19 December 2007: Morning By The Morning News — 19 Dec 2007 In hopes of curtailing a mortgage crisis, the Fed proposes a clampdown on lending, to little applause. "The Federal Reserve... is not a strong advocate for consumers... there is no Santa Claus. People... surprised by the one are presumably surprised by the other." From Foreign Policy: "The Top 10 Stories You Missed in 2007." What you'll miss, but not really: Writers' strike threatens Globes, Oscars. What you didn't miss: Britney's little sister is pregnant. Related: Brett Butler is now the nation's most stable female celebrity. Video: By Jeffrey Yamaguchi, "The 12 Stages of the Office Holiday Party." (more Working for the Man videos) Christmas light displays, and the personalities they reveal. From the Non-Expert's Desk: "What Your Christmas Tree Says About You." "I wouldn't hold a Midnight Mass at midnight because of the drunks." Priests fool the merry by rescheduling Christmas Eve Mass. Merry Christmas: Cannabis smoke has more of the kinds of toxins that kill you than tobacco, which has more of the kind that make you infertile. In Rio de Janeiro, drug dealers shoot at Santa's helicopter. Anticipating 11th-hour shoppers, stores plan to stay open late until Christmas--some won't close at all. Matthew Baldwin learns why the wreath he likes is weird.
