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NEWS TUESDAY,
FEBRUARY 9, 2010 NEWS
EARLY EDITION
Feb.
25 Health Care Meeting To Be Televised
President Obama's bipartisan meeting on health care reform planned
for February 25 will be broadcast live, a senior administration official
said Monday. Coverage details were not complete, but the official said
the White House expected "the whole thing to be live." The half-day meeting
is an attempt by the Obama administration to rescue health care legislation,
a top domestic priority for the president. Televising it also would help
fulfill a campaign promise by Obama that health care negotiations would
be broadcast live. CNN
VOA VIEW: The liberal media will air what
benefits Obama.
Comeback For
Russian-Backed Politician In Ukraine Signals Likely Shifts Ahead
Six years after Ukraine turned away from Russia and towards the West,
the strategically-located country on Sunday appeared to have swung the
other way by narrowly electing as president the same Moscow-backed politician
whose attempts to rig the last election triggered the “orange revolution.”
Viktor Yanukovich, the leader of the Party of Regions, claimed victory
in Sunday’s second-round runoff over rival Yulia Tymoshenko, the incumbent
prime minister who in 2004 was a leader of the street protests that overturned
Yanukovich’s purported presidential election victory. CNS
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Job
Market Gauge Rises For 5th Month
The Conference Board, a private research group, said its Employment
Trends Index climbed to 93.2 in January from an upwardly revised 92.3 in
December, which was originally reported as 91.8. It was the highest index
level reading since January 2009, when it stood at 93.8. The index is still
down 0.7 percent from one year ago, according to the group. "The continued
rise in the Employment Trends Index makes us more optimistic that job growth
will resume in the first quarter of 2010," said Gad Levanon, associate
director of macroeconomic research at The Conference Board. Reuters
Clinton-Era
Aides Push To Save Obama's Plan
Shock and awe. That's what survivors of the Clinton-era health care
collapse are feeling as President Barack Obama's overhaul legislation wobbles
in Congress. Aides who shaped Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton's 1990s plan
to cover all Americans, then labored in vain to pass it into law, are adamant
that the Democrats can't afford another health care disaster. But they're
divided on whether scaling down Obama's plan would be an acceptable solution.
MSNBC
U.S.
Stocks Retreat On Concern Europe Finances To Hurt Recovery
U.S. stocks slid and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed below
10,000 for the first time since November amid concern that deteriorating
European government finances will derail the economic recovery. Bank of
America Corp. and American Express Co. lost at least 2.8 percent for the
biggest declines in the Dow. Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. fell 4 percent to lead
the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lower after its forecast for operating
expenses topped some analysts’ estimates. Home Depot Inc. rose 2.2 percent
and Google Inc. climbed 0.4 percent on analyst upgrades. Bloomberg
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Under
Fire, NY Governor Says He's Not Resigning
Paterson, already facing a probable challenge for the Democratic Party
nomination from state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, took over as governor
in 2008 after then-Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned in a prostitution scandal.
Media blogs including the Huffington Post have been reporting The New York
Times will soon publish a story so explosive that Paterson would have to
resign. But Paterson told that newspaper's editorial board he had no intention
of quitting and would formally announce his candidacy in the next two weeks.
Reuters
Obama's
Health Care Summit: Just For Show?
Could this turn into something more than political theater? President
Barack Obama's televised dialogue with Republican lawmakers on health care,
promised for later this month, has the makings of an entertaining exchange.
