WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Hillary Clinton is expected to win easy confirmation as U.S. secretary of state but will face questions about her husband's foreign business dealings when she appears before a congressional committee on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama sought the remaining half of $700 billion in U.S. financial bailout funds from Congress, as sinking company earnings and weak Chinese trade figures underlined the depth of the gathering recession.

AP - Israeli troops advanced into Gaza suburbs for the first time early Tuesday, residents said, hours after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned Islamic militants of an 'iron fist' unless they agree to Israel's terms to end the fighting. Hamas showed no signs of wavering, however, with its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, saying the militants were 'closer to victory.'

AP - A judge on Monday allowed Bernard Madoff to remain confined to his Manhattan penthouse, rejecting a bid to jail the disgraced financier but imposing new restrictions to keep him from mailing any more valuables to family and friends.

AP - Blake Griffin racked up his 14th double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 6 Oklahoma to a 78-63 victory over No. 11 Texas on Monday night, snapping a six-game losing streak to the Longhorns.

Reuters - Sen. Hillary Clinton is expected to win easy confirmation as U.S. secretary of state but will face questions about her husband's foreign business dealings when she appears before a congressional committee on Tuesday.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces tightened their hold on the outskirts of the city of Gaza on Tuesday as United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon pressed for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia started pumping transit gas destined for European consumers into Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time since a contract row left Europe short of fuel in freezing temperatures.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. leaders failed to take meaningful steps to reduce smoking over the past year, with a tobacco regulation bill stalling in Congress and a global treaty gathering dust, a major health group said on Tuesday.

AP - A week shy of taking office, President-elect Barack Obama already is putting his persuasion skills to a high-stakes test with Congress as he seeks access to the second half of the $700 billion financial bailout fund.

AP - Russia's Gazprom state gas monopoly resumed pumping gas to Europe via Ukraine Tuesday after a six-day cutoff that left large parts of Europe cold and dark.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama's planned review of Guantanamo Bay prisoners, a prelude to closing the detention center, must weigh the threats posed by an extraordinarily diverse group, from die-hard jihadists to innocent men swept up in war.

AP - From the disappointment of a failed White House bid, Hillary Rodham Clinton is on the threshold of the world's stage as chief diplomat for the Democrat who defeated her.

AP - With rare public emotion, George W. Bush sat in judgment on his controversial, consequential presidency on Monday, lamenting mistakes but claiming few as his own, heatedly defending his record on disasters in Iraq and at home and offering kindly advice to a successor who won largely because the nation ached for something new.

AP - Howie Mandel has been hospitalized in Canada with an irregular heartbeat, his publicist said.

AP - Tony Dungy defied one myth Monday: He does show emotion. He also stuck to his principles. With tears in his eyes and his voice cracking, Dungy said goodbye to the Indianapolis Colts and the NFL, then, in typical Dungy fashion, looked optimistically toward life's next challenges.

Reuters - Israeli forces tightened their hold on the outskirts of the city of Gaza on Tuesday as United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon pressed for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants.

Reuters - Russia started pumping transit gas destined for European consumers into Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time since a contract row left Europe short of fuel in freezing temperatures.

Reuters - U.S. leaders failed to take meaningful steps to reduce smoking over the past year, with a tobacco regulation bill stalling in Congress and a global treaty gathering dust, a major health group said on Tuesday.

AFP - Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters fought fierce battles in the streets of Gaza City early Tuesday as a war on Hamas that has killed more than 900 Palestinians entered its 18th day.

AFP - Russia's natural gas started flowing towards freezing Europe on Tuesday after the EU brokered a deal to end a bitter energy dispute between the Russian government and Ukraine.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Secretary said on Tuesday that he believed the Pakistan state did not direct the Mumbai attacks, contradicting accusations from the Indian government that state agencies were involved.

SUDZHA, Russia (Reuters) - Russia started pumping gas to Europe through Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time since a contract dispute halted supplies to many European countries nearly a week ago.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has arrested four Iranians accused of involvement in a U.S.-financed plot aimed at toppling its Islamic system of government, the judiciary said on Tuesday.

AP - Israeli ground troops battled Palestinian militants in the streets of a densely populated Gaza City neighborhood early Tuesday, destroying dozens of homes and sending terrified residents running for cover as gunfire and explosions echoed in the distance.

