12+JANV

 **** __Obama Weighs Tax on Banks to Cut Deficit__ **** By JACKIE CALMES With popular anger still simmering even after many banks have repaid bailout funds, the levies may deter future risky behavior as well as raise revenue.

**** __New Jersey Lawmakers Pass Medical Marijuana Bill__ **** By DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI The measure, expected to be signed by the governor by next Tuesday, would make the state the region’s first to legalize medical marijuana.

**** __As China Rises, Fears Grow on Whether Boom Can Endure__ **** By MICHAEL WINES A gradual flow of economic power from West to East has turned into a flood, but some wonder whether China’s rise is sustainable. **** __Tested by Many Foes, Passion of a Russian Dissident Endures__ **** By ELLEN BARRY Lyudmila M. Alexeyeva, 82, provokes reverence, exasperation and the question of how a human rights movement will reshape itself when she, the grande dame, is gone.

**** __War’s Fury No Longer Pauses for Afghan Winter__ **** By ROD NORDLAND The trend is linked to a number of factors: an increase in American troops, military crackdowns in Pakistan and a determination by both sides to make a political point.

**** __Europe, in Grip of Low Temperatures, Faces Flaring Tempers and Disrupted Travel__ **** By NICHOLAS KULISH and SCOTT SAYARE Governments are struggling with the breadth and cost of helping citizens through a cold snap that has left snow in even Spain and southern France. **** __States Lower Test Standards for a High School Diploma__ **** By IAN URBINA On the way to creating a statewide exit test for graduation, many states have softened standards, delayed the requirement or added alternative paths to a high school diploma.

**** __A Fight for the Homeless and Against Authority__ **** By JESSE McKINLEY Dan de Vaul, who has made his ranch a refuge for the homeless, faces jail time for housing code violations.

**** __President Signals Flexibility on Health Plan Tax__ **** By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and STEVEN GREENHOUSE President Obama told union leaders that he was committed to taxing high-cost insurance policies, but was willing to amend the proposal. **** __Giving Electronic Commands With Body English__ **** By ASHLEE VANCE PC makers will soon sell devices that allow people to flip TV channels or move computer documents with simple hand gestures.

**** __A Future That Doesn’t Guzzle__ **** By BILL VLASIC and NICK BUNKLEY Automakers unveiled many hybrid gas-electric and battery-powered cars at the Detroit auto show, a sign of how much emphasis is being placed on the electrification of vehicles.

**** __Low Profile for Chrysler After a Year of Change__ **** By BILL VLASIC Sergio Marchionne, the carmaker’s chief executive, said that the company had to endure a fallow period before it could refresh its vehicle lineup.