Large parts of the $787 billion federal stimulus package to help the U.S. economy are being spent on entitlement programs such as unemployment benefits and Medicaid, but hundreds of billions will go toward contracts, grants and loans to restore infrastructure. Click on the map and categories below to track that spending down to the county level.
• Data for the tracker, provided by Onvia, a company that tracks government contracting activity, differs from federal government data.
• Where a single contract might trigger spending in several states or counties, the total is divided equally among those states or counties.
• Note that the location associated with a contract, grant or loan is based on the location of the contractor, not necessarily where the work is being performed.
NYT: When the history of the Obama presidency is written, one particular day may prove to be a turning point, the moment a president set in motion a high-stakes gamble to turn around a losing war.
NYT: When the history of the Obama presidency is written, one particular day may prove to be a turning point, the moment a president set in motion a high-stakes gamble to turn around a losing war.
The U.S. is emerging from an "economic storm," President Barack Obama says, pledging new ways to put people back on the payroll after a painful recession.
No. 3 Texas beats Nebraska on last-second field goal in Big 12 championship game, will face Alabama for national crown.
Robert De Niro offers a master class of mannered, minimalist acting in "Everybody's Fine." And if its lead actor had a bit more room to roam into the dark corners of his character, the movie's fast path toward late-life insight would have felt more earned.
Health-care reform hits small-town reality: Even with insurance, patients need somewhere to go.
Is nuclear fusion the ultimate energy source, or the ultimate pipe dream? Millions upon millions of dollars are being spent to find out which answer is the right one.
A photograph of an obese passenger filling his seat and part of a jet’s aisle has renewed the debate about how airlines deal with obese travelers.
© 2009 msnbc.com