AP - Health officials are urging nursing homes, hospitals, schools, universities and restaurants to toss out specific containers of peanut butter linked to a salmonella outbreak in 43 states.

AP - Sony's shares plunged Tuesday on reports that the iconic Japanese electronics maker is sinking into its first yearly operating loss in 14 years as sales fizzle for digital cameras, flat-panel TVs and other gadgets.

Reuters - Britain's Foreign Secretary said on Tuesday that he believed the Pakistan state did not direct the Mumbai attacks, contradicting accusations from the Indian government that state agencies were involved.

Reuters - Russia started pumping gas to Europe through Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time since a contract dispute halted supplies to many European countries nearly a week ago.

Reuters - Iran has arrested four Iranians accused of involvement in a U.S.-financed plot aimed at toppling its Islamic system of government, the judiciary said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Hillary Clinton is expected to win easy confirmation as U.S. secretary of state but will face questions about her husband's foreign business dealings when she appears before a congressional committee on Tuesday.

SUDZHA, Russia (Reuters) - Russia started pumping gas destined for Europe through Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time in nearly a week, but the European Union said little or no gas was flowing to countries suffering urgent energy shortages.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden met Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Tuesday during a trip to discuss the future presence of 140,000 U.S. troops.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China and the United States must boost cooperation to overcome the global economic downturn, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday, calling the crisis a crucial moment in their sometimes tense relationship.

BERLIN/BEIJING (Reuters) - Germany detailed its second stimulus package in as many months on Tuesday as grim data from China and Japan underscored the scale of the global financial crisis.

AP - A top Ukrainian official says Russia is trying hard to discredit Ukraine by sending natural gas intended for Europe on a technically impossible transit route over Ukraine's vast pipeline system.

AP - Oil prices fell below $37 a barrel Tuesday on expectations crude demand will weaken amid a severe global economic slowdown.

Reuters - Sen. Hillary Clinton is expected to win easy confirmation as U.S. secretary of state but will face questions about her husband's foreign business dealings when she appears before a congressional committee on Tuesday.

Reuters - Russia started pumping gas destined for Europe through Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time in nearly a week, but the European Union said little or no gas was flowing to countries suffering urgent energy shortages.

Reuters - U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden met Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Tuesday during a trip to discuss the future presence of 140,000 U.S. troops.

Reuters - China and the United States must boost cooperation to overcome the global economic downturn, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday, calling the crisis a crucial moment in their sometimes tense relationship.

AFP - Israeli troops and Hamas fighters fought fierce battles in the streets of Gaza's main city on Tuesday as Israel's war on Hamas entered its 18th day and the death toll spiralled above 900.

AFP - Kiev has blocked the transit of gas to Europe because of 'unacceptable transit conditions' imposed by Russian energy giant Gazprom, a spokesman for Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz said on Tuesday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday fiscal stimulus alone would not be enough to promote a lasting U.S. economic recovery and that further steps to backstop banks may be needed.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden met Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Tuesday to discuss withdrawing U.S. troops, seen as a major challenge for the incoming U.S. administration.

BERLIN/BEIJING (Reuters) - Germany presented a stimulus package on Tuesday aimed at saving Europe's largest economy from its worst recession since World War Two as Europe and Asia showed further evidence of the global slowdown.

AP - At the threshold of the world stage as America's next top diplomat, Hillary Rodham Clinton is vowing to renew U.S. leadership through a 'smart power' mix of diplomacy and defense.

AP - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday the stimulus package being crafted by President-elect Barack Obama and Congress could provide a 'significant boost' to the sinking economy. But he warned that such a recovery won't last unless other steps are taken to stabilize the shaky financial system.

AP - Residents of the upper Midwest bundled up or just stayed inside Tuesday as a wave of bitterly cold air barreled south out of the Arctic, following on the heels of a fast-moving blizzard.

AP - A week shy of taking office, President-elect Barack Obama already is putting his persuasion skills to a high-stakes test with Congress as he seeks access to the second half of the $700 billion financial bailout fund.

AP - Israeli ground troops closed in on downtown Gaza City on Tuesday, battling Palestinian militants in the streets of a densely populated neighborhood, destroying dozens of homes and sending terrified residents running for cover as gunfire and explosions echoed in the distance.

AP - The trade deficit plunged to the lowest level in five years in November as a deepening recession slashed demand for oil by a record amount. Imports from China also fell by the largest amount on record.

