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| Obama urges Democrats to wake up ahead of tough midterm elections Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:51 PM PST  By Roberta Rampton MCLEAN, Virginia (Reuters) - Democrats need to wake up and understand the stakes involved in holding on to control of the U.S. Senate in the November congressional elections, President Barack Obama told Democratic Party donors at a fundraiser on Tuesday. We don't fund campaigns as passionately," Obama said. Obama was speaking to a group of more than 40 donors who paid $10,000 to $32,400 a ticket to attend a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee event at the home of former Senator Chuck Robb and his wife, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb. Obama said he planned to devote time and energy to working for Democratic candidates because advancing issues ranging from the environment to women's health issues depend on keeping control of the Senate. Full Story | Top |
| China signals focus on reforms and leaner, cleaner growth Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:29 PM PST  By Kevin Yao and Xiaoyi Shao BEIJING (Reuters) - China provided its strongest signal yet that it will shift toward balanced and clean economic growth, promising to reduce the pace of investment to the lowest in a decade and wage a "war on pollution". In a State of the Union style address to China's annual parliament meeting that began on Wednesday, Premier Li Keqiang said Beijing aims to grow the world's second-largest economy by 7.5 percent this year, the same as last year's target. Analysts have said maintaining the target after years of breakneck expansion signals that Beijing will remain focused on reforms and rebalancing the economy. Li said enacting reforms was his first priority even as he keeps an eye on growth. Full Story | Top |
| China's Xi ramps up military spending in face of worried region Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:27 PM PST China will increase military spending by 12.2 percent this year to 808.23 billion yuan ($131.57 billion), the government said on Wednesday, partly to beef up coastal and air defenses and to develop more high-tech weapons. "We will comprehensively enhance the revolutionary nature of the Chinese armed forces, further modernize them and upgrade their performance, and continue to raise their deterrence and combat capabilities in the information age," Premier Li Keqiang told the largely rubber-stamp legislature. Li added that China would "strengthen research on national defense and the development of new- and high-technology weapons and equipment" and "enhance border, coastal and air defenses". China's military spending is now second only to that of the United States, allowing Beijing to create a modern force that is projecting power deep into the disputed waters of the East and South China Seas. Full Story | Top |
| San Francisco moves closer to banning plastic water bottles Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:26 PM PST By Laila Kearney SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - San Francisco moved to restrict the sale of plastic water bottles on city property on Tuesday, the first such action by a major U.S. municipality and the latest in a string of waste-reduction measures that included a ban on plastic grocery bags. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to begin phasing out the sale and distribution of water in single-use plastic bottles on city-owned or leased land next fall, and to ban future water bottle purchases with city funds. "There are incredible, enormous environmental costs of plastic water bottles," said Supervisor David Chiu, who introduced the measure. "It takes 1,000 years for a typical plastic water bottle to biodegrade." Numerous cities in California and other states, including Maui County and a number of Hawaiian municipalities, have made it illegal for grocery stores to pack consumer purchases in plastic bags, and a bill recently introduced in the state legislature would extend such bans statewide. Full Story | Top |
| China to 'declare war' on pollution, premier says Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:20 PM PST  China is to "declare war" on pollution, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday at the opening of the annual meeting of parliament, with the government unveiling detailed measures to tackle what has become a hot-button social issue. It is not uncommon for air pollution in parts of China to breach levels considered by some experts to be hazardous. Full Story | Top |
| China services activity ticks up in January: HSBC PMI Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 07:06 PM PST  BEIJING (Reuters) - Activity in China's services industry ticked up in February from a 2-1/2-year low the previous month, a private survey showed on Wednesday, confirming other data showing a pick-up in services even as manufacturing activity slows. The HSBC/Markit Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 51.0 in February from January's 50.7, buoyed by new orders, remaining above the 50 line that separates expansion from contraction. ... Full Story | Top |
| Big names set to win in Texas primaries shaken by Tea Party influence Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:59 PM PST  By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texans went to the polls on Tuesday in primary elections where the top candidates for governor were projected to post easy wins and favorites of the conservative Tea Party movement shook up several races with established Republicans. U.S. Senator John Cornyn, a Republican, will win his race by a wide margin, local media projected. Attorney General Greg Abbott, the leading Republican candidate for governor, and state Senator Wendy Davis, the top Democratic Party candidate, were also projected to win in landslides, they said. The vote marks a changing of the guard for the Republicans with long-serving Governor Rick Perry not seeking re-election, perhaps to pursue a presidential run in 2016. Full Story | Top |
