Negotiations Intensify on Final Stimulus Plan

Washington

Negotiators hoped to seal agreement on President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package Wednesday after making good progress in the first rounds of closed-door talks.

Obama's negotiating team insisted on restoring some lost funding for school construction projects as talks began Tuesday in hopes of striking a quick agreement, but by late in the day it appeared resigned to losing up to $40 billion in aid to state governments.

Earlier Tuesday, the Senate sailed to approval of its $838 billion economic stimulus bill, but with only three moderate Republicans signing on and then demanding the bill's cost go down when the final...