44, Day Four

The Obama White House is about to enjoy its first weekend in power. So what did the new president and his team do today that might affect business?

-President Obama met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the White House to discuss his upcoming stimulus package. According to Politico, Obama "listened to Republican gripes" but made it clear he was the guy in charge of the negotiations. "I won," Obama said, according to the site. Elsewhere on the economy front, Reuters offered an analysis that suggests that Obama is likely to get what he wants in a bipartisan fashion.

-A day after the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the president signed an executive order striking down the Bush administration's prohibition on letting U.S. government money go to international groups that promote (or even have information about) abortion.

-Look for the Obama administration to take a harder line on China. Tim Geithner, who awaits Senate confirmation to be Treasury secretary, said that he thinks China is "manipulating" its currency. But he also said now may not be the time to officially label China that way. The comments were noted in today's New York Times, and then talked about a lot on the blogs. Portfolio.com's Felix Salmon says Geithner might just not be able to answer a question directly.

-Remember the tough ethics rules Obama imposed on his Cabinet and White House staff his first day in office? Well, he's making an exception. Obama waived the rules for William Lynn, his nominee for Deputy Secretary of Defense. Lynn had been a registered lobbyist for the defense contractor Raytheon. ABCNews.com has the story.

-When Obama took office, the White House got a new website. Funny thing, though. Even though it promises the public it will offer transparency for the administration's actions, it's shockingly light on transcripts and detailed information about what Obama is doing. Read the Portfolio.com post here.

-Tourists to New York City may finally get the chance to go into the crown of the Statue of Liberty, which has been closed off since the 9/11 attacks. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar visited the statue today and said he was reconsidering opening it. "It would proclaim to the world -- both figuratively and literally -- that the path to the light of liberty is open to all," he said, according to Bloomberg.

by J. Jennings Moss