Today on Reuters 

Chrysler assembly workers arrive for their shift at the Chrysler Warren Truck plant in Warren, Michigan December 18, 2008.  REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

GM and Chrysler seen near loan deal 5:47am ET

General Motors and Chrysler are close to securing emergency loans as part of a government aid package, according to sources.  Full Article 

Chrysler assembly workers arrive for their shift at the Chrysler Warren Truck plant in Warren, Michigan December 18, 2008.  REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

GM and Chrysler seen near loan deal 5:47am ET

General Motors and Chrysler are close to securing emergency loans as part of a government aid package, according to sources.  Full Article 

Paramilitary policemen march during a flag-raising ceremony in Qingdao, Shandong province in this October 1, 2008 file photo.

China's struggle 2:38pm ET

China's government and dissidents are already in battle over how to mark 2009, a year that will be overshadowed by contentious anniversaries and economic woes.  Full Article 

A snow-covered Chevrolet logo is seen on the back of a car in Detroit, Michigan December 7, 2008. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Digging out the auto sector

Investors await concrete news on an auto bailout to add weight to a steady stream of reassuring comments from the White House.   Factbox 

Diana Furchtgott-Roth
Electric cars no panacea

Electric cars don’t pollute when they’re running on batteries but they’re not pollution-free. Making the lithium-ion batteries is pollution-intensive and recharging the batteries uses electricity. And most electricity generation, from coal- and gas-fired power plants, still causes pollution.  Commentary 

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Commodity Last Pct Chg Trade Date/Time
Oil 43.99 +1.43% 19 Dec 2008 06:14 EST
Gold 836.3 -2.81% 19 Dec 2008 06:20 EST
Signs marking the entrance to Wall Street are seen in New York October 6, 2008.
Crisis in Credit

Follow the financial crisis using our interactive video timeline. Track the global impact on our interactive map.  Full Coverage 

Bernd Debusmann
The war next door

Nearly 8,000 Mexicans have died over the last two years as drug cartels wage twin wars using American guns, and there is no end in sight, writes columnist Bernd Debusmann.  Commentary 

Arenkha MSC, a fake caviar selling at Waitrose supermarket chain in Britain. Instead of sturgeon's roe, it is made from smoked herring with squid ink, lemon juice and spices. It has a similar texture and taste to the much-prized sturgeon roe but at a fraction of the price. The global recession manifests itself in big and small ways, most gloomy, some quirky and often reflecting the inventive human spirit.  REUTERS/Waitrose Supermarket/Handout
Signs of the Times

The global recession manifests itself in big and small ways, most gloomy, some quirky and often reflecting the inventive human spirit.   Full Article 

Inside Somalia
4:11am EST 
Chronic instability in Somalia has helped fuel kidnappings and piracy off the coast.
Kennedy on the campaign trail

Dec 19 - Caroline Kennedy met with Reverend Al Sharpton in Harlem, New York as part of her campaign for the New York senate seat which will be vacated by Hillary Clinton  Play Video

 
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