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Monday, June 25, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Summit doubts to drive up Spain's debt costs Arizona governor hails immigration ruling, opponents dismayed U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. takes leave of absence Senators optimistic deal close on transport bill Guatemala says arbitration panel with U.S. on hold Spy chief toughens employee polygraph to stem leaks Cities split $111 million to hire, retain police Paraguay's Lugo protests as new cabinet sworn in Lockheed workers to vote Thursday on new contract U.S. wants "flesh on the bone" from Europe on crisis Romney cautious in response to immigration ruling Republican senator says time for compromise Reputation damaged, NY's Rangel battling to hold House seat High court splits its verdict on Arizona immigration law GSA scandal hits travel groups, convention hosts Sudan says no retreat on cuts despite protests Turkey turns to NATO after Syria downs jet U.S. tomato farmers say want to dump Mexico deal Factbox: Quotes from Reuters Washington Summit UK hackers admit plotting attacks on CIA, firms African extremist groups linking up: U.S. general Egypt's Mursi never made overtures to Iran, says aide Teen prostitutes rescued, pimps held, in FBI sweep Insight: Road to nowhere: the longest expressway India never had Obama slams Romney's jobs record on campaign trail Canada Tories, eclipsed in polls, launch attack ads Obama urges Greece to work closely with EU, IMF, ECB Rwanda says being made a scapegoat for Congo mutiny Tribal raids killed 900 South Sudanese in Dec-Feb: U.N Iraq bomb kills 9 young soccer players, fans: officials New Egypt president has tight window on economy Two wounded in attack on Pakistan TV office: police US says will work with Turkey to hold Syria "accountable" Italy calls confidence votes Tuesday on labor reform Acting attorney named for Chicago after Fitzgerald leaves Striking Bolivian police clash with government supporters Analysis: Obama's election-year housing push shows a pulse Cameron talks tough on welfare to rally party Teen murderers must get parole chance: Supreme Court Turkey says "no intention" of war after jet downed Summit doubts to drive up Spain's debt costs Mon,25 Jun 2012 06:38 PM PDT Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Struggling debtor Spain is likely to pay its highest short-term borrowing rates in over six months on Tuesday as investors demand high premiums, skeptical about euro zone leaders' readiness to act decisively to tackle the bloc's problems. Spain formally requested European aid worth as much as 100 billion euros for its troubled banks on Monday, but that failed to assuage doubts about how the country can repair its finances as it sinks into what many fear will be a deep and prolonged recession. The Treasury will issue between 2 billion and 3 billion euros ($2.5 billion-$3. ... Full Story Top Arizona governor hails immigration ruling, opponents dismayed Mon,25 Jun 2012 06:36 PM PDT Reuters - PHOENIX (Reuters) - Republican Governor Jan Brewer hailed Monday's U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a key part of Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigrants, while the law's critics said thousands of families will live in fear in the southwestern state bordering Mexico. The Supreme Court supported the law's most controversial aspect, requiring police to check the immigration status of people they stop, but threw out three other provisions that had been challenged by the federal government. ... Full Story Top U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. takes leave of absence Mon,25 Jun 2012 06:35 PM PDT Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. began a medical leave of absence from Congress on June 10 and is being treated for exhaustion, his office said on Monday. The offices of the Chicago Democrat, who has served in Congress since 1995, remain open to serve constituents, said a statement from Jackson spokesman Frank Watkins. "He asks that you respect his family's privacy," the statement said. U.S. Representative Danny Davis, a fellow Chicago Democrat, said he was surprised to learn of the leave because Jackson was "his normal, jovial self" two weeks ago. ... Full Story Top Senators optimistic deal close on transport bill Mon,25 Jun 2012 04:45 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senators involved in marathon talks on a two-year deal for funding U.S. road, bridge and rail projects said on Monday they were close to a compromise with House Republicans, although they might need to work through a Friday deadline to finish negotiations. They declined to talk about specifics, or address whether the potential deal would include a measure to approve the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline, which has been a major hurdle. ... Full Story Top Guatemala says arbitration panel with U.S. on hold Mon,25 Jun 2012 04:41 PM PDT Reuters - GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - The United States has agreed to freeze an arbitration panel with Guatemala in order to informally settle accusations that the Central American nation has failed to protect workers' rights, Guatemala's economy minister said on Monday. "Initiating an arbitration panel could have negative effects on commerce between the two nations, which is why we have entered into this agreement before the panel is formed," said