Stimulus Bill

President Obama's economic stimulus bill includes tens of millions of dollars that critics claim will do little or nothing to generate or preserve jobs, including money to clear away obstacles for fish, monitor earthquakes and volcanoes, write a report to Congress and reward academic achievement.

The president hopes to be able to sign a stimulus bill into law by mid-February as grim economic headlines continue to worry economists. Today's bad news included Ford Motor Co.'s announcement that it lost $5.9 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, and news that the number of people receiving jobless benefits hit 4.78 million, the highest on records dating back to 1967.

The stimulus bill is certain to be altered in the Senate where Republicans will renew their efforts to remove what they have termed political "pork," or spending they claim is not intended to stimulate the creation or the preservation of jobs.