to make electric cars 'a real option for motorists'

Consumers could receive incentives of between £2,000 and £5,000 to buy an electric car from 2011, the Government announced today.Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon said the initiative - part of the Government's low-carbon transport plan - would mean an electric car was "a real option for motorists".He announced the five-year initiative with Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who said that low-carbon vehicles would play a key role in cutting emissions.In the plan, announced in Scotland today, consumer incentives would be introduced to coincide with the expected mass introduction of electric and plug-in hybrid (part electric, part petrol) cars to the market.The plan is for consumers to receive help from the Government worth in the region of £2,000 to £5,000 to allow for the maximum choice of which car they buy.The Department for Transport is beginning discussions with the motor industry and financiers to determine how best to deliver this assistance.To be eligible cars would need to meet modern safety standards and have a range and top speed sufficient to give mass market appeal.Mr Hoon said today: "Cutting road transport CO2 emissions is a key element to tackling climate change. Less than 0.1% of the UK's 26 million cars are electric, so there is a huge untapped potential to reduce emissions."The scale of incentives we're announcing today will mean that an electric car is a real option for motorists as well as helping to make the UK a world leader in low-carbon transport."Lord Mandelson said: "Britain has taken a world lead in setting ambitious targets for carbon reduction. Low-carbon vehicles will play a key role in cutting emissions."Government must act now to ensure that the business benefits of this ambition are realised here in the UK. We want the British motor industry to be a leader in the low-carbon future, and Government must direct and support this, through what I call new industrial activism."The five-year plan involves a £250m scheme to deliver a green motoring transformation and involves promoting the infrastructure and support technology and encouragement of manufacture in the UK that will place low-carbon transport at the centre of the Government's vision for the UK economy.The two ministers were planning to drive a new Mini E electric vehicle in Dunfermline in Scotland to demonstrate the technology of low-carbon motoring.At present the cost of electric cars is high, with one high-performance vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, having a starting price of more than £87,000.At the moment there is also little infrastructure in place to support the recharging that such cars need.Last week London Mayor Boris Johnson announced a plan to introduce thousands of charging points across the capital.The Government is expected to announce in the Budget next week that it is introducing a car scrappage scheme in which owners of older vehicles are given a financial incentive to replace them with newer, less-polluting models.Today, AA president Edmund King said: "An electric car strategy has the potential to spark a personal transport revolution in UK cities. However, if poorly co-ordinated and implemented, such a strategy could short-circuit itself."For electric vehicles to revolutionise our cities we need infrastructure, incentives, clean electricity and affordable, practical vehicles. This announcement is one small step for electric vehicles but we need one massive leap to change the way we travel."He added: "This announcement will help in the medium term but in the short term we urgently need a scrappage incentive to be announced in the Budget next weak to give immediate incentives to purchase cleaner, greener, safer vehicles."RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: "We welcome the initiative, but it must be remembered that while electric cars might be green, the power stations creating that electricity are probably not."Most of the electricity used to charge these vehicles' batteries will be produced by burning coal, oil or gas."The only current carbon-free source of electricity on an industrial scale is nuclear and currently that accounts for just 20% or so of UK electricity production."He went on: "We also need to see how the pot of money will be allocated. If the whole £250 million were divided up so £5,000 is allocated per person this would only put an extra 50,000 electric cars on the road - out of an annual total of some 2.7 million cars sold in the UK."And in the short term there is still much that can and should be done to further increase the efficiency and cleanliness of existing car technology."
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker said: "This announcement is like adding a small dab of green paint to the rusty hulk of the Government's failed transport policy."Discounts on electric cars are all very well for those who can afford to buy a new car but it cannot hide the fact that the Government has forced up rail fares and destroyed many local bus services."This might have been a sensible policy if it was part of an overall climate change strategy, but on its own it is just a gimmick."Friends of the Earth transport campaigner Tony Bosworth said: "The Government must slash emissions from UK transport if Britain is to meet its targets for tackling climate change."Financial support from the Government for electric cars is a welcome step in the right direction. These vehicles could play an important part in a greener future."However, electric cars are only as green as the electricity they run on. Ministers must take action to boost the UK's flagging renewable energy industry."The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders chief executive Paul Everitt said, "The Government has shown its commitment to developing a market for ultra-low carbon vehicles in the UK but we must now ensure that UK design, research and development and manufacturing are at the heart of this growing industry."The motor industry is in the middle of its greatest economic challenge and immediate action to preserve the UK sector in the short-term is essential if we are to stake our claim in the global development of low-carbon technology for the future."Shadow chancellor George Osborne said the electric cars announcement should be taken "with a pinch of salt".He said everyone wanted to see more electric cars on the road, but that there was "a distinct lack of detail" about the Government plans.Mr Osborne went on: "The Government's announcement does not seem to include any of the crucial measures that are actually needed to make electric cars a mainstream reality."There is nothing about building a smart grid that can manage the higher demand for electricity that will result if more people are driving electric cars and too little on creating a national network of car-charging points, so that motorists can actually drive their new electric car around the country."The Labour plan announced today is like giving people a grant to buy an internal combustion engine, without bothering to set up any petrol stations. And of course, there's no detail about how any of this will be funded."It increasingly appears that the Prime Minister is again talking about imaginary money, from an imaginary budget, being spent by Labour politicians who've imagined they've won the next election."

