Peanut Butter News

Full Story at msnbc.com

PHOENIX – Arizona lawmakers approved a sweeping immigration bill Monday intended to ramp up law enforcement efforts even as critics complained it could lead to racial profiling and other abuse.

The state Senate voted 17-11 nearly along party lines to send the bill to Gov. Jan Brewer, who has not taken a position on the measure championed by fellow Republicans. The House approved the bill April 13.

Full Story at CNN.com

But what about a tech geek?

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman wants to move into politics with a run for the job of governor of California in 2010. In doing so, she is, in effect, trying to prove that high-tech personas have become mainstream and trusted enough to take up political office. Although movie stars and astronauts have paved routes from fame to politics, tech moguls largely have not broken into major elected offices.

To make things all the more dramatic, one of Whitman’s main opponents, Steve Poizner, is also a Silicon Valley mogul.

Whitman is not the first successful person from the tech world to attempt a leap into politics, but she is perhaps the most well-known, said Mark Z. Barabak, a political writer at the Los Angeles Times. Less famous tech personalities have run for lower offices in California and have had some success, he said.

Full Story At  CNN.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Inauguration revelry began Sunday afternoon
as thousands of people packed the National Mall in Washington for a
free concert featuring big stars.

President-elect Barack Obama addressed a roaring crowd after 90 minutes of high-energy acts such as U2, Mary J. Blige, Usher and Beyonce.

“Welcome to this celebration of American renewal,” he said.

“In the course of our history, only a handful of generations have been asked to confront challenges as serious as the ones we face right now.”

ABC News

When Pamela Davis agreed to wear an FBI wire in late 2003, she became a
key part of the investigation that culminated in the arrest of Illinois
Gov. Rod Blagojevich for allegedly trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat.
The extent of Davis’ role as a whistle-blower and FBI informant exceeded her expectations.

“I had my suspicions that it would go all the way up to the level of the governor,” Davis told ABC News in her first television interview. “Though, I did not have personal knowledge that he was involved.”

Full Story At  Reuters

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – Governors of five U.S. states urged the federal government to provide $1 trillion in aid to the country’s 50 states to help pay for education, welfare and infrastructure as states struggle with steep budget deficits amid a deepening recession.

The governors of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio and Wisconsin — all Democrats — said the initiative for the two-year aid package was backed by other governors and follows a meeting in December where governors called on President-elect Barack Obama to help them maintain services in the face of slumping revenues.