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1. Workers should see a little more in their paychecks soon. President Barack Obama says the Treasury¹ Department has begun directing employers to reduce the amount of taxes withheld² from people's paychecks. It's all a part of his stimulus³ deal.

2. The nation's governors are in D.C., they're holding a three-day winter meeting that's focusing on the federal bailout plan and how it will help their states.

3. Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib Prison is reopening. It has a different name, the Baghdad Central Prison, and is being run by the Iraqis. Beyond the cells, it is also stocked with computers, a recreation area and even a sewing room.

4. Half a million people are filling the streets of Rio as carnival⁴ celebrations continue. They came dressed in wacky costumes for the "Black Ball" street parade. Unlike luxurious⁵ carnival parties attended by the elite⁶ and hosted in posh hotels, the street parties are open to everyone.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. wacky: adj.

If you describe something or someone as wacky, you mean that they are eccentric, unusual, and often funny.