The CNN Wire: Friday, Dec. 21

Editor's Note: The CNN Wire is a running log of the latest news from CNN World Headquarters, reported by CNN's correspondents and producers, and The CNN Wire editors. "Posted" times are Eastern Time.

Trucker accused of stealing Goya painting pleads guilty

NEWARK, N.J. (CNN) -- Steve Olson, the truck driver accused of stealing a Francisco de Goya painting on Nov. 8, entered a guilty plea in federal court Thursday.

Olson appeared in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of art, according to Scott Creegan, courtroom deputy. His trial is set for March 24.

Olson is accused of stealing the Spanish artist's "Children with a Cart" while it was en route to an exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan. The art was stolen from a transport truck while it was parked overnight outside a hotel in Stroudsburg, Pa.

The 1778 painting is estimated to be worth about $1.1 million. It had been scheduled to appear in the exhibition "Spanish Painting from El Greco to Picasso: Time, Truth and History" at the Guggenheim. (Posted 1:16 p.m.)

Bush chastises Congress for funding pet projects

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- While praising Congress for "ending on a high note," President Bush Thursday chastised lawmakers for adding billions of dollars in earmarks to a massive omnibus spending bill, and ordered his budget director to review the legislation for wasteful spending.

Bush's comments come a day after the House gave final approval to a $555 billion omnibus spending bill by a vote of 272-142. The bill passed Wednesday evening contains an additional $70 billion in war spending, a action bitterly opposed by anti-war Democrats.

An earmark -- also known as pork barrel spending -- is money set aside for a special project benefiting only a congressional member's district.

Bush also faulted Congress for passing "at the last minute" the spending that funds the government for the 2008 fiscal year three months after the fiscal year began on October 1. (Posted 11:03 a.m.)

Bush: Tax cuts not the way to balance the budget

(CNN) -- President Bush vowed Thursday that his administration will consider every option to stimulate the economy, and he was satisfied with the progress.

"My view of the economy is that the fundamentals are strong," he said. He said that his administration has been reducing the deficit by cutting taxes which, he said, results in economic growth -- and in turn, yields more revenue for the treasury.

"Maybe somebody else thinks you can raise taxes and keep the economy growing but I don't," he said. "My view is that given more money, the government will find new ways to spend it." (Posted 11:02 a.m.)

Bush: Two-pronged strategy needed to combat global warming

(CNN) -- President Bush in his year-end press conference said Thursday a two-pronged strategy is needed to combat global warming: bring other countries to the table and develop a national plan.

Bush said he opposed the Kyoto Protocol because China wasn't a participant. Any initiative will not work until all the key players -- countries that emit greenhouse gases -- are involved, he said.

At the same time, Bush said, a national plan is needed. But it cannot compromise the American standard of living. He advocated nuclear power as a possible solution.

"If you're truly serious about dealing with greenhouse gases, then it seems like you ought to be a strong supporter of nuclear power," he said. (Posted 11:01 a.m.)

Bush expresses hope for Iraq, Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Thursday said he was pleased with he considers progress in Iraq, but acknowledged the situation wasn't ideal.

"Are we satisfied with the progress in Baghdad? No. But to say nothing's happening is simply not the case," he told a news conference.

Asked if U.S. allies in NATO are "avoiding the fight" in Afghanistan, Bush said he understood that some countries could not commit combat troops.

"My biggest concern is that people say we're kind of tired of Afghanistan so we're going to leave," he said. But he said he was confident democracy will work in Afghanistan.

"I believe in the universality of freedom," he said. (Posted 10:59 a.m.)

Bush: No comment on CIA videotapes destruction

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said Thursday he would have no comment on the debate over the destruction of videotapes showing the interrogation of terrorism suspects until an investigation is completed.

"Until the oversight is finished, I will be rendering no opinion from the podium," he told a news conference.

The issue surfaced this month, when the CIA disclosed that it had destroyed hundreds of hours of videotapes. The tapes showed the interrogations of Abu Zubaydah, one of the first high-ranking al Qaeda members captured by U.S. agents, and another detainee, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. (Posted 10:31 a.m.) E-mail to a friend