In Thursday's Americas papers

A crisis trumps constraint
Economists and politicians across the political spectrum say Congress should spend whatever it takes to rescue the economy.

WASHINGTON POST

Front page

Inauguration to close off most bridges to DC
The US Secret Service announces that all Potomac bridge crossings from Virginia will be closed to personal vehicles on Inauguration Day.

Advisers may trump the cabinet
Influential cadre of counselors just steps from the Oval Office will help direct domestic policy.

Business

Congress pushes for US spending restraint
Analysts say the budget deficit will soar to $1.2 trillion this year, a startling tide of red ink that could dampen enthusiasm on Capitol Hill for some of President-elect Barack Obama's most ambitious priorities.

Stock losses leave pensions underfunded
The need to cover pension shortfalls could prompt businesses to reduce spending on items as varied as equipment that boosts productivity and dividends that deliver income for shareholders.

GLOBE AND MAIL, Canada

Front page

Harper pushes to gain control of Senate
Facing an emboldened opposition and the possibility of defeat, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is making a significant switch in tactics, dropping his reliance on confidence votes and moving even further toward stacking the Senate with Tories.

Polygamy charges in bountiful
In a legal showdown over Canada's polygamy law that has been 20 years in the making, BC Attorney-General Wally Oppal announced charges against religious leader Winston Blackmore, who has openly talked about having married several young brides, and a rival leader in the religious sect.

Business

Ottawa looks to prop up auto leasing
The federal government plans to unveil measures to boost consumer financing for car loans and leases in its upcoming budget, a move aimed at further propping up the battered auto industry.

Irked by troubles, Charest targets Caisse
Quebec is poised to overhaul the board of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, whose troubles unsettled the province's recent election campaign and which has been at odds with the Liberal government over its leadership.

BUENOS AIRES HERALD

Front page

3-hour truce - then war resumes
Israel resumed its Gaza offensive, bombing heavily around suspected smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt after a three-hour lull to allow humanitarian aid in. 

Lole: Why the fuss?
Peronist Senator Carlos “Lole” Reutemann, a former governor of Santa Fe province, underplayed the political uproar surrounding his possible presidential candidacy in 2011. 

All Russian gas flow through Ukraine cut off
Russian gas flows to Europe through Ukraine shut down completely, reducing power to industries and homes in southeast Europe and disrupting supplies to major economies.

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