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Wednesday, July 11, 2012 8:31 PM PDT

Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: Insight: A secret plea for money from a mountain in North Korea Florida lieutenant governor accused of misconduct by former aide Top China paper slams Clinton's democracy comments Report chides female violence in state of Mexico's president-elect CBI's Cridland urges government to speed up growth plan: FT House votes to repeal Obama healthcare law, again NY Fed to release Libor documents Friday: official Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. being treated for "mood disorder" Syria hit by diplomatic defection as U.N. battles divisions Syria hit by diplomatic defection Fewer blacks will vote under Texas ID law, witness says Romney slams Obama for playing down threat of Hugo Chavez Syrian ambassador defects, says joined revolution Medicaid patients turn to hospitals for emergencies, not routine care Obama, Democrats put tax cuts at center of 2012 agenda Pentagon spending plans will exceed projected budget: CBO Rape, assault are weapons of war in Syria: rights group Judge extends halt to new Mississippi abortion law Romney speech to NAACP draws boos, raises questions on strategy Glum Fed keeping easing options open, minutes show Helicopters attack Colombian rebels as president visits south Syrian ambassador says defected, joined revolution Fed weighs publishing consensus forecast Michigan judge won't reconsider dismissal of Detroit suit Melinda Gates pledges $560 mln for contraception Melinda Gates pledges $560 million for contraception U.S. arms makers see some hope for Pentagon budget fix Senators urge reform of tariff waiver bill Mexico's president-elect calls on rivals to back reform push U.S. to demand disclosures as it eases Myanmar sanctions Analysis: Tourism helps South Tyrol defy Italian recession Florida A&M president resigns over hazing death U.N. Security Council divided over sanctions threat to Syria U.S. says concerned by Russian draft NGO law Djibouti: Western bases pose manageable risk Fewer blacks will vote under Texas voter ID law, witness says Signs point to early Quebec election, outcome uncertain In Cuba, an opera singer builds an empire Insight: A secret plea for money from a mountain in N.Korea Al Qaeda suicide bomber attacks Yemen police academy Insight: A secret plea for money from a mountain in North Korea Wed,11 Jul 2012 07:12 PM PDT Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - In May this year, a North Korean defector in her 40s took a call from an unknown number at her office in the South Korean capital Seoul. It was from her brother, who she had not seen for more than a decade, calling illegally from North Korea after tracking her down. He was speaking from a remote mountainside near the border with China, and was in dire need of money to help treat another sister's late stage cancer, she said. ... Full Story Top Florida lieutenant governor accused of misconduct by former aide Wed,11 Jul 2012 06:49 PM PDT Reuters - TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - A former staffer of Florida Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll said she was fired last year after she caught her former boss and another female aide in "a compromising position" in Carroll's office, according to a court filing. The ex-office aide, Carletha Cole, 49, was arrested last year on charges she illegally leaked taped conversations of Carroll's staff to a Florida newspaper reporter. ... Full Story Top Top China paper slams Clinton's democracy comments Wed,11 Jul 2012 06:45 PM PDT Reuters - BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top newspaper slammed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday for comments she made lauding democracy and implicitly criticizing restrictions in China, saying those Asian countries that ape U.S. democracy were doomed to fail. Earlier this week, Clinton held up Mongolia's sometimes messy politics as a democratic model for Asia. While she did not directly name China, her comments appeared aimed partly at Beijing. ... Full Story Top Report chides female violence in state of Mexico's president-elect Wed,11 Jul 2012 06:18 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Human rights group Amnesty International released a report on Wednesday criticizing Mexican authorities for failing to tackle violence against women and highlighting abuses in the state recently governed by president-elect Enrique Pena Nieto. The report by the London-based group alleged that Mexican police solve only one out of every 21 rapes. Mexican officers also have flawed procedures for documenting the murders of women, in many cases failing to carry out proper autopsies, the report said. ... Full Story Top CBI's Cridland urges government to speed up growth plan: FT Wed,11 Jul 2012 06:16 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - The head of Britain's biggest employers' group has criticised the government for the "really disappointing" implementation of its growth plan, the Financial Times said on Thursday. John Cridland, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said social housing and transport projects to accelerate growth cannot come soon enough. "I think it is really disappointing how long it is taking to get momentum and urgency into the growth plan," the FT quoted him as saying. ... Full Story Top House votes to repeal Obama healthcare law, again Wed,11 Jul 2012 05:57 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-led House of Representatives, on a near party-line vote of 244-185, on Wednesday once again passed a bill to repeal President Barack Obama's overhaul of the healthcare system. Just like previous House efforts to end the two-year-old healthcare law, the bill is certain to be stopped by