"We need a big stimulus package," said President-elect Barack Obama today. You're preaching to the choir, Big O. But seriously folks, today Obama announced his starting lineup for his economic team. This groups of "assertive, bold personalities" will, hopefully, pull us out of this recession. (Though, as Barack points out, things will get worse before they get better. Joy.) Anyway, the team consists of Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget; Timothy Geithner, treasury secretary; Lawrence Summers, head of the National Economic Council (NEC); and Christina Romer, Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) chairman. Romer, a handsome woman, is an economics professor at UC/Berkeley and the sole female voice on the team. more ›

In more pink slip sadness today, (owned by Denver-based MediaNews Group) eliminated 50 jobs. Fifteen newsroom employees and 19 employees from "other parts of the paper" were let go today. Citing a loss of advertising revenue because to the evil Internet, this most recent workforce slashing represents "a cut of about 5 percent" of the over Merc staff. more ›

This tickles us ever so. Last year after 4,000+ folks in the Richmond held their breath until their faces turned blue, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to ban the popular coffee chain Starbucks from setting up shop at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Geary. Problem solved, right? Wrong. more ›