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The composer Marc Shaiman discusses his viral video "Prop 8 -- The Musical.".

The Natural Resources Defense Council persuades major bank to stop financing companies that use mountaintop-removal techniques in their mining.

The rescue plan for the transit authority finances calls for a new tax on corporate payrolls and tolls on the East River and Harlem River bridges.

Robert Nardelli, Chrysler’s chief, says he speaks for “one million people who depend on Chrysler for their jobs.”

At four firehouses, either the engine company or the ladder company will not be staffed during the evening shift, from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Foodies lobby Obama on his choice of Agriculture Secretary.

Senator Christopher J. Dodd, who heads the banking committee, suggested that it would be difficult for lawmakers to approve a financial lifeline for the three companies.

Canada’s formal head of state allowed the Parliament to be closed down until Jan. 26, granting an unprecedented request from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The chiefs of the Big Three auto makers said they would be willing to work under the supervision of a federal oversight board as a condition for receiving financial aid from the government.

Citadel Investment Group lost about 13% in November, bringing the Chicago hedge fund giant's investment decline this year to 47%, according to investors.

Investors received another round of bad economic news, including falling retail sales numbers and layoffs at AT&T.

Art Director Kurt Novak writes:

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In the 15 years I lived with my son’s native-born Japanese mother, I studied the language a bit, but it never really caught on. Mostly, I learned to be comfortable sitting in a room where I was the only one speaking English.

I don’t want my son to end up in the same boat.

Even when both parents agree that “bilingual is best,” it is extremely hard to develop a child’s facility in a second language when only one parent speaks it fluently. My role remains supportive at best. I can reinforce cultural awareness by, for example, watching Japanese movies with him (I read the subtitles), but the burden falls mainly on his mother and her family.

At first, Japanese just didn’t make much sense to my toddler. He didn’t mimic the Japanese words and phrases his mother taught him with the frequency and enthusiasm with which he mimicked English, and I was starting to think that we were failing in our efforts.

Much to my delight, this changed in January, when we took our two-year-old to see Ojil-san (his grandfather) in Japan. Suddenly my son was surrounded by Japanese speakers, as he and I tagged along with his excited mother while she looked up old friends, hung out with the family, rode trains and went shopping in Tokyo. I could see his eyes open to an understanding that Japanese was another means of communication, not an impediment to understanding English. Upon returning from this two week trip, his comprehension and retention of Japanese vocabulary increased exponentially.

We’ve discussed some of the merits of learning another language. Readers, are any of you raising bilingual children? How are you doing it–through family members, school, cultural immersion programs or other techniques? Has it been a problem if only one parent speaks the other language?

Farm emissions are being discussed during international talks on a new treaty to combat global warming.

The Mumbai police identified a second Pakistani terrorist as an engineer of the attacks, as gruesome new evidence emerged of mistreatment of hostages.