Good morning, Washington. So The New York Times is leading off with a story that says the unprecedented government financial rescue package appears to be working, at least a little bit, to prop up flailing credit markets. The Washington Post, meanwhile, points out that Ben Bernanke’s endorsement of a new financial stimulus package may be mostly responsible for the most recent increase in the stock markets. The bill would not be pushed through until after the election, and probably not until after a new administration takes office. Democrats are aiming to include things in the bill that would directly go to poor Americans, because they would be more likely to spend all of it right away, thus helping to push us out of the recession.

Tax Office Workers Fired: The Examiner reports that at least a dozen workers whose names appeared on checks made out by Office of Tax and Revenue embezzler Harriette Walters were fired last week. Prosecutors can’t prove that any of the workers knew they were accepting stolen money from Walters, but the city gave them the option of resigning or facing dismissal when they received their names from the U.S. Attorney.

Some Victims of Economy are Adorable: So reports the Post, who found some cute teens who lost out on internships this year because of the recession. Many large businesses have cut back on spending for interns, leaving teens who applied to programs that no longer exist in the lurch. The teen employment rate is also now at its lowest level in 60 years.

Briefly Noted: Woman arrested in Fairfax-to-D.C. child abduction … Fairfax County has approved a furlough for all non-essential county employees for one day in January … Montgomery County home invasion & murder suspect escaped from N.Y. police in 2000 … Md. man gets 8 years for downloading child porn … Charges dropped against PG County man whose father was shot by a police officer.

Photo by Aziz Y.