Daily News Digest: Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News

Yahoo! Alerts

Yahoo! News | My Alerts | Edit Alert

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 8:31 PM PST

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Embattled Cain says campaign plans rest with wife Obama pleads with voters for patience on "change" Tibetan Buddhist leader shies from mantle of power China, southeast Asian neighbors to patrol Golden Triangle Two governors petition for medical marijuana Bomb targets official in Pakistan's Peshawar: police Obama cites progress towards payroll tax cut In world's biggest democracy, parliament doesn't work U.S. denies NATO attack on Pakistani troops deliberate Senate pushes to hurry up Afghanistan pullout Obama administration appeals cigarette warning ruling Analysis: As Indonesia strikes it rich, workers start to strike Police take down Occupy L.A. camp, arrest nearly 300 Clinton seeks to embolden reformers in Myanmar talks U.S. church leader meets jailed American, Castro Senate Republicans offer tax-cut renewal plan Americans mixed on adequacy of cancer screenings Gingrich's work shows limits of lobbying law Fed's Fisher: swaps not aimed at bailing out Europe Analysis: Deal building to pump up IMF to handle Europe fallout U.S. church leader visits American jailed in Cuba Lawmakers want spy agencies to share cyber data Global corruption index reflects Arab Spring unrest Marines bullish on Lockheed F-35 variant Analysis: Deal building to pump up IMF to handle Europe fallout Egyptians await poll results, Islamists see gains Republicans make pipeline jobs issue for Obama Senate Republicans offer tax-cut renewal plan Texas asks top court to stop congressional map Two US governors petition for medical marijuana U.S. defense industry braces for leaner times Poor schools don't get "fair share": Education Department Pakistan army says NATO attack was blatant aggression NATO attack on Pakistani troops not deliberate: U.S. U.S. uncertain Israel would advise before Iran strike UK expels Iran diplomats after embassy attack Politically charged labor proposal advances Packing and patrolling, U.S. troops roll out of Iraq Obama: "Massive blow" to economy if tax cuts lapse Embattled Cain presses ahead with campaign Embattled Cain says campaign plans rest with wife Wed,30 Nov 2011 07:54 PM PST Reuters - MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain, battling allegations of infidelity, said on Wednesday he would decide whether to continue his campaign after a face-to-face talk with his wife. While vowing not to end his candidacy over accusations he had a long-term affair, the former pizza company executive said a frank talk on Friday with Gloria, his wife of 43 years, would be a big part of a "reassessment" of his White House bid. "I have talked to my wife many times since Monday about this situation. ... Full Story Top Obama pleads with voters for patience on "change" Wed,30 Nov 2011 07:49 PM PST Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama asked U.S. voters on Wednesday to keep believing in the "hope and change" he promised in 2008, saying he needed more time to turn America around. At a series of fundraisers in New York, where he raised more than $2 million for his campaign and those of other Democrats, Obama acknowledged frustration over the stalemate in Washington that has soured views of his leadership. "After all that is happening in Washington, it may be tempting to believe that change may not be as possible as we thought," he told supporters. ... Full Story Top Tibetan Buddhist leader shies from mantle of power Wed,30 Nov 2011 07:43 PM PST Reuters - NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Tibet's Karmapa Lama is revered by followers as a 900-year-old soul in the body of a youth, and tipped to assume the mantle of Tibetan spiritual leadership when the present Dalai Lama dies. But the 26-year-old who is the current embodiment of the Karmapa Lama, a sacred role in Tibetan Buddhism, shies from the expectations that surround him. ... Full Story Top China, southeast Asian neighbors to patrol Golden Triangle Wed,30 Nov 2011 07:23 PM PST Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China and southeast Asian neighbors will start coordinated patrols of the violence-troubled Mekong River by mid-December, China's Ministry of Public Security said, after a meeting that also agreed to let Beijing send advisors to Myanmar and Laos. The announcement followed an uproar after 13 Chinese sailors were killed on the river in October, when their two boats were attacked in the "Golden Triangle," where the borders of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet in a region notorious for drug smuggling. Nine Thai soldiers later turned themselves in over the killings. ... Full Story Top Two governors petition for medical marijuana Wed,30 Nov 2011 07:12 PM PST Reuters - SEATTLE (Reuters) - The governors of Washington state and Rhode Island filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday that would allow doctors to legally prescribe marijuana as a medical treatment. Democrat Christine Gregoire of Washington and independent Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island are asking the DEA to reclassify marijuana as a schedule 2 drug from schedule 1 - where it is listed alongside heroin and ecstasy - which would make it legal for doctors to recommend its use and pharmacists to supply it. ... Full Story Top Bomb targets official in Pakistan's Peshawar: police Wed,30 Nov 