goals to relieve global poverty and disease and work to improve the troubled U.N. peacekeeping mission in Darfur."

Worker's rights. Supreme Court rules for worker in retaliation lawsuit "Employees who cooperate with an internal investigation and report inappropriate behavior in the workplace are protected from retaliation under civil rights laws, the Supreme Court said, strengthening the laws against sexual harassment on the job." In boost for workers, high court affirms shield from employer retaliation "In an important workers' rights decision announced, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 shields employees from retaliatory acts even when the employee hasn't filed a formal complaint."

Bagram prison. Two Prisons, Similar Issues for President "For months, a national debate has raged over the fate of the 245 detainees at the United States military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.But what may be an equally difficult problem now confronts the Obama administration in the 600 prisoners packed into a cavernous, makeshift prison on the American air base at Bagram in Afghanistan."

Mitchell to Mideast. With Mitchell off to Mideast, Obama talks to Arab TV "Obama's decision to grant his first interview to a news station watched largely in the Arab world was filled with symbolism and came just hours after he'd announced that that George Mitchell was traveling to Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and possibly Turkey." Obama sends George Mitchell on Mideast peace mission "President Obama dispatched his special Middle East envoy on his inaugural peacemaking trip, declaring that former Sen. George J. Mitchell would speak for the White House in a search for 'progress, not just photo ops.'"

Israel-Gaza. Gaza violence mars Mitchell tour "George Mitchell, the U.S. peace envoy, has arrived in Cairo at the start of his Middle East tour as fresh violence broke out in the region." Israeli strike hits southern Gaza "Israel has carried out an air strike in Gaza, hours after a bomb attack killed one Israeli soldier and wounded three others near the Gaza border." BBC Assailed for Refusing to Carry Gaza Appeal "In more than 80 years as a publicly financed broadcaster with an audience of millions at home and around the world, the BBC has rarely been buffeted as severely as it has in recent days over its decision not to broadcast a television appeal by aid agencies for victims of Israel's recent military actions in Gaza." Gaza War Gives Bigger Lift to Israel's Right Than to Those in Power "With two weeks to go before the Israeli elections, the politicians who seem to have benefited the most from the military offensive against Hamas in Gaza are those who were not involved in planning or carrying out the war."

Mexico. Mexico City opens the 1st of 300 planned soup kitchens "As Mexico slips into the profound economic crisis circling the globe, unemployment is rising along with food prices. Inflation is running about 8% annually, but some basic 'family basket' items such as cooking oil and rice are going up about 200% a year, said Cesar Cravioto, head of the city's Institute of Social Assistance."

International Criminal Court. Congo militia leader is first case at new International Criminal Court "Thomas Lubanga, a Congolese militia leader facing charges of recruiting child soldiers to rape and kill, on Monday became the first occupant of the defendant's box at the new International Criminal Court at The Hague." DR Congo war crimes trial begins "Thomas Lubanga, the leader of an armed group in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has pleaded not guilty to war crimes charges in the first case to be tried by the International Criminal Court in The Hague."

Zimbabwe. MDC denies Zimbabwe deal "Zimbabwe's opposition says it does not accept the outcome of a regional summit which said it should join a unity government next month." Zimbabwe talks end in confusion "Crisis talks aimed at saving Zimbabwe's moribund power sharing deal ended in confusion early today with regional leaders and representatives of Zimbabwe's main opposition openly disagreeing on the results of an emergency summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)."

Opinion. Imparting Some Shame to Those Who Trade in Greed (Clyde Haberman, New York Times) "Mark Twain, who came up with pretty much every good line not ascribed to Oscar Wilde or Yogi Berra, said of human nature that 'man is the only animal that blushes.' 'Or needs to,' he added. New York is not quite living up to the Twain dictum. We've had a string of prominent people behaving in ways that many others consider shameful. Though they ought to be blushing, they show no sign of doing so. A question, then, is how to make them feel a sense of shame."