Obama's fellow Democrats who control the Senate. Regardless, the fight over the landmark law, which has divided Americans and rallied the Democratic and Republican political bases, will likely rage on into the November 6 elections. ... Full Story Top NY Fed to release Libor documents Friday: official Wed,11 Jul 2012 05:55 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve Bank of New York will release on Friday documents showing it took "prompt action" four years ago to highlight problems with the benchmark interest rate known as Libor and to press for reform, an official at the regional U.S. central bank said on Wednesday. As early as 2007, the New York Fed may have discussed problems with the setting of the London Interbank Offered Rate with Barclays Plc, the British bank currently at the center of the Libor scandal and investigation. This week, U.S. Rep. ... Full Story Top Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. being treated for "mood disorder" Wed,11 Jul 2012 05:33 PM PDT Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. is receiving intensive treatment for a "mood disorder" and is expected to make a full recovery, his doctor said on Wednesday, responding to mounting political pressure for more information on his condition. Jackson, 47, has been on a month-long leave of absence from his job. Until Wednesday, the nature of the illness had not been disclosed. Rumors that the veteran Democratic congressman from Illinois was being treated for alcohol or drug abuse are not true, his chief of staff Rick Bryant said in a statement. ... Full Story Top Syria hit by diplomatic defection as U.N. battles divisions Wed,11 Jul 2012 05:23 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's ambassador to Iraq defected on Wednesday in protest over President Bashar al-Assad's violent suppression of a 16-month uprising as the U.N. Security Council remained deadlocked over the next steps in the crisis. "I declare that I have joined, from this moment, the ranks of the revolution of the Syrian people," Nawah al-Fares said in a video statement posted on Facebook. He did not elaborate or say from where he had posted the statement. "I ask ... the members of the military to join the revolution and to defend the country and the citizens. ... Full Story Top Syria hit by diplomatic defection Wed,11 Jul 2012 04:56 PM PDT Reuters - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's ambassador to Iraq defected on Wednesday in protest over President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on a 16-month uprising as the U.N. Security Council remained deadlocked over the next steps in the crisis. "I declare that I have joined, from this moment, the ranks of the revolution of the Syrian people," Nawah al-Fares said in a video statement posted on Facebook. He did not elaborate or say from where he had posted the statement. Fares, who has close ties to Syrian security, was the first senior diplomat to quit the embattled government. ... Full Story Top Fewer blacks will vote under Texas ID law, witness says Wed,11 Jul 2012 04:41 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 2011 Texas law requiring voters to show photo identification will lead to fewer African-Americans voting and reflects a state still rife with racism, a civil rights activist testified during the third day of a federal trial on Wednesday. "The brutality and ugliness of racism exists from the governor's office down to the mainstream of Texas," the Reverend Peter Johnson, who has worked for decades to help black Americans gain access to the polls and who lives in Texas, told the court. "It's dishonest and naive to deny this," he added. ... Full Story Top Romney slams Obama for playing down threat of Hugo Chavez Wed,11 Jul 2012 04:22 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Mitt Romney chided President Barack Obama on Wednesday for playing down "the threat" posed by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez as he sought to portray the Democrat as soft on national security, an issue that may resonate with Latino voters in November's election. Romney was reacting to remarks Obama made to a Spanish language television station that Chavez's actions over recent years had "not had a serious national security impact" on America. "This is a stunning and shocking comment by the president. It is disturbing to see him downplaying the threat posed to U.S. ... Full Story Top Syrian ambassador defects, says joined revolution Wed,11 Jul 2012 04:06 PM PDT Reuters - AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria's ambassador to Iraq Nawaf al-Fares said on Wednesday he had defected and joined the revolution against President Bashar al-Assad, becoming the first senior diplomat to quit the embattled government. Fares called on Syrian soldiers to follow his lead and turn their guns on the Damascus leadership, in a video statement posted on Facebook "I declare that I have joined, from this moment, the ranks of the revolution of the Syrian people," Fares said. "I ask ... the members of the military to join the revolution and to defend the country and the citizens ... ... Full Story Top Medicaid patients turn to hospitals for emergencies, not routine care Wed,11 Jul 2012 04:02 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most people covered by government health insurance for the poor visit hospital emergency rooms for perceived emergencies, not for routine care, much like those with private insurance, according to a study released on Wednesday. Researchers said the study helps dispel the notion that poor patients are clogging hospitals for routine treatment - for a bad cold, for example - that others receive at lower cost in a clinic or at a doctor's office. ... Full Story Top Obama, Democrats put tax cuts at center of 2012 