SECURITY -- January 5, 2010 at 9:04 AM EDT

Tuesday's Headlines: Yemen Embassy Reopens; Obama Meets with Officials

By: Alicia Lozano

The U.S. embassy in Yemen reopened its doors Tuesday after a two-day closure, saying Yemeni forces had successfully addressed security fears brought on by al-Qaida groups in that country. Despite reopening the embassy, U.S. officials cautioned Americans in Yemen "to be vigilant and take prudent security measures."

The Yemeni Interior Ministry issued a statement promising a controlled security situation in the country.

"There is nothing to fear from any threats of terror attack," the ministry said. "Security is good in the capital and the provinces, and there is no fear for the lives of any foreigner or foreign embassy."

The British embassy also reopened with limited services, while the French and Czech embassies resumed only internal operations and the Spanish and German embassies restricted the number of visitors.

President Barack Obama is expected to meet with his security chiefs in Washington Tuesday to discuss why accused would-be bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was allowed to board the Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Politico has a list of five things to watch for as the meeting gets underway.

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Health spending grew in 2008 at the slowest rate in 48 years, according to a new report by the Department of Health and Human Services. In 2008, spending hit $2.3 trillion, up more than 4 percent from 2007 but down 6 percent from the previous year.

The recession might be partly the reason for the expenditure slow down, as patients spent less on everything from health goods and services to hospital care. The report also shows that as people lost jobs and benefits, an increasing number turned to Medicaid for help. Spending increased more than 8 percent in 2008, the highest rate of growth since 2003, according to the report.

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