Carcieri leaves for meeting with Obama

PROVIDENCE, RI (AP) - Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri leaves for a group meeting with the president-elect on the nation’s battered economy.

Carcieri is the governor of the smallest state, but he faces big economic trouble. Carcieri and the nation’s governors are certain to talk about the national recession Tuesday during a closed-door meeting with Barack Obama in Philadelphia.

Rhode Island has one of the worst unemployment rates in the country. Declining tax revenue has caused a massive state budget deficit and could lead to more spending cuts or tax increases.