Here are
The World Almanac and Book of Facts Top Ten News Topics of 2009:
1.
Obama Presidency Begins.
With the U.S. at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and facing its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Barack Obama swearing in as the nation's 44th president Jan. 20 in Washington, DC.heralded a major political as well as cultural shift, with Obama becoming the nation's first black president. Pres. Obama assembled a cabinet that included Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, his principal 2008 Democratic campaign rival; Sec. of Defense Robert Gates, a Bush administration holdover; Eric Holder Jr., the first African American attorney general; and Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner. Later, Obama filled his first Supreme Court vacancy when Associate Justice David Souter stepped down in late June. Sonia Sotomayor, an experienced prosecutor and litigator with a long judicial record, was confirmed Aug. 6 by the Senate, becoming the first Hispanic to join the court. The list continues after the jump . . .
2.
Recession in U.S. Ends, but Jobless Rate Rises.
The American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a $787 bil stimulus measure that became
law Feb. 17, was the largest legislative piece of the year-long effort
to revive the ailing U.S. economy. Federal programs eased credit
markets, aided first-time home buyers, and helped some mortgage holders
avert foreclosure. Two of Detroit's "Big 3" automakers, General Motors and Chrysler, were restructured through
government-managed bankruptcies, and "cash for clunkers" tax credits
subsidized trade-ins of gas-guzzling vehicles. Results were mixed. The
economy emerged from recession as indicated by the U.S. gross domestic
product, which grew at an annual rate of 3.5% during July-Sept., and
the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which closed above the 10,000 mark
Oct. 14 for the first time in a year. But the annual U.S. budget
deficit soared to a record $1.4 tril, and employers continued to slash
jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 10.2% in Oct., and 17.5% of
Americans were either unemployed or underemployed.
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