Tens of thousands rally at tax day 'tea parties'

ATLANTA – Whipped up by conservative commentators and bloggers, tens of thousands of protesters staged "tea parties" around the country Wednesday to tap into the collective angst stirred up by a bad economy, government spending and bailouts.

The rallies were directed at President Barack Obama's new administration on a symbolic day: the deadline to file income taxes. Protesters even threw what appeared to be a box of tea bags toward the White House, causing a brief lockdown at the compound.

Shouts rang out from Kentucky, which just passed tax increases on cigarettes and alcohol, to Salt Lake City, where many in the crowd booed Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman for accepting about $1.5 billion in stimulus money. Even in Alaska, where there is no statewide income tax or sales tax, hundreds of people held signs and chanted "No more spending."

"Frankly, I'm mad as hell," said businessman Doug Burnett at a rally at the Iowa Capitol, where many of the about 1,000 people wore red shirts declaring "revolution is brewing." Burnett added: "This country has been on a spending spree for decades, a spending spree we can't afford."

In Boston, a few hundred protesters gathered on the Boston Common — a short distance from the original Tea Party — some dressed in Revolutionary garb and carrying signs that said "Barney Frank, Bernie Madoff: And the Difference Is?" and "D.C.: District of Communism."

Texas Gov. Rick Perry fired up a tea party at Austin City Hall with his stance against the federal government, as some in his U.S. flag-waving audience shouted, "Secede!"

But unlike many events around the country, politicians were not allowed to speak at a separate rally in San Antonio.

"They are welcome to come and listen to us, for a change," organizers said in a statement.

In Atlanta, thousands of people gathered outside the Capitol, where Fox News Channel conservative pundit Sean Hannity broadcast his show Wednesday night. One protester's sign read: "Hey Obama you can keep the change."

One of his guests was Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher, who made news during the presidential campaign when he asked Barack Obama about taxes. The crowd cheered many of Hannity's stances against higher taxes and moves by the Obama administration so far.

Julie Reeves, of Covington, brought her Chihuahua, Arnie, who wore a tiny anti-IRS T-shirt. "I want the government to get its hand the hell out of my wallet," Reeves said.

The tea parties were promoted by FreedomWorks, a conservative nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington and led by former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, who is now a lobbyist.

Organizers said the movement developed organically through online social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and through exposure on Fox News.

While FreedomWorks insisted the rallies were nonpartisan, they have been seized on by many prominent Republicans who view them as a promising way for the party to reclaim its momentum.

"All you have to be is a mildly awake Republican candidate for office to get in front of that parade," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

The movement attracted some Republicans considering 2012 presidential bids.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took the podium in front of New York's City Hall while the crowd of about 2,000 chanted, "We are America!"

He urged people to tell their lawmakers to vote against big spending or else "we're going to fire you."

As the former House speaker left after his 11-minute speech, passers-by yelled, "2012, Newt!" and "Run for president!" But when asked about a run, Gingrich shook his head emphatically and said, "I'm just part of a citizen movement."

Another possible candidate, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, sent an e-mail to his supporters, letting them know about tea parties throughout the state. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford attended two tea parties.

In Missouri, Karla Waite, 28, brought her four young children to a rally in Kansas City because she said "it was time to stand up."

"The way we've been going, with the bailouts and the entitlements, we're heading toward socialism," Waite said. "That's not the kind of world I want my children to live in."