| Japan concerned about lack of clarity in China's defense policy Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:44 PM PST China's lack of clarity in defence spending is a source of concern for the world and for Japan, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday. Suga also told a news conference that the jump in China's 2014 military budget, which China said earlier in the day would rise by 12.2 percent, is something that Japan is keeping an eye on and that Tokyo will stay in close contact with other nations. Full Story | Top |
| Japan to set bitcoin rules, stop banks and brokerages from handling Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:34 PM PST  By Noriyuki Hirata TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will this week clarify the legal handling of bitcoin, people familiar with the matter said, the first sign that the government is taking action on regulating the virtual currency after the collapse last week of Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, once the world's largest bitcoin exchange. Bitcoin is a digital currency that, unlike conventional money, is bought and sold on a peer-to-peer network independent of central control. Japan has struggled to define its approach to bitcoin since the collapse of Mt. Gox, which filed for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo on Friday saying it had lost bitcoins and cash worth some half a billion dollars due to hacker attacks on what it said was its lax computer system security. Japan's Finance Ministry and Financial Services Agency have said bitcoin is not a currency and doesn't fall under their purview, while the Bank of Japan has said it was studying the bitcoin phenomenon with interest. Full Story | Top |
| Alabama lawmakers weigh strict 'fetal heartbeat' abortion ban Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:23 PM PST By Verna Gates and Melinda Dickinson BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is heard, which will almost guarantee a legal challenge from opponents. The bill, along with three other abortion restriction bills, now goes to the Senate. The sponsor of the Alabama measure, Republican state Representative Mary Sue McClurkin, said it was needed to protect the lives of unborn children. Critics of the legislation say a fetal heartbeat can be detected as early as five or six weeks into a pregnancy, which is before many women even realize they are pregnant. Full Story | Top |
| Japanese film "Homeland" tiptoes into Fukushima nuclear debate Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:22 PM PST By Ruairidh Villar and Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese farming family is forced from their home by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, living in cramped temporary housing under stress as they wait for permission to return to land worked by their ancestors for generations. That is the all-too-real backdrop of "Homeland", the first Japanese mass-market film set in Fukushima since the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years made the area's name infamous. Despite an intense debate about whether to restart the rest of Japan's nuclear reactors that were idled after the disaster, director Nao Kubota said he opted to tell a human story. "That's what I want everyone to feel - and it's for that reason that it's not anti-nuclear." On March 11, 2011, a massive offshore earthquake sent tsunami tearing through villages in northeastern Japan, setting off meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant that irradiated a wide swath of countryside and forced more than 150,000 people from their homes. Full Story | Top |
| Judge keeps alive suit challenging California teacher tenure laws Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:10 PM PST By Dana Feldman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A judge refused on Tuesday to dismiss a closely watched legal challenge to California's teacher tenure laws, which education reform advocates say inflict public schools that serve poor and minority students with a disproportionate share of the worst teachers. "These five statutes are violating the rights of California public school students each and every day," plaintiffs' attorney Theodore Boutrous said in court on Tuesday. "They inevitably put and keep grossly ineffective teachers in the classroom in front of students." The lawsuit, if successful, is seen by some education reform advocates as opening a new front in the battle over how best to improve a U.S. public school system that critics say is failing too many children, especially in low-income and urban districts. The suit was filed on behalf of nine California students in 2012 by the education advocacy group Students Matter and went to a non-jury trial in January before a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. Full Story | Top |
| Obama eyes boost in space taxi spending, Jupiter moon mission Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:06 PM PST  By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's 2015 NASA budget plan includes funding for a robotic mission to an ocean-bearing moon of Jupiter and could help boost commercial ventures to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, NASA officials said on Tuesday. The White House is requesting a $17.5 billion budget for the U.S. space agency in the fiscal year that begins October 1. That marks a 1 percent decrease from NASA's 2014 budget. But NASA could also have access to an additional $900 million from Obama's proposed Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative, a $56 billion fund for special projects that is separate from the regular budget. Full Story | Top |
