[IMG]http://simplefeed.consumerreports.org/rsrc/i/1/_/consumer_reports_morning_update__180908665/4.gif?f=3dcb3160-01dc-11dc-32a2-0019bbc55f7f&s=AewyNia7NTvDvhaDemju5DEsbnVsbCwwLDA *[/IMG] Consumer Reports Morning Update
Good morning, here are the top stories our editors are keeping an eye on today.

Economic Stimulus Bill:
On Tuesday in Denver, President Barack Obama will sign the $787 billion economic stimulus bill, but his aides spent the weekend dampening expectations for the legislation that the legislation - among the costliest in history - would quickly halt the nation's worsening unemployment and ease foreclosure rates. (Associated Press)

State and local officials facing multimillion-dollar budget deficits, crumbling infrastructure, and the prospect of massive reductions in services are already jockeying for the upper hand in deciding how the stimulus money should be spent. (New York Times)

The parsing of the programs within the bill has begun, leaving some optimistic and some scratching their heads.

The economic stimulus bill will, for the first time, provide substantial amounts of money for the federal government to compare the effectiveness of different treatments for the same illness. Researchers will receive $1.1 billion to compare drugs, medical devices, surgery and other ways of treating specific conditions. (New York Times)

A $5-billion boost to the three-decade-old Weatherization Assistance Program could help caulk and seal hundreds of thousands of homes, but critics say it is not clear it will create many jobs. (Los Angeles Times)

An amendment in the bill to be signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday goes far beyond the $500,000 executive pay cap restriction announced by the White House for companies that receive government money. (USA Today)

One outcome is assured from the stimulus bill, and that is a lasting political battle. Thanks to the party-line nature of Congress's votes on the bill, the plan to turn around the worst financial crisis facing the country in more than 50 years now carries not only enormous fiscal stakes but also political stakes that are nearly as large. (Washington Post)

Bank Bailout:
After a rocky start for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the Obama administration is not letting widespread criticism of the rollout of its revamped bank bailout plan slow down its efforts to address the worst financial crisis in seven decades. (Associated Press)

At the forefront of the plan is stemming mortgage foreclosures and putting a floor under falling real estate prices. (Wall Street Journal)

Auto Industry:
As auto giants General Motors and Chrysler face Tuesday's deadline to submit plans to show the government how they can repay billions in federal loans, the White House is creating a Presidential Task Force on Autos to oversee the restructuring of the auto industry, a senior administration official said. (CNN)

That means that the White House will not name an individual "car czar" to tackle the industry's challenges. (Wall Street Journal)

Chrysler President Jim Press says there will be no quick auto-sales rebound and that total U.S. sales will hold at about 10 million a year?a level that others in the industry say would quickly drive a number of car companies out of business. (USA Today)

Car companies are being asked to change the way they operate, and GM's choices may come down to questions like this: Which midsized model will survive, Malibu or Impala? (Los Angeles Times)

Health Care:
When Thomas A. Daschle stepped down two weeks ago as director of the White House Office on Health Reform and withdrew his nomination to be secretary of health and human services, it left a gaping hole in President Obama's leadership team, one that health-care advocates say has stalled what they hoped would be speedy action on high-priority measures. (Washington Post)

Digital TV Transition:
Though hundreds of TV stations are turning off their analog signals next week, households in line for their $40 coupons for digital converter boxes are likely to have to wait at least several weeks longer. The fund that subsidizes the coupons has reached its authorized limit. (USA Today)
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