There were several small counter-protests, including one that drew about a dozen people at Fountain Square in Cincinnati. A counter-protester held a sign that read, "Where were you when Bush was spending billions a month 'liberating' Iraq?" The anti-tax demonstration there, meanwhile, drew about 4,000 people.

In Lansing, Mich., outside the state Capitol, another 4,000 people waved signs exclaiming "Stop the Fiscal Madness," "Read My Lipstick! No More Bailouts" and "The Pirates Are in D.C." Children held makeshift signs complaining about the rising debt.

In Hawaii, several of the state's eight GOP legislators attended a Capitol rally. But the state's top two Republican officeholders — Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona — stayed away even though they oppose tax hikes to help close the state's significant budget deficit.

More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside a downtown federal building in Salt Lake City despite the rain and snow. Kate Maloney held a cardboard sign that read "Pin the tail on the jacka$$" with a picture of Obama on a Democratic donkey.

Other protesters also took direct aim at Obama. One sign in the crowd in Madison, Wis., compared him to the Antichrist. At a rally in Montgomery, Ala., where Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" blared from loudspeakers, Jim Adams of Selma carried a sign that showed the president with Hitler-style hair and mustache and said, "Sieg Heil Herr Obama."

Still others talked of their children's futures. In Washington, D.C., Joe Hollinger said he took the day off to attend the protest with his 11-year-old daughter.

"I'm concerned about the incredible amount of debt Congress is going to put on our children," Hollinger said, pointing to his daughter's sign, which read, "Congress get your hand off my piggy bank."

___

Associated Press writers who contributed to this report include Joe Biesk in Frankfort, Ky.; Mike Glover in Des Moines, Iowa; Beth Fouhy in New York; Kelsey Abbruzzese in Boston; Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis.; Terry Kinney in Cincinnati; David Eggert in Lansing, Mich.; Phillip Rawls in Montgomery, Ala.; Seanna Adcox in Columbia, S.C.; Brock Vergakis in Salt Lake City; Kamala Lane in Washington, D.C; Kelley Shannon in Austin, Texas; Virginia Byrne in New York; Mary Pemberton in Anchorage, Alaska; and Herbert A. Sample in Honolulu.

Summer movie video games seek to terminate stigma

LOS ANGELES -

Video games based on blockbuster movies typically get panned, yet shamelessly benefit from the buzz of their film inspirations. But the developers of this summer's movie games are more intent than ever on transforming gamers' groans into grins.

"Movie games have a bad history," said Jeff Poffenbarger, senior producer at "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" game developer Raven Software. "There is a stigma to movie games, for a thousand different reasons. They come out and they don't live up to the hype people create. For us, it was all about creating the definitive Wolverine experience, not recreating the movie."

Traditionally, movie games are daunting to develop because they face opening-day deadlines yet take double the time to produce as the films they are based on. Veteran game director Joby Otero, chief creative officer at "Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen" developer Luxoflux Studios, said upgrading the genre's quality has become a primary goal in recent years.

"I think Hollywood is communicating with the games industry on a different level now," said Otero. "There's a recognition that a game's quality can impact the overall franchise. I think part of the reason is that more of the key creative decision makers grew up as gamers themselves. There's an understanding of how wrong these things can go."

In hopes of saying "hasta la vista, baby" to a poorly received game, the Halcyon Co., which owns the rights to the "Terminator" franchise, allowed the "Terminator Salvation" game developers to work under the same roof as the film crew when creating the apocalyptic third-person shooter based on the flick directed by McG and starring Christian Bale.

"It meant that the game developers, art directors and designers could literally sit in the same production studio as the film guys," said Cos Lazouras, Halcyon Games development vice president. "They worked collaboratively side by side. They had access to McG, who was intrinsically involved in the game."

Set two years before the film, the "Terminator Salvation" game serves as a prequel to the film, establishing what John Connor has been up to since "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." An increasing number of movie games, such as "Watchmen: The End is High," are using characters from their films to tell stories independent of their movie counterparts.

Because the "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" movie mostly deals with the origins of hooded villain Cobra Commander, the developers of the accompanying arcade-style shoot-'em-up decided to let their game serve as a quasi-sequel instead, recruiting elements from the 45-year history of the toy line and cartoon series to enhance the story line.