But the differences between the basic Democratic and GOP ideas are stark
— and the two sides have increasingly hardened their positions in this
election year. MSNBC
Obama
Administration Blasts Anthem Blue Cross Rate Hikes
The Obama administration is asking why Anthem Blue Cross is raising
its health insurance rates by nearly 40 percent for some California customers
while making handsome profits -- and is pointing to the rate hike as evidence
of why health care reform needs to pass. Anthem Blue Cross will raise rates
on March 1 for many of its approximately 800,000 customers in the individual
market, the Los Angeles Times reported last week. Some customers say they
have been notified of increases from 30 percent to 39 percent, following
similar rate hikes last year. CBS
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Bloomberg Wants
Guarantee That Federal Gov’t Will Pay For Cost Of 9/11 Trial
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he is skeptical that the
federal government would cover the cost of trying Sept. 11 suspects in
Manhattan, a day after President Barack Obama said he had not ruled out
holding the trial in New York. Bloomberg said Monday that he wants
the Obama administration to guarantee it will help pay for the added security
and other infrastructure the city would have to provide for the trial of
professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged accomplices.
CNS
Do
Americans Know Where Obama Stands?
In just over a year in office, President Obama has given more than
160 interviews and taken questions at 26 town meetings. In Katie Couric's
interview with him yesterday, she asked him about the criticism he gets
from some political analysts that in spite of all that exposure, people
are not sure where he stands or who he is. CBS
Can
Obama’s Call For Doubling Exports Produce Bipartisan Support?
During his State of the Union address two weeks ago, President Obama
touched only briefly on the hot button issue of trade. His proposed doubling
of exports in the next five years to help create two million jobs here
at home was received with applause. “If there’s one thing Republicans and
Democrats can agree on, it’s exports,” said Fred Hochberg who serves as
Chairman and President of the Export-Import Bank. We are the largest
manufacturing country in the entire world. No country makes more manufactured
goods than the United States so we’re in a very good position to double
our exports,” Hochberg added.
ABC
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Planned
Parenthood Pushes Intensive Sex Education For Kids As Young As 10
The report, "Stand and Deliver," charges that religious groups, specifically
Catholics and Muslims, deny their young access to comprehensive sexual
programs and education. "Young people's sexuality is still contentious
for many religious institutions. Fundamentalist and other religious groups
— the Catholic Church and madrasas (Islamic Schools) for example — have
imposed tremendous barriers that prevent young people, particularly, from
obtaining information and services related to sex and reproduction. Currently,
many religious teachings deny the pleasurable and positive aspects of sex."
the report states. Fox
News
Rep.
John Murtha Dies At 77
Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a longtime fixture on the House subcommittee
that oversees Pentagon spending, died after complications from gallbladder
surgery, according to his office. He was 77. The Democratic congressman
recently underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove his gallbladder. Murtha
was hospitalized in December and had to postpone a hearing with Defense
Secretary Robert Gates on the administration's strategy in Afghanistan.
The congressman returned to work after a few days in the hospital and helped
oversee final passage of the 2010 defense appropriations bill. CNN
President
Obama's Phantom $15 Billion Program For Small Businesses
Last March 16, President Obama and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner
announced a new $15 billion program to help encourage loans to small businesses
-- the Unlocking Credit for Small Businesses, or UCSB program. Subsequently,
wrote Neil Barofsky, Special Inspector General of the Troubled Asset Relief
Program, in his latest report, "two additional initiatives were announced
to support small-business lending, and Treasury announced an increase of
the TARP funding dedicated to support these efforts to $30 billion." ABC
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Administration
Proposes New Agency To Study Climate Change
The Obama administration on Monday proposed a new agency to study and
report on the changing climate, which has drawn concern among many scientists
in recent years. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Jane Lubchenco, head
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, announced NOAA
