National News Jan. 26 - Feb. 8

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from The Washington Post. Silver Chips Online posts this news summary to provide readers with a forum for discussion.

New York, NY

Feb. 7 - Sixty-two people in connection with the Gambino family, one of the largest organized crime groups in the United States, were indicted and 54 are in custody. The charges range from murder to extortion and theft of union pension funds. The arrests came after many years of investigations that have connected some of the alleged criminals to murders and other crimes from as early as the 1970s. Arrests were simultaneously made in Italy in conjunction with this case.

Cape Canaveral, FL

Feb. 7 - The space shuttle Atlantis was launched after nearly two months of delays due to a problem with the fuel gauge and bad weather. The shuttle will deliver a $2 billion science lab to the international space station.

Washington, D.C.

Feb. 5 - President George W. Bush proposed his budget plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 to Congress. The plan asks for $3.1 trillion, which would leave over $400 billion in deficits for the next year. To finance his budget Bush proposes halting almost all domestic spending, slowing the expansion of Medicare and granting most Americans tax rebates in order to stimulate the economy.

Salt Lake City, UT

Feb. 4 - The new Mormon Church President and Prophet Thomas Monson was selected following the death of Church President Gordon Hinckley, who died Jan. 27. Monson now faces the challenge of addressing the decrease in conversions to Mormonism since 2000. Monson was the longest tenured of the church's apostles, the president of the church's Canadian missions and on President Ronald Reagan's interfaith panel.

Punxsutawney, PA

Feb. 3 - Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, signifying another six weeks of winter. The shadow was seen during the annual ceremony conducted by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle.

Jackson, MS

Jan. 26 - Mississippi's plan to redirect $600 million originally intended to help with hurricane housing funds to a port improvement project has been endorsed by the federal government. The money will be used to restore damage from Hurricane Katrina on the public infrastructure and public facilities at the State Port at Gulfport. This decision has angered many who think that the money could be better used to stabilize families who were devastated by the hurricane.