CNN 2009-03-17

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Good morning, I am Reggie Aqui from the CNN center in Atlanta. Here is what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

The focus is of course on the economy once again today, as President Obama meets with small business owners and community leaders this afternoon. The president will announce a new plan that will make lending to small businesses more attractive. Many small businesses are having a tough time getting loans from lenders due to the state of the economy.

AIG is facing a huge backlash, over 165 million dollars in bonuses it's paying out to employees. The troubled insurer received the biggest government bailout in US history. AIG says it'll scale back bonuses due to be paid later this year.

In his first TV interview as Federal Reserve Chief, Ben Bernanke repeated his belief that the recession would probably end this year and recovery will begin next year. He maintained that recovery is contingent¹ on the government's plan to boost the financial system. Investors² like the fact that Bernanke hasn't changed his view.

If you are worried about where your food comes from, a new law might help put you at ease. Starting today, fresh food sold in supermarkets must have a country of origin label or "COOL" for sure. It applies to fresh meats, poultry³, fish, foods, veges and nuts. The idea is to help you avoid products from countries with known food safety problems.

At the box office this weekend, Disney's "Escape to Witch Mountain" was on top. It raked in 25 million dollars over the weekend. Last week's champ Watchman came in second with a little more than 18 million. And fright film, The Last House On The Left came in third.

That's a quick look at the headlines. Please stick with us here at CNN and CNN.com Live as we bring you the updates throughout the day.