"We pick up where the movie ends," said Electronic Arts senior product manager Jason Enos. "We tell a genuine story that's exclusive to the game but ties in key plot points in the film. That also allows us to leverage the larger 'G.I. Joe' universe — characters, vehicles, things you're not going to see in the film but you'll get in the game."

The team behind the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" game want to make one point about their work as sharp as the Marvel superhero's claws: This game is more about the character Wolverine, less about the movie itself. Still, they understand that Hugh Jackman's voice and likeness — and 20th Century Fox's massive movie marketing campaign — will help sell games.

"With a character like Wolverine, without the movies, we'd be solely relying on a hardcore comic audience that understands the character," said Raven Software senior producer Poffenbarger. "The movie actually broadens the appeal. The recognition is there. For us, we like the Wolverine we see in the movies, and the Wolverine in the comics."

Revenues for movie games vary, according to market researcher NPD Group. Box office popularity typically translates to game sales. For example, "Iron Man," last year's second-highest grossing film, was 2008's top-selling game based on a movie, selling a respectable 1.4 million. (A game based on "The Dark Knight," last year's No. 1 movie, wasn't released.)

"Some have done very well. Some have done OK," said NPD analyst Anita Frazier of the overall performance of licensed movie games. "I'd say the younger the target audience, the more important the license itself is in making the game successful. The older the target audience, the gameplay quality comes more to the forefront."

Movies have been a source of inspiration for game developers since the early 1980s when the likes of "Ghostbusters" and "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" descended on the Atari 2600. Nowadays, with graphic technologies constantly evolving, replicating film imagery has become easier — even with the games based on those graphically lush Disney-Pixar films.

Heavy Iron Studios executive producer Lyle Hall, who has worked closely with Disney-Pixar over the past seven years to bring such films as "The Incredibles," "WALL-E" and now "Up" into the interactive realm, said that despite the increased focus on creativity, it remains an uphill battle convincing gamers that licensed games aren't just another product.

"I still think they feel like it's the lunch box and the bed sheets," said Hall. "Those things are pressed out of a mold, but other than being on a disc, we are building and offering a creative experience. We're definitely trying to take inspiration from the film, which is built to inspire the audience. We're certainly trying to do the same thing."

Review: BlackBerry App World simple, light on apps

NEW YORK -

I'm typing this in between perusing Facebook, trying (and failing) to master a guitar-simulation game and listening to Internet radio on my smart phone.

And no, I'm not using an iPhone. I'm using a BlackBerry Curve 8900 to try out the recently rolled out BlackBerry App World.

Lately, any smart phone maker worth its salt is operating or about to launch an application store that corrals all kinds of free and paid software you can download straight to your handset. Apple Inc. started the trend with July's release of its App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Google Inc. runs one for phones that support its Android operating system — currently just the T-Mobile G1, though more are expected — and Nokia Corp. runs several it plans to consolidate into one. Palm Inc. is developing the Palm App Catalog for its upcoming Pre handset, while Microsoft Corp. is making one for phones that use its Windows Mobile OS.

Not wanting to be left in the dust, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled App World early this month, marking a major change from the past, when third-party programs were available for BlackBerrys but not in one convenient spot.

App World will undoubtedly appeal to RIM's growing legion of consumer users, as well as business users with some free time.

But with only a fraction of the applications available through Apple's App Store and many fewer than Google's Android Market, App World has a lot of growing to do before it can become a serious contender in the booming smart phone application market. It doesn't help either that starting prices are three times those for Apple and Google programs.

First, the good: Available as a free download from RIM's site, the App World software has a simple design, is easy to navigate and works on all recent BlackBerrys.

It uses eBay Inc.'s online payments service, PayPal, so you can buy applications fairly quickly and seamlessly if you already have a free PayPal account.

App World doesn't look as slick as Apple's App Store, but it is definitely more visually appealing than Google's Android Market. It also includes some of the popular applications available on those platforms, like one for social network MySpace and song-identifying program Shazam.

You can browse through a number of "Featured Items," such as a $12 mobile version of the popular video game "Guitar Hero World Tour," or the free travel simplification program WorldMate Live. As expected, you can also search for applications by title, or view them by category or popularity.

RIM says more than 1,000 applications are available on App World, with more added daily, but you will only see those that work on your device. Using the latest BlackBerry Curve from T-Mobile, I counted fewer than 700 applications.

