But at least it's going in the right direction. December is generally better than a year ago, but at least the trend starts to go up.

VOA: standard.2010.02.04

At the White House, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the threatened North Korea moves were "a serious step in the wrong direction" and urged Pyongyang to end what he termed its "provocative threats" and live up to its international obligations.

VOA: standard.2009.04.14