Yahoo! News: Politics News

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• No shocker in store: Romney veep search under way
• Top House tax-writer open to Romney ideas on taxes
• Obama raises $53M for campaign, Democrats in March
• Romney gaining on Obama: Reuters/Ipsos poll
• SEC looks to economists for legal cover
• Clearance of 11 security agents in Colombia incident revoked
• Trayvon Martin's killer showed signs of injury: neighbors
• Tax agency accuses economist of 22-year scam
• Joint Chiefs Chairman Says 'We Let the Boss Down' in Colombia
• GSA executive asserts right to remain silent
• Exclusive Interview with Mr. & Mrs. Romney, Secret Service's Brothel Party and a GSA Official in the Spa Tub (PM Note)
• Panetta calls for new steps to stop assaults
• 4th National Drug Take-Back Day set for April 28
• Palestinians to deliver Netanyahu ultimatum on talks
• Secret Service Partied at Cartagena's Pley Club Brothel
• No shocker in store: Romney veep search under way
• SEC charges optionsXpress over naked short selling
• Big Tobacco pays states $6.5 billion, unchanged from 2011
• Iran says ready to resolve nuclear issues
• Three militants killed in possible U.S. drone strike in Yemen
• GOP, Dems clash over Obama tax boosts on wealthy
• Cyber crime official optimistic on new legislation
• Dempsey: Military embarrassed by Colombia scandal
• Philadelphia Inquirer wins Pulitzer for public service
• Strong retail sales ease growth worries
• Panetta regrets expense of weekend trips home
• Chavez battles re-election hurdle: Venezuela inflation
• Top House tax-writer open to Romney ideas on taxes
• Campaign Denies Gingrich Left Student Reporter's Interview
• UK to raise Heywood murder with senior Chinese official
• Sudan parliament calls South an "enemy"
• Despite Obama charm, Americas summit boosts U.S. isolation
• World Bank picks health expert Kim as president

No shocker in store: Romney veep search under way Posted: Don't look for a vice presidential shocker from Mitt Romney. His choice of a running-mate — a search he announced Monday he has begun — will be guided by both his methodical, risk-averse corporate training and the lessons his party learned from Sarah Palin's selection.

Top House tax-writer open to Romney ideas on taxes Posted: The House's top tax writer said Monday that he will listen to Mitt Romney's proposals for limiting tax breaks for the wealthy, but did not commit himself to adopting plans offered by the likely Republican presidential nominee.

Obama raises $53M for campaign, Democrats in March Posted: President Barack Obama raised a combined $53 million for his campaign, the Democratic Party and other campaign funds in March, his campaign said Monday as it prepared to face Mitt Romney and a rejuvenated GOP in the general election.

Romney gaining on Obama: Reuters/Ipsos poll Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's lead over Mitt Romney has narrowed to 4 percentage points from 11 points a month ago, now that Romney has established himself as the probable Republican presidential nominee, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday. Obama was backed by 47 percent of registered voters in the telephone poll conducted from April 12-15, compared with 43 percent who supported Romney. In the same poll conducted March 8-11, Obama led Romney by 52 percent to 41 percent. ...

SEC looks to economists for legal cover Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is taking extra steps to bulletproof its rulemaking, after U.S. appeals court judges, Republican lawmakers and government watchdogs have criticized how the agency measures the economic impact of its rules. The SEC has internally circulated a memo guiding staff to rely more heavily on agency economists and to provide stronger economic justifications as they craft rules, according to a copy of the March 16 memo reviewed by Reuters. SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro is scheduled to appear on Tuesday before a U.S. ...

Clearance of 11 security agents in Colombia incident revoked Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Secret Service said on Monday it revoked the top security clearance of 11 agents and uniformed division personnel over alleged misbehavior in Colombia, and the Pentagon said more of its personnel may have been involved than was first reported. George Ogilvie, a Secret Service spokesman, said of the 11 agency personnel: "Pending investigation, their top secret clearance has been revoked. ...

Trayvon Martin's killer showed signs of injury: neighbors Posted: SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - Neighbors of George Zimmerman say he had bandages on his nose and head the day after he shot dead Trayvon Martin, supporting statements by the neighborhood watch volunteer that he was beaten in a confrontation with the black Florida teenager. The extent of Zimmerman's injuries could be crucial to his legal defense under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law, which allows the use of deadly force when someone has the reasonable belief he could face death or great bodily harm. ...

Tax agency accuses economist of 22-year scam Posted: NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors on Monday accused a man of avoiding $500,000 in taxes for 22 years through a variety of measures, including refusing to give employers his social security number and setting up finance companies to collect his pay for him. David Gilmartin of Phelan, California, was charged with obstruction of the Internal Revenue Service, failure to file a tax return and failure to pay taxes. A statement from the Office of the Attorney for the Southern District of New York included several references to Gilmartin's education, emphasizing he holds a PhD. in economics. ...

