10 things you need to know today: February 18, 2014

The White House celebrates the stimulus' fifth anniversary, Jimmy Fallon debuts as Tonight Show host, and more

Jimmy Fallon
(Image credit: (Theo Wargo/Getty Images))

1. Republicans and Democrats renew debate over the stimulus

The White House released a report on Monday crediting President Obama's economic stimulus law with creating millions of jobs on the fifth anniversary of the legislation's passage. Obama said the $787 billion law, passed when Democrats controlled the House and the Senate, averted a second Great Depression. Republicans, most of whom fought Obama over the stimulus, disputed the White House claims. House Speaker John Boehner said it was nothing but "big promises and big spending with little results." [Reuters]

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.