| NY's Cuomo marks turf as de Blasio visits Albany to tout pre-K plan Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:05 PM PST  By Tim Brandfalt ALBANY, New York (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio put on a show of force in the state capital Albany on Tuesday to persuade lawmakers to adopt his plan for universal preschool funded by tax hikes. In a sign of his growing impatience with the plan, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo defended his turf at an opposing rally that criticized the mayor's stance on charter schools. De Blasio insists he needs to increase taxes on high-earning city residents to raise $530 million over the next five years for universal pre-K, something for which he needs state approval. Cuomo, who has committed to cutting taxes, has set aside $300 million over the next two years to fund pre-school programs. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. Air Force to fund rescue helicopter in last-minute reversal Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 06:03 PM PST  By Andrea Shalal and David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force decided on Tuesday to start work on a new rescue helicopter by United Technologies Corp's Sikorsky Aircraft in fiscal 2015, a surprising turnaround hours after the Pentagon told Congress the program had been postponed. Air Force Secretary Deborah James made the abrupt decision on the Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) program shortly before officials began briefing reporters about the Air Force's budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1. Influential lawmakers had pressed for the change, which was the latest twist in a nearly decade-long quest by the Air Force to replace its aging fleet of Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters. "Over the last 10 years, the Air Force has discussed upgrading the platform that performs this sacred mission for all DoD personnel who go into harm's way," said James, referring to the Department of Defense. Full Story | Top |
| Obama, Germany's Merkel discuss potential resolution to Ukraine crisis Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:59 PM PST  By Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday about a potential resolution to the crisis ignited by Russian intervention in Ukraine's Crimea region, a senior administration official said. Under the proposal, Russia would pull back its forces in Crimea to their bases in the region, limit the Russian troop numbers to a Ukraine-mandated ceiling of 11,000, and allow in international monitors to ensure the human rights of ethnic Russians are being protected, the official said. The so-called off-ramp out of the crisis would allow for direct discussions between the Russians and the new Ukraine government with the potential for some international mediation. Ukraine elections in May would proceed. Full Story | Top |
| Los Angeles moves to ban e-cigarettes, joining NY, others Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:56 PM PST  By Dan Whitcomb and Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles City Council voted on Tuesday to ban the use of electronic cigarettes, also known as "vaping," from restaurants, bars, nightclubs and other public spaces in the nation's second-largest city. A spokeswoman for Mayor Eric Garcetti confirmed to Reuters that he would sign the measure into law in the coming days. When he does, Los Angeles will join a growing list of cities, including New York, Boston and Chicago, that restrict the use of e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered cartridges filled with liquid nicotine that creates an inhalable vapor when heated. "We have an obligation to protect the workforce from the effects of secondhand aerosol exhaled by people who choose to 'vape' on e-cigarettes," said City Council member Mitch O'Farrell, who co-sponsored the proposal. Full Story | Top |
| Uighur leader fears China's 'iron fist' after knife attack Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:50 PM PST  By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Chinese authorities are likely to further crack down on dissent in the restive Xinjiang region after a bloody train station knife attack that Beijing blames on militants, an exiled Uighur leader said on Tuesday. China says separatists from the far western region launched the attack last Saturday, killing at least 29 people and wounding about 140. The assault by masked and identically dressed assailants took place at the railway station in Kunming, some 1,500 miles southeast of the Xinjiang capital Urumqi. Xinjiang is home to the Uighur Muslim minority, who have long complained about what they say are Chinese restrictions on their culture and religion. Full Story | Top |
| Alabama House passes bill banning abortions after fetal heartbeat Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:30 PM PST BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, according to a state lawmaker. The bill passed by a vote of 73 to 29, according to State Rep. Paul Lee, a Republican, who spoke to Reuters from the house floor. The measure now goes to the Senate. (Reporting by Melinda Dickinson in Birmingham; Writing by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Cynthia Johnston) Full Story | Top |
| Instant View: China aims for 7.5 percent economic growth in 2014 Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:28 PM PST (Reuters) - China will maintain its economic growth target for 2014 at about 7.5 percent, as expected, signaling that its policy focus would be slanted in favor of reforms and rebalancing the economy. Premier Li Keqiang, in a report to the National People's Congress at the start of its annual session on Wednesday, also said military spending will increase by 12.2 percent. Key points - 2014 growth target set at about 7.5 percent - China to make domestic demand main growth engine - 2014 CPI target set at about 3.5 pct - Total trade expected to increase 7.5 pct in 2014 - 2014 Budget deficit seen at 2.1 pct of GDP - China to continue with exchange rate reform - China to extend yuan floating rate - Military spending to increase by 12.2 percent COMMENTARY: KEVIN LAI, ECONOMIST, DAIWA CAPITAL MARKETS, HONG KONG: "7.5 percent is in line with the target last year. Full Story | Top |