agenda Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:50 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats and President Barack Obama on Wednesday plotted their legislative priorities for the months leading up to November's elections, showcasing an extension of middle-class tax cuts as well as with measures to keep government agencies functioning beyond September 30. Later this month, the Democratic-led Senate is expected to stage a vote on continuing tax cuts for families earning up to $250,000 - an election-year initiative that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will not go along with. ... Full Story Top Pentagon spending plans will exceed projected budget: CBO Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:47 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The five-year spending plan outlined by the Pentagon earlier this year would cost $123 billion more than the U.S. Defense Department projected and would violate budget limits set by Congress, the Congressional Budget Office said on Wednesday. The CBO, in a 49-page analysis, said the main driver of growth in defense spending was the cost of operations and support, which accounted for 64 percent of the Pentagon's base budget in 2012. Pentagon plans would lead to significant rises in the cost of healthcare, salaries and operations and maintenance, it said. ... Full Story Top Rape, assault are weapons of war in Syria: rights group Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:39 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Government forces in Syria are targeting women for rape and assault as the conflict between President Bashar al-Assad and anti-government forces continues to escalate, according to a report released by a human rights group on Wednesday. Women Under Siege said it had documented 81 instances of sexual assault in Syria since anti-government demonstrations began in March 2011, with most occurring in the rebel stronghold of Homs, a frequent target of attack by government forces. ... Full Story Top Judge extends halt to new Mississippi abortion law Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:37 PM PDT Reuters - JACKSON, Mississippi (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday extended a temporary restraining order blocking Mississippi from enforcing a new state law that tightens requirements on abortion clinics, saying he wanted time to review how the law will be applied. The new law, which took effect on July 1, has threatened to close the state's last abortion clinic and make Mississippi the only U.S. state without such a facility. Abortion rights advocates say it is a thinly veiled attempt to ban the procedure in Mississippi. Supporters of the measure argue it is necessary to ensure women's safety. ... Full Story Top Romney speech to NAACP draws boos, raises questions on strategy Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:36 PM PDT Reuters - HOUSTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was booed by a mostly African-American crowd on Wednesday, as a speech before a civil rights group became the latest episode to raise questions about his strategy in battling Democratic President Barack Obama. Appearing before the annual convention of the NAACP - a group whose members are among Obama's strongest supporters - Romney gave what amounted to his standard campaign pitch, emphasizing his ability to create jobs. ... Full Story Top Glum Fed keeping easing options open, minutes show Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:35 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve is open to buying more Treasury bonds to stimulate the economy, but the recovery might need to weaken for a consensus to build, minutes from the central bank's June meeting released on Wednesday showed. The Fed last month expanded its latest effort to keep long-term interest rates low, announcing it would buy an additional $267 billion in long-term bonds with proceeds from short-term debt in a measure known as Operation Twist. Even given that modest step, many economists expect the U.S. ... Full Story Top Helicopters attack Colombian rebels as president visits south Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:31 PM PDT Reuters - TORIBIO, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombian helicopter gunships strafed suspected rebel hideouts and guerrillas set up roadblocks as President Juan Manuel Santos visited the nation's volatile south on Wednesday amid growing criticism that security has deteriorated. Latin America's fourth-biggest economy has battled Marxist insurgents for nearly five decades, and despite a U.S.-backed crackdown that drove rebels into more remote hideouts, guerrillas have stepped up attacks in the last few years. ... Full Story Top Syrian ambassador says defected, joined revolution Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:27 PM PDT Reuters - AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria's ambassador to Iraq Nawaf al-Fares said on Wednesday he had defected and joined the revolution against President Bashar al-Assad, becoming the first senior diplomat to quit the embattled government. "I declare that I have joined, from this moment, the ranks of the revolution of the Syrian people," Fares said in a video statement posted on Facebook. He did not give details of his location. (Reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Amman newsroom; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Full Story Top Fed weighs publishing consensus forecast Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:24 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve is considering publishing a consensus economic forecast as part of its ongoing bid to more clearly communicate its thinking to financial markets and the public. The Fed has opened its deliberations