The following is a roundup of political activity going on in Washington and across the nation. It is courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available.

IN THE HOUSE

• The House is not in session.
• Pelosi, Obama officials to tour Detroit auto show  -  Months after the government took large ownership stakes in General Motors, Chrysler and auto lender GMAC Financial Services, top lawmakers and members of the Obama administration will be taking a close look at their investment. (AP)

IN THE SENATE

• The Senate is not in session.
• Senate Democrats look at infrastructure, ‘caulkers’ in jobs bill  -  Senate Democrats are crafting a job creation bill that would boost funding for small businesses, public services, infrastructure projects and energy efficiency programs. (The Hill)

OTHER NEWS

• U.S. Economy Lost 85,000 Jobs in December  -  The American economy lost another 85,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate held steady at 10 percent, tempering hopes for a swift and sustained recovery from the Great Recession. (NY Times)
• Obama Orders Security Fix  -  President Barack Obama ordered his top intelligence chiefs Thursday to patch gaps in the way terrorism intelligence is distributed, analyzed and checked against watch lists used to identify potential attackers bound for the U.S. (WSJ)
• EPA proposes stricter limits on smog pollutants  -  The Environmental Protection Agency proposed stricter limits Thursday on the amount of pollution-forming ozone allowed in the air, significantly tightening rules the Bush administration had set for the nation’s most widespread air pollutant. (Wash Post)
• Crisis inquiry commission set to quiz top bankers  -  Two blocks from the Treasury, where the government not long ago scrambled to save a collapsing financial system, a team of investigators armed with subpoena powers is preparing the official narrative of the crisis and what went wrong. (AP)
• Democrats Anxious Over a Once-Safe Seat  -  Martha M. Coakley, the Democrat running for Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s seat in Massachusetts, had seemed so certain of winning the special election on Jan. 19 that she barely campaigned last month. (NY Times)

 FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program- The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Act authorizes the Secretary of Interior to provide direct technical and financial assistance to private landowners interested in restoring, enhancing, and managing fish and wildlife habitats on their own lands. This announcement is not a solicitation for grant proposals. It is a goal of the program to secure at least 50 percent of project costs from non-Service sources, but this goal applies to the national program as a whole, and does not have to be achieved on a project-by-project basis. Funding above $25,000 for an individual project must be approved at the Washington Office level. If you are interested in pursuing a project under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program you must contact your local coordinator. A listing of coordinators by state is available at http://www.fws.gov/partners/  Application deadline: 9/30/10

TODAY IN HISTORY

• January 8, 1815- On this day, General Andrew Jackson led American forces to defeat the British at the Battle of New Orleans. Unfortunately, the War of 1812 was already over; the Treaty of Ghent for peace between the two nations had been signed two weeks earlier.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com / For more information or to opt-out of this list, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013 or beacon@anchor-consult.com