Joint Chiefs Chairman Says 'We Let the Boss Down' in Colombia Posted: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs  Gen. Martin Dempsey said today he is embarrassed by the conduct of the military service members involved in the Secret Service scandal in Colombia and, referring to President Obama, said: "We let the boss down." At a Pentagon briefing this...

GSA executive asserts right to remain silent Posted: The General Services Administration investigator who revealed a wild agency spending spree said Monday he's investigating possible bribery and kickbacks, and has already recommended criminal charges to the Justice Department. The key figure in the scandal invoked his right to remain silent at the House hearing.

Exclusive Interview with Mr. & Mrs. Romney, Secret Service's Brothel Party and a GSA Official in the Spa Tub (PM Note) Posted: Watch Diane Sawyer's exclusive interview with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, today at 6:30 p.m. ET on "World News With Diane Sawyer" and 11 p.m. ET on "Nightline." Let the Veepstakes Begin! Romney announced he kicked off the search for his...

Panetta calls for new steps to stop assaults Posted: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Monday announced new steps to combat sexual assaults in the military, with serious offenses such as rape and forcible sodomy subject to a court-martial review at the Army colonel or Navy captain level.

4th National Drug Take-Back Day set for April 28 Posted: Americans can rid their homes of expired or unused prescription drugs on April 28 by dropping them off at sites nationwide.

Palestinians to deliver Netanyahu ultimatum on talks Posted: RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The Palestinian prime minister plans to use a rare meeting set for Tuesday with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a letter detailing Palestinian grievances on stalled peace talks. Although there was no official announcement of the encounter between Netanyahu and Salam Fayyad, Palestinian officials confirmed that the two would see each other during the day. An Israeli official said Netanyahu will reiterate his call for talks to resume without any preconditions and for a meeting with the top Palestinian leader, President Mahmoud Abbas. ...

Secret Service Partied at Cartagena's Pley Club Brothel Posted: ABC News' Reena Ninan, Christine Romo and Mary Bruce report: CARTAGENA, Colombia — The Secret Service personnel relieved of duty for misconduct in Colombia were partying at a Cartagena brothel called the Pley Club, ABC News has learned. The men were drinking heavily during their...

No shocker in store: Romney veep search under way Posted: Don't look for a vice presidential shocker from Mitt Romney. His choice of a running-mate — a search he announced Monday he has begun — will be guided by both his methodical, risk-averse corporate training and the lessons his party learned from Sarah Palin's selection.

SEC charges optionsXpress over naked short selling Posted: (Reuters) - Online brokerage optionsXpress and five individuals were charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday with involvement in a so-called naked short-selling scheme. Short sellers sell borrowed shares in the hope they can be bought back at a lower price. Naked short-selling involves selling shares without first borrowing them. The SEC said optionsXpress engaged in a series of sham transactions that violated "Regulation SHO" a rule that requires equity securities to be delivered generally three days after the date of a trade. ...

Big Tobacco pays states $6.5 billion, unchanged from 2011 Posted: NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three of the biggest U.S. tobacco companies said on Monday they have paid a total of $6.5 billion this year to U.S. states, unchanged from 2011, under a 1998 national accord that obliges companies to help cover the health bills of ailing smokers. Altria's Philip Morris paid $3.5 billion, but the Marlboro-maker is disputing $206 million of that sum and has put that money in escrow. The national settlement, which involved most states, is designed to level the playing field between companies that signed it and those that did not. ...

Iran says ready to resolve nuclear issues Posted: DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran is ready to resolve all nuclear issues in the next round of talks with world powers if the West starts lifting sanctions, its foreign minister said on Monday. In an interview with the Iranian student news agency ISNA, Ali Akbar Salehi also hinted that Iran could make concessions on its higher-grade uranium enrichment, a key concern of Western powers which suspect Iran is covertly developing a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran denies the accusations. ...

Three militants killed in possible U.S. drone strike in Yemen Posted: ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) - At least three al Qaeda-linked militants were killed in an air strike in Yemen on Monday as the government pressed ahead with an offensive against Islamist insurgents in the south of the country. A local official in the southern Shabwa province said Yemeni warplanes had fired rockets on a vehicle, killing six militants from Ansar al-Sharia, a group affiliated with al Qaeda. But the group itself said in a statement that only three of its militants had been killed in the attack which it said was carried out by a U.S. drone, not warplanes. ...

