While We Were Out

Rest of the universe moved on outside of SUMMITRON '10:

Top NY Cabinet official Denise O'Donnell resigned in the wake of the growing scandal involving the State Police.

Denise E. O'Donnell, the deputy secretary for Public Safety, announced her resignation at 2 pm, saying that the actions of the governor and the State Police are "unacceptable regardless of their intent."

The New York Times broke the story last night that Paterson personally phoned a woman who David "DJ" Johnson allegedly attacked. The details of their conversation remain murky, but the woman did not show up in court to address the case the following day.

The article also alleges that state troopers visited the woman at her home and discussed the case with her despite having no official business doing so.

GOP Florida Senate hopeful Marco Rubio says he has reimbursed personal expenses purchased with his party issued credit card.

Rubio said Wednesday that he paid for all personal expenses billed to an American Express card given to him by the party to use from 2005 to 2008 when he left public office. The rest of the charges, he said, were legitimate party expenses.

Those expenses include a $1,000 charge at Braman Honda in Miami for repairs to the family car in January 2008. Rubio said the minivan was damaged by parking attendants at a political function and that the party agreed to cover half of his insurance deductible. The party also paid $2,976 for him to rent a car in Miami for five weeks, according to the records provided by a confidential source. 

And new jobless claims went up 22k to 496,000.

Continuing claims rose 6,000 to 4.62 million in the week ended Feb. 13. The continuing claims figure does not include the number of Americans receiving extended benefits under federal programs.

The unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits, which tends to track the jobless rate, held at 3.5 percent in the week ended Feb. 13, today’s report showed. Nine states and territories had an increase in claims for that same week, while 44 had a decrease.

In testimony before lawmakers in Washington yesterday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke cited “tentative” signs of stabilization in labor markets, such as lower job losses, a rise in manufacturing employment and stronger demand for temporary help. 

Heck of a day.