From Americans in poverty to Rep Simpson's hair...

From American Progress:

Think Fast...

"Many of the poorest people in the United States are still struggling to recover from the effects of a recession that ended six years ago, making them very vulnerable as the country stands on the brink of a new downturn." In 2006, "12.3 percent of Americans were living in poverty, compared with 11.7 percent in 2001, the year of the last recession."

The House has postponed votes on "criminal contempt citations against White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers" in order to foster "bipartisan unity" while working on an economic stimulus package.

Planned Parenthood "expects to raise at least $10 million over the next 10 months to recruit patients, as well as their friends and families, to lobby legislators and vote for candidates who support Planned Parenthood's agenda." The campaign "will be the group's most ambitious and expensive effort ever."

"House Democrats have scheduled a vote Wednesday to override President Bush's December veto of the $35 billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program."

The Writers Guild of America "will begin informal talks with studios" tomorrow "after agreeing to drop proposals to unionize reality and animation shows that had contributed to a negotiations impasse." The talks "will be aimed at a resumption of full negotiations, both sides said in statements."

And finally: Rep. Mike Simpson's (R-ID) hair is "threatening to cascade past his shoulders in waves," and colleagues are unhappy. Last week, a colleague "whisked past Simpson" in the Speaker's Lobby and said, "Call Joe Q," referring to the House barber. Simpson said that he also recently grew a beard after a trip to the Middle East, but he shaved it off after his wife "told him he looked like a terrorist."

Wrap...