AP - Russia and Ukraine hotly traded accusations of blame Tuesday as Russia restarted natural gas supplies but little or no gas flowed toward Europe. EU officials watched in dismay and criticized both nations for their intransigence.

AP - Oil prices rebounded to near $38 a barrel Tuesday as OPEC output cuts outweighed expectations that crude demand will weaken amid the severe global economic slowdown.

AP - The Atlanta Braves reached agreement with Japanese all-star pitcher Kenshin Kawakami on a three-year contract.

Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday fiscal stimulus alone would not be enough to promote a lasting U.S. economic recovery and that further steps to backstop banks may be needed.

Reuters - U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden met Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Tuesday to discuss withdrawing U.S. troops, seen as a major challenge for the incoming U.S. administration.

AFP - Russia's natural gas supplies bound for a freezing Europe were halted on Tuesday only a few hours after starting again as an EU-brokered accord between Russia and transit state Ukraine broke down.

LONDON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday that fiscal stimulus alone would not be enough to promote a lasting U.S. economic recovery, and further steps to backstop banks may be needed.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces pushed closer to the heart of the city of Gaza on Tuesday and Israel's top general said 'there is still work ahead' against Hamas in a devastating 18-day-old offensive.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday she would take a pragmatic approach to diplomacy as the next U.S. secretary of state while senators raised questions over her husband's fund-raising activities.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury could consider a second round of capital investments in banks in the second phase of its $700 billion financial rescue fund, but also needs to set aside money for systemically significant institutions, a senior Treasury official said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom has declared force-majeure on its exports to Europe, which have been interrupted for almost a week, Gazprom's deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev said on Tuesday.

AP - Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton called Tuesday for a 'smart power' strategy in the Middle East that goes beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to address other pressing issues like Iran's nuclear program.

AP - A week shy of taking office, President-elect Barack Obama already is putting his persuasion skills to a high-stakes test with Congress as he seeks access to the second half of the $700 billion financial bailout fund.

AP - The Israeli Defense Ministry says the point man in efforts to reach a cease-fire with Hamas is headed to Egypt later this week for what officials call decisive talks.

AP - After falling nearly 30 percent in the past week, oil prices rebounded Tuesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the stimulus package being crafted by President-elect Barack Obama and Congress could provide a 'significant boost' to the sinking U.S. economy.

Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday that fiscal stimulus alone would not be enough to promote a lasting U.S. economic recovery, and further steps to backstop banks may be needed.

Reuters - Israeli forces pushed closer to the heart of the city of Gaza on Tuesday and Israel's top general said 'there is still work ahead' against Hamas in a devastating 18-day-old offensive.

Reuters - U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton must do more to ensure that the charitable activities of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, do not taint her service as secretary of state, a top Senate Republican said on Tuesday.

Reuters - The U.S. Treasury could consider a second round of capital investments in banks in the second phase of its $700 billion financial rescue fund, but also needs to set aside money for systemically significant institutions, a senior Treasury official said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom has declared force-majeure on its exports to Europe, which have been interrupted for almost a week, Gazprom's deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev said on Tuesday.

AFP - Israeli troops and Hamas fighters traded fierce gunfire on the streets of Gaza City on Tuesday as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas accused the Jewish state of trying to 'wipe out' his people.

AFP - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Tuesday accused Russia of 'blackmail' over a cut in gas supplies across Ukrainian territory that has caused widespread shortages in Europe.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama sent top economic advisers on Tuesday to push skeptical lawmakers to release $350 billion in financial rescue funds and avert a showdown that could unsettle Wall Street.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israel's top general said there was still 'work ahead' in the 18-day offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and Israeli tanks and troops edged closer to the heart of the city of Gaza.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton must do more to ensure that the charitable activities of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, do not taint her service as secretary of state, a top Senate Republican said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Tuesday that 61 former detainees from its military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, appear to have returned to terrorism since their release from custody.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, on Tuesday introduced a measure to disapprove the release of the second half of the $700 billion financial bailout package, his aide said on Tuesday.

SUDZHA, Russia (Reuters) - Russia started pumping gas meant for Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time in nearly a week, but the European Union said little or no gas was flowing to countries suffering urgent energy shortages.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York state prosecutors are investigating frauds on charities caught up in the scandal of accused swindler Bernard Madoff, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden met Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Tuesday to discuss withdrawing U.S. troops, seen as a major challenge for the incoming U.S. administration.

