Yahoo! News: Politics News

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• Deciding the undecideds: Tough for Obama, Romney
• Obama and Romney trade barbs over economic plans
• THE RACE: Undecided voters are few in tight race
• SEC closely reviewing Knight Capital trading glitch
• House to take up Russia trade if Obama, Senate support it: Cantor
• Airport screeners, gov't agree on labor contract
• Chile rejigs criticized tax reform bill in Congress push
• Congress Stalls on Summer Drought Assistance
• Highlights of Senate measure extending tax breaks
• Founder of modern Turkey Ataturk's daughter dies
• Syrian forces kill 50 in Hama clashes: residents
• Government bungled Solyndra decisions: Republican report
• Close call for three jets over Washington airport
• Pro-Romney group readies major TV ad campaign
• NYC cut pensions for police in military: lawsuit
• Iowa governor moves out of mansion because of black mold
• Senator ends hold on Air Force chief nomination
• Obama: Penn State punishment "appropriate" in Sandusky scandal
• Frustrated Annan quits as Syria peace envoy
• Yemen tribesmen release Italian officer: official
• Plug likely to be pulled on U.N. observers in Syria: France
• Mexican ex-governor tells U.S. judge he laundered drug money
• Brazil Supreme Court trial could tarnish Lula's legacy
• Obama and Romney trade barbs over economic plans
• Report says warnings ignored in Solyndra loan
• UAE emirate's ruler seeks to calm anger over arrests
• Fla. Puerto Ricans could play a key election role
• 'Boring White Guy' VP Contender Content with One Beer at a Time
• Obama: Electoral votes make nice birthday gifts
• Deciding the undecideds: Tough for Obama, Romney
• Senate panel passes tax bill in rare bipartisan show
• Will U.S. Olympic medalists get a tax break?
• House passes livestock disaster relief bill

Deciding the undecideds: Tough for Obama, Romney Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:12 PM PDT Undecided voters in swing states hold the key to the presidential election, but neither Mitt Romney nor Barack Obama has an easy recipe for winning them over.

Obama and Romney trade barbs over economic plans Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:39 PM PDT Mitt Romney promised Thursday that his economic program will create 12 million new jobs in the next four years, and likened President Barack Obama to a "dog trying to chase its tail" when it comes to strengthening the sluggish recovery.

THE RACE: Undecided voters are few in tight race Posted: 02 Aug 2012 09:27 AM PDT More money is being spent this time to help elect a president than ever before, most of it being plowed into just a handful of states to sway a handful of voters.

SEC closely reviewing Knight Capital trading glitch Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:33 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators are looking into the events surrounding Knight Capital Group's trading glitch this week, which roiled markets and wiped out $440 million of the firm's capital. "We continue to closely review the events surrounding yesterday's trading and discuss those events with other regulators as well as Knight Capital Group," Securities and Exchange Commission spokesman John Nester said. "We also are considering what, if any, additional steps may be necessary, beyond the post-Flash Crash measures that limited the impact of yesterday's trading. ...

House to take up Russia trade if Obama, Senate support it: Cantor Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:28 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said on Thursday that the House of Representatives will take up a bill to normalize trade relations with Russia in September, if the Democratic-majority Senate and President Barack Obama "commit to support" passage before the end of September. The White House has called normalizing trade relations with Russia its top legislative trade priority this year, but Republicans have complained that Obama has not done enough to whip up Democratic support for the effort. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Anthony Boadle)

Airport screeners, gov't agree on labor contract Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:27 PM PDT The union representing nearly 45,000 airport screeners has reached a first-ever collective bargaining agreement with the Transportation Security Administration.

Chile rejigs criticized tax reform bill in Congress push Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:24 PM PDT SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's government on Thursday rejigged a sweeping tax reform bill aimed at helping fund an education overhaul, removing criticized benefits for higher earners as it seeks to help its passage through Congress ahead of key local elections. Conservative President Sebastian Pinera said the revamped bill would raise the tax take by around $1.2 billion in its first year, up from a previously anticipated annual $700 million to $1 billion in extra revenue. The changes also included a smaller than originally planned reduction in stamp duty on credit. ...

Congress Stalls on Summer Drought Assistance Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:23 PM PDT By Summer Delaney While the House of Representatives and the Senate have both voted to aid livestock producers affected by the extreme droughts plaguing the nation, that drought aid is unlikely to reach those who need it soon. The two houses passed different versions of...