will set up the new Climate Service to operate in tandem with NOAA's National
Weather Service and National Ocean Service. Fox
News
Illinois
Looking For Lt. Governor Hopefuls
Illinois Democrats are getting a political do-over. They are picking
a new candidate for lieutenant governor after the primary winner dropped
out due to a checkered past. Gov. Pat Quinn has the rare opportunity to
help pick his running mate, but refused to say Monday who was on his short
list of potential partners. Meanwhile, the politicking has begun in earnest
among those seeking a chance in November at the state's No. 2 job. The
spot opened up when Scott Lee Cohen announced over the weekend he would
leave the ticket. Las
Vegas Sun
US
To Commit $78.5M To Try To Halt Asian Carp
Navigational locks and gates in Chicago-area waterways crucial for
shipping may be opened less frequently than usual under a $78.5 million
campaign to prevent Asian carp from overrunning the Great Lakes, federal
officials said Monday. The plan falls short of closing the navigational
structures entirely, as demanded by Michigan and five other Great Lakes
states. They fear the locks will provide an opening to the lakes for the
giant carp, which some scientists say could devastate the region's $7 billion
fishing industry. Las
Vegas Sun
Washington
Braces For Second Snow Blast As Storm Heads For NYC
Storm systems barreling across the country may bring as much as 20
inches (50 centimeters) of new snow to Washington and Baltimore starting
late tomorrow, while New York may receive a foot, forecasters said. With
the Washington-Baltimore area still digging out from a weekend storm that
left record snowfalls in some areas, the latest blast of winter “is going
to be accompanied by heavy winds, which will make it feel worse, and across
the Northeast that wind is going to last through the weekend,” said Tom
Kines, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. Bloomberg
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Iran
Enrichment Moves Spur Sanctions Calls
Iran's move to proceed with the enrichment of its nuclear fuel resulted
in new calls for sanctions Monday from the United States, France and Russia.
Iran reportedly indicated to the International Atomic Energy Agency in
Vienna Monday that it plans to begin enriching its uranium stockpile to
20 percent purity. Tehran claims the fuel is for a medical research reactor
but the United States and others suspect it is meant for a nuclear weapon.
UPI
Hezbollah
Support Waning, Poll Finds
Support for Hezbollah among the Shiite population in Lebanon is overwhelming,
though broad support in the Middle East is dwindling, a poll suggests.
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project
found limited support for Hezbollah outside the Shiite demographic. The
survey of 1,000 adult Lebanese found 97 percent of the Shiite community
favored Hezbollah, while only 18 percent of Christians and 2 percent of
Sunnis expressed similar views. UPI
'Israel's
A Mad State Led By Mad People'
Israel is “a crazy nation led by crazy people,” Iranian Foreign Minister
Manoucher Mottaki told Al Jazeera in an interview published Monday afternoon.
Mottaki said Iran did not take seriously Israel’s threats to attack its
nuclear installations, but added that Teheran must be prepared for an Israeli
onslaught. He said “the Zionist regime is at its weakest point and holds
the weakest positions for the past three years. T” Jerusalem
Post
VOA VIEW: Iran or any other Arab nation
would make a major mistake attacking Israel.
US
'Vetoed' Palestinian Unity
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Monday accused the US of obstructing
efforts to end the rift between his movement and Fatah. Mashaal’s allegation
came as he arrived in Moscow at the head of a Hamas delegation for talks
with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. This was Mashaal’s third visit
to Moscow since Hamas won the January 2006 parliamentary election. Mashaal’s
talks in Moscow focused on the continued power struggle between Hamas and
Fatah and ways of achieving reconciliation between the two parties, sources
close to Hamas said. Jerusalem
Post
Exercise
'Cuts Risk Of Developing Painful Gallstones'
Doing lots of exercise drastically cuts the risk of developing painful
gallstones, UK researchers have found. Gallstones are common but only 30%
of cases have symptoms and complications. A University of East Anglia study
of 25,000 men and women found those who were the most active had a 70%
reduced risk of those complaints. The team, writing in the European Journal
of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, said one reason might be reduced cholesterol
levels in the bile. BBC
Nicotine
Study Sparks 'Third-Hand Smoke' Fears
First came the evidence that smoking causes lung cancer, then researchers
found a link between second-hand smoke and chronic illnesses, now a study
has pointed an accusing finger at “third-hand” smoke. Scientists have found