AP - Israel's chief negotiator will go to Egypt for 'decisive' talks on a cease-fire with Hamas, officials said Tuesday, as the sound of battles between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants rang out in the crowded streets of Gaza City.

AP - The search for an Indiana businessman who may have tried to fake his own death in a plane crash to escape financial problems took another cinematic turn Tuesday when investigators said he fled on a red motorcycle.

AP - Spain's Prado Museum has teamed up with Google Earth for a project that allows people to zoom in on the gallery's main works — even on details not immediately discernible to the human eye.

AP - John Smoltz finalized his $5.5 million, one-year agreement with the Boston Red Sox, confident he can still contribute after 20 years with the Atlanta Braves and major offseason shoulder surgery.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama sent top economic advisers on Tuesday to push skeptical lawmakers to release $350 billion in financial rescue funds and avert a showdown that could unsettle Wall Street.

Reuters - Israel's top general said there was still 'work ahead' in the 18-day offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and Israeli tanks and troops edged closer to the heart of the city of Gaza.

Reuters - U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton must do more to ensure that the charitable activities of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, do not taint her service as secretary of state, a top Senate Republican said on Tuesday.

Reuters - The Pentagon said on Tuesday that 61 former detainees from its military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, appear to have returned to terrorism since their release from custody.

Reuters - Republican Senator David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, on Tuesday introduced a measure to disapprove the release of the second half of the $700 billion financial bailout package, his aide said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Russia started pumping gas meant for Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time in nearly a week, but the European Union said little or no gas was flowing to countries suffering urgent energy shortages.

Reuters - New York state prosecutors are investigating frauds on charities caught up in the scandal of accused swindler Bernard Madoff, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday.

AFP - Israeli troops and Hamas fighters traded fierce gunfire on the streets of Gaza City on Tuesday as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas accused the Jewish state of trying to 'wipe out' his people.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers hardened their opposition on Tuesday to releasing $350 billion in financial rescue funds that President-elect Barack Obama wants, setting up a political showdown that regulators warned could have troubling economic consequences.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Bill Clinton's charity should stop taking foreign donations to avoid any conflict of interest with his wife Sen. Hillary Clinton's work as secretary of state, a top Republican said on Tuesday.

SUDZHA, Russia (Reuters) - Russia started pumping gas meant for Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time in nearly a week, but the European Union said little or no gas was flowing to countries suffering urgent energy shortages.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States racked up a record $485 billion deficit for the first three months of fiscal 2009, exceeding the $455 billion gap for all of the previous year, the U.S. Treasury said on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York City Council had the legal right to extend term limits for itself and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday, clearing an obstacle for Mayor Michael Bloomberg to seek a third term.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. syphilis rates rose for a seventh year in 2007, driven by gay and bisexual men, while chlamydia reached record numbers and gonorrhea remained at alarming levels -- especially among blacks, health officials said on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York state's top legal officer said on Tuesday his office is investigating frauds perpetrated on charities caught up in the scandal of accused swindler Bernard Madoff.

AP - Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that she intends to revitalize the mission of diplomacy in American foreign policy, calling for a 'smart power' strategy in the Middle East and implicitly criticizing the Bush administration for having downgraded the role of arms control.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama asked Democratic senators Tuesday not to stand in the way of an additional $350 billion in bailout funds, calling the money essential to helping the ailing economy.

AP - The incoming Obama administration should launch a criminal investigation of Bush administration officials to see whether they broke the law in the name of national security, a House Democratic report said Tuesday. President-elect Barack Obama has been more cautious on the issue and has not endorsed such a recommendation.

AP - Temperatures crashed to Arctic levels Tuesday as a severe cold wave rolled across the upper Midwest on the heels of yet another snowstorm, closing schools and making most people think twice before going outside. Thermometers read single digits early in the day as far south as Kansas and Missouri, where some areas warmed only into the teens by midday.

AP - A publicist for Howie Mandel says he's out of the hospital and plans to return to work Wednesday. Mandel was in Toronto taping his new show 'Howie Do It!' when he was taken to the hospital for an irregular heartbeat Monday, said Lewis Kay, publicist for the 53-year-old comedian and game show host.