| Arizona advances bill for surprise inspections of abortion clinics Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:04 PM PST By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - Arizona lawmakers advanced a Republican-backed measure on Tuesday that would allow unannounced inspections of licensed abortion clinics in a state that has taken some of the country's toughest stances on abortion. The bill, which passed in the state House of Representatives 34-22, would delete a provision in state law mandating that an administrative warrant be obtained from a judge to inspect any of the nine licensed abortion clinics in Arizona. This is about the healthiness of a facility where a woman goes to get a procedure done," said Republican Representative Debbie Lesko, the bill's sponsor. "What is it that they have to hide?" The measure, which still must be approved by the state Senate and signed by Republican Governor Jan Brewer before it can become law, is the latest abortion-related restriction to be sought by conservatives in state legislatures across the United States. Full Story | Top |
| Putin: military force would be 'last resort' in Ukraine Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 05:02 PM PST  By Vladimir Soldatkin and Alexei Anishchuk MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin delivered a robust defense of Russia's actions in Crimea and said on Tuesday that he would use force in Ukraine only as a last resort, easing market fears that East-West tension over the former Soviet republic could lead to war. Russian forces fired warning shots in a confrontation with Ukrainian servicemen at an air base, and Russian navy ships were reported to have blockaded the strait separating the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula from Russia. At his first news conference since the crisis began, Putin said Russia reserved the right to use all options to protect compatriots who were living in "terror" in Ukraine but that force was not needed for now. His comments, coupled with the end of Russian war games near Ukraine's borders, lifted Russian bonds and stock markets around the world after a panic sell-off on Monday. Full Story | Top |
| Obama budget: a boon midterm narrative for Democrats? Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:55 PM PST  By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's populist budget proposal, announced on Tuesday, is a pointed attempt to bolster ties with congressional Democrats ahead of high-stakes elections in November. It reflects a marked difference in tone and substance from last year when the president sought to draw Republicans into deficit-reduction talks by proposing to trim the growth of the Social Security retirement program. After those negotiations went nowhere, Obama has returned to a more traditionally Democratic stance and dropped the idea of revamping entitlement spending that upset some of his Democratic allies in Congress. "What Obama learned is that it's good to have these relationships and good to build them, but it's not going to get you anywhere," said Norm Ornstein, a political analyst at the American Enterprise Institute. Full Story | Top |
| White House readies health insurance renewal extension: sources Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:53 PM PST  By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration will allow consumers to extend health insurance plans that fail to comply with President Barack Obama's healthcare law beyond 2014, according to three people familiar with the matter. Without an extension, analysts say a new round of cancellation notices is likely to begin this October, just weeks before the poll. Full Story | Top |
| Oops, Congress asked to fix slip-up in Myanmar aid bill Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:47 PM PST By Anna Yukhananov WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is asking Congress to fix a 2012 bill that left a World Bank agency out of a list of 12 international financial institutions that could receive U.S. support to promote development in Myanmar. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) promotes foreign direct investment in emerging markets by protecting private investors from various forms of political risk. "Because of this technical problem, the United States is still required to oppose guarantees provided by MIGA for private investment in Burma," the Obama administration said in its budget request submitted on Tuesday to Congress for fiscal 2015, which begins October 1. Full Story | Top |
| Arkansas lawmakers vote to fund state's alternative to Obamacare Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:37 PM PST By Steve Barnes LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Reuters) - The Arkansas House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to fund the state's so-called "Private Option" medical insurance program that has drawn interest from lawmakers in other states as an alternative to Obamacare. The measure, which had earlier passed the state Senate, received 76 votes, one more than necessary in the 100-member House. This ended a more than week-long standoff over the health insurance program for lower-income residents. The Private Option uses $915 million in federal Medicaid funds from the Obama Administration's Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, to purchase health insurance for employed individuals whose earnings hover just above the federal poverty level. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. calls for 'urgent' restraint to ease Japan, South Korea tensions Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:36 PM PST  By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States appealed to Japan and South Korea on Tuesday to work urgently to reduce the tensions between them, saying its two main allies in Asia could not afford to let their troubled history interfere with ensuring regional security. It is important to handle them in a way that promotes healing," Washington's top diplomat for the East Asian region, Daniel Russel, said in prepared testimony for a U.S. Senate hearing. Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said strategic cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea was essential for future security in Northeast Asia, given the threat posed by North Korea and other "regional uncertainties," a reference to concerns about an increasingly assertive China. Full Story | Top |
