Mortgage rescue criticized...McCain: Don't blame Palin...Wintry weather



Washington (AP) Critics say the government's latest plan to help troubled homeowners doesn't go far enough. The plan focuses only on loans from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. New York Senator Charles Schumer says the program will only scratch the surface.

WASHINGTON (AP) Officials say President-elect Obama has hired veteran Democrats Sam Nunn and Warren Christopher to head his transition teams at the Pentagon and State Department. Nunn is a former Georgia senator who was chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Christopher was President CLinton's first secretary of state.

LOS ANGELES (AP) John McCain says sarah palin didn't damage his presidential bid. And McCain, in an interview with "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno, says he's "very grateful" Palin ran with him. He says anonymous criticism from his campaign is typical sniping.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) NASA says its Spirit rover, nearing its fifth year on Mars, is struggling to survive. Mission scientists say the rover's power has been sapped by a dust storm. Spirit depends on solar power and has just half the normal amount of energy it needs to function.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Wintry weather across much of the northern Plains is blamed for two traffic-related deaths. The storm has left a layer of ice and nearly a foot of snow in parts of Nebraska. And advisories were posted for sections of South Dakota, Minnesota and northern Iowa.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 11-11-08 2052CST | save this article / add to your favorites list