AP - A federal judge in Vermont has dismissed a lawsuit claiming a prison chicken dinner was too foul to eat. The suit against ConAgra Foods Inc. was filed by Christopher Butts and two other men who had been inmates in Vermont but were sent to a Kentucky prison because of Vermont overcrowding.

AP - The Atlanta Braves worked to bolster their rotation, closing in Tuesday on a $60 million, four-year deal with Derek Lowe, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. Talks were continuing on final deal points and no letter of agreement had been signed, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been completed.

Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama promised on Tuesday stricter control over a financial rescue package, winning over some skeptical lawmakers who had threatened to block release of $350 billion that regulators said the economy urgently needed.

Reuters - Former President Bill Clinton's charity should stop taking foreign donations to avoid any conflict of interest with his wife Sen. Hillary Clinton's work as secretary of state, a top Republican said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Russia started pumping gas meant for Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time in nearly a week, but the European Union said little or no gas was flowing to countries suffering urgent energy shortages.

Reuters - The United States racked up a record $485 billion deficit for the first three months of fiscal 2009, exceeding the $455 billion gap for all of the previous year, the U.S. Treasury said on Tuesday.

Reuters - The New York City Council had the legal right to extend term limits for itself and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday, clearing an obstacle for Mayor Michael Bloomberg to seek a third term.

AFP - Israel's army fought street battles with Hamas fighters in Gaza's main city on Tuesday and bombarded the southern border from the air as the death toll from its war on Hamas neared the 1,000 mark.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday fought new doubts over the nomination of his Treasury secretary pick, Timothy Geithner, amid anguished congressional negotiations over a $350 billion financial bailout.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York City Council had the legal right to extend term limits for itself and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday, clearing an obstacle for Mayor Michael Bloomberg to seek a third term.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary-nominee Timothy Geithner informed a Senate panel that he had made a common tax mistake while working for the International Monetary Fund in 2001-2003, an official with the Obama transition team said on Tuesday.

AP - Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that she intends to revitalize the mission of diplomacy in American foreign policy, calling for a 'smart power' strategy in the Middle East and implicitly criticizing the Bush administration for having downgraded the role of arms control.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama's choice to run the Treasury Department and lead the nation's economic rescue disclosed publicly Tuesday that he failed to pay $34,000 in taxes from 2001 to 2004, a last-minute complication that Senate Democrats tried to brush aside as a minor bump on an otherwise smooth path to confirmation.

AP - Tested before taking power, President-elect Barack Obama appealed to Democrats in Congress on Tuesday to allow the use of an additional $350 billion in federal bailout funds and vowed to veto any move to block the money.

AP - The state Senate that will decide whether to throw impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich out of office will be sworn in Wednesday by — who else? — impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich. In an ironic, surreal scene, the governor will preside briefly over the chamber that will hold his political life in its hands in less than two weeks.

AP - An investor who had entrusted money to an Indiana financial manager suspected of trying to fake his own death in a plane crash said Tuesday he had complained to state regulators that the man was unfairly charging high fees and pocketing the money.

AP - Yahoo Inc. named technology veteran Carol Bartz as its new chief executive Tuesday, bringing in a no-nonsense leader known for developing a clear focus — something that has eluded the struggling Internet company during a three-year slump.

AP - 'American Idol' wants an Austin strip club to take it off. The company that owns the popular television show sued in federal court to stop the weekly 'Stripper Idol' contest at Palazio Men's Club. FremantleMedia North America also wants to seize Palazio's profits from the amateur stripping contest.

AP - The Atlanta Braves reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday on a $60 million, four-year contract with Derek Lowe, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The deal is subject to the pitching passing a physical, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been completed.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday fought new doubts over the nomination of his Treasury secretary pick, Timothy Geithner, amid anguished congressional negotiations over a $350 billion financial bailout.

Reuters - Concerns about her husband's foreign fund-raising cast a shadow over Sen. Hillary Clinton's nomination as U.S. secretary of state when Republicans on Tuesday pressed her to do more to avoid conflicts of interest.

Reuters - The New York City Council had the legal right to extend term limits for itself and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday, clearing an obstacle for Mayor Michael Bloomberg to seek a third term.

AFP - Israel's army fought street battles with Hamas fighters in Gaza's main city on Tuesday and bombarded the southern border from the air as the death toll from its war on Hamas neared the 1,000 mark.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday scrambled to answer questions about the nomination of Treasury Secretary pick Timothy Geithner amid anguished congressional negotiations over a $350 billion financial bailout.

