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Last hurrah. A Last Push To Deregulate "The White House is working to enact a wide array of federal regulations, many of which would weaken government rules aimed at protecting consumers and the environment, before President Bush leaves office in January."
Economy shrinks. In Tightfisted Turn, Economy Contracts "Through recession, countless natural disasters and a major terrorist attack, there has been one constant in the U.S. economy: American consumers have bought more stuff in any given quarter than they did in the previous one." Consumer spending drops by largest amount in 4 years "The Commerce Department reported that personal spending fell by 0.3 percent last month, the biggest decline since June 2004. That followed flat readings in both July and August, contributing to the worst quarterly performance in 28 years." Economy Shrinks With Consumers Leading the Way "Less than a week before Americans go to the polls to select a president, the government reported on Thursday that the economy contracted from July through September. In a stark indication of widening national distress, consumer spending dipped for the first time in 17 years."
Housing. Faith-based effort to avert foreclosures [California] "About 500 congregants and clergy from Bay Area churches packed into Holy Rosary Parish hall in Antioch on Monday night for a spirited town hall meeting to demand a broad-based approach to helping people avoid foreclosure." Homeless already crowding Treasure Valley shelters [Idaho] "Shelters have been at near-capacity all fall, and the people seeking their help are not just regular visitors. New faces -- including an alarming number of women and children- keep appearing. More families, in particular, are showing up hungry."
Poverty in the campaign. Campaign offers little on how to aid the poor "Sens. Obama, a Democrat, and McCain, a Republican, both promise that if they are elected president, they will make the fight against poverty in Buffalo and other cities a high priority. But they rarely talk about the poor in debates, interviews or public appearances as they stump for votes throughout the country."
Undecided voters. What's up with still-undecided voters? "There is little research on undecided voters because they are an ever-changing population -- those who equivocate in one election cycle might not in another. A study of presidential elections at State University of New York at Buffalo found that the last time wafflers made a difference was 1960." Predicting the Votes of the Undecided Is Unusually Hard This Year "Barack Obama made his last, best pitch to them Wednesday night, a 30-minute infomercial asking them to 'stand with me, and fight by my side.' John McCain continues to think they will move in his direction en masse and deliver him to a come-from-behind victory."
Ballot initiatives. Many states' ballot measures concern social issues "State ballots contain 153 propositions, including 59 initiatives from citizen petitions. Some are on the ballot because of a constitutional mandate - Illinois' constitutional-convention question is one such measure - but voters can get an initiative on any topic on the ballot in 24 states if they gather enough signatures."
Volatile era. Intelligence Head Says Next President Faces Volatile Era "The next U.S. president will govern in an era of increasing international instability, including a heightened risk of terrorist attacks in the near future, long-term prospects of regional conflicts and diminished U.S. dominance across the globe, the nation's top intelligence officer said."
Gen. Petraeus. Petraeus takes over U.S. Central Command "David Petraeus, the general who directed the Iraq 'surge,' today takes charge of U.S. Central Command, where he will head American military operations in the Middle East and central Asia." New head for U.S. Central Command "Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to dominate Gen Petraeus' agenda,
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