TODAY'S PAPERS: Bush: Regrets, I've Had a Few (Cheney: Not Me)

The New York Times leads with the dam that broke earlier this week in Tennessee and created what "may be the nation's largest spill of coal ash." As hundreds of acres are covered with the byproduct of coal burning at the Kingston Fossil Plant, environmentalists and officials are fiercely reigniting a debate over its potential toxicity and residents are unsure about what they should do. The Washington Post leads with new data that show U.S. consumers increased spending in November for the first time since May. Consumers had more disposable income, largely thanks to falling energy prices. But analysts warn this shouldn't be seen as a sign that the economy is making a comeback because energy prices aren't likely to fall much further and Americans seemed motivated to spend mostly due to the deep discounts that retailers have been offering in an attempt to save the holiday shopping season. The Los Angeles Times leads with a look at how the Great Recession is affecting colleges across the country. Alumni of some big institutions are receiving mixed messages from their alma matters that sometimes insist everything is fine only to turn around and beg for cash. "More than one president has sent out a relatively rosy assessment, only to follow up with news of cutbacks, hiring freezes and canceled projects," says the LAT. While smaller institutions have always been jealous of the huge endowments at big research universities, this may actually work in their favor this time around because they rely on tuition and other fees for most of their budget. To continue reading, click here.