Highlights of Senate measure extending tax breaks Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:22 PM PDT Highlights of $205 billion Senate Finance panel measure extending tax breaks for individuals and businesses:

Founder of modern Turkey Ataturk's daughter dies Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:21 PM PDT ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The adopted daughter of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, was killed in a traffic accident, her son said on Turkish television on Thursday. Ulku Adatepe was 79. Adatepe died on Wednesday when she was thrown from a vehicle after the driver lost control of the car while driving on a motorway from Istanbul to the capital Ankara, the daily newspaper Milliyet reported. Adatepe's husband and the driver were hurt but survived the crash, which occurred in the northwest province of Sakarya. Her son Ahmet Dogancay confirmed the news on NTV television. ...

Syrian forces kill 50 in Hama clashes: residents Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:20 PM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian forces killed at least 50 people, among them 21 members of three families, during clashes with rebels in the central city of Hama, activists and residents said on Thursday. "During the clashes the army entered the neighborhood of Arbaeen and conducted raids, during which they killed members of three families," resident Abu Ammar told Reuters from the city. He said among the dead were 10 members of the Kanan family, eight from a family named Okda and three from the Saffaf family. ...

Government bungled Solyndra decisions: Republican report Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:18 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration ignored internal warnings to cut its losses on Solyndra and instead opted for a restructuring that led to a bigger loss for taxpayers when the solar panel maker went bankrupt, Republican investigators said on Thursday. In its final report on its 18-month probe into the failed $535 million loan, the Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee said the Energy Department rushed into the deal, then helped keep the company going despite a series of red flags. ...

Close call for three jets over Washington airport Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:12 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. Airways flights came too close to one another this week over Washington's Reagan National Airport because of "miscommunication" between the control tower and a regional hub, U.S. transportation officials said Thursday. Two of the regional commuter jets took off in the direction of an incoming flight with inadequate separation in the incident on Tuesday afternoon, federal officials said. ...

Pro-Romney group readies major TV ad campaign Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:07 PM PDT An independent group supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says it's launching a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign in several general election battleground states.

NYC cut pensions for police in military: lawsuit Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:06 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City was sued by the U.S. government on Thursday over allegations it unlawfully reduced pension benefits for police officers who have served in the military since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The class action accused the city of using only police officers' base pay to calculate benefits. Under the law, an employer must take into account the compensation that the service member would likely have earned had he or she not been performing military service, the lawsuit said. ...

Iowa governor moves out of mansion because of black mold Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:59 PM PDT DES MOINES (Reuters) - Governor Terry Branstad and his wife Chris have moved out of the Iowa governor's mansion in Des Moines after black mold was found in their third-floor residence, a spokeswoman said. Chris Branstad had not been feeling well for a few weeks and suggested her sickness might be caused by something at Terrace Hill, the state-owned mansion that has been home to Iowa governors since 1976. Tests were done on the mansion and confirmed black mold on the third floor, which was converted into living quarters for the state's governor and family. ...

Senator ends hold on Air Force chief nomination Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:55 PM PDT The White House pick for Air Force chief of staff headed toward Senate confirmation Thursday as members of Congress continued to press the service for answers about the widening sex scandal at a Texas base.'

Obama: Penn State punishment "appropriate" in Sandusky scandal Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:54 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said the NCAA penalties imposed on Penn State University for the school's failure to stop football coach Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of children were "appropriate" punishment. The NCAA, the governing body of U.S. college sports, fined Penn State $60 million and voided its football victories for the past 14 seasons in an unprecedented rebuke last month over the Sandusky scandal. ...

Frustrated Annan quits as Syria peace envoy Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:53 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS/ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is quitting as international peace envoy for Syria, frustrated by "finger-pointing" at the United Nations while the armed rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad becomes increasingly bloody. As battles raged on Thursday in Syria's second city, Aleppo, between rebel fighters and government forces using war planes and artillery, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced in New York that Annan had said he would go at the end of the month. ...

Yemen tribesmen release Italian officer: official Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:52 PM PDT SANAA (Reuters) - An Italian embassy security officer kidnapped by Yemeni tribesmen has been released unharmed, a government official said on Thursday, the same day the country's information minister survived an assassination attempt. The incidents highlight continuing instability in Yemen five months after former leader Ali Abdullah Saleh was formally replaced by his deputy under a plan designed to forestall a slide into lawlessness. ...

