AP - Ordered to get inside and stay down, Oregon tourist Clyde Thornburg heard the pirates' rifle shots hit the side of the luxury cruise liner "Pop! Pop! Pop!" then felt the ship speed up to escape.
Reuters - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is weighing whether to ask Congress for the remaining $350 billion of the financial bailout fund, with White House aides approaching President-elect Barack Obama's transition team about the idea, an Obama aide said on Wednesday.
AP - The United Auto Workers said Wednesday it is willing to change its contracts with U.S. automakers and accept delays payments of billions of dollars to a union-run health care trust to do its part to help the struggling companies secure $34 billion in government loans.