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Wednesday, March 28, 2012 8:30 PM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Florida Republican Senator Rubio endorses Romney TEPCO decides to ask government for $12 billion injection: Kyodo Former official gets prison over Afghanistan bribe U.S. charges screaming, incoherent JetBlue pilot MF Global execs ignorance, silence stymie Congress Is it the end for Gingrich, or just a new course? Boehner feels heat as transport funding deadline looms U.S. charges screaming, incoherent JetBlue pilot Pope meets Cuba's Fidel Castro, slams U.S. embargo White House: no contingency plan if healthcare law rejected MF Global exec tied to money transfers clams up Analysis: If Trayvon Martin family pursues civil case Poll: Idea of healthcare overhaul gets wide support Iran says expects nuclear talks on April 13 Could bombing Iran push it to build the Bomb? U.S. sets sanctions on Iran shipping, engineer firms Obama lawyer asks Supreme Court to save healthcare law Pope condemns U.S. embargo as Cuba trip wraps up "What does a pope do?" Fidel Castro asks Benedict Online advertisers cautioned against privacy blunders Consumers plot emergency oil release as Saudi decries high prices US Republicans seek drilling boost if oil reserves tapped Republican opposes speedy confirmation for Fed nominees New tool helps U.S. group track sex crimes in Syria Rating agencies still wary about Ontario finances Government to assess energy potential offshore Atlantic Lawmakers blast audit watchdog as "activist" House Republicans introduce new cybersecurity bill Syrian violence ignores peace diplomacy France discussing strategic oil release with UK, U.S. France's Sarkozy narrows Hollande's second round poll lead Factbox: Main proposals of French election candidates Thousands rally for Mali junta, Toure says free France discussing strategic oil release with UK, U.S. Lawmaker dons "hoodie" in appeal over Florida killing Republican race takes backseat in divided Wisconsin Canada to test immigrants' professional credentials Factbox: Mexican presidential candidates on the issues Factbox: Mexico's presidential candidates Mexico presidential favorite Pena Nieto has clear lead: poll Florida Republican Senator Rubio endorses Romney Wed,28 Mar 2012 07:29 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator Marco Rubio of Florida on Wednesday endorsed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination during an appearance on Fox News. Rubio said Romney has "earned the nomination" and offers a "very clear alternative" to Democratic President Barack Obama. "I am endorsing Mitt Romney and the reason why is not only is he going to be the Republican nominee but he offers at this point such a stark contrast to the president's record," Rubio said. ... Full Story Top TEPCO decides to ask government for $12 billion injection: Kyodo Wed,28 Mar 2012 07:21 PM PDT Reuters - TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Co , troubled operator of the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant, formally decided on Thursday to ask the government to inject 1 trillion yen ($12.06 billion) in tax money to stay afloat, Kyodo news agency said. The move by the company, known as Tepco, coincides with doubts about the future of Japan's atomic energy policy. Only one of 54 reactors is on stream as the government seeks backing from local authorities to restart units shut for maintenance. ... Full Story Top Former official gets prison over Afghanistan bribe Wed,28 Mar 2012 07:02 PM PDT Reuters - ATLANTA (Reuters) - A federal judge in Atlanta sentenced a former Defense Department official on Wednesday to a year and eight months in prison for taking nearly $100,000 in bribes from a company seeking a contract in Afghanistan. Desi Deandre Wade, 40, of Climax, Georgia, was arrested in August after traveling to Atlanta from Afghanistan for the Fire Rescue International Conference, officials said. ... Full Story Top U.S. charges screaming, incoherent JetBlue pilot Wed,28 Mar 2012 06:55 PM PDT Reuters - AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. authorities filed criminal charges on Wednesday against a JetBlue Airways pilot who yelled incoherently about religion and the 2001 hijack attacks and pounded on a locked cockpit door before passengers subdued him in a midair uproar. Flight 191 was diverted to Amarillo, Texas, on Tuesday, following what authorities described as erratic behavior by Capt. Clayton Frederick Osbon, who allegedly ran through the cabin before passengers tackled him in the galley. A flight attendant suffered bruised ribs, officials said. ... Full Story Top MF Global execs ignorance, silence stymie Congress Wed,28 Mar 2012 05:46 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An MF Global executive who has become a central figure in the desperate shifting of funds before the brokerage's collapse, refused to answer questions from Congress on Wednesday, frustrating lawmakers probing why an estimated $1.6 billion of customer money is missing. The failure of Assistant Treasurer Edith O'Brien and her MF Global colleagues to clear up how the money seemingly vanished drew considerable mocking from lawmakers, who alternated between anger and disbelief. ... Full Story Top Is it the end for Gingrich, or just a new course? Wed,28 Mar 2012 04:53 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Newt Gingrich visited a zoo in Maryland on Tuesday, and admired the howls of endangered red wolves ("Four wolves make quite a noise," the Republican presidential hopeful noted in a Twitter message). Meanwhile, to some Republicans, his campaign seemed to be going to the dogs. Hours later came reports that Gingrich had fired his campaign manager and his cash-strapped campaign had laid off a significant portion of its full-time staff. ... Full Story Top Boehner feels heat as transport funding deadline looms Wed,28 Mar 2012 04:51 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats tried to squeeze Republican House Speaker John Boehner into accepting their U.S. Senate-passed transport bill on Wednesday, less than four days before federal funding for road, bridge and mass transit projects expires. A rival bill championed by Boehner and which he once called his signature jobs initiative has faltered badly amid deep divisions within his party, and Democrats were offering little help in arranging an extension that would avert transport construction shutdowns starting on Sunday. As many as 1. ... Full Story Top U.S. charges screaming, incoherent JetBlue pilot Wed,28 Mar 2012 04:48 PM PDT Reuters - AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Authorities filed criminal charges on Wednesday against a JetBlue pilot who screamed over the radio, pounded on the door of the cockpit and was tackled by passengers during a chaotic flight from New York forced to make an emergency landing in Texas. Flight 191 was diverted to Amarillo, Texas, on Tuesday, following what federal authorities described as erratic behavior by captain Clayton Frederick Osbon, who passengers said was restrained after he pounded on the locked cockpit door. A U.S. ... Full Story Top Pope meets Cuba's Fidel Castro, slams U.S. embargo Wed,28 Mar 2012 04:37 PM PDT Reuters - HAVANA (Reuters) - Pope Benedict called for an end to the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba and met with revolutionary icon Fidel Castro on Wednesday as he ended a trip in which he urged the communist island to change. He also spoke at a public Mass in Havana's sprawling Revolution Square where the Vatican said 300,000 people gathered to hear the 84-year-old pontiff. ... Full Story Top White House: no contingency plan if healthcare law rejected Wed,28 Mar 2012 04:32 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Wednesday that it was not working on contingency plans for President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, in the event that the Supreme Court struck down all or part of the sweeping reforms. After three days of landmark Supreme Court hearings that raised doubts about the law's fate, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration remains confident that the 2010 reform measure would be upheld when justices issue their ruling toward the end of June. "There is no contingency plan that's in place. ... Full Story Top MF Global exec tied to money transfers clams up Wed,28 Mar 2012 04:21 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An MF Global executive, who has emerged as a central figure in the desperate shifting of funds before the brokerage's collapse, refused to answer questions on Wednesday, frustrating lawmakers probing why more than $1 billion in customer money is missing. Assistant Treasurer Edith O'Brien and other mid-level MF Global executives, people who had operational control over money transfers at the brokerage, were called to testify before the investigations panel of the House Financial Services Committee. ... Full Story Top Analysis: If Trayvon Martin family pursues civil case Wed,28 Mar 2012 04:08 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - As uncertainty swirls around any criminal prosecution of George Zimmerman, the shooter of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in an Orlando suburb, one option that remains open to Martin's family is a civil case. Zimmerman could be shielded from prosecution under Florida's 2005 "Stand Your Ground Law," which gives immunity to people who use deadly force in their own defense without clear evidence of malice. The same law also says a person who uses such force is immune from civil action. ... Full Story Top Poll: Idea of healthcare overhaul gets wide support Wed,28 Mar 2012 03:52 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system remains popular even though Americans are not enamored with the law that President Barack Obama signed in 2010, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. The poll found that 44 percent of respondents favor the law, and that an additional 21 percent oppose it because it doesn't go far enough - for a total of 65 percent. The rest, 35 percent, said they oppose the law and major changes to healthcare generally. "People still very much hunger for something to fix the healthcare system," said Ipsos pollster Chris ... Full Story Top Iran says expects nuclear talks on April 13 Wed,28 Mar 2012 03:46 PM PDT Reuters - DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran expects to reopen talks with world powers that could defuse mounting tensions over its disputed nuclear program on April 13, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Wednesday. Turkey has offered to host the talks and the location will be decided in the next few days, Salehi said, after greeting Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on his arrival in Tehran. The major nations are keen to get Iran to enter talks on curbing its uranium enrichment program, which the West suspects is aimed at developing a nuclear weapons