more widely to public view in recent years. Last year, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke began holding regular news conferences, and this year the central bank began providing projections for the path of interest rates. ... Full Story Top Michigan judge won't reconsider dismissal of Detroit suit Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:15 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - A Michigan judge has declined to revisit his June 13 dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Detroit's top lawyer challenging the validity of the city's fiscal pact with the state. Judge William Collette issued an order on Tuesday denying the motion for reconsideration requested by Detroit Corporation Counsel Krystal Crittendon, according to his clerk. A spokeswoman for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette also confirmed on Wednesday that the order had been issued. ... Full Story Top Melinda Gates pledges $560 mln for contraception Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:08 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Melinda Gates has pledged $560 million as part of a campaign to expand access to contraception for women in some of the poorest countries in the world. The funding commitment was unveiled on Wednesday at the London Summit on Family Planning alongside pledges totalling $4.3 billion from the British government and leaders from African nations wrestling with the health and social problems brought on by high rates of unplanned pregnancy. ... Full Story Top Melinda Gates pledges $560 million for contraception Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:07 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Melinda Gates has pledged $560 million as part of a campaign to expand access to contraception for women in some of the poorest countries in the world. The funding commitment was unveiled on Wednesday at the London Summit on Family Planning alongside pledges totaling $4.3 billion from the British government and leaders from African nations wrestling with the health and social problems brought on by high rates of unplanned pregnancy. ... Full Story Top U.S. arms makers see some hope for Pentagon budget fix Wed,11 Jul 2012 03:07 PM PDT Reuters - FARNBOROUGH, England (Reuters) - Weapons industry executives say they are growing slightly more hopeful that U.S. lawmakers may yet avert another $500 billion in budget cuts facing the Pentagon come January, on top of $487 billion in cuts already on the books. Marion Blakey, president of the Aerospace Industries Association, said a growing number of U.S. decision-makers appeared to understand the damaging effect that the uncertainty surrounding the reductions was having on investment and hiring. ... Full Story Top Senators urge reform of tariff waiver bill Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:49 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan pair of senators on Wednesday pushed for a vote on an amendment they said would reduce the role of lobbyists in crafting routine trade legislation that faces a battle this year because of concerns raised by conservatives. "Job creators are seeking relief from high tariffs to provide the certainty necessary to hire workers and grow their companies, but the process needs to be reformed," said Senator Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican. Portman, a former U.S. ... Full Story Top Mexico's president-elect calls on rivals to back reform push Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:48 PM PDT Reuters - MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto called on rival parties to rally around his plans for economic reforms on Wednesday, naming a team of advisers to help negotiate deals in the new Congress. Pena Nieto's election win on July 1 will bring the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which ruled Mexico for most of the 20th century, back to power after more than a decade on the sidelines. ... Full Story Top U.S. to demand disclosures as it eases Myanmar sanctions Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:43 PM PDT Reuters - VIENTIANE (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday eased sanctions to allow its companies to invest in and provide financial services to Myanmar but will require them to make detailed disclosures about their dealings, the White House said. The unusual reporting requirement aims to promote greater transparency in the country - among the world's most corrupt according to watchdog Transparency International - as it emerges from nearly half century of military rule. In a development first reported by Reuters early on Wednesday, President Barack Obama directed the U.S. ... Full Story Top Analysis: Tourism helps South Tyrol defy Italian recession Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:42 PM PDT Reuters - SULDEN, Italy (Reuters) - Pure spring water, solitary Alpine paths, the discreet hospitality of mountain people: this is the sober recipe with which the remote South Tyrolean hamlet of Sulden has won over German Chancellor Angela Merkel for seven summers in a row. Merkel, a keen hiker who shuns exotic holiday destinations, was introduced to this village, population 350, at the foot of the majestic Ortles glacier by Italy's best-known living climber, Reinhold Messner, over dinner in Berlin in 2004. "She was planning to go to Seiser Alm, another resort in the Dolomites. ... Full Story Top Florida A&M president resigns over hazing death Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:40 PM PDT Reuters - TALLAHASSEE/ORLANDO (Reuters) - Florida A&M University President James Ammons announced on Wednesday he will resign from his post, following June's no-confidence vote by the university's board of trustees after the hazing death of a