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Big Easy does it
mReversing a slow start Sunday — and decades of frustration — the Saints win
their first NFL championship, overtaking the Colts and star QB Peyton Manning, 8
pages in Sports

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Striking gold with bit of gray
mSnickers ad with Betty White and Abe Vigoda wins with our panel, 8B

Snickers via AP

Magic touch: White in commercial.

By Sam Riche, The Indianapolis Star

In defeat: Manning sits on the bench after being intercepted.

By Daniel J. Powers, USA TODAY

New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 17: Saints QB Drew Brees, who was named the game’s
MVP, tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Newsline
n News n Money n Sports n Life

mAfter huge storm, capital could get midweek wallop, 3, 8A

Washington’s big dig Social

Security races to ‘negative’
Rash of retirements push fund to brink
By Richard Wolf USA TODAY

By Mick Bolduc, AP

Fatal explosion rocks Conn.
mCrews search rubble at power plant for survivors after blast kills five, 3A

Obama sees another bid at health care with GOP input
mPresident seeking ‘ideas on the table’ in series of meetings this month, 4A
By Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

Relief still eludes Haitian countryside
Outside of the capital in the earthquake-ravaged nation, desperation grows among
the hungry. 5A.

Cool running: Michael Sapronetti, 31, and Amy Hoffman, 23, pass the front of the
Lincoln Memorial as the couple finish a 5-mile Sunday morning run. Some suburbs
of Washington got 3 feet of snow.

Palin stumps for fellow Republican
The ex-vice presidential candidate asks voters to send message, re-elect Texas Gov.
Rick Perry. 4A.

mMoney: More get prudish with plastic
A growing number of interest-weary consumers make radical moves toward cash-only
lifestyle. 1B.

Olympic security doesn’t stop at Canadian border

mSports: Ruggiero gives all to hockey
At 30, the Olympic medalist is determined to stay competitive as second oldest on
women’s team. 2C.

mLife: Upcoming ‘Babies’ stirs buzz
Thanks to film trailers, audiences already are anticipating documentary that tracks
four infants. 1D.

USA TODAY Snapshots® S SA DA DA

What supernatural experiences we’ve had

By Mark Malijan for USA TODAY

On alert: Customs Officer Jessie Cobb monitors video feeds last month in the control
room at the border crossing in Blaine, Wash. The Vancouver Games are the closest
to the U.S. since 2002.

with the dead Felt in touch
Seen/been with a ghost
Consulted a r fortunetelle or psychic


U.S. preparations mirror neighbor’s

Source: Source: Pew Research Research Center survey Center survey of 4,013 4,013
adults in August 2009 adults in August 2009

By Anne R. Carey and Veronica Salazar, USA TODAY A TODAY

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trols to some of the 10 flat-screen monitors ringing the walls of the complex. There
are plans to deal with worst-case scenarios during the By Kevin Johnson Games: the
detonation of a radioUSA TODAY active “dirty” bomb; an anthrax attack; a crippling
blizzard; a mass BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A few evacuation from Canada triggered days
before the opening ceremonies for by a public health crisis. the 2010 Olympic Winter
Games in VanAs the host of the 17-day Olympics couver, the doors to a nondescript
warethat begin Feb. 12, Canada plans to house will open here without fanfare. spend
about $900 million (U.S.) to keep Inside the refurbished, low-slung the Games safe,
Canadian security coorstructure, U.S. officials have constructed dinator Ward Elcock
has said. Yet the an elaborate, $4 million communications com- costly security effort
does not stop at the Canaplex where law enforcement, public health and dian-U.S.
border. military analysts representing 40 agencies will The Vancouver Olympics, perhaps
unlike any scrutinize potential threats to the Olympics. other recent Olympics, highlight
an unusually Surveillance cameras on U.S. Border Patrol Please see COVER STORY next
page u helicopters will stream live video from their pa-

Cover story

WASHINGTON — Social Security’s annual surplus nearly evaporated in 2009 for the
first time in 25 years as the recession led hundreds of thousands of workers to
retire or claim disability. The impact of the recession is likely to hit the giant
retirement system even harder this year and next. The Congressional Budget Office
had projected it would operate in the red in 2010 and 2011, but a deeper economic
slump could make those losses larger than anticipated. “Things are a little bit
worse than had been expected,” says Stephen Goss, chief actuary for the Social
Security Administration. “Clearly, we’re going to be negative for a year or two.”
Since 1984, Social Security has raked in more in payroll taxes than it has paid in
benefits, accumulating a $2.5 trillion trust fund. But because the government uses
the trust fund to pay for other programs, tax increases, spending cuts or new borrowing
will be required to make up the difference between taxes collected and benefits
owed. Experts say the trend points to a more basic problem for Social Security: looming
retirements by Baby Boomers will create annual losses beginning in 2016 or 2017.
“The moment of truth has arrived,” says Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., top Republican
on the House Budget Committee. “This is a wake-up call.” Social Security took
in only $3 billion more in taxes last year than it paid out in benefits — a $60
billion decline from 2008, according to federal data. The slide in revenue occurred
sooner than Social Security actuaries had expected, for three reasons: uPayroll tax
revenue that was growing at a 4.5% average annual clip along with wages flattened
out in 2009 because of rising unemployment and pay raises that largely disappeared.
uThe number of retired workers who began taking benefits increased by 20%; those
taking disability jumped by 10%. uMonthly benefits were raised 5.8% because of a
spike in energy prices the year before. Social Security was saved from bankruptcy
in 1983 by a bipartisan deal that increased payroll taxes, taxed some benefits and
gradually raised the retirement age to 67. That was supposed to keep the system solvent
at least until 2058, but the projection has slipped to 2037. The impact of the recession
shows that “for all these projections, unexpected things happen,” says Maya MacGuineas
of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.. “Money has to be found to repay
those trust funds.” President George W. Bush proposed voluntary private retirement
accounts in 2005, but the effort stalled in Congress. President Obama has proposed
giving Social Security and other thorny fiscal issues to a bipartisan commission.

Congratulations, Drew and Chris. Through the air and on the ground, no one delivered
like you did.
Congratulations to the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of theYear, Drew Brees and
Chris Johnson. We understand. You need a winning game plan.
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