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1. Former presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain are promising¹ to work together, both say they want to change the bad habits of Washington after meeting in Chicago. It was their first meeting since election.

2. Congress is back at work. Topping the agenda for a lame²-duck session is how to help the auto³ industry. The White House says that while it supports some form of federal help, it should not come from the 700-billion-dollar financial rescue package.

3. Calm winds and clear skies are allowing firefighters in southern California to make progress on two raging wildfires. The blazes have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate⁴. Meanwhile, residents of this Los Angeles mobile home park are seeing what's left of their lives. The wildfire destroyed nearly 500 homes in the area.

4. And the first significant snowfall of the season came early to parts of the Great Lakes. As much as two feet piled up in some areas. The blanket of snow spread from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to western New York.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. lame-duck session:

就是指“跛脚鸭国会会议”，即新旧总统交接之间的国会会议。由于部分与会议员不会在下任国会出现，也许议员会对议题出现爱理不理的态度。

In U.S. politics, the period between (Presidential and Congressional) elections in November and the inauguration⁵ of officials early in the following year is commonly called the lame duck period.

Until 1933, inauguration would occur on March 4. Congress would usually have two sessions, the second of which, being held usually from December to March, occurred after the election of the next Congress. This session was commonly called the "Lame duck session". Criticism of this process led to the passage of the 20th Amendment⁶ in 1933, which moved the convocation of the new Congress to January 3 and the inauguration of the president to January 20, thus shortening the lame duck period.

In regard to the President, lame-duck refers to the incumbent⁷ President after their succesor has been elected. However, since the 22nd Amendment introduced term limits to the office, preventing the President from seeking a second re-election, any President is a lame duck after their second term's mid-term elections.