New way of distinguishing U.S. presidents with the same last name
Adams 2
Adams 6
Harrison 9
Harrison 23
Bush 41
Bush 43
http://www.potus.com/

EPA Designates Areas as Attainment and Nonattainment for the 24-Hour PM2.5 National Air Quality Standards
AP: "More than 100 million people living in 46 metro areas are breathing air that has gotten too full of soot on some days, and now those cities have to clean up their air, the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday. The EPA added 15 cities to the sooty air list, mostly in states not usually thought of as pollution-prone, such as Alaska, Utah, Idaho and Wisconsin. That's probably because of the prevalence of wood stoves in western and northern regions, a top EPA official said."
December 22, 2008 - EPA has issued a final Federal Register notice designating areas throughout the US as "nonattainment" and "unclassifiable/attainment" for the 24-hour national air quality standards for fine particulate matter, also called PM2.5.
Federal Register Notice (PDF) (202 pp)
Fact Sheet
Map of 24-hour PM2.5 Nonattainment Areas
Table Showing Final Designations by State
Timeline for Implementing the 24-hour PM2.5 Standard

American Library Association Submits Report to Obama Transition Team
News release: "After the 2008 presidential election, the Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) Advisory Committee and the Committee on Legislation (COL) held meetings with the ALA Washington Office to discuss the key issues and concerns the library community must communicate to the new Administration during this time of transition and throughout Obama’s presidency. Following these meetings, the ALA Washington Office compiled a report, Opening the “Window to a Larger World,” Libraries’ Role in Changing America, which was submitted to the Obama-Biden Transition Team on Wednesday, December 17. The Washington Office is communicating with the Transition Team and hopes to continue this open dialogue over the next four years."

Internet Overtakes Newspapers As News Source
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press: "The internet, which emerged this year as a leading source for campaign news, has now surpassed all other media except television as a main source for national and international news. Currently, 40% say they get most of their news about national and international issues from the internet, up from just 24% in September 2007. For the first time in a Pew survey, more people say they rely mostly on the internet for news than cite newspapers (35%). Television continues to be cited most frequently as a main source for national and international news, at 70%."

Treasury Provides TARP Funds to Local Banks
News release: The U.S. Treasury Department announced details of a $2.8 billion investment in 49 banks made on Friday, December 19 through its Capital Purchase Program. Treasury also closed $1.9 billion in transactions with 43 banks. Full details of The transactions will be released in accordance with the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act on Monday, December 29, two business days after their closing.

Alec Greven wrote “How to Talk to Girls” when he was 8 years old as part of creative writing in his 3rd grade class. His teacher and principal knew this story was something special. They suggested his book be "published" for the school and used during the book fair. His school is now hosting an annual writing contest and raising money to purchase a printing press. The principal hopes every student can share in the experience of becoming a published author. As for Alec, he has many more books in the planning stages. Up next, "How to Talk to Moms," which he says will address the tricks kids play on moms and the tricks moms play on kids. http://www.9news.com/seenon9news/article.aspx?storyid=104988&catid=509
Alec Greven’s book was sold for $3 at a school book fair. Ellen DeGeneres hooked Grevens up with a literary agent, and he has sold movie rights for How to Talk to Girls.
The Week magazine, Dec. 26, 2008-Jan. 9, 2009

When I go into a library, I count the number of shelves per unit, check the light level and try to leave it at that. Sometimes, however, my hands reach out and remove books way out of order and put them on a table hoping they’ll end up where they should be. I try not to do this, but sometimes my hands will not obey me.