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| U.S. seeks to tackle trade-secret theft by China, others Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 07:52 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Faced with the growing theft of U.S. trade secrets, the White House said on Wednesday it was stepping up diplomatic pressure and mulling tougher laws to stem the threat to American businesses and security from China and other nations. The plan includes working with like-minded governments to put pressure on bad actors, using trade policy tools, increasing criminal prosecutions and launching a 120-day review to see whether new U.S. legislation is needed. "A hacker in China can acquire source code from a software company in Virginia without leaving his or her desk," U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama says Immigration leak won't hurt reform talks Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 07:48 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama denied on Wednesday that the leak of a backup immigration bill being drafted by the White House would hurt Senate negotiations on immigration reform and he confidently predicted Congress would pass legislation. Republicans involved in a bipartisan Senate group working on an immigration overhaul package responded with criticism when details of the administration's plan surfaced in weekend news reports, despite Obama's promise to withhold his legislative proposals while lawmakers crafted their own. "It certainly didn't jeopardize the entire process. ... Full Story | Top |
| Wisconsin governor wants to cut income taxes, public school aid Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 07:41 PM PST  (Reuters) - Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker proposed a nearly $70 billion biennial budget on Wednesday that combines income tax cuts with increased spending on transportation infrastructure and private education. Walker, a first-term Republican facing re-election next year, said he would offset the tax cuts and spending increases contained in his 2013-2015 budget by redirecting some funds away from public schools and healthcare, freezing aid to local governments and selling off state assets such as power plants. ... Full Story | Top |
| Republican lawmaker miffed with Obama's Treasury pick Lew Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 07:10 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Republican senator on Wednesday said he was unsatisfied with U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Jack Lew's response to questions about a loan he received from a previous employer and was requesting more information before the Senate committee considering the nomination is asked to vote. Lew received a $1.4 million loan in 2002 as part of his employment as an executive with New York University and other loans of more than $600,000 in each of the subsequent three years, according to the questions and answers released by Senator Charles Grassley. Grassley, who is the No. ... Full Story | Top |
| FEATURE-Tennis-Federer plays big brother to village children Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 06:59 PM PST (Repeats feature first moved at 1915 GMT) GOVHU, South Africa, Feb 20 (Reuters) - "Big brother Roger," as the village schoolteachers call him, smiles at the small children and asks them to guess which sport he plays. Most of the bright-eyed three-year-olds have no idea who their visitor is but one, quicker than the rest, pipes up: "You play tennis!". Delighted, Roger Federer turns his palms up to reveal a badly calloused right hand punished by 23 years of holding a racquet, showing the children the difference from the smoother left one. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sherwin-Williams pays $80 million to settle U.S. labor department probe Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 06:50 PM PST (Reuters) - Sherwin-Williams Co has reached a settlement deal with the U.S. Department of Labor related to the U.S. paint maker's employee stock ownership plan by making a one-time payment of $80 million to the plan, the firm said on Wednesday. The company - which markets paints including Dutch Boy, Krylon, Minwax and Water Seal as well as its namesake brand - said the payment will result in an after-tax charge to earnings of $49.2 million, or 47 cents per share, in its fourth quarter, ended December 31, 2012. ... Full Story | Top |
| Washington state baristas arrested for stripping at drive-thru Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 05:30 PM PST (Reuters) - Three baristas accused of giving customers peep shows along with their coffee have been arrested in Washington state, accused of operating an adult cabaret without a license from the drive-thru windows of two Grab-N-Go coffee shops, police said on Wednesday. The three women, who were not immediately identified, were taken into custody in the city of Everett following a two-month undercover operation that was launched after complaints from the public, Everett police officials said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama turns to local TV to press Republicans to avert cuts Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 05:10 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama turned to local television stations across the United States on Wednesday to increase public pressure on congressional Republicans to avert $85 billion in budget cuts set to begin in nine days. Obama scheduled five-minute interviews with television stations in eight media markets, most of which have a strong military presence, on a day when the Pentagon described its plans for laying off some 800,000 civilian employees for 22 days to save money. ... Full Story | Top |
| Majority of U.S. citizens say illegal immigrants should be deported Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 05:09 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than half of U.S. citizens believe that most or all of the country's 11 million illegal immigrants should be deported, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday that highlights the difficulties facing lawmakers trying to reform the U.S. immigration system. The online survey shows resistance to easing immigration laws despite the biggest push for reform in Congress since 2007. Thirty percent of those polled think that most illegal immigrants, with some exceptions, should be deported, while 23 percent believe all illegal immigrants should be deported. ... Full Story | Top |
