Morning Bulletin: Wednesday, May 20, 2009

President Obama will attend his first quarterly meeting of the President's Economic Recovery Board today at the White House.

(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

"The focus of the meeting will be on energy and green jobs and the board will provide recommendations on how to enhance the strength and competitiveness of the nation's economy through the creation of a comprehensive energy plan that will generate millions of clean energy jobs," according to a White House release.

Here are the details from the White House. The meeting streams live here.

This afternoon the president will sign two mortgage bills – the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act – in the East Room.

This evening he hosts a reception for a bipartisan Congressional group.

IRAN:

(AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian)

Iranian President Ahmadinejad said his country test fired a long range missile.

"President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that Iran had test-fired an upgraded surface-to-surface missile with a range of about 1,200 miles, according to the IRNA news agency," reports the New York Times.

PELOSI:

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said Pelosi offered a "stunning dishonest statement" on Good Morning America.

He also makes the point that the speaker should step down in an op-ed.

GUANTANAMO:

(AP Photo)

The New York Times' David M. Herzenhorn reports that,"In an abrupt shift, Senate Democratic leaders said they would not provide the $80 million that President Obama requested to close the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The move escalates pressure on the president, who on Thursday is scheduled to outline his plans for the 240 terrorism suspects still held there."

The Washington Post's Shailagh Murray reports that "under pressure from Republicans and concerned about the politics of relocating terrorism suspects to U.S. soil, Senate Democrats rejected President Obama's request for funding to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and vowed to withhold federal dollars until the president decides the fate of the facility's 240 detainees."

CARS:

"Why, after decades of battling, complaining and maneuvering over fuel economy standards, did carmakers fall in line behind the tough new nationwide mileage standard President Obama announced Tuesday?" asks the New York Times. "Because they had no choice."

ALSO:

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geither will testify before the Senate Banking Committee today. Here are some excerpts from his remarks.

Bloomberg "Navigates the politics of a health scare"

Washington Post: "A Blue-Ribbon Adviser With a Gray-Area Role: Volcker Unsure of His Impact on Economic Policy, Sources Say"

The Washington Post reports that the "Giant Panda, Not Pregnant Sources Say"

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