Live-blogging Obama's first press conference.  —  6:38: Starting soon.  Think he'll get the hard questions?  Think he'll use his boring professorial mode or his testy exasperated mode or might he attain true presidentiality?  —  7:02: He begins.  If you don't believe we're in a crisis …

Obama Backs Off a Reversal on Secrets  —  SAN FRANCISCO — In a closely watched case involving rendition and torture, a lawyer for the Obama administration seemed to surprise a panel of federal appeals judges on Monday by pressing ahead with an argument for preserving state secrets originally developed by the Bush administration.

Geithner Said to Have Prevailed on the Bailout  —  WASHINGTON— The Obama administration's new plan to bail out the nation's banks was fashioned after a spirited internal debate that pitted the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, against some of the president's top political hands.

Transcript: Obama takes questions on economy  —  (CNN) — President Obama held the first evening press conference of his presidency Monday, with the financial crisis as the main topic.  Before taking questions, he gave a brief speech.  Here is a transcript of the speech and news conference:

Senate Clears Path for Vote on $838 Billion Stimulus  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Monday advanced the $838 billion economic stimulus bill, clearing a major procedural hurdle by a razor thin margin with the help of just three Republicans.  A vote on final passage of the bill is expected on Tuesday.

Manley sacks Shuler  —  Harry Reid spokesman Jim Manley on Heath Shuler's comment that Reid and Nancy Pelosi “failed” on bipartisanship.  —  It's a good one: … In four years as an NFL QB — three with the Redskins, one with the Saints — Shuler threw 32 INTs while tallying only 15 TDs.

Dean Gets HHS Endorsement From Patrick Leahy  —  Chalk up another endorsement for Howard Dean taking over the reins of the Department of Health and Human Services.  —  On Monday, Sen. Patrick Leahy said that the former DNC header and fellow Vermont Democrat would be the ideal candidate …

Left silent on Social Security, Medicare  —  President Barack Obama plans a busy February.  The new administration hopes to have a stimulus package passed by Congress, a new plan in place to shore up ailing banks and, by month's end, to hold a “fiscal responsibility” summit.

Obama: Scaring us straight  —  Barack Obama has a tough act to pull off.  He must simultaneously petrify people and also restore their confidence.  He must scare us to death and calm our fears.  —  He must convince the nation that the times are so dire we must carry out his bold plans immediately …

President Obama in Elkhart, Ind.  —  Remarks of President Obama at the town-hall style meeting in Elkhart, Ind., as provided by the White House  —  President Barack Obama traveled today to Elkhart, Indiana for a town hall on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.

Obama Aides Rip Cable News, D.C. Media And Political Elite  —  Here's an interesting dynamic: The yawning gap between what the pundits say about who's winning the stimulus war and what the polls say the public thinks has created an opening for the Obama team to reclaim Obama's campaign outsider mantle …

Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan: Betsy McCaughey  —  Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Republican Senators are questioning whether President Barack Obama's stimulus bill contains the right mix of tax breaks and cash infusions to jump-start the economy.  —  Tragically, no one from either party …

Obama On Lessons Learned: I Should Have Started With No Tax Cuts And Let GOP Take Credit For Them  —  At tonight's White House press conference, NPR's Mara Liasson asked President Obama what lessons he has learned through the process of negotiating with Republicans over the economic recovery package.

EXCLUSIVE: FBI Raided Lobbying Firm Connected to Murtha  —  Feds Narrowing In On Companies With Ties To Congressman  —  The FBI raided the offices of a defense lobbying firm with close ties to Democratic Rep. John Murtha (Penn.), sources tell ABC News.  —  The FBI searched the Virginia headquarters …

Judges back a one-third reduction in state prison population  —  Jurists issue tentative ruling in lawsuit brought by inmates, who say overcrowding in state prisons violates their right to adequate healthcare.  —  Reporting from Sacramento — A panel of three federal judges …

There's No Stimulus Free Lunch  —  It's hard to spend wise and spend fast.  —  How much will the stimulus package moving in Congress really stimulate the economy?  —  The evaluations to date have been incomplete, so we looked at the likely stimulative effect from the spending parts …