That's better than the more than 500 applications that Apple had at launch, and that far exceeds the dozens for Google. But Apple's store has since grown to house more than 25,000 and Google had more than 2,300 as of March.

While some popular applications are available, RIM needs to improve its selections before becoming a serious contender.

For example, given that many people still get a BlackBerry for work, I was surprised to see relatively few applications in personal finance and banking, mapping and the professional and business category.

I was miffed to see App World does not yet include applications for watching videos on YouTube or for just posting short messages on Twitter (there are third-party programs, including the free Snap2Twitter, that include Twitter capabilities among their many features, but none dedicated solely to posting the message bursts).

And I was put off by the prices of some applications, too. Many are free, but fees for others start at $3 and rise from there. By contrast, prices start at 99 cents for both Apple and Google.

Fortunately, you can sometimes try before you buy. A ringtone application called "MP3 Ringtone Creator" cost $5 but I downloaded a free trial version.

In some cases, programs that cost money through App World are available on Google's or Apple's application stores for less. This was the case for the $12 "Guitar Hero" game, which you can also find on Android Market for $5.

I decided to buy the game for the Curve, despite being skeptical of its worth. After several attempts to follow the guitar licks of Blondie and Lenny Kravitz, it was clear I wouldn't be mastering the game any time soon, and I felt lame having spent $12 on it. I didn't even bother trying to play it in drumming mode.

I was happy with some of the free applications I downloaded, including Snap2Twitter, Internet radio service Pandora and news browser Viigo.

It's clear that RIM is trying with App World, and its convenience and simplicity are appealing. But until some more tantalizing applications are added to the mix, I'll probably stick with downloading the freebies.

Loney's bases-loaded BB gives Dodgers 5-4 win

LOS ANGELES – James Loney drew his second bases-loaded walk with one out in the ninth inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.

Singles by Orlando Hudson and Manny Ramirez gave the Dodgers runners at the corners with none out against reliever Bob Howry (0-1). Andre Ethier was intentionally walked, and Brian Wilson came on and got Russell Martin to ground into a force at the plate with the infield in. But he lost Loney on a 3-2 pitch.

Jonathan Broxton (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth.

Aaron Rowand hit a three-run homer in the eighth against rookie Ronald Belisario, giving the Giants a 4-2 lead after they were held to one hit over the first seven by 21-year-old left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who struck out a career-high 13.

But the San Francisco bullpen couldn't protect its lead, either. Jeremy Affeldt gave up a leadoff single in the bottom half to Andre Ethier, after pitching a perfect seventh in relief of Matt Cain. Martin greeted Howry with a double inside third base, Ethier scored on Loney's sacrifice fly, and Matt Kemp followed with a tying RBI single.

Kershaw allowed only two baserunners, giving up Molina's tying home run leading off the second innings and walking Rich Aurilia with one out in the fourth. He fanned eight of the first 13 batters, then finished with five Ks in a row.

Kershaw became the youngest Dodgers pitcher to strike out 13 or more batters in a game since Sandy Koufax did it on Aug. 27, 1955 at age 19.

He lost the decision when the bullpen failed to make Casey Blake's go-ahead solo homer in the fourth inning stand up.

Hong-Chih Kuo hit his first batter, Pablo Sandoval and pinch-runner Emmanuel Burriss advanced to third on Aurilia's single. Manager Joe Torre brought in Belisario — who promptly surrendered Rowand's homer into the left field pavilion.

Cain allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings and left trailing 2-1 after 115 pitches. The right-hander struck out three and walked four, remaining 0-6 in 12 career starts against the Dodgers with a 3.97 ERA.

Cain is just 16-30 in 68 starts after winning 13 games as a rookie in 2006. Since the beginning of the 2007 season, his teammates have scored fewer than two runs in 30 of his starts. Last season, Cain had the second-lowest run support in the majors (3.14) behind Oakland's Greg Smith (2.88).

Cain walked three batters in the first inning, including Loney with the bases loaded and two outs — but came back to strike out Matt Kemp with his 30th pitch of the inning.

Molina, who had a career-high 95 RBIs last year, tied it when he homered leading off the second. It was the Giants' first home run since the three they hit on opening day.