Plug likely to be pulled on U.N. observers in Syria: France Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:51 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Security Council will most likely not renew the mandate of the U.N. observer mission in Syria later this month, which would require it to pull out of the conflict-torn country, France's envoy to the United Nations said on Thursday. "I think the mission will disappear on the 19th of August," French Ambassador Gerard Araud, president of the Security Council this month, told reporters. The mandate of the U.N. mission in Syria, known as UNSMIS, expires on that date. ...

Mexican ex-governor tells U.S. judge he laundered drug money Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:49 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former Mexican state governor pleaded guilty in a New York federal court on Thursday to conspiring to launder millions of dollars of cocaine trafficking proceeds. Mario Villanueva,64, governor of Quintana Roo state from 1993 to 1999, was extradited to the United States in May 2010 after serving a six-year sentence in Mexico for money laundering. The state is home to the famous seaside resort city of Cancun. The money transfers were administered by Consuelo Marquez, a Lehman Brothers investment representative who pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in 2005. ...

Brazil Supreme Court trial could tarnish Lula's legacy Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:41 PM PDT RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Seven years after a corruption scandal rattled the government of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday began a landmark trial that could mar the wildly popular leader's legacy. Brazilians still don't know the extent of the infamous "mensalão" scandal, an alleged scheme to pay legislators a monthly retainer in exchange for their support in Congress. ...

Obama and Romney trade barbs over economic plans Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:39 PM PDT Mitt Romney promised Thursday that his economic program will create 12 million new jobs in the next four years, and likened President Barack Obama to a "dog trying to chase its tail" when it comes to strengthening the sluggish recovery.

Report says warnings ignored in Solyndra loan Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:36 PM PDT Republicans investigating the government's investment in a bankrupt solar panel manufacturer have concluded that the Obama administration ignored numerous red flags about the company's financial viability, leaving taxpayers on the hook for more than $500 million.

UAE emirate's ruler seeks to calm anger over arrests Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:25 PM PDT DUBAI (Reuters) - The ruler of an emirate in the United Arab Emirates sought to soothe anger over a crackdown on dissidents in the Gulf Arab country on Thursday, saying the recent detentions were necessary to protect them and the state. Some 35 dissidents, most of them are Islamists, have been detained by authorities since July 15 when the UAE said it was investigating a foreign-linked group planning "crimes against the security of the state". ...

Fla. Puerto Ricans could play a key election role Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:18 PM PDT Retired police officer Hector Rodriguez is a self-described fiscal conservative and a military hawk, with one son in the Army and another in the Coast Guard. When it comes to social issues, though, the longtime Republican is moderate enough to have cast votes for Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

'Boring White Guy' VP Contender Content with One Beer at a Time Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:17 PM PDT Senator Rob Portman, R-OH, isn't taking the familiar criticism that he's a "boring white guy" lying down anymore. To prove it, he sent a 12 oz. bottle of Bud Light as a gift to Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartman's office. Hartman, who has known Portman...

Obama: Electoral votes make nice birthday gifts Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:14 PM PDT President Barack Obama has a simple wish for his upcoming 51st birthday: Florida's 29 electoral votes.

Deciding the undecideds: Tough for Obama, Romney Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:12 PM PDT Undecided voters in swing states hold the key to the presidential election, but neither Mitt Romney nor Barack Obama has an easy recipe for winning them over.

Senate panel passes tax bill in rare bipartisan show Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:11 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate tax writers approved a $205 billion package of tax breaks in a rare show of bipartisan unity on Thursday, but across Capitol Hill in the House of Representatives, sniping over taxes between Democrats and Republicans was in full force. Hours before leaving for a five-week break, the Senate Finance Committee passed legislation including a $15 billion business research tax break. It also contained a popular $132 billion provision to prevent the alternative minimum tax, targeted at the rich, from hitting the middle class. ...

Will U.S. Olympic medalists get a tax break? Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:09 PM PDT (Reuters) - When U.S. athletes at the London Olympic Games bow their heads to receive a medal, one would hope they are not thinking about their taxes. But as with much in life, Olympic glory has a price -- a tax price, that is. Legislation to exempt U.S. Olympic athletes from having to pay tax on prize money won at the games was proposed on Wednesday in the U.S. Congress by Senator Marco Rubio. Podium athletes get checks - $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze - and the winnings are taxable for Americans. ...

House passes livestock disaster relief bill Posted: 02 Aug 2012 02:04 PM PDT The House has extended disaster assistance to livestock producers reeling from rising feed prices caused by the drought that has hit much of the nation.

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