RTFA: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hJKgeE0Z-SivATj…

WASHINGTON AP - House Democratic leaders agreed Thursday to a rare closed-door session - the first in 25 years - to debate surveillance legislation. Republicans requested privacy for what they termed “an honest debate” on the new Democratic eavesdropping bill that is opposed by the White House and most Republicans in Congress.

The closed-door debate was scheduled for late Thursday, after the House chamber could be cleared and swept by security personnel to make sure there are no listening devices.

The last private session in the House was in 1983 on U.S. support for paramilitary operations in Nicaragua. Only five closed sessions have taken place in the House since 1825.

President Bush vowed to veto the House Democrats version of the terrorist surveillance bill, saying it would undermine the nations security.

Bush opposes it in part because it doesnt provide full, retroactive legal protection to telecommunications companies that helped the government eavesdrop on their customers without court permission after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Maybe when they close the doors, they’ll admit that they started BEFORE Sept. 11

RTFA: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7294040.stm

The price of gold reached a record, trading at 1,000 an ounce for the first time, pushed higher by a weak US dollar and fears about the US economy.

Concerns about a possible US recession are seeing investors buy up commodities such as gold as an alternative to company shares and the US dollar.

Since the beginning of the year the value of gold has increased by about 20%, after it rose 32% in 2007.