university drum major. The announcement came shortly before parents of Robert Champion, a FAMU marching band member who died in November after being hazed, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university near the Florida panhandle. Ammons said his last day would be October 11, but he would like to remain on as a tenured professor after that date. ... Full Story Top U.N. Security Council divided over sanctions threat to Syria Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:29 PM PDT Reuters - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - International envoy Kofi Annan asked the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to make clear to Syria's government and opposition that there would be "clear consequences" for not complying with his plan to end the 16-month conflict that has killed thousands. But the Security Council differed greatly over what those consequences should be, with the United States, Britain, Germany and France insisting that Syria should be threatened with sanctions, while Russia said that should be a "last resort." The deeply divided 15-member council must decide the future of a U.N. ... Full Story Top U.S. says concerned by Russian draft NGO law Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:24 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it was concerned by Russian legislation that would force rights and campaign groups funded from abroad to register as foreign agents, saying it would impose tough new limitations on pro-democracy organizations. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the United States had communicated "deep concern" to Moscow after the Russian lower house of Parliament gave initial approval to the bill, which is supported by President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party. ... Full Story Top Djibouti: Western bases pose manageable risk Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:19 PM PDT Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Host to the most important U.S. and French military bases in Africa, the tiny Red Sea state of Djibouti agrees it faces a risk of retaliation from the Islamist militants its Western guests hunt on forays into nearby countries. But it argues the menace is limited. Instead, the strategically placed country points to what it suggests is a more significant, long-term security consideration: the poverty, unemployment and regional political instability it sees as potential pathways to extremist thinking. ... Full Story Top Fewer blacks will vote under Texas voter ID law, witness says Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:15 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Texas law requiring voters to show photo identification will lead to fewer African Americans voting, a community leader testified during the third day of a landmark trial on Wednesday. Rev. Peter Johnson, a Southern civil rights leader who has worked for decades to help black Americans access polls, said the voter ID law passed in 2011 reflects a state still rife with racism. "The brutality and ugliness of racism exists from the governor's office down to the mainstream of Texas," Johnson, who lives in Texas, told the court. "It's dishonest and naive to deny this. ... Full Story Top Signs point to early Quebec election, outcome uncertain Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:09 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - There are growing signs that Quebec Premier Jean Charest will call an early election despite polls showing his ruling Liberals could lose to a separatist party that seeks independence for the mostly French-speaking Canadian province. Montreal's La Presse newspaper, citing what it said were several Liberal insiders, said Charest strongly favored launching the campaign on August 1. That would mean an election on September 4. Charest's chief spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. ... Full Story Top In Cuba, an opera singer builds an empire Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:08 PM PDT Reuters - HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban performers ranging from Broadway-style dancers to classical opera singers are packing them in at El Cabildo, a recently opened entertainment center that is pushing the limits of the communist country's still-unfolding economic reforms. With about 130 employees, the club tucked into one of Havana's posher neighborhoods is believed to be the largest private business in Havana and perhaps a harbinger of things to come under the initiatives of President Raul Castro. ... Full Story Top Insight: A secret plea for money from a mountain in N.Korea Wed,11 Jul 2012 02:01 PM PDT Reuters - SEOUL (Reuters) - In May this year, a North Korean defector in her 40s took a call from an unknown number at her office in the South Korean capital Seoul. It was from her brother, who she had not seen for more than a decade, calling illegally from North Korea after tracking her down. He was speaking from a remote mountainside near the border with China, and was in dire need of money to help treat another sister's late stage cancer, she said. ... Full Story Top Al Qaeda suicide bomber attacks Yemen police academy Wed,11 Jul 2012 01:55 PM PDT Reuters - SANAA (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 10 people outside a police academy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Wednesday, dramatically exposing the government's vulnerability to al Qaeda-linked insurgents despite a U.S.-backed offensive against them. Yemeni Interior Minister Abdul Qader Qahtan told state television the death toll was 10, with 15 wounded, some of them in a serious condition. Security officials had earlier put the number of dead at 22. ... Full Story Top

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