Live (or at least breathing) from my basement in The Land That Time Forgot TM, it's Overnight News Digest.
Pass the Cheetos. (Or, since the 2nd bowl of chili is almost ready, make mine Fritos)
No local flavor tonight. I spent part of my evening mopping up a water leak in the basement. Well, actually the leak was in the upstairs (kids) bathroom, but I didn't know until I went down to get home-canned tomatoes - for the chili.
Credits: Reuters for the top stories, AP for the rest. It's a news mashup folks.
So, instead, I have decided to put a few photos here.
Favorite Moments of 2008:
Congressman-elect Tom Perriello signs Alex's cast, late November 2008
(L) Tom Perriello with his nieces and nephew at the 5th Congressional District Convention, in Nelson County, VA (R) at the celebration tour get-together in the Obama Office, with the Young Democrats of Longwood University. Main Street, Farmville, VA (Late November 2008)
Now, on with the show.
Yeah, I been to the show.
Congress advances emergency economic aid plans
Thu Jan 15, 5:44 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic-led U.S. Congress took steps on Thursday to give President-elect Barack Obama the weapons he wants to fight a worsening economic recession by advancing legislation to provide nearly $1.2 trillion in emergency spending.
Bank of America nears government aid, Citigroup shares drop
9:27 PM EST
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp is on the cusp of receiving a government infusion to help it absorb Merrill Lynch & Co, but shares of the bank and Citigroup Inc tumbled on Thursday on worries over their ability to handle soaring credit losses.
Bush defends troubled record in farewell address
1 hour, 9 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Thursday defended his actions to avert a collapse of the financial system and protect America from another terrorist attack as he mounted a farewell bid to polish his troubled legacy.
Israel, U.S. eye Gaza border deal
53 minutes ago
GAZA (Reuters) - Israel's foreign minister flies to Washington on Friday to cement U.S. guarantees on stopping the flow of arms to Hamas, a core Israeli condition for ending its 20-day-old offensive in the Gaza Strip. Tzipi Livni's mission followed a proposal by the besieged Palestinian Islamist faction for a year-long, renewable truce under which the Jewish state would withdraw its troops within a week and all Gaza border crossings would open immediately.
Madoff's fund may not have made a single trade
1 hour, 52 minutes ago
BOSTON (Reuters) - Bernie Madoff's investment fund may never have executed a single trade, industry officials say, suggesting detailed statements mailed to investors each month may have been an elaborate mirage in a $50 billion fraud.
Lack of fame aids Geithner over tax mistake
7:30 PM EST
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Timothy who?
Al Qaeda feels unsafe near Pakistan border: CIA chief
56 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leaders no longer feel safe in Afghan-Pakistan border areas, where they face heavy U.S. and Pakistani pressure and their local welcome has worn out, CIA chief Michael Hayden said on Thursday.
U.S. Navy plans to chase, capture Somali pirates
2 hours, 24 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy plans an aggressive effort to capture pirates off the coast of Somalia with the aid of a country in the region that would agree to prosecute and hold them, a naval commander said on Thursday.
U.S. SEC nominee promises "laser" focus on fraud
Thu Jan 15, 1:15 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama's pick to head the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told lawmakers she would reinvigorate an agency beset by regulatory missteps and blamed for missing one of the biggest investment frauds in history.
Obama withdrawal option included in Iraq plans
2 hours, 31 minutes ago
David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Thursday it is drawing up a plan for withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq that would meet President-elect Barack Obama's campaign timetable for a 16-month pullout.
Senate panel approves Clinton as top U.S. diplomat
Thu Jan 15, 2:50 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Hillary Clinton was approved by a Senate panel on Thursday to become the next U.S. secretary of state, despite misgivings about the charitable fundraising of her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
House to seek $825 billion in economic stimulus
Thu Jan 15, 2:57 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives unveiled an $825 billion tax cut and spending bill on Thursday they hope will help President-elect Barack Obama reverse the steep decline in the U.S. economy.
U.S. anti-drug information leaked to Mexico cartels
Thu Jan 15, 3:21 PM ET
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Corrupt officials inside Mexico's security forces have leaked U.S. anti-drugs intelligence directly to drug traffickers to help them escape raids, a senior U.S. law enforcement agent said.
Apple's Jobs takes medical leave
Thu Jan 15, 11:49 AM ET
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc chief and tech visionary Steve Jobs will take a leave of absence till end-June because of health problems "more complex" than thought, backtracking on reassurances, stunning investors and sending its shares skidding 10 percent on Wednesday.
Bank worries slam Wall Street; ECB cuts rates
Thu Jan 15, 2:29 PM EST
NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Doubts about whether the top three U.S. banks can manage rising credit losses jumped on Thursday while the European Central Bank cut interest rates to ease a global crisis that shows little sign of abating.
Israeli forces shell UN office in Gaza
11:45 PM ET
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israeli artillery shells struck the U.N. headquarters in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, setting a food warehouse ablaze and drawing a sharp rebuke from the visiting U.N. chief who called it an "outrage." Another Israeli bombardment killed Hamas' head of security.
Pentagon: Iraq withdrawal has 16-month time frame
10 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials said Thursday they will be ready on Inauguration Day with plans for a quick pullout of U.S. combat troops from Iraq if Barack Obama orders one, as he pledged to do during his White House campaign.
Martian methane belch: From rocks or microbes?
8 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - A surprising and mysterious belch of methane gas on Mars hints at possible microbial life underground, but also could come from changes in rocks, a new NASA study found. The presence of methane on Mars could be significant because by far most of the gas on Earth is a byproduct of life — from animal digestion and decaying plants and animals.
Rival studios reach deal on 'Watchmen' release
37 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES - Fanboys rejoice! Rival studios say they have resolved their battle over the release of "Watchmen."
Knoxville detained for inert grenade at airport
2 hours, 12 minutes ago AP
LOS ANGELES - Authorities detained Johnny Knoxville on Thursday for allegedly bringing an inert grenade into Los Angeles International Airport. After security screeners spotted the grenade in the "Jackass" star's carry-on luggage, a bomb squad determined it lacked a firing pin or explosive. Police say Knoxville was later released and allowed to board an American Airlines flight to Miami.
CIA director: Harsh interrogations were effective
Thu Jan 15, 7:58 PM ET
WASHINGTON - CIA Director Michael Hayden strenuously defended the effectiveness of the CIA's harsh interrogation techniques Thursday, only moments after Attorney General-designate Eric Holder said the use of waterboarding was torture. Though U.S. officials say interrogators have not engaged in waterboarding in the past five years, Hayden said the coercive techniques and other harsh tactics were useful in the war on terror.