Citizen Cartwright

The $700 billion bailout will end up costing taxpayers just $25 billion

That's the latest projection from the Congressional Budget Office, which says the government will spend less than was thought on assistance to insurance giant AIG and to automakers like General Motors.

And additional stock repurchases by formerly troubled Wall Street firms and lower-than-expected participation in mortgage programs have lowered the cost, the agency says.

Reuters points out that many backers of the bailout have paid a high political price: Republicans such as Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah and dozens of Democrats lost their seats earlier this month in part because they voted for it.

The hard times for Democrats at the state level

At least 13 Democratic state lawmakers in five states, mostly in the South, have switched to the Republican Party since the election, adding to already huge GOP gains in state legislatures, The Associated Press reports.

In most cases, the switchers say the Democratic Party left them, not the other way around, by moving too far to the left or catering to special interests.

Getting citizens more involved in citizenship

California runs a “there oughta be a law” contest, with people sending ideas for new laws to lawmakers who in turn bring them before the Legislature.

A half dozen states have adopted their own incarnations of the idea.

So how much Vitamin D do you need?

Long-awaited new dietary guidelines from the Institute of Medicine say there's no proof that megadoses of the vitamin prevent cancer or other illnesses, and people up to age 70 need just 600 international units a day (800 IUs for people over 70).

As far as the increasing number of people being told they have vitamin D deficiencies, most testing labs are using a standard that's too high, says report co-author Dr. Clifford Rosen of the Maine Medical Center.

For calcium, the institute recommends already-accepted levels: about 1,000 milligrams a day for most adults, 700 to 1,000 mg. for young children and 1,300 mg. for teenagers and menopausal women.

Fountain of youth found — for mice, anyway

Brain function and fertility have been restored in mice by injecting the anti-aging enzyme telomerase, researchers report in the journal Nature.

It's not known whether the technique would work in people.

But while that's being explored, you can stave off some of the effects of aging on your mind and your muscles if you exercise, says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," he says.

Also in the news

International observers: Haiti election valid despite 'irregularities'

U.N. agency proposes new standards for air cargo security

WikiLeaks founder Assange could be charged under Espionage Act

Proposing federal pay freeze, Obama aims to seize initiative on deficit

New front opens in fight against climate change

Report: Anorexia, bulimia occurring more often in boys, minorities

Book was another example of medical ghostwriting, documents indicate

WikiLeaks' latest document dump

The leaked U.S. embassy cables published Sunday by The New York Times and media in Europe show, according to Jonathan Powell, chief of staff to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, "what good analysis the American diplomats had, how well-informed they were, how well-connected they were and how much they knew about political situations."

And in the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished category, Simon Rogers reports on the Guardian's Data Blog that the cables apparently were able to be downloaded because of the effort after 9/11 to increase the amount of information shared among U.S. government agencies.

Congress is back, with its huge to-do list

President Obama meets with Republican leaders Tuesday on topics including a temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts for people making more than $250,000 a year.

U.N. climate talks open Monday in Mexico

The expectations for this year's negotiations are low, despite new studies suggesting that, in the worst case, global temperatures could soar by 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by the 2060s and require an annual investment of $270 billion just to deal with rising sea levels.

Stimulus money for polluters

The Obama administration has given billions in stimulus funding to some of the country's biggest polluters, along with exemptions from "the most basic form of environmental oversight," according to a Center for Public Integrity investigation.