economy minister Sergio de la Torre. Two-way trade between the United States and Guatemala totaled $10.8 billion last year. U.S. ... Full Story Top Spy chief toughens employee polygraph to stem leaks Mon,25 Jun 2012 04:40 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. intelligence official on Monday ordered that a new question be added to federal employee lie-detector tests to help uncover any leaks of secret information to the media. In true spy-agency form, the wording of the question was not made public. ... Full Story Top Cities split $111 million to hire, retain police Mon,25 Jun 2012 04:36 PM PDT Reuters - PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Some 220 cities and counties across the United States are sharing $111 million in federal grants to retain and hire police officers, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Monday. Beneficiaries of the Justice Department funds include Los Angeles, which received a $6.4 million grant to fund 25 officers, and Chicago and Philadelphia, which each got $3.1 million for 25 officers. ... Full Story Top Paraguay's Lugo protests as new cabinet sworn in Mon,25 Jun 2012 04:04 PM PDT Reuters - ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguay's new center-right president swore in his cabinet on Monday as neighboring nations intensified diplomatic pressure over the sudden impeachment of his leftist predecessor, Fernando Lugo. Federico Franco took office on Friday, moments after Lugo - a former Roman Catholic bishop - was ousted by the opposition-controlled Congress in an impeachment hearing that lasted less than six hours. ... Full Story Top Lockheed workers to vote Thursday on new contract Mon,25 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Striking workers from the Fort Worth, Texas, plant where Lockheed Martin Corp builds F-16 and F-35 fighter planes will vote on Thursday on whether to accept a new contract agreed to by a key union and management late Saturday, the union said. The modified contract, posted on the union's website, would give union members wage increases of 2.5 to 3 percent in each of the next four years, a lump sum payment of $2,000, and an additional $1,600 in cash to pay for inflation. ... Full Story Top U.S. wants "flesh on the bone" from Europe on crisis Mon,25 Jun 2012 03:56 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday urged European leaders to put "more flesh on the bone" for their ideas to tackle the euro zone's debt crisis as they prepare for a crucial EU summit this week. In an interview with Reuters, U.S. Treasury Under Secretary Lael Brainard said that while euro-zone leaders were moving with a greater sense of urgency to deal with the crisis, more details were needed on how they would get it done. ... Full Story Top Romney cautious in response to immigration ruling Mon,25 Jun 2012 03:53 PM PDT Reuters - SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney blasted President Barack Obama on Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court's divided ruling on Arizona's illegal-immigration law, and said he wished the court had approached the issue differently. In a ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court upheld a requirement that police check the immigration status of anyone they stop, rejecting the Obama administration's stance that only the U.S. government should enforce immigration laws. ... Full Story Top Republican senator says time for compromise Mon,25 Jun 2012 03:53 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Republican lawmaker said Monday it was time for Washington to learn how to compromise again so the country can solve its deepening problems. "I'm bothered by our politics generally that suggest that if you don't get exactly what you want, that's somehow a failure," said Senator Roy Blunt, a member of his chamber's Republican leadership and the former second-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives. ... Full Story Top Reputation damaged, NY's Rangel battling to hold House seat Mon,25 Jun 2012 03:41 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel, a once-towering figure in New York politics whose reputation was diminished when he was censured in Washington, is again fighting to keep his seat as a group of Democrats prepare to challenge him in a primary on Tuesday. Rangel, who has represented Harlem since 1971 and is a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, is battling a crowd of younger politicians in a redrawn district that is now heavily Latino. Yet most political watchers still see him being re-elected. ... Full Story Top High court splits its verdict on Arizona immigration law Mon,25 Jun 2012 03:29 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday upheld the main provision of Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigrants but threw out three other parts, handing partial victories to President Barack Obama in his challenge to the law and to the measure's conservative supporters. In an important test of whether federal or state governments have the power to enforce immigration laws, the top U.S. court unanimously upheld the statute's most controversial aspect, a requirement that police officers check the immigration status of people they stop, even for minor offenses such as jay-walking. ... Full Story Top GSA scandal hits travel groups, convention hosts Mon,25 Jun 2012 03:15 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - The fallout