that significant quantities of cancer-causing chemicals are produced on
indoor surfaces contaminated by tobacco smoke even when a smoker has been
away from the room for hours or even days. Indpendent
Students
To Miss Out As University Applications Soar
A record number of students applied for university places this year
but unions warned funding cuts would leave many disappointed. The university
application service UCAS said that as of late January, the number of full-time
undergraduate applications had jumped 22.9 percent to 570,556 compared
with 2009 - the fourth annual rise in a row. "It is clear that once again
we have seen a significant rise in applications which leaves us in no doubt
that, as last year, this cycle will be very challenging and competitive
for applicants and the higher education sector generally," UCAS Chief Executive,
Mary Curnock Cook, said in a statement. Independent
Cabinet
Did Not Need To Hear Legal Doubts Over Iraq Invasion, Says Straw
Jack Straw made clear in evidence to the Iraq inquiry today that he
believed there was absolutely no need for the cabinet to be told of the
attorney general's doubts about the legality of the invasion. The inquiry
has heard that a week before the invasion, on 13 March 2003, Lord Goldsmith,
the attorney general, told Straw that he might need to tell the cabinet
that "the legal issues were finely balanced", documents released by the
inquiry today reveal. Straw, then foreign secretary, advised Goldsmith
not to do so, warning of "the problem of leaks from the cabinet". The inquiry
has heard that the cabinet was never told of Goldsmith's doubts. Guardian
FSA
Warns Against Heavy-Handed EU Regulation Of Hedge Funds
The chief City regulator added its weight today to growing concerns
that EU plans for regulating the hedge fund industry will prove chaotic
and excessively costly to implement. The Financial Services Authority said
a proposed directive still carried "significant risks", even though some
stricter rules were toned down during negotiations between member states.
The comments followed warnings by a group of City lawyers that the directive
could lead to "systemic failure" in European markets if it were passed
in its current form. Guardian
Toyota
Recall Crisis Is Threat To 'Whole Car Industry'
Toyota's recall crisis has wiped more than 10pc off the value of the
company's brand and could damage the reputation of Japanese car makers
for a generation, one of the world's leading brand experts has warned.
The verdict comes with the crisis on the brink of being exacerbated by
recalls of the Prius hybrid and high-end Lexus marque, two of Toyota 's
proudest names.
Brand Finance, which publishes an influential ranking of leading brands,
said Toyota's poor handling of the crisis meant it was downgrading the
brand from AAA rating and a value of $27bn (£15.4bn), to an A rating
and $24bn. Telegraph
Soft
Drink Consumption May Increase Risk Of Pancreatic Cancer
Researchers found that there was a correlation between drinking sugary
drinks and the cancer which affects around 7,000 people in the UK every
year. They believe that the high sugar content increases the amount of
insulin the pancreas produces which could be why they are more prone to
cancer. Dr Mark Pereira, co-author at the University of Minnesota, admitted
that people who consume soft drinks on a regular basis, tend to have a
poorer diets overall but he felt the drinks did have a real effect. Telegraph
UN
Faces Race Against Time And Weather To Obtain Hazard-Proof Shelters For
Haiti
The United Nations said today it is racing against time to bring in
hazard-resistant tents for Haiti’s earthquake victims before the rainy
season starts, provide sufficient agricultural input to save the next planting
season, and raise greatly increased funding to support the effort. "We
have more or less two months, and in fact time is getting very short because
rains could come earlier,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti Kim Bolduc
told a news briefing in New York by video link from Port-au-Prince, the
capital, in the latest update on the 12 January quake, which killed up
to 200,000 people, injured many others and left 2 million in need of aid.
UN
News
UN
Political Chief Heads To DPR Korea For Talks With Senior Officials
The top United Nations political official will arrive in the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) tomorrow for talks with senior Government
officials after wrapping up meetings in Beijing and Seoul. As the Special
Envoy of the Secretary-General, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs
B. Lynn Pascoe will depart the Chinese capital tomorrow morning to hold
comprehensive talks on all issues of mutual interest and concern with the
DPRK during his visit to Pyongyang, slated to run from today through Friday.
UN
News
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