GOP, Dems clash over Obama tax boosts on wealthy Posted: The day before Americans' taxes were due, Senate Republicans defied President Barack Obama on Monday and prepared to block a Democratic "Buffett rule" bill requiring the nation's top earners to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes.

Cyber crime official optimistic on new legislation Posted: CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Obama administration's top cyber security official says companies would not be unduly burdened by a Senate bill that would phase in security standards for key parts of the country's privately held infrastructure. The administration has been pushing to enact such legislation, and in an interview with Reuters, White House cyber security policy coordinator Howard Schmidt said the law (http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/14/cybersecurity-congress-idUSL2E8DEA5M20120214) would apply only to the most vital companies, and that many of them would already be in compliance. ...

Dempsey: Military embarrassed by Colombia scandal Posted: The top U.S. military officer said Monday the nation's military leadership is embarrassed by allegations of misconduct against at least 10 U.S. military members at a Colombia hotel on the eve of President Barack Obama's visit over the weekend.

Philadelphia Inquirer wins Pulitzer for public service Posted: NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday won the Pulitzer Prize in the coveted public service category, while another Pennsylvania newspaper, The Patriot-News, took home the award for local reporting for its coverage of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal. The Philadelphia Inquirer won for what for the board described as "its exploration of pervasive violence in the city's schools," beating out nominees The New York Times and the Miami Herald. ...

Strong retail sales ease growth worries Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Americans shrugged off high gasoline prices in March and spent more strongly than expected, suggesting economic growth in the first quarter was probably not as weak as many had feared. Retail sales increased 0.8 percent, the Commerce Department said on Monday, after rising 1.0 percent in February. Last month's gains handily beat economists' expectations for only a 0.3 percent rise and indicated sturdy consumer spending in the first three months of 2012. Consumer spending accounts for more than two third of U.S. economic activity. ...

Panetta regrets expense of weekend trips home Posted: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Monday he regrets the cost to taxpayers for his weekend trips to his California home, but says it's important "just to get your mind straight and your perspective straight."

Chavez battles re-election hurdle: Venezuela inflation Posted: CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is so determined to contain one of the world's highest inflation rates in an election year that his price control officials are sticking signs outside stores to enforce compliance. The red-yellow-green traffic light notices tell shoppers whether a store is obeying new price caps. Businesses that don't comply face fines, temporary closure or outright expropriation by his socialist government. The initial freezing of prices of 19 key goods in December has begun to kick in: Consumer prices rose 3. ...

Top House tax-writer open to Romney ideas on taxes Posted: The House's top tax writer said Monday that he will listen to Mitt Romney's proposals for limiting tax breaks for the wealthy, but did not commit himself to adopting plans offered by the likely Republican presidential nominee.

Campaign Denies Gingrich Left Student Reporter's Interview Posted: Reports swirled Monday that Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich left an interview with a student reporter at a rally in Greensboro, N.C., over a question he did not want to respond to. The reporter, Memet Walker, wrote a column in the University of North Carolina's...

UK to raise Heywood murder with senior Chinese official Posted: LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to discuss the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in China with a visiting senior Chinese official, an aide said on Monday, as the British government faced questions over its handling of the affair. "It's likely to come up," a spokeswoman for Cameron said when asked about the prime minister's talks on Tuesday with Li Changchun, China's propaganda chief and a member of China's most powerful leadership body, the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee. ...

Sudan parliament calls South an "enemy" Posted: KHARTOUM/JUBA (Reuters) - Sudan's parliament branded South Sudan an "enemy" on Monday and called for a swift recapture of a disputed oil-producing region, as rising border tensions pushed the old civil war foes closer to another full-blown conflict. South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan last July, seized the contested Heglig oilfield last Tuesday, prompting its northern neighbor to vow to recapture the area by "all means". The oilfield is vital to Sudan's economy, producing about half of the 115,000 barrel-per-day output that remained in its control after South Sudan's secession. ...

Despite Obama charm, Americas summit boosts U.S. isolation Posted: CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sat patiently through diatribes, interruptions and even the occasional eye-ball roll at the weekend Summit of the Americas in an effort to win over Latin American leaders fed up with U.S. policies. He failed. The United States instead emerged from the summit in Colombia increasingly isolated as nearly 30 regional heads of state refused to sign a joint declaration in protest against the continued exclusion of communist-led Cuba from the event. ...

World Bank picks health expert Kim as president Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank on Monday chose Korean-born American health expert Jim Yong Kim as its new president, maintaining Washington's grip on the job and leaving developing countries questioning the selection process. Kim, 52, won the job over Nigeria's widely respected finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, with the support of Washington's allies in Western Europe, Japan and Canada. Unlike previous World Bank elections, the decision among the 25-member board was not unanimous. ...

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