Obama Seeks Halt to Legal Proceedings at Guantanamo  —  In one of its first actions, the Obama administration instructed military prosecutors late Tuesday to seek a 120-day suspension of legal proceedings involving detainees at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba — a clear break with the approach of the outgoing Bush administration.

Obama faces first day as president  —  With the pageantry almost behind him, Barack Obama comes to work for the first full day Wednesday to face problems both foreign and domestic.  —  And his staff just hopes to figure out the computers.  —  Obama wraps up the inaugural festivities Wednesday morning …

Financials Plunge as U.S. Considers New Rescue Options  —  Shares of the biggest names in American banking plunged Tuesday as some investors feared that the government would need to nationalize the most deeply wounded financial institutions, wiping out stockholders.

Something Has to Be Said  —  The utter lack of ooh-ing and ah-ing over Michelle Obama's inauguration wear should tell you something.  It was bad.  —  She's worn beautiful things in the past.  I tend to think saturated, jewel tones (royal purple, forest green, dark teal, deep orange) look great on her.

Worst.  Inauguration.  Ever.  —  So, I don't even know how to write about this without it sounding like bitter grousing, and frankly, I'm a little embarrassed to have to report that after five hours of standing in the bitter cold, getting pushed and shoved to the point where you start to feel …

Judge Obama on Performance Alone  —  Let's not celebrate more ordinary speeches.  —  With the noon sun high over the U.S. Capitol, Barack Obama yesterday took the oath of office to become president of the United States.  On one level, it was a simple matter of political process — the symbolic transfer of power.

White House Cheat Sheet: The Debut  —  Welcome to the newest Fix feature — our daily rundown of the news you need to know about the White House of President Barack Obama.  —  We started the cheat sheet during the party conventions over the summer and had so much fun with it that we thought …

Much of Stimulus Won't Be Spent Before 2011, CBO Says  —  Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) — The government wouldn't be able to spend at least one-fourth of a proposed $825 billion economic stimulus plan until after 2010, according to a new report that suggests it may take longer than expected to boost the economy.

Chinese translation cuts out parts of Obama speech  —  BEIJING - The official Chinese translation of President Barack Obama's inauguration speech omitted his references to communism and dissent, and a live broadcast on state television Wednesday quickly cut away to the anchor when sensitive topics were mentioned.

Let's Stimulate Private Risk Taking  —  Tax cuts are the way to nudge capital toward productive uses.  —  In virtually all economics classes, including those taught by the many excellent economists on the Obama team, the idea of government spending as an engine for growth is not a popular topic.

At Inaugural Balls, Only One Couple Mattered  —  WASHINGTON — Moments before the first dance at the first inaugural ball, President Obama emerged onstage Tuesday hand in hand with his wife, Michelle, who glittered in a floor-length ivory one-shoulder gown.  —  “How good-looking is my wife?”

Portland Mayor Sam Adams apologizes for ‘sexual relationship’ with teenager … Portland Mayor Sam Adams held a news conference at 1:30 p.m. today in City Hall to discuss reports of his sexual relationship with a teenager.  Reporter Michelle Roberts is sending dispatches from the news conference.

World Celebrates, Riots on Obama's Inauguration Day  —  While much of the world celebrated the arrival of the new American president on Tuesday, some regions saw angry protests.  —  In Iran, protesters burnt posters of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and waved flags in support of Gaza, Reuters reported.

Rev. Joseph Lowery's impassioned benediction … Barack Obama's inaugural speech was book-ended by two expressions of evangelical faith.  First came Rev. Rick Warren's invocation, including mentions of God, Jesus and an allusion to Allah, called by Muslims as “compassionate and merciful.”

Hopes for the Obama Presidency  —  Marshal the Power of Government  —  By Katrina vanden Heuvel  —  President Barack Obama will need to act swiftly and invest political capital — along with trillions of dollars — in a sustained recovery program.  While many caution our new president …

Seven reasons for healthy skepticism  —  Even in a city of cynics, the Inauguration of a new president — and the infusion of new ideas, new personalities and new energy that comes with it — summons feelings of reverence.  —  Barack Obama, especially, is the object of inaugural good feelings.