| Florida governor backs limited Medicaid expansion Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 05:08 PM PST  TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Florida Governor Rick Scott backed a limited expansion of healthcare coverage for the poor on Wednesday, joining six other Republican governors who have agreed to the measure under President Barack Obama's landmark reform law. Scott, a wealthy former healthcare executive and vocal critic of the law known as Obamacare, had balked previously at expanding Medicaid. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. deserves top mad-cow rating, health officials say Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 04:26 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is expected to get the top safety rating for mad cow disease in spring, under a recommendation from international livestock health experts that was greeted on Wednesday as a sure-fire boost to U.S. beef exports. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the recommended upgrade, to "negligible" from "controlled" risk, was proof that U.S. beef meets the highest safety standards in the world. A trade group, the U.S. Cattlemen's Association, said the move was "a big step forward towards enhancing our export opportunities. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cameron suggests using foreign aid cash for military Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 04:17 PM PST  AMRITSAR, India (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron has raised the possibility of diverting hundreds of millions of pounds from foreign aid to defence and security. Faced with anger in his ruling Conservative party about further possible defence cuts at a time when he says Britain must spend 0.7 percent of gross domestic product on foreign aid, Cameron told reporters he was interested in exploring ways to use money earmarked for foreign aid for wider security purposes. ... Full Story | Top |
| FSA to publish internal Libor probe soon Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 04:11 PM PST  LONDON (Reuters) - The Financial Services Authority (FSA) will publish its internal review into when it first knew about banks rigging the Libor benchmark within weeks, before the watchdog is scrapped. The watchdog told parliament's Treasury Select Committee in a written submission released to the media that the review was being conducted by its internal audit division. The FSA was responding to the committee's report last year on the Libor scandal. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain to India: Diamond in royal crown is ours Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 04:09 PM PST  AMRITSAR, India (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron says a giant diamond his country forced India to hand over in the colonial era that was set in the late Queen Elizabeth I's crown will not be returned. Speaking on the third and final day of a visit to India aimed at drumming up trade and investment, Cameron ruled out handing back the 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond, now on display in the Tower of London. One of the world's largest diamonds, some Indians - including independence leader Mahatma Gandhi's grandson - have demanded its return to atone for Britain's colonial past. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain's PM suggests using foreign aid cash for military Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 04:08 PM PST  AMRITSAR, India (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron has raised the possibility of diverting hundreds of millions of pounds from foreign aid to defense and security. Faced with anger in his ruling Conservative party about further possible defense cuts at a time when he says Britain must spend 0.7 percent of gross domestic product on foreign aid, Cameron told reporters he was interested in exploring ways to use money earmarked for foreign aid for wider security purposes. ... Full Story | Top |
| Landlocked neighbors worried by possible Kenya poll violence Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 04:06 PM PST ATHI RIVER, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenya's landlocked neighbors are stocking up on fuel and food to prevent the kind of disruption they suffered after being cut off from the port of Mombasa by angry rioters following a disputed election five years ago. About 200 million people in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and eastern Congo could be affected if Kenya goes through a fresh bout of fighting when it holds presidential and parliamentary elections on March 4. ... Full Story | Top |
| InBev, Justice Department seek delay in courtroom beer fight Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 04:00 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department and Anheuser-Busch InBev , which have been embroiled in a court fight over whether AB InBev can expand its stake in Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo, asked a court on Wednesday for a short delay as the two sides hold settlement talks. AB InBev, the world's largest brewer, has 200 brands ranging from big names like Budweiser and Stella Artois to craft-style beers like Shock Top and Goose Island. AB InBev wants to buy the 50 percent of Modelo it does not already own for $20. ... Full Story | Top |
| Panetta notifies Congress of Pentagon plan to furlough civilians Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 03:44 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta formally notified Congress on Wednesday that the Pentagon plans to put civilian defense employees on unpaid leave this year if $46 billion in across-the-board U.S. government spending cuts take effect on March 1. The announcement of congressional notification begins a 45-day process that could ultimately lead to 22 days of unpaid leave for most of the department's 800,000 civilian employees around the globe. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. DOJ probing JPMorgan over Bear Stearns mortgage products Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 03:44 PM PST  (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is investigating JPMorgan Chase & Co over allegations that Bear Stearns provided misleading information about its mortgage products during the lead-up to the financial crisis, according to people familiar with the matter. JPMorgan acquired Bear Stearns in a 2008 fire sale encouraged by the government, and has pushed back against various government suits that have sought to hold JPMorgan accountable for the failed investment bank's alleged mortgage-related misconduct. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House says it could also feel sting of spending cuts Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:59 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the latest dire warning about the effects of automatic government spending cuts known as the "sequester," an Obama administration official said on Wednesday that not even the White House's own operations will be spared. "The Executive Office of the President is subject to the sequester, and we anticipate significant disruption to our operations and mission, which could include furloughs," said the official, who did not provide further details. ... Full Story | Top |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield antitrust lawsuits pile up Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:50 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - A litigation onslaught facing the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its 38 member health plans over alleged antitrust violations has snowballed ahead of a legal status conference scheduled for Thursday. Three more lawsuits were filed last week alleging a conspiracy among the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member plans to divide the U.S. healthcare market into geographical areas that allowed plans to avoid competing with each other. At least 27 lawsuits have now been filed. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ecuador's Correa vows to make socialist revolution 'irreversible' Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:46 PM PST  QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said his party likely won three-quarters of the seats in Congress in last weekend's election and vowed on Wednesday to "steamroll" through reforms that will make his socialist model irreversible. The 49-year-old economist was re-elected on Sunday with 57 percent of votes, some 34 percentage points more than the runner-up. During his six years in office he has won broad support with high spending on infrastructure and social welfare. ... Full Story | Top |
| Palestinian filmmaker briefly detained in Los Angeles on way to Oscars Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:45 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Palestinian filmmaker on his way to the Academy Awards said on Wednesday he was held at Los Angeles International Airport and threatened with deportation before being allowed into the United States. Emad Burnat, whose "5 Broken Cameras" is competing for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category, said U.S. immigration officials took him, his wife and 8-year-old son aside when they arrived in Los Angeles from Turkey on Tuesday evening. "Immigration officials asked for proof that I was nominated for an Academy Award ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Spy agencies scrounge for details on North Korean nuclear test Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:44 PM PST  WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. and allied spy agencies have found no traces of telltale nuclear-related particles from North Korea's February 12 nuclear bomb test, leaving unresolved basic questions about the device's design, according to officials in the United States, Europe and South Korea. This lack of scientific evidence suggests that key questions may remain unanswered about the type of fissile material used in the test, which was detected by seismic sensors. It also leaves unaddressed questions about how far the North has advanced in its bomb design. After the test, the U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Monti says Merkel doesn't want left to win Italy election Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:40 PM PST ROME (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel does not want the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) to win Italy's national election, outgoing Italian Prime Minister and centrist leader Mario Monti said on Wednesday. "Merkel fears the consolidation of parties from the left, especially in an election year for her, I don't think she has any wish to see the PD arrive in government," Monti said in an interview with Italian news agency Adnkronos. ... Full Story | Top |
| Netanyahu, Rubio in water-bottle toast to U.S., Israel ties Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:35 PM PST  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toasted their nations' close ties on Wednesday with a click of plastic water bottles reminiscent of the Republican's sip seen 'round the world in Washington last week. Photographers captured the cross-table gesture in Netanyahu's office moments after Rubio remarked how Israel resides "in a challenging neighborhood," and he was "pleased" President Barack Obama would be visiting Israel next month. ... Full Story | Top |
| Supreme Court weighs UK-related foreign tax credit dispute Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:32 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments in a dispute between U.S. utility PPL Corp and the Internal Revenue Service that could influence U.S. multinational corporations' scope for claiming credits to offset overseas tax payments. In a rare instance of the high court tackling a tax case, Pennsylvania-based PPL argued it is entitled to claim $39 million in U.S. foreign tax credits against a 1997 British windfall tax. Like PPL, at least two other U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. issues final word on essential benefits under "Obamacare" Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:26 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday issued its long-awaited final rule on what states and insurers must do to provide the essential health benefits required in the individual and small-group market beginning in 2014 under the healthcare reform law. A cornerstone of President Barack Obama's plan to enhance the breadth of healthcare coverage in the United States, the mandate allows the 50 U.S. states a role in identifying benefit requirements and grants insurers a phased-in accreditation process for plans sold on federal healthcare exchanges. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bolivia's Morales says was unable to see Chavez in Venezuela Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:23 PM PST  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Wednesday he was unable to see his friend, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, when he stopped in Caracas on his way to the United Nations in New York because the socialist leader was still being treated for cancer. Morales, who was in Caracas on Tuesday, said he spoke with Chavez's family and doctor and described the socialist leader's surprise return to Venezuela on Monday - more than two months after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba - as a "great relief. ... Full Story | Top |