capability but Tehran says is peaceful. ... Full Story Top Could bombing Iran push it to build the Bomb? Wed,28 Mar 2012 03:46 PM PDT Reuters - VIENNA (Reuters) - Pre-emptive military strikes aimed at forcing Iran to abandon its nuclear activities may end up having the opposite effect: convincing the Islamic Republic's leaders they need an atomic arsenal to secure their hold on power. That is the argument from those in the West and elsewhere who say the negative impact of an Israeli or U.S. attack would eventually outweigh any gains - pushing Iran towards a decision that Western intelligence services believe it has not yet taken. ... Full Story Top U.S. sets sanctions on Iran shipping, engineer firms Wed,28 Mar 2012 03:46 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday set additional sanctions against Iranian engineering firms with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC), which it said has continued to expand its control of the Iranian economy. It also sanctioned individuals and shipping companies with ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). ... Full Story Top Obama lawyer asks Supreme Court to save healthcare law Wed,28 Mar 2012 07:24 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration's top courtroom lawyer made an impassioned plea on Wednesday for the Supreme Court to save President Barack Obama's healthcare law, capping three days of historic arguments that left it unclear how the nine justices would rule. Having peppered lawyers for and against the law with questions for more than six hours over the three days, the justices withdrew to their chambers to begin up to three months of deliberation expected to yield a decision by late June. ... Full Story Top Pope condemns U.S. embargo as Cuba trip wraps up Wed,28 Mar 2012 03:33 PM PDT Reuters - HAVANA (Reuters) - Pope Benedict criticized the 50-year-old U.S. trade embargo on Cuba as he wrapped up a three-day visit to the Communist-run island on Wednesday, urging reconciliation and greater freedoms. "May no one feel excluded ... from taking up this exciting search for his or her basic freedoms, or excused from this by indolence or lack of material resources, a situation which is worsened when restrictive economic measures, imposed from outside the country, unfairly burden its people," the pontiff said. (Reporting by Simon Gardner; editing by Todd Eastham) Full Story Top "What does a pope do?" Fidel Castro asks Benedict Wed,28 Mar 2012 03:33 PM PDT Reuters - HAVANA (Reuters) - Pope Benedict and Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, both octogenarians, joked about their age in a brief meeting on Wednesday and then Castro popped the question: so what do you do? The two world figures chatted for about 30 minutes at the Vatican embassy in Havana near the end of the pope's three-day visit to Cuba, where he called for greater freedom and a bigger role for the Catholic Church in the communist-led nation. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Benedict, 84, and Castro, 85, had an "exchange of ideas" in a "very cordial" atmosphere. ... Full Story Top Online advertisers cautioned against privacy blunders Wed,28 Mar 2012 03:27 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Online advertisers facing scrutiny from governments wanting to give Internet users more control over personal data online were urged at an industry conference on Wednesday to avoid privacy blunders that could undermine calls for self-regulation. The White House and Federal Trade Commission have unveiled privacy frameworks that rely heavily on voluntary commitments by the advertisers to address lack of controls over the collection and trading of vast amounts of detailed information about the online activities and real-life identities of consumers. ... Full Story Top Consumers plot emergency oil release as Saudi decries high prices Wed,28 Mar 2012 03:19 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS/NEW YORK (Reuters)- Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi mounted his most direct rhetorical attack against high oil prices on Wednesday, but showed no sign of moving to increase supplies even as France joined the United States and Britain in talks for a release of strategic reserves. Two weeks after Reuters initially reported that Britain and the United States were set to agree on tapping emergency stockpiles, French Energy Minister Eric Besson said the European nation was also in talks with Washington. Le Monde reported that the move could come in a matter of weeks. ... Full Story Top US Republicans seek drilling boost if oil reserves tapped Wed,28 Mar 2012 02:58 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. Congress are proposing measures that would require President Barack Obama to allow more domestic oil production if he decides to tap emergency oil reserves. The proposals are unlikely to become law, but they give Republicans another opportunity to slam Obama's energy policy as consumers fret about high gasoline prices leading up to November's presidential election. France is in talks with the United States and Britain on a possible release of strategic oil stocks that could happen "in a matter of weeks," France's energy minister said on Wednesday. ... Full Story Top Republican opposes speedy confirmation for Fed nominees Wed,28 Mar 2012 02:51 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican senator and member of the Senate Banking Committee said on Wednesday he would move to prevent a quick