| U.N. warns of possible humanitarian disaster in South Sudan Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:34 PM PST  By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - If the fighting in South Sudan prevents people from planting crops over the next three months, the country will be headed for a humanitarian disaster, the humanitarian coordinator for the United Nations in South Sudan said on Tuesday. Although the warring parties agreed to a cessation of hostilities on January 23, fighting has continued in parts of South Sudan. Toby Lanzer, the deputy U.N. special representative and humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, said it was crucial that the South Sudanese be able to plant their crops in March, April and May to ensure there is a harvest this year. "Right now what the people of South Sudan, what the civilians need most, is the ability to move their cattle, tend to their fields and plant," he told Reuters in an interview. Full Story | Top |
| Netanyahu warns on Iran, no concessions for Palestinians Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:29 PM PST  By Jeffrey Heller and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the United States and other world powers on Tuesday not to allow Iran to retain the ability to enrich uranium, and urged Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state if they wanted peace. Addressing the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC just a day after White House talks, Netanyahu avoided any explicit criticism of President Barack Obama but underscored the main differences with him over U.S.-led nuclear diplomacy with Iran. Full Story | Top |
| China budgets 2014 fiscal deficit of 2.1 percent of GDP Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:26 PM PST China budgeted spending of 15.3 trillion yuan ($2.5 trillion) in 2014 and a deficit of about 2.1 percent of gross domestic produce (GDP), the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday in its work plan unveiled at the annual parliament meeting. The ministry said it was raising the quota for bonds issued by local governments to 400 billion yuan in 2014, compared with 350 billion yuan in 2013. The budgeted deficit for 2013 is unchanged from its fiscal deficit of 2.1 percent of GDP recorded in 2013, which was slightly above the budgeted 2 percent of GDP. The budget does not give the full picture of China's government spending, however, as it excludes off-budget expenditure by local governments. Full Story | Top |
| China premier says to target pollution, graft, terror Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:25 PM PST BEIJING (Reuters) - China will "declare war" on pollution, go after corruption "without mercy" and "crack down hard" on "violent crimes of terrorism", Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday as the country began its annual meeting of parliament. (Reporting by Michael Martina and Li Hui; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel) Full Story | Top |
| Keystone XL pipeline will be built, TransCanada CEO predicts Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:24 PM PST  By Ernest Scheyder HOUSTON (Reuters) - The controversial Keystone XL pipeline will receive President Obama's blessing and be built to transport crude oil from Canada to Texas, TransCanada Corp Chief Executive Russ Girling predicted on Tuesday. Girling's confidence helps project a sense of inevitability around the $5.4 billion project, which supporters say would create badly needed jobs, and offset a recent unfavorable Nebraska court ruling and more than five years of political wrangling in Washington. "It is the next pipeline that is going to be built" in the United States, Girling said in an interview at the IHS CERAWeek energy conference in Houston. It's the right thing to do." Girling sought to reassure many of the Canadian company's customers attending the conference, the largest gathering of energy companies in the world, that Keystone XL ultimately would open and be able to transport their crude oil to Texas refineries. Full Story | Top |
| China targets 17.5 percent fixed-asset investment growth in 2014: NDRC Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:19 PM PST BEIJING (Reuters) - China will target 17.5 percent annual growth in fixed-asset investment and 14.5 percent in retail sales growth in 2014, the country's top economic planning agency said on Wednesday. In a report unveiled at the annual parliament meeting, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) also said it targeted 7.5 percent growth in total trade in 2014. It will also ensure that property market controls are properly implemented. China's fixed-asset investment - a main growth driver - grew an annual 19.6 percent in 2013, while retail sales rose 11.3 percent. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sex crimes trial starts for U.S. Army brigadier general Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:17 PM PST  By Kelly Twedell FORT BRAGG, North Carolina (Reuters) - The court-martial of Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair on sexual assault charges that could send him to prison for life began on Tuesday, a rare proceeding against a top U.S. military officer in recent decades. Sinclair, 51, a married father of two, is accused of twice forcing oral sex during a three-year affair he admitted to having with a junior female officer during deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and back home in the United States. The accusations saw him removed from command in Afghanistan in 2012 and sent back to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where the trial is being held. The military judge hearing the case refused to dismiss the charges based on defense attorneys' argument that top military leaders had improperly injected themselves into the case. Full Story | Top |