| Property prices pose biggest risk to stability of Hong Kong economy Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:23 PM PST  HONG KONG (Reuters) - Just three months after Hong Kong rolled out a tough new round of property cooling measures, home prices have again climbed to record highs with demand unusually strong for new flats over the normally quiet Lunar New Year holiday break. Hong Kong officials have stressed repeatedly that reining in the city's property market, now one of the world's most expensive, is a policy priority to restore affordability and to mitigate a major threat to the economy of the affluent Asian financial hub. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cameron regrets "deeply shameful" colonial Indian massacre Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:06 PM PST  AMRITSAR, India (Reuters) - David Cameron on Wednesday became the first serving British prime minister to voice regret about one of the bloodiest episodes in colonial India, a massacre of unarmed civilians in the city of Amritsar in 1919. The killings, known in India as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, were described by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian independence movement, as having shaken the foundations of the British Empire. A group of soldiers opened fire on an unarmed crowd without warning in the northern Indian city after a period of unrest, killing hundreds in cold blood. ... Full Story | Top |
| Desperate Postal Service tries to find its "cool" factor Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 02:03 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Postal Service, desperate and almost broke, is looking to the wallets of younger Americans for some relief. The federal government's mail transport and delivery agency this week said it will roll out a line of apparel and accessories it plans to sell in department and specialty stores. The "Rain Heat & Snow" brand of clothing, named after the Postal Service's motto trumpeting its carriers' determination to overcome whatever Mother Nature can throw at them, would put USPS in the "cutting edge of functional fashion," it said. ... Full Story | Top |
| French general urges EU to equip "impoverished" Mali army Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 01:58 PM PST  BAMAKO, Mali (Reuters) - The European Union should complement a mission to train Mali's army, routed by rebels last year, by providing equipment from uniforms to vehicles and communications technology, a French general said on Wednesday. General Francois Lecointre, appointed to head the EU training mission to Mali (EUTM) that was formally launched this week, said in Bamako equipping the "very impoverished" and disorganized Malian army was as important as training it. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. report may show slower growth in Iran nuclear stockpile Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 01:44 PM PST VIENNA (Reuters) - A U.N. nuclear watchdog report due this week is expected to show that growth of Iran's stockpile of higher-grade enriched uranium has slowed as it is using some of the material to make reactor fuel, diplomats said on Wednesday. If confirmed in the quarterly report, the development could help buy time for big power diplomacy to try and find a negotiated settlement to a decade-old dispute that has stirred fears of a new Middle East war. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama settles on EPA, Energy Department nominees: source Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 01:42 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama intends to nominate air quality expert Gina McCarthy to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz to head the Department of Energy as early as this week, according to a source familiar with the process. McCarthy would likely become the face of Obama's latest push to fight climate change. Currently the assistant administrator for the EPA Office of Air and Radiation, she would replace Lisa Jackson, who stepped down as EPA chief this month. ... Full Story | Top |
| Cuban dissident blogger inflames splits in Brazil's Congress Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 01:38 PM PST  BRASILIA (Reuters) - Cold War politics appeared to take over Brazil's Congress on Wednesday during a visit by Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez, with leftists heckling her as a pawn of U.S. imperialism and others praising her for standing up to Cuba's communist government. Sanchez, Cuba's best-known dissident, has been followed by boisterous sympathizers of the Cuban government since she arrived in Brazil on Monday on her first trip abroad since receiving a passport to leave the Caribbean island. ... Full Story | Top |
| Peru's dynamic first lady has presidential aura Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 01:31 PM PST  LIMA (Reuters) - Humble crowds adore her populist gestures. Fans and critics alike call her the co-president. Her husband, a rebellious army officer turned moderate leader, says people who think his wife is too influential are sexist. Peru's first lady, Nadine Heredia, is a potent political force. A telegenic 36-year-old mother of three who started the Nationalist Party along with President Ollanta Humala, she weighs in on a range of policy issues behind the scenes and, in public, often serves as the government's messenger. ... Full Story | Top |
| Homebuilding takes a breather; wholesale prices up Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 01:30 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. builders broke ground on fewer homes last month but a jump in permits for future construction to a 4-1/2-year high indicated the housing market recovery remains on track. Another report on Wednesday showed wholesale prices rose in January for the first time in four months. However, the gain was smaller than expected and left scope for the Federal Reserve to keep buying bonds to stimulate the economy. Housing starts dropped 8. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Sudan holds opposition figures without charge: Amnesty Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 01:23 PM PST  JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan's government has detained scores of opposition figures without issuing arrest warrants or giving them access to lawyers since unrest broke out in a northwestern town in December, Amnesty International said on Wednesday. South Sudan has struggled to establish the rule of law since it split from Sudan in July in 2011 following a long civil war that left the new country awash with weapons. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ex-New Orleans mayor pleads not guilty in kickback case Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 01:18 PM PST  NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who chided federal officials for their slow response after Hurricane Katrina inundated the city, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Wednesday to charges that he took kickbacks in exchange for city contracts. It was Nagin's first appearance in court -- and his first public appearance in the city he led for eight years -- since a federal grand jury handed down a 21-count public corruption indictment in January. The charges include bribery, wire fraud, filing false tax returns, conspiracy and money laundering. ... Full Story | Top |
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