Kershaw's walk to Aurilia was the first in four games for the Giants, who ended a string of 87 consecutive plate appearances without one going back to the eighth inning of Friday's loss at San Diego. But Aurilia was doubled off first base after Kemp robbed Aaron Rowand of a hit with a diving catch in short center field.

Notes:@ Everyone on both teams wore No. 42 to mark the 62nd anniversary of Jackie Robinson's major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and former teammate Don Newcombe threw out the first pitch. ... Aside from the team tribute, the only Dodgers player to wear No. 42 after Jackie Robinson's retirement was RHP Ray Lamb, who allowed three runs over 15 innings in his 10 relief appearances as a rookie in 1969 and was 0-1. Lamb switched to No. 34 the following spring. ... Hudson was 0-for-18 against Cain before singling his first two times up. ... Hudson, who on Monday joined Wes Parker (1970) as the only L.A. Dodgers to hit for the cycle, smiled broadly while presenting his 4-year-old son Orlando and 7-year-old daughter Kamari with bicycles at home plate before the game. They were gifts from his new club.

NBA Rockets lose to Dallas, drop division title

DALLAS, – Yao Ming scored 19 of his 23 points in the second quarter but the Chinese superstar struggled in the second half as the Dallas Mavericks dumped Houston 95-84 in a pivotal NBA contest.

The season-ending defeat cost the Rockets the Southwest division title, which went to San Antonio, and a higher seeding position in the playoffs, leaving them to face Portland in the first round of the NBA post-season fight.

German star Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to power the Mavericks, who claimed the sixth seed in the Western Conference and will open against San Antonio as a result.

Jason Terry scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter for the Mavericks, who also had 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds from Jason Kidd in the triumph.

Kyle Lowry added 15 points with Ron Artest contributing 10 for the Rockets, who squandered a 14-point lead and had a five-game win streak snapped to cost them their first division crown since 1994.

An 18-4 Dallas run late in the third quarter pulled the hosts level and back-to-back 3-pointers from Kidd and Terry midway into the fourth quarter spelled doom for the Rockets. Yao went scoreless in the final period

Obamas report $2.7 million in income for 2008

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, millionaires from his best-selling books, made $2.7 million last year and paid just under one-third of their adjusted income in federal taxes. While the income, mostly his, was far more than the U.S. median household income of about $50,000, it was quite a decrease from the $4.2 million the Obamas made in 2007.

Both years, nearly all of the earnings came from Obama's best-selling books. "Dreams from My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope" — brought in about $2.5 million in royalties last year, according to copies of the returns released by the White House on Wednesday, the federal filing deadline.

Obama earned $139,204 as a Democratic senator from Illinois last year before leaving his seat after winning the November election. Michelle Obama received a salary of $62,709 from the University of Chicago Hospitals, where she was an executive.

The couple's total federal tax came to $855,323. That was 32 percent of their adjusted gross income of $2,656,902.

The Obamas overpaid by $26,014, and elected to apply that amount to their 2009 taxes.

The couple's federal tax deductions included about $50,000 in home mortgage interest. Their expenses also included $47,488 to send their two daughters to the University of Chicago's elementary school.

They reported contributing $172,050 to charity last year, including $25,000 each to the CARE international relief agency and the United Negro College Fund. That $172,050 represented about 6.5 percent of the family's adjusted gross income. That percentage is roughly two to three times the national average for household donations to charity, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

The Obamas gave a total of $1,400 to five churches. In contrast to 2007, they gave nothing to the Trinity United Church of Christ. Barack Obama was a longtime member of the church, and gave it $26,270 in 2007, but resigned from it and cut ties with its pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, after Wright made incendiary comments that became a campaign issue.

The Obamas' total Illinois income tax was $78,765, their state return showed.

The White House also released Vice President Joe Biden's tax returns. Biden and his wife, Jill, earned $269,256 last year.

The Bidens' main sources of income were salaries from the Senate, Widener University, Delaware Technical & Community College and royalties from the audio rights to the vice president's memoir, "Promises to Keep."

According to tax returns released by the vice president's office, the Bidens paid $46,952 in federal income taxes and $11,164 in Delaware state income taxes. They donated $1,885 to charity.

"The charitable donations claimed by the Bidens on their tax returns are not the sum of their annual contributions to charity," a White House statement said. "They donate to their church, and they contribute to their favorite causes with their time, as well as their checkbooks."

Biden served in the Senate from 1973 until Jan. 15 of this year.