from the General Services Administration's headline-grabbing Las Vegas convention scandal is rippling through the travel and conference industries, who say their nascent recovery is being jeopardized by increasing scrutiny on government travel spending. Those industries predict that a recent Obama administration directive to federal agencies to slash travel budgets, and congressional proposals to further cap agency spending and travel, could hurt hotels, conference centers, rental car agencies and other private companies. The U.S. ... Full Story Top Sudan says no retreat on cuts despite protests Mon,25 Jun 2012 03:05 PM PDT Reuters - KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's finance minister said on Monday the government would stick to its decision to cut fuel subsidies despite more than a week of anti-austerity protests in Khartoum and other cities. Sudanese police used teargas to disperse the latest demonstration which took place in an impoverished eastern region, where witnesses said protesters also set fire to a local office of the ruling party. ... Full Story Top Turkey turns to NATO after Syria downs jet Mon,25 Jun 2012 02:58 PM PDT Reuters - ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is to demand backing from its NATO allies on Tuesday at a special meeting called after Syrian troops shot down a Turkish warplane last week in an incident Damascus said was self-defense but which Ankara branded an "act of aggression". It is only the second time in NATO's 63-year history that it has convened under Article 4 of its charter which provides for consultations when a member state feels its territorial integrity, political independence or security is under threat. ... Full Story Top U.S. tomato farmers say want to dump Mexico deal Mon,25 Jun 2012 02:44 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. tomato growers on Monday said they have formally asked the U.S. Commerce Department to tear up a pricing agreement with Mexican producers that they say has become "a charade." Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, told Reuters U.S. producers want the pact voided so they can file a new anti-dumping complaint against Mexico. The rare request comes in a dispute that dates back to 1996, when U.S. industry filed a petition accusing Mexican producers of selling in the United States at unfairly low prices. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Quotes from Reuters Washington Summit Mon,25 Jun 2012 02:39 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - Key U.S. lawmakers, campaign officials, political operators and budget analysts discuss their strategies for the political battles ahead in the run-up to the November 6 presidential election and beyond, at the Reuters Washington Summit June 25 to 27. Here are some quotes from the summit: REPUBLICAN SENATOR ROY BLUNT "I could get in lots of trouble in the current environment saying I think we should have more compromise. But I think what I've said about that is what I believe - compromise is the price for living in a democracy. ... Full Story Top UK hackers admit plotting attacks on CIA, firms Mon,25 Jun 2012 02:38 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Two British hackers pleaded guilty in a London court on Monday to plotting attacks against computers of international firms, law enforcement bodies and government agencies including the CIA, in a cyber crime spree that gained global attention. Ryan Cleary, 20, of southeast England, and Jake Davis, 19, of Scotland, both members of the hacking group LulzSec, pleaded guilty at London's Southwark Crown Court to charges they conspired with others to hack websites last year, Britain's Press Association reported. ... Full Story Top African extremist groups linking up: U.S. general Mon,25 Jun 2012 02:09 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three of Africa's largest extremist groups are sharing funds and swapping explosives in what could signal a dangerous escalation of security threats on the continent, the commander of the U.S. military's Africa Command said on Monday. General Carter Ham said there are indications that Boko Haram, al Shabaab and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb - groups that he labeled as the continent's most violent - are sharing money and explosive materials while training fighters together. ... Full Story Top Egypt's Mursi never made overtures to Iran, says aide Mon,25 Jun 2012 02:09 PM PDT Reuters - DUBAI/CAIRO (Reuters) - An Iranian news agency said Egypt's Islamist President-elect Mohamed Mursi had voiced interest in restoring long-severed ties with Tehran to create a strategic "balance" in the region, but a Mursi aide denied the interview ever took place. Iran's Fars agency said it spoke to Mursi a few hours before Sunday's election results were announced and quoted him saying the two countries should get closer - comments that go counter to Western efforts to isolate Tehran over its nuclear program. ... Full Story Top Teen prostitutes rescued, pimps held, in FBI sweep Mon,25 Jun 2012 02:07 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seventy-nine teenagers held against their will and forced into prostitution were rescued at hotels, truck stops and storefronts in a three-day sweep of sex-trafficking rings across the United States, law enforcement officials said on Monday. The FBI said 104 alleged pimps were arrested during sting operations in 57 U.S. cities