| Bernanke enjoys 'fruits of free market' with first post-Fed speech Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:17 PM PST  By Jonathan Spicer and Mirna Sleiman NEW YORK/ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Ben Bernanke earned more in 40 minutes on Tuesday than he made all of last year as head of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Bernanke was paid at least $250,000 for his first public speaking engagement, in Abu Dhabi, since stepping down in January, according to sources familiar with the matter. Bernanke's public post-Fed debut was a departure from the private audiences that his predecessor Alan Greenspan addressed shortly after he handed over the central bank's reins in 2006. In his remarks, Bernanke recounted the Fed's response to the 2007-2009 financial crisis, an issue he is exploring for a book he plans to shop around to publishers. Full Story | Top |
| NJ teen loses first legal battle to make parents pay for education Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:16 PM PST  By Victoria Cavaliere MORRISTOWN, New Jersey (Reuters) - A New Jersey student who says her parents abandoned her when she turned 18 lost a first round on Tuesday in the lawsuit she filed against them for school costs and living expenses, a case that could set a precedent for a family's obligation to support a child who has left home. A family court judge denied a request by Rachel Canning of Lincoln Park, New Jersey, to have her parents temporarily resume paying her tuition and living expenses. Canning, 18, wants her parents to pay the remaining $5,000 in tuition owed to the Morris Catholic High School, where she is a senior, and she wants access to a college fund that was set up for her. In court, the teen said her parents remain obligated to help her with food, transportation, high school tuition and her college education. Full Story | Top |
| U.S. Air Force sees Sikorsky helicopter award by end-June Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:14 PM PST The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday said it would take $430 million from other priorities to fund development of a new combat rescue helicopter by United Technologies Corp's Sikorsky Aircraft, the only company that bid for the work. The Air Force cited the importance of the rescue mission in a statement explaining its last-minute decision to proceed with the Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) program just hours after Pentagon budget documents showed the program was being delayed. "Moving forward with the CRH contract award protects a good competitive price and effectively uses the $334 million Congress appropriated for the program," Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in a statement. The Air Force said it expected to award a contract to Sikorsky by the end of June after a review by senior Pentagon officials and an independent cost estimate. Full Story | Top |
| China aims for 7.5 percent economic growth in 2014: Premier Li Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:13 PM PST  China aims to grow its economy by about 7.5 percent in 2014 and to keep consumer inflation around 3.5 percent for the year, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday as the country began its annual meeting of parliament, the National People's Congress. The government will keep annual growth in broad M2 money supply at about 13 percent, Li said in his first work report since taking office a year ago. Li also said China would have a 2014 fiscal deficit of 2.1 percent of gross domestic product. Full Story | Top |
| Passive smoking causes irreversible damage to kids' arteries Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:10 PM PST  By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Exposure to second-hand smoke in childhood causes irreversible damage to children's arteries - increasing their risk of heart attacks or strokes when they grow up, according to a large international study published on Wednesday. The research, which lends weight to campaigns for smoking to be banned in private cars and homes, found passive smoking leads to a thickening of children's artery walls, adding some 3.3 years to the age of blood vessels by adulthood. Full Story | Top |
| Flood insurance bill wins U.S. House passage Tuesday, Mar 04, 2014 04:00 PM PST By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives, in a rare act of bipartisanship, overwhelmingly passed a bill on Tuesday to protect millions of American homeowners and businesses from dramatic increases in their flood insurance premiums. On a vote of 306-91, the Republican-led House sent the measure - the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 - to the Democratic-led Senate for likely final approval. With homeowners and businesses facing premiums hikes of up to 10-fold or more as result of a 2-year-old law, the bill would limit annual increases of any individual policy under the National Flood Insurance Program to no more than 18 percent. The legislation also instructs the Federal Emergency Management Agency to have "an affordability target" that would seek to limit the cost of a flood insurance policy to 1 percent of a home's total coverage amount. Full Story | Top |
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