21+DEC

 **** __Labor Data Show Surge in Hiring of Temp Workers__ **** By LOUIS UCHITELLE Employers might soon take the next step of bringing on permanent workers if they can convince themselves that the upturn in the economy will be sustained.

**** __Records Fall as Snow Blankets East Coast__ **** By ROBERT D. McFADDEN Eastern Long Island and parts of Virginia got two feet of snow, and records were set in Washington and Baltimore.

**** __Deep in Health Bill, Very Specific Beneficiaries__ **** By ROBERT PEAR Buried in the Senate health care package are provisions benefiting specific states and constituencies, inserted by the majority leader to secure lawmakers’ support. **** __Civilians Train in ‘Afghan City’ in the Midwest__ **** By MARK LANDLER Some Americans are being trained for a “civilian surge,” a campaign intended to improve the lives of Afghans.

****UNEASY ENGAGEMENT**** **** __China’s Export of Labor Faces Growing Scorn__ **** By EDWARD WONG China is increasingly known for shipping out cheap labor, and a backlash against Chinese workers has grown in Africa and Asia.

**** __Huge Turnout Reported for Iranian Cleric’s Funeral__ **** By ROBERT F. WORTH An Iranian Web site said Monday that thousands of opposition supporters had turned out for the funeral of Iran’s senior dissident cleric. **** __Health Bill Passes Key Test in the Senate With 60 Votes__ **** By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and ROBERT PEAR The party-line procedural vote proved Democrats had locked in the margin needed to pass a far-reaching overhaul of the nation’s health care system.

**** __Senate Debate on Health Care Exacerbates Partisanship__ **** By CARL HULSE and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN Enmity and acrimony are coursing through a debate with consequences for both sides, as the health care overhaul reaches a crucial vote at 1 a.m. Monday.

****BRAIN POWER**** **** __Studying Young Minds, and How to Teach Them__ **** By BENEDICT CAREY Research is clarifying when young brains are best able to grasp fundamental concepts, turning conventional wisdom on its head. **** __In a Distressed Year, Hollywood Smiles__ **** By BROOKS BARNES Premium-price tickets will help the industry reach more than $10 billion in ticket sales by the end of 2009.

**** __New Programs Aim to Lure Young Into Digital Jobs__ **** By STEVE LOHR The country needs more cool nerds — people who can use computing in ways that haven’t even been thought of yet. High schools are starting to do their part.

**** __For Saab, Still a Shot at Survival__ **** By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ A tiny Dutch automaker that sells 50 cars a year is trying to save the Swedish brand, but G.M. is said to have qualms.