CNN 2009-02-08

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Hi everyone, I'm Asien Namdar at the CNN.com newsroom in Atlanta, here is a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Senators are in the middle of more debate on the big economic recovery plan. They are back on the Senator Floor after working late into the night on a compromise. The recovery bill has been whittled¹ down to 780 billion dollars. At one point, there was more than 900 billion dollars worth of spending in the Senate's version.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele says a lot of the money outlined in the massive plan is going to the wrong place. “The fastest way to help those families is by letting them keep more of the money they earn. Individual empowerment, that's how you stimulate² the economy. But the democrats³ have a different philosophy. Instead of leaving money in the family checkbook, they want to send it to Washington, run it through a slow and inefficient⁴ government and hope that does some good." Steele made those comments during his first address as the chairman of the Republican National Committee.

One of baseball's best players is now in the middle of his own steroids scandal. Sports Illustrated⁵.com is reporting that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003. Sources tell Sports Illustrated more than 100 players tested positive that year. Rodriguez was the American League's most valuable player that year. He is now with the New York Yankees and the highest-paid player in the game.

Longtime television, film and stage actor James Whitmore has died. Whitmore earned numerous awards throughout his career, including a golden globe in 1949 for his performance in the" Battleground "and an Emmy in 2000 for his appearance in the 3 part episode of ABC's legal drama "The Practice". Among his more recent roles, Whitmore played prison inmate⁶ Brooks⁷ in the "Shawshank Redemption". James Whitmore was 87.

And those are the headlines this hour, for more on these stories and other news of the day, CNN is your source, online, on TV, or when you are on the go.