Alexandra Perron's News Blog

President-elect Barack Obama said that the economy seems destined to get worse before it gets better, reports MPR.

Obama pledged a recovery plan "that is equal to the task ahead."

In an interview broadcast on Dec. 7, Obama said that any bailout must be "conditioned on an auto industry emerging at the end of the process that actually works."

Obama takes office in six weeks and has said that help for homeowners is a part of his plan.

The president-elect announced on Dec. 6 that he would call for the most massive spending on public works since the creation of the interstate highway system a half-century ago. His first priority would be projects that would create jobs right away.

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The Star Tribune is reporting that President-elect Barack Obama has chosen New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to be commerce secretary.

The nomination is to be announced after Thanksgiving, said an anonymous Democratic official.

Richardson has had a distinguished career in Washington before becoming governor of New Mexico in 2002. Richardson was U.N. ambassador under President Bill Clinton and later served as energy secretary. He was in the White House from 1983-1997.

Under Clinton, Richardson was on many high-level diplomatic missions, including direct talks with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

"Richardson is all about crashing through boundaries, said national security deputy at the U.N. in the late 1990s, David Goldwyn. "He says hello to the security guy, and if he's Hispanic he;ll say something in Spanish. If he's African-American he might call him 'his brother.'

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Connecticut began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Wednesday, the New York Times and NPR are reporting.

This comes just a week after California voters passed a constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage there. Connecticut and Massachusetts are now the only states that allow same-sex marriage.

An order was signed Wednesday morning by a Connecticut Superior Court judge allowing gay and lesbians to apply for marriage licenses. Last month the Supreme Court ruled Connecticut could not ban gay marriage, saying it was unconstitutional.

Barbara and Robin Levine-Ritterman were the first to be issued a same-sex marriage license on Wednesday in New Haven.

In 2004 the couple sued Connecticut, along with seven others, for the right to marry.

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Senator Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, being the first Democrat to receive more than 50 percent of the popular vote since Jimmy Carter, MPR and the New York Times report.

Obama defeated Senator John McCain with 364 electoral college votes. Obama won major battleground states such as Ohio and Florida as well as many states that have not been won by a Democrat in 44 years.

Obama's election broke through racial barriers, as America's first black president.

McCain conceded the election shortly after 10 p.m. CST from the Arizona Biltmore Hotel.

"The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly," said McCain.

"These are difficult times for our country," he said. "And I pledge to him [Obama] tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face."

Obama acknowledged the challenges that are ahead in his speech, mentioning the war and the current economic crisis.

"There will be setbacks and false starts," said Obama. "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem."

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The New York Times and CNN are reporting on the story of a 12 year old boy shot while trick-or-treating on Friday.

The suspect in the shootings, Quentin Patrick, 22, has been charged with murder and three counts of assault and battery with intent to kill.

The boy was killed and his father and brother were wounded by the gunfire, according to authorities.

Police said Patrick, an ex-convict, thought he was being robbed and gunned down the boy with nearly 30 rounds with an assault rifle from inside his home. He shot through his front door, wall and windows after hearing a knock at the door, said Police Chief Patty Patterson.

Patrick told police he had been robbed and shot in the last year.

"He wasn't going to be robbed again, and he wasn't going to be shot again," Patterson said.

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The New York Times is reporting on the Boston Public Health Commission's proposal of the nations strictest smoking regulations.

The proposed regulations would ban the sale of cigarettes at drugstores and on college campuses as well as shutting down the cities cigar and hookah bars by 2013.

The commission said their goal is to discourage young people from buying tobacco products, to keep a harmful product out of stores that promote health, and to protect employees who are exposed to second hand smoke.

Both smokers and small business leaders are angered by the proposal. Small business leaders say that the pharmacies and cigar bars are being unfairly singled out.

"It's tying the hands of sellers and consumers alike, and that isn't what government should be about," said Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, which represents samll businesses.

The Board of Health will vote on Nov. 13. If the regulations are approved, they will take effect within 60 days.

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Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama for president on Sunday, the Star Tribune reports.