LONDON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke on Tuesday suggested the incoming Obama administration may want to retool the government's approach to fighting the credit crisis and tap a $700 billion financial rescue fund to sop up bad assets on the books of banks.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Concerns about her husband's foreign fund-raising cast a shadow over Sen. Hillary Clinton's nomination as U.S. secretary of state when Republicans on Tuesday pressed her to do more to avoid conflicts of interest.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors will try again on Wednesday to end Bernard Madoff's 'penthouse arrest' and send the accused swindler to jail, and the state of New York has begun investigating the damage done to charities that invested in his alleged fraud.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine faced another day of sparring over gas supplies on Wednesday and two European Union states launched fresh diplomacy to end a dispute that is weighing heavily on their economies.

AP - Hillary Rodham Clinton, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for secretary of state, rejected calls Tuesday for more details about donors to her husband's foundation, saying she has revealed enough to avoid even the hint of conflicts. An Associated Press review found that Clinton stepped in at least a half-dozen times on issues involving businesses and others who later gave to the charity.

AP - With his personal and financial worlds crumbling around him, investment adviser Marcus Schrenker opted for a bailout. In a feat reminiscent of a James Bond movie, the 38-year-old businessman and amateur daredevil pilot apparently tried to fake his death in a plane crash, secretly parachuting to the ground and speeding away on a motorcycle he had stashed away in the pine barrens of central Alabama.

AP - Lil Kim was a big part of the Notorious B.I.G.'s life, but she's not happy about the way she's portrayed in the new biopic about the late rapper.

AP - The Braves bounced right back from the disappointment of losing John Smoltz.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday scrambled to answer questions about the nomination of Treasury Secretary pick Timothy Geithner amid anguished congressional negotiations over a $350 billion financial bailout.

Reuters - Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke on Tuesday suggested the incoming Obama administration may want to retool the government's approach to fighting the credit crisis and tap a $700 billion financial rescue fund to sop up bad assets on the books of banks.

Reuters - U.S. prosecutors will try again on Wednesday to end Bernard Madoff's 'penthouse arrest' and send the accused swindler to jail, and the state of New York has begun investigating the damage done to charities that invested in his alleged fraud.

Reuters - Russia and Ukraine faced another day of sparring over gas supplies on Wednesday and two European Union states launched fresh diplomacy to end a dispute that is weighing heavily on their economies.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors will try again on Wednesday to end Bernard Madoff's 'penthouse arrest' and send the accused swindler to jail, and the state of New York has begun investigating the damage done to charities that invested in his alleged fraud.

(PCA) on Tuesday voluntarily recalled peanut butter produced in its Blakely, Georgia processing facility because it could be contaminated with Salmonella food poisoning.

AP - Tested before taking power, President-elect Barack Obama privately delivered a pre-inauguration veto threat to fellow Democrats on Tuesday, saying they would not deny him use of the remaining $350 billion in federal bailout funds.

AP - A complete tusk believed to belong to a prehistoric mammoth was uncovered on Santa Cruz Island off the Southern California coast, researchers reported Tuesday. If the discovery is confirmed, it would mean the tusked beasts roamed 62,000-acre Santa Cruz Island more widely than previously thought.

AP - Finally in the Hall of Fame, Jim Rice wants nothing to do with the debate over whether Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds belong, too. 'I'm not in the situation to vote for the guys and I'm not going to put myself in the situation where I have to answer that question because I think you as the media, you've got to judge that,' Rice said.

Reuters - U.S. prosecutors will try again on Wednesday to end Bernard Madoff's 'penthouse arrest' and send the accused swindler to jail, and the state of New York has begun investigating the damage done to charities that invested in his alleged fraud.

Reuters - Peanut Corporation of America

DETROIT (Reuters) - Automakers received more bad news at the world's largest auto show on Tuesday as forecasts for a 27-year low in sales this year and auto bailout politics threw cold water on hopes for a speedy industry recovery.

AP - Federal authorities say the pilot at the center of a plane crash mystery has been found alive in northern Florida after he apparently slit one of his wrists.

AFP - EU leaders were set to keep up pressure Wednesday on Russia and Ukraine to resolve their gas dispute, a day after an attempted resumption of transit supplies to Europe failed.