confirmation for the White House's two nominees for the Federal Reserve Board. "I refuse to provide (Federal Reserve) Chairman Bernanke with two more rubber stamps who approve of the Fed's activist policies," Sen. David Vitter said in a statement provided by his press office. ... Full Story Top New tool helps U.S. group track sex crimes in Syria Wed,28 Mar 2012 02:50 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. women's group is using new crowd-sourcing techniques to track rape and other sexual violence across Syria in one of the first efforts to monitor assaults against women during military conflict in real-time. The effort by the Women's Media Center aims to shed light on such assaults and provide possible evidence to prosecute future human rights violations and war crimes. The group launched its website on Wednesday and said it was working with multiple Syrian activists whom it did not identify. ... Full Story Top Rating agencies still wary about Ontario finances Wed,28 Mar 2012 02:47 PM PDT Reuters - TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario's bold austerity budget has received lukewarm response from bond investors and credit rating agencies as they question whether the minority government of the heavily indebted Canadian province can deliver on pledges to freeze public sector wages and implement tough spending caps. Credit rating agency Moody's - which lowered its outlook on Ontario's debt ratings to "negative" in December - said on Wednesday that a downgrade for Ontario is "still a possibility". "The outlook is negative, so the pressure is on the downside. ... Full Story Top Government to assess energy potential offshore Atlantic Wed,28 Mar 2012 02:39 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration said on Wednesday it was moving toward allowing private companies to begin assessing the oil and gas potential off the country's Atlantic coast, but full exploration is likely still years away. The Interior Department released a draft environmental analysis on Wednesday that found minor to moderate impact if it allowed companies to begin seismic testing off the country's east coast. ... Full Story Top Lawmakers blast audit watchdog as "activist" Wed,28 Mar 2012 02:35 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Politicians slammed the U.S. auditing industry watchdog on Wednesday for its push toward publicizing disciplinary proceedings and for considering term limits for audit firms, saying such measures would amount to "regulatory overreach." Republicans and some Democrats at a House of Representatives Financial Services subcommittee hearing criticized policy initiatives under way at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, which polices the firms that audit corporations. ... Full Story Top House Republicans introduce new cybersecurity bill Wed,28 Mar 2012 02:29 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Companies and the federal government would be able to share information about cybersecurity threats more easily under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday. The proposed legislation and related bills before the Congress responds to widespread and growing concern about incursions into U.S. networks by hackers looking to steal everything from state secrets to credit card numbers and to intellectual property. ... Full Story Top Syrian violence ignores peace diplomacy Wed,28 Mar 2012 02:04 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian forces bombarded cities and towns in southern and northern Syria on Wednesday and stormed villages, forcing thousands to flee after President Bashar al-Assad accepted a peace plan calling for the army to withdraw to barracks. Assad's ally Iran backed the peace plan, saying Syria's crisis "should be dealt with patiently", and Russia said it was now up to Syria's opposition groups to also endorse the proposals, which do not require Assad to give up power. But the United States, Germany and the Arab League called for action not words. ... Full Story Top France discussing strategic oil release with UK, U.S. Wed,28 Mar 2012 02:01 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - France is in talks with the United States and Britain on a possible release of strategic oil stocks to push fuel prices lower, French ministers said on Wednesday, four weeks before the country's presidential election. Earlier in March, British sources said London was prepared to cooperate with Washington on a release of strategic oil stocks that was expected within months, in a bid to prevent fuel prices from choking economic growth in what is also a U.S. election year. ... Full Story Top France's Sarkozy narrows Hollande's second round poll lead Wed,28 Mar 2012 01:58 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Two polls on Wednesday showed France's conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy ahead of his Socialist challenger in the first round of a presidential election next month and narrowing his strong lead for the decisive run-off in May. A survey by TNS-Sofres/Sopra group found that Sarkozy had pulled ahead in voting intentions for the April 22 first-round vote with 29 percent versus 28 percent for Francois Hollande, vying to become France's first Socialist president since 1995. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Main proposals of French election candidates Wed,28 Mar 2012 01:58 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Following are the main election pledges of the six leading candidates in France's 2012 presidential race: NICOLAS SARKOZY, CENTRE-RIGHT UMP PARTY * Sarkozy wants structural economic reforms to boost competitiveness and growth. Before officially declaring his candidacy he announced proposals to wind down the 35-hour week and raise VAT in order to fund a reduction in social charges for employers to lower the cost of labor; * Sarkozy has pledged to reform the country's generous welfare system to get the long-term unemployed back to work. ... Full Story Top Thousands rally for Mali junta, Toure says free Wed,28 Mar 2012 01:56 PM PDT Reuters - BAMAKO (Reuters) - Thousands of demonstrators chanted pro-junta slogans in Mali's capital on Wednesday, protesting against the threats of foreign powers to use sanctions to force the leaders of last week's military coup to step down. Deposed leader Amadou Toumani Toure, meanwhile, said in his first public comments since he was ousted that he was free and unharmed somewhere inside the West African nation, and called for a swift solution to the crisis. ... Full Story Top France discussing strategic oil release with UK, U.S. Wed,28 Mar 2012 01:53 PM PDT Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - France is in talks with the United States and Britain on a possible release of strategic oil stocks to push fuel prices lower, French ministers said on Wednesday, four weeks before the country's presidential election. Earlier in March, British sources said London was prepared to cooperate with Washington on a release of strategic oil stocks that was expected within months, in a bid to prevent fuel prices from choking economic growth in what is also a U.S. election year. ... Full Story Top Lawmaker dons "hoodie" in appeal over Florida killing Wed,28 Mar 2012 01:50 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A national debate over the killing of a black teenager in Florida spilled into the House of Representatives on Wednesday when a Democratic lawmaker put on a "hoodie" - clothing that has become emblematic of those protesting police handling of the case. Representative Bobby Rush, a prominent civil rights activist during the 1960s, shed his suit coat during a floor speech to reveal a gray hooded sweatshirt, known as a hoodie. Rush then placed the hood on his head, a violation of House rules. ... Full Story Top Republican race takes backseat in divided Wisconsin Wed,28 Mar 2012 01:18 PM PDT Reuters - MADISON, Wisconsin (Reuters) - The presidential nomination race has been gripping Republicans across the nation, but it's just a sideshow for many voters in Wisconsin's primary next week. Instead of the battle between White House hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, it's the passionate struggle to save Republican Governor Scott Walker from a Democratic-led recall effort that is consuming Wisconsin Republicans. ... Full Story Top Canada to test immigrants' professional credentials Wed,28 Mar 2012 01:13 PM PDT Reuters - OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government says it is taking action to try to ensure that immigrants with foreign professional credentials are actually qualified to work in their chosen fields in Canada, with the screening to be done before they arrive. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced the proposed new requirement on Wednesday in a speech to regulatory bodies that are responsible for recognizing or denying foreign credentials. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Mexican presidential candidates on the issues Wed,28 Mar 2012 12:38 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - On July 1, Mexican voters elect a new president faced with the challenge of controlling drug violence and boosting an economy that is failing to create enough jobs to meet the demands of a growing population. The law bars President Felipe Calderon from seeking a second six-year term, and the contest is being fought chiefly by three candidates: front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Josefina Vazquez Mota of Calderon's conservative National Action Party (PAN) and the 2006 runner-up, leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. ... Full Story Top Factbox: Mexico's presidential candidates Wed,28 Mar 2012 12:38 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexicans will choose a new leader on July 1 amid rampant drug violence and a sluggish economy that have hurt the administration of President Felipe Calderon. Four candidates are on the ballot, with Calderon himself prohibited by law from running for a second term. The campaign will officially start on Friday. The field is clearly led by Enrique Pena Nieto, of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI, which ruled Mexico for most of the 20th century. ... Full Story Top Mexico presidential favorite Pena Nieto has clear lead: poll Wed,28 Mar 2012 12:38 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican presidential front-runner Enrique Pena Nieto has a 10-percentage point lead over his closest rival ahead of the election campaign that officially starts on Friday, a public opinion poll showed. Pena Nieto, of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), has 36 percent backing, while Josefina Vazquez Mota of President Felipe Calderon's conservative National Action Party (PAN) is second with 26 percent, the survey by newspaper Reforma said on Wednesday. Mexico will elect a new president on July 1. ... Full Story Top

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