"I think we need a transformational figure. I think we need a president who is a generational change and thats why I'm supporting Barack Obama, not out of any lack of respect or admiration for Senator John McCain," said Powell on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Powell said that it was not easy to "disappoint" Senator McCain.

The endorsement from Powell was much anticipated because he is a Republican with impressive credentials. He was Secretary of State during President Bush's first term. He spoke in front of the United Nations in 2003 to make the case for the invasion of Iraq.

McCain was interviewed on Fox News Sunday and said that him and Powell have a "respectful disagreement."

MPR reports that Powell expressed disappointment in the negative tone of the McCain campaign and in his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the vice presidential nominee.

"I don't believe she is ready to be president of the United States," said Powell.

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An Alaska legislative panel has found that Governor Sarah Palin abused her powers in trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, according to MPR.

The bi-partisan panel found that Gov. Palin was in violation of of a state ethics law that prohibits public officials from using their office for personal gain.

The inquiry came after the dismissal of Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan. Monegan says he lost his job because he resisted pressure to fire a state trooper involved in a bitter divorce and custody battle with the governors sister.

Palin says that Monegan was fired because of a budget dispute.

The report found that Palin let the family grudge influence her decision-making.

“I’m thankful that the report has shown that there was no illegal or unethical activity there in my choice to replace our commissioner,�Palin said. “A partisan kind of process that had been undertaken by some of the legislators who haven’t been real happy with anything that I’ve done along the way as governor, that process is now over, with that finding that I haven’t done anything unlawful in replacing the commissioner.� [ New York Times ]

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The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Senator John McCain has ended his campaign in Michigan Thursday with no warning to state GOP officials.

No reason was given for the shut down. State party chairman Saul Anuzis said, " the winds that drive presidential campaigns can shift and shift suddenly. I have no doubt the campaign will be back."

Staff is to be moved to other battleground states and the TV advertising and literature drops would come to an end.

The McCain campaign and Republican Party spent more than $6 million on TV ads in the state between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

With details on the pull out of Michigan still hazy, many news organizations have released short statements, including National Public Radio, who points out that the news came as Barack Obama campaigned in Michigan.

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Senator John McCain has decided to debate with Barack Obama Friday night in Mississippi according to CNN.

McCain originally dropped out of the debate to help with legislation on the financial crisis. He know believes enough progress has been made and he will debate.

Both McCain and Obama plan to return to Washington after the debates.

Senior advisers to McCain told CNN that it was politically crucial that McCain show up at the debate in Mississippi. Fellow lawmakers do not believe he has contributed much to the financial debate.

Senator Obama had always planned on attending the debate, and an alternate format was being discussed in case McCain did not debate.

“My strong sense is that the best thing that I can do, rather than to inject presidential politics into some delicate negotiations, is to go down to Mississippi and explain to the American people what is going on and my vision for leading the country over the next four years,� said Obama in the New York Times article on this situation.. “I’m looking forward to the debate and look forward after the debate to coming back to Washington and hopefully getting a package done.�

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President Bush will make his farewell address to the United Nations on Tuesday where he will focus on the need for multination diplomacy.

The address comes at a time when there is a lot happening on the international stage and the theme of the speech will be a tough one for the President according to articles published in the Washington Post and Star Tribune, both reported by the Associated Press.

Bush has worked with other leaders for years to rein in the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, get a Mideast peace deal, fight extremists and find lasting stability in Iraq, White House officials say.

At the current time, the UN is dealing with North Korea backing away from pledges to abandon nuclear weapons, violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iran working in defiance of U.S. and international demands on nuclear development.

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Evacuations are taking place in Houston and coastal Texas as Hurricane Ike comes closer to landfall, the New York Times reported Thursday.

Ike is expected to reach landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Saturday. Texas Governor Rick Perry spoke at a news briefing in Austin saying, "Prepare for the worst, pray for the best." Over a thousand buses have been mobilized and National Guard troops have been activated.

CNN.com reports that 100,000 have begun evacuating the Houston area, and another 4 million residents were told they were out of the storm surge area and would be able to stay in their homes.

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