including Atlanta, Sacramento, and Toledo, Ohio. The operation lasted between Thursday and Saturday and involved state and local authorities as well as the FBI. ... Full Story Top Insight: Road to nowhere: the longest expressway India never had Mon,25 Jun 2012 02:04 PM PDT Reuters - BALLIA, India (Reuters) - In a wheat field near the mighty Ganges river stands a cracked foundation stone surrounded by nibbling goats and farmers driving their cattle in the baking sun. Unveiled more than four years ago, it's all that remains of an ambition to build India's longest expressway, an eight-lane, 1,050-km (650-mile) road that would have run through Uttar Pradesh state and connected one of the country's most backward regions to the doorstep of the nation's capital. ... Full Story Top Obama slams Romney's jobs record on campaign trail Mon,25 Jun 2012 01:54 PM PDT Reuters - DURHAM, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Barack Obama accused his November election rival Mitt Romney on Monday of having outsourced jobs to India and China and sought to convince voters that the former private equity executive is out of touch with their economic concerns. In remarks to a rally in New Hampshire, the Democratic president seized on a Washington Post report that Bain Capital, the firm that Romney founded and led, had helped U.S. companies become "pioneers" in shipping work overseas. ... Full Story Top Canada Tories, eclipsed in polls, launch attack ads Mon,25 Jun 2012 01:45 PM PDT Reuters - OTTAWA (Reuters) - Edged out in the polls, Canada's governing Conservative Party launched attack ads on Monday against the left-of-center New Democratic Party, which replaced the Liberals as the official opposition in the 2011 election. It is a sign of the NDP's coming of age that the Conservatives have shifted their attention away from the Liberals, who until 2011 had always been either the governing or the largest opposition party. The NDP appears to have solidified its position as the main alternative to the Conservatives of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. ... Full Story Top Obama urges Greece to work closely with EU, IMF, ECB Mon,25 Jun 2012 01:40 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with newly elected Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Monday and urged him to work closely with the European Union and other bodies as he pursues economic reforms, the White House said. "The president welcomed Prime Minister Samaras' commitment to address Greece's economic situation and urged the prime minister to work closely with the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank in the implementation of Greece's reform program," it said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Rwanda says being made a scapegoat for Congo mutiny Mon,25 Jun 2012 01:08 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo on Monday condemned "disingenuous" claims that high-ranking Rwandan officials are backing an army mutiny in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a bid to make Rwanda a scapegoat for its former enemy's problems. Mushikiwabo called for calm and warned that the situation had resulted in rhetoric reminiscent of the lead-up to a 1994 Rwandan genocide in which 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus were killed. ... Full Story Top Tribal raids killed 900 South Sudanese in Dec-Feb: U.N Mon,25 Jun 2012 01:02 PM PDT Reuters - JUBA (Reuters) - Nearly 900 South Sudanese died during a burst of violence between rival cattle herding tribes in late 2011 and early 2012, the United Nations said on Monday, criticizing the newly formed state's army for failing to protect civilians. South Sudan, which split away from Sudan a year ago, has been struggling to stamp its authority on an undeveloped country the size of France awash with weapons. ... Full Story Top Iraq bomb kills 9 young soccer players, fans: officials Mon,25 Jun 2012 12:54 PM PDT Reuters - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Nine young soccer players and fans were killed when a bomb exploded near a pitch in southern Iraq, health officials said, in the latest of a wave of attacks raising fears of a return to widespread sectarian violence. The explosion in a predominantly Shi'ite Muslim area of the city of Hilla came the same day as police and hospital sources said a roadside bomb killed five people near a pet shop popular with young people in a Sunni Muslim area of the northern city of Baquba. ... Full Story Top New Egypt president has tight window on economy Mon,25 Jun 2012 12:49 PM PDT Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's new president has a window of opportunity to pull the economy from the brink of disaster, but he will have to chart a careful path to convince a host of deeply skeptical players at home and abroad that his is a government they can trust. After winning the country's first freely contested election for head of state, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi, 60, brings with him strongly free-market policies that would delight investors were it not for Egypt's daunting economic challenges and fraught politics. ... Full Story Top Two wounded in attack on Pakistan TV office: police Mon,25 Jun 2012 12:37 PM PDT Reuters - KARACHI (Reuters) - Gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at the offices of a Pakistani television news channel in the southern city of Karachi on Monday, wounding two people, including a security guard, police officials said. The gunmen fled after the attack, which targeted the building of Urdu-language news channel Aaj TV, police said. The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for the shooting, and threatened attacks against other television channels that did not feature the Taliban point of view. ... Full Story Top US says will work with Turkey to hold Syria "accountable" Mon,25 Jun 2012 11:50 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it would work with NATO ally Turkey to hold Syria accountable for what U.S. officials believe was a deliberate act of shooting down a Turkish fighter jet. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the United States stood in solidarity with Turkey as it investigated last Friday's downing of the Turkish jet and determined its response. ... Full Story Top Italy calls confidence votes Tuesday on labor reform Mon,25 Jun 2012 11:42 AM PDT Reuters - ROME (Reuters) - Italy's government has called four parliamentary confidence votes on its contested labor reform in order to win approval before Prime Minister Mario Monti attends a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday. Minister for relations with parliament Piero Giarda announced the votes on various articles of the legislation, to cut short parliament's examination of the package which was presented by the cabinet in March. Three of the votes will be held in the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, and the final vote, and definitive approval of the reform, is due on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top Acting attorney named for Chicago after Fitzgerald leaves Mon,25 Jun 2012 11:32 AM PDT Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - Long-time Chicago prosecutor Gary S. Shapiro will become acting U.S. attorney on July 1 after Patrick J. Fitzgerald, known for his hard line on political corruption, steps down from the post, the U.S. Attorney's office said Monday. Also Monday, the state's two senators have agreed to appoint a six-member bipartisan committee to screen applicants for Fitzgerald's permanent replacement. Shapiro, 65, who is Fitzgerald's second in command as first assistant U.S. attorney, has a total of four decades of experience as a federal prosecutor in Chicago. ... Full Story Top Striking Bolivian police clash with government supporters Mon,25 Jun 2012 11:14 AM PDT Reuters - LA PAZ (Reuters) - Striking police fired tear gas to keep supporters of President Evo Morales from rallying at the main square in Bolivia's capital on Monday on the fourth day of a mutiny over wages by lower-ranking police officers. Morales, a leftist leader who is Bolivia's first indigenous president, has faced increasingly thorny social conflicts in the past year in the Andean nation, but ruled out deploying troops to end the police rebellion. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Obama's election-year housing push shows a pulse Mon,25 Jun 2012 11:04 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barack Obama's election-year "to do" list for Congress appears likely to largely fall victim to partisan sniping, but one element - mortgage relief - is showing a pulse. Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have both expressed interest in a bill that could make it easier for millions of Americans to refinance home loans, although they are circling each other warily as they try to determine their first steps. ... Full Story Top Cameron talks tough on welfare to rally party Mon,25 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Keen to rally his party's rebellious right wing and mollify an increasingly hostile press, prime minister threatened on Monday to reduce benefits for poor families with too many children as part of proposals to slash social spending. Welfare is Britain's single biggest expense - 207 billion pounds this year - making it one of the most sensitive issues as the government struggles to fill a gaping budget hole, revive an ailing economy and counter public discontent over tough austerity measures. ... Full Story Top Teen murderers must get parole chance: Supreme Court Mon,25 Jun 2012 10:39 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled unconstitutional mandatory sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole for people under age 18 when they committed murder in a ruling that could affect nearly 2,500 young prisoners. By a 5-4 vote, the high court ruled the U.S. Constitution forbids such a mandatory sentencing scheme for juvenile murderers. Conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy joined the liberals while the more conservative members dissented. ... Full Story Top Turkey says "no intention" of war after jet downed Mon,25 Jun 2012 10:35 AM PDT Reuters - ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey said on Monday it had no intention of going to war with anyone after one of its jets was shot down by Syria last week and said it would only act in accordance with international law. "Whatever is needed to be done will definitely be done within the framework of international law. We have no intention of going to war with anyone. We have no such intent," Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told a news conference Turkey after a seven-hour cabinet meeting on the incident. (Writing by Jonathon Burch; Editing by Michael Roddy) Full Story Top

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