2011 06:57 PM PST Reuters - PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A bomb exploded near the office of a regional government official in the often restive northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar early on Thursday, police officials said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. A wall of the district coordination officer's building collapsed after the blast, which was heard throughout Peshawar, the last major city on the route to Afghanistan. ... Full Story Top Obama cites progress towards payroll tax cut Wed,30 Nov 2011 06:41 PM PST Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama struck an optimistic note on Wednesday night that lawmakers in Congress could reach agreement to extend payroll tax cuts he said earlier were needed to avoid a "massive blow" to the economy. At a fundraiser at a New York restaurant, the Democrat said Republican congressional leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell had indicated in the past few days they were open to the one-year extension that Obama wants to bolster the economy. ... Full Story Top In world's biggest democracy, parliament doesn't work Wed,30 Nov 2011 06:38 PM PST Reuters - NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's parliament has always been a boisterous and chaotic place that, like the country itself, still somehow worked: these days, it's not even muddling through. Proceedings have been abruptly called off every day so far since the 21-day winter session of the bicameral parliament opened last week because of the din raised by legislators bawling at each other across the floor of the house. Open debate is treasured in the world's largest democracy. However, patience with members of parliament who head off for the day after a few minutes of bellowing is wearing thin. ... Full Story Top U.S. denies NATO attack on Pakistani troops deliberate Wed,30 Nov 2011 06:34 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The top U.S. military officer on Wednesday denied allegations by a senior army official in Islamabad that a NATO attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers was a deliberate act of aggression. Islamabad has reacted angrily to the attack last weekend, which threatens to set back peace efforts in Afghanistan, by pulling out of an international conference in Germany next week on Afghanistan's future. It stood by its decision on Wednesday despite German hopes to the contrary. ... Full Story Top Senate pushes to hurry up Afghanistan pullout Wed,30 Nov 2011 06:15 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate voted on Wednesday to require President Barack Obama to devise a plan for expediting the pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, signaling growing impatience in Congress. Obama in June called for about a third of U.S. forces, or 33,000 troops, to leave Afghanistan by the end of next summer. The remaining 66,000 U.S. troops are to be slowly withdrawn until a final transition to Afghan security control in 2014. ... Full Story Top Obama administration appeals cigarette warning ruling Wed,30 Nov 2011 06:14 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Tuesday appealed a U.S. judge's ruling and injunction that blocked tobacco companies from having to display graphic images on cigarette packs and advertising, such as a man exhaling smoke through a hole in his throat. The appeal had been widely expected after U.S. District Judge Richard Leon earlier this month sided with tobacco companies and granted a temporary injunction blocking the requirement. ... Full Story Top Analysis: As Indonesia strikes it rich, workers start to strike Wed,30 Nov 2011 06:11 PM PST Reuters - JAKARTA (Reuters) - When the Jakarta governor offered a hefty pay rise last week to workers, he successfully headed off a major strike. But almost immediately, workers went on the rampage in another part of the country demanding a wage hike too. It is another illustration of the most recent and, for investors, troubling risk they face in what has become one of the darlings of the emerging economies. ... Full Story Top Police take down Occupy L.A. camp, arrest nearly 300 Wed,30 Nov 2011 06:08 PM PST Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police in riot gear and biohazard suits removed anti-Wall Street activists from their camp at Los Angeles City Hall Wednesday, arresting nearly 300 people and fencing off the area. On the East Coast, about 100 Occupy protesters in Philadelphia swiftly and peacefully vacated their encampment overnight, but police later arrested 52 around the city on charges ranging from obstructing a highway to assaulting a police officer, officials said. ... Full Story Top Clinton seeks to embolden reformers in Myanmar talks Wed,30 Nov 2011 06:02 PM PST Reuters - NAYPYITAW (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prepared for her first substantive talks with Myanmar's new leaders on Thursday, a meeting U.S. officials hope will embolden reformers in the reclusive country where entrenched military interests still loom large. ... Full Story Top U.S. church leader meets jailed American, Castro Wed,30 Nov 2011 05:44 PM PST Reuters - HAVANA (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Council of Churches met on Wednesday with jailed contractor Alan Gross and Cuban President Raul Castro, in the latest push by a prominent American to obtain Gross's release and improve relations with the communist-run country. Gross received a 15-year prison sentence in March for