Paulson on bailout...Bush on travel...Wildfire tour



Washington (AP) Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is telling Congress that he opposes tapping a $700 billion taxpayer-funded bailout to help struggling U.S. automakers. He admits that having a U.S. car company fail would not be a "good thing." But he says helping out Detroit was not the intended purpose of the financial market rescue plan.

NEW YORK (AP) Wall Street is making some advances today, though investors seem to be playing it safe amid worries about a recession. A new government report isn't fueling much optimism. It shows that wholesale prices plunged a record amount in October, a drop that can signal a rising threat of deflation.

WASHINGTON (AP) President Bush says his administration is taking steps to prevent flight delays and other travel frustrations ahead of the holiday travel season. Among other things, he's opening up more military airspace to expand on last year's successful "Thanksgiving Express" air route. In addition to East Coast sky lanes, he's freeing up air space over the Southwest and the West Coast.

WASHINGTON (AP) There's word that Senate critics of Sen. Ted Stevens may hold off on a plan to expel Stevens from the Republican conference. One lawmaker says some senators want to see whether Stevens wins his tight re-election race first. Stevens was convicted last month of lying on financial disclosure forms.

Ballots are still being counted in the Alaskan race.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Hundreds more residents of a burned-out southern California mobile home park are expected to line up today to see what's left of their homes. One resident allowed in yesterday said "pretty much everything's ruined." The Sylmar fire is one of three fires in the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara areas that destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and apartments, and burned about 65 square miles.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-18-08 1047CST | save this article / add to your favorites list