The ongoing task of debt management for the federal government will clearly be very different in the years ahead than it has been in the past, when debt was rapidly increasing, ... With $3.6 trillion in debt outstanding, even a 3 basis point (0.03 percentage point) reduction in federal borrowing costs will ultimately produce savings of more than $1 billion per year.

The only clear picture we have from the job cut numbers this year is that employers appear to be confused about the direction this economy is taking, ... Companies are experiencing increased business, but they are also seeing their costs soar due to higher fuel prices, inflation in supplier prices and a weaker dollar, which makes it more expensive to buy foreign parts.

The only confirmed survivor is Randall McCloy, who has now been rushed to a local hospital in serious condition. The 11 remaining miners in the barricade structure were determined by the medical technicians on the rescue team to have already deceased.

The players need to know they've got an administration that's going to put a much stronger financial base behind the Reds, which means more money for them, more facilities. There will be no excuse that they didn't have enough money.

The people who met today aren't the people who work out the nitty-gritty details to make things happen. LSU will obviously be reimbursed for expenses and would not suffer financial losses from this arrangement. Beyond that, not a lot of details have been settled. They will emerge in the days to come.