crimes against Cuban state security for smuggling illegal satellite communications equipment into Cuba. He was under contract with a U.S. ... Full Story Top Senate Republicans offer tax-cut renewal plan Wed,30 Nov 2011 05:01 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A pay freeze for federal workers would be extended for another three years as part of a Senate Republican plan offered on Wednesday to cover the cost of President Barack Obama's call to extend a popular payroll tax cut. The Republican proposal, deemed unacceptable by Democrats who control the Senate, would also achieve savings by reducing the size of the federal workforce. Smaller savings would be gained by tightening eligibility requirements for jobless benefits, food stamps and the Medicare healthcare program for the elderly. ... Full Story Top Americans mixed on adequacy of cancer screenings Wed,30 Nov 2011 04:36 PM PST Reuters - (Reuters) - Many Americans are satisfied with how often they are screened for cancer but some say they are not screened often enough, while a growing body of evidence suggests too much screening for certain types of cancer may do more harm than good, a Gallup poll showed. According to the poll released on Wednesday, 58 percent of 1,012 adults surveyed thought standard cancer screenings, such as Pap smears, mammograms or blood tests to detect prostate cancer, were performed often enough. ... Full Story Top Gingrich's work shows limits of lobbying law Wed,30 Nov 2011 04:35 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Newt Gingrich's life since he left public office in 1999 reveals something Washington insiders have known for years: It is not always clear who is lobbying the U.S. government. Lawmakers have attempted to draw clearer lines since 1995, but the rules they devised still allow some of the biggest names in Washington's influence industry to escape disclosure, experts on the law said. ... Full Story Top Fed's Fisher: swaps not aimed at bailing out Europe Wed,30 Nov 2011 04:35 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Federal Reserve official said on Wednesday that a decision to alter the terms of dollar swap lines with foreign central banks was meant to help economic growth, not bail out Europe. "We are not bailing out ... Europe," Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher said in an interview with Fox Business Network. "We are trying to meet a shortage of dollars." He said the action was aimed at making sure there were ample dollars for those who wanted to buy U.S. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Deal building to pump up IMF to handle Europe fallout Wed,30 Nov 2011 04:17 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A deal is building to boost the International Monetary Fund's resources even as the world presses euro-zone leaders to put more of their own firepower on the line to defeat a debt crisis that threatens global growth. Mexico, which assumes on Thursday the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 nations, said on Wednesday it would make increasing IMF resources a priority. IMF members agree the global lender needs more money to handle the fallout from the euro zone's fiscal mess. ... Full Story Top U.S. church leader visits American jailed in Cuba Wed,30 Nov 2011 04:16 PM PST Reuters - HAVANA (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Council of Churches visited jailed contractor Alan Gross on Wednesday as part of the latest push by prominent Americans to obtain his release and improve relations with the communist-run country. Gross received a 15-year prison sentence in March for crimes against Cuban state security for smuggling illegal satellite communications equipment into Cuba. He was under contract with a U.S. company involved in a semi-covert democracy-building program, but says the equipment was only destined to connect local Jewish groups to Internet. "Two of us visited Alan. ... Full Story Top Lawmakers want spy agencies to share cyber data Wed,30 Nov 2011 04:14 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers on Wednesday proposed fighting the cyber threat that is taking a toll on American companies by allowing spy agencies to share threat intelligence with private firms. Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives intelligence committee, and the panel's senior Democrat, Representative C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger, announced legislation to protect U.S. firms from cyber attacks by foreign countries and individual hackers by allowing information-sharing with agencies like the National Security Agency. ... Full Story Top Global corruption index reflects Arab Spring unrest Wed,30 Nov 2011 04:02 PM PST Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Awareness of corruption has risen in some Arab countries in the wake of their uprisings earlier this year, a global league table released by Transparency International showed on Thursday. North Korea was included in the Berlin-based watchdog TI's annual corruption perceptions index (CPI) for the first time and was judged the most corrupt country, along with Somalia, putting them at the bottom of the table. Tunisia fell to 73rd place from 59th last year, with its CPI score dropping to 3.8 from 4.3 in the 183-nation index, which is based on independent surveys on corruption. ... Full Story Top Marines bullish on Lockheed F-35 variant Wed,30 Nov 2011 03:54 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Marine Corps version of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet could soon be taken off a "probation" imposed by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a U.S. Marine Corps official said on Wednesday. General Joseph Dunford, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, told an investment conference that he was "pretty bullish" on the F-35B, the short takeoff, vertical landing variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. He cited progress in fixing technical problems and said the fighter jet met 98 percent of its test points this year. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Deal building to pump up IMF to handle Europe fallout Wed,30 Nov 2011 03:38 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A deal is building to boost the International Monetary Fund's resources even as the world presses euro-zone leaders to put more of their own firepower on the line to defeat a debt crisis that threatens global growth. Mexico, which assumes on Thursday the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 nations, said on Wednesday it would make increasing IMF resources a priority. IMF members agree the global lender needs more money to handle the fallout from the euro zone's fiscal mess. ... Full Story Top Egyptians await poll results, Islamists see gains Wed,30 Nov 2011 03:22 PM PST Reuters - CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians will hear results of their first free election in six decades on Thursday, with the Muslim Brotherhood expecting to pick up two-fifths of the vote for an assembly that might limit the power of the generals. The Brotherhood, Egypt's oldest and best-organized Islamist group, hopes its new Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) will secure a solid platform in parliament, saying it hopes to form a coalition government once polls are over in January. ... Full Story Top Republicans make pipeline jobs issue for Obama Wed,30 Nov 2011 03:22 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in Congress signaled on Wednesday that they plan to keep the Keystone XL pipeline alive as a tool for skewering President Barack Obama on jobs, the top political issue ahead of the 2012 elections. The Canada-to-Texas pipeline has been vociferously opposed by environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, who had threatened to make it an election issue. ... Full Story Top Senate Republicans offer tax-cut renewal plan Wed,30 Nov 2011 03:16 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A pay freeze for federal workers would be extended for another three years as part of a Senate Republican plan offered on Wednesday to cover the cost of President Barack Obama's call to extend a popular payroll tax cut. The Republican proposal, deemed unacceptable by Democrats who control the Senate, would also achieve savings by reducing the size of the federal workforce and tightening eligibility requirements for jobless benefits, food stamps and the Medicare healthcare program for the elderly. ... Full Story Top Texas asks top court to stop congressional map Wed,30 Nov 2011 03:07 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Texas asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to stop implementation of an interim Texas map for congressional districts that was crafted by a panel of federal judges and could favor minorities and Democrats in 2012 elections. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott made the emergency request in opposing the court-drawn congressional redistricting plan. Abbott, a Republican, asked the Supreme Court on Monday to suspend maps created by the judges for 2012 state Legislature elections. ... Full Story Top Two US governors petition for medical marijuana Wed,30 Nov 2011 03:01 PM PST Reuters - SEATTLE (Reuters) - The governors of Washington state and Rhode Island have filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that would allow doctors to legally prescribe marijuana as a medical treatment. Christine Gregoire of Washington and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island are asking for the DEA to reclassify marijuana as a schedule 2 drug from schedule 1 - where it is listed alongside heroin and ecstasy - which would make it legal for doctors to recommend its use and pharmacists to supply it. ... Full Story Top U.S. defense industry braces for leaner times Wed,30 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. weapons makers told investors this week they are doing all they can to prepare for leaner and more uncertain U.S. defense budgets, including redoubling their efforts to cut costs, drum up export sales and sell more goods to commercial clients. Industry executives and Pentagon officials say they are still sorting out the potential impact of an additional $600 billion in defense cuts over the next 10 years, on top of some $489 billion in cuts already being absorbed. ... Full Story Top Poor schools don't get "fair share": Education Department Wed,30 Nov 2011 02:54 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Many poor public schools do not pay teachers and educators as much as wealthier schools just a few miles away, according to a survey of 13,000 school districts the U.S. Department of Education released on Wednesday. The department found that more than 40 percent of schools with low-income students spend less per pupil than other public schools in the same district. ... Full Story Top Pakistan army says NATO attack was blatant aggression Wed,30 Nov 2011 02:51 PM PST Reuters - ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A senior Pakistani army official has said a NATO cross-border air attack that killed 24 soldiers was a deliberate, blatant act of aggression, hardening Pakistan's stance on an incident that could hurt efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. Islamabad reacted angrily to the attack, which threatens to set back peace efforts in Afghanistan, by pulling out of an international conference in Germany next week on Afghanistan's future. It stood by its decision on Wednesday despite German hopes to the contrary. ... Full Story Top NATO attack on Pakistani troops not deliberate: U.S. Wed,30 Nov 2011 02:51 PM PST Reuters - ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) - The top U.S. military officer on Wednesday strongly rejected accusations from Pakistan that NATO deliberately killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last weekend. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Reuters that he was trying to discuss the incident with Pakistan behind closed doors. "Candidly we don't want to try to resolve this issue through the media. No offense," he said in an interview as he flew back to Washington after a trip to London. ... Full Story Top U.S. uncertain Israel would advise before Iran strike Wed,30 Nov 2011 02:50 PM PST Reuters - ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) - The top U.S. military officer told Reuters on Wednesday he did not know whether Israel would alert the United States ahead of time if it decided to take military action against Iran. General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also acknowledged differences in perspective between the United States and Israel over the best way to handle Iran and its nuclear program. ... Full Story Top UK expels Iran diplomats after embassy attack Wed,30 Nov 2011 02:50 PM PST Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - Britain shut Iran's embassy in London and expelled all its staff on Wednesday, saying the storming of the British mission in Tehran could not have taken place without consent from Iranian authorities. Foreign Secretary William Hague also said the British Embassy in Tehran had been closed and all staff evacuated following the attack on Tuesday by a crowd that ransacked offices and burned British flags in a protest over sanctions imposed by Britain on Tehran. Iran warned that Britain's closure of the Iranian embassy in London would lead to further retaliation. ... Full Story Top Politically charged labor proposal advances Wed,30 Nov 2011 02:47 PM PST Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic members of a divided U.S. labor board succeeded on Wednesday in advancing a politically charged proposal that could make it easier for unions to organize. However, the ultimate outcome of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) measure is overshadowed by partisan divisions dogging the panel and potential congressional intervention. On a 2-to-1 vote, the short-handed board agreed to a resolution that would amend NLRB rules by limiting litigation in disputed elections, including curbs on certain appeals, and streamlining other procedures to reduce delays. ... Full Story Top Packing and patrolling, U.S. troops roll out of Iraq Wed,30 Nov 2011 02:41 PM PST Reuters - CAMP ECHO, Iraq (Reuters) - Camp Echo's dusty motorpools are empty, its private contract caterers have long gone home and murals depicting the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York's twin towers have been painted over. One of the last seven U.S. military bases in Iraq, Echo is in rapid handover to Iraqi hands as American soldiers there pack up and complete their final task - protecting the last few departing troops heading home south across the Kuwaiti border. Nearly nine years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein, the U.S. ... Full Story Top Obama: "Massive blow" to economy if tax cuts lapse Wed,30 Nov 2011 02:40 PM PST Reuters - SCRANTON, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - President Barack Obama warned on Wednesday that the U.S. economy would suffer a "massive blow" if Congress fails to extend expiring payroll tax cuts, saying the country was not fully recovered from the recession. Obama sought to turn up the heat on congressional Republicans at a campaign-style rally at a high school in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a battleground state in the 2012 presidential election in which he is seeking a second term. ... Full Story Top Embattled Cain presses ahead with campaign Wed,30 Nov 2011 02:26 PM PST Reuters - DAYTON, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican Herman Cain plowed ahead with his struggling presidential campaign on Wednesday, vowing not to be pushed out of the race by allegations of an extramarital affair and calling the charges "character assassination." At three campaign stops in Ohio, Cain said his supporters were sticking with him despite the latest controversy. He accused his critics of trying to bring down his upstart White House bid. ... Full Story Top

You received this email because you subscribed to Yahoo! Alerts. Use this link to unsubscribe from this alert. To change your communications preferences for other Yahoo! business lines, please visit your Marketing Preferences. To learn more about Yahoo!'s use of personal information, including the use of web beacons in HTML-based email, please read our Privacy Policy. Yahoo! is located at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.