Yahoo! News: Politics News

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• Makings of a fiscal deal behind the hot rhetoric
• Senate passes $631 billion defense bill
• GOP leaders remove 4 from plum House committees
• Evacuation extended for Louisiana town near explosives cache
• Mr. Burns Explains the Fiscal Cliff
• U.S. court hearing set in Strauss-Kahn civil lawsuit
• U.S. fails to win early limit on Net controls at global gathering
• Iowa's Senator Grassley urges hearing on SEC security lapse
• Highlights of White House, GOP budget plans
• Illinois moves to grant drivers licenses to illegal immigrants
• After meeting Obama, governors urge resolution of fiscal impasse
• Maxine Waters elected ranking member of House financial panel
• Judge allows California gay conversion therapy ban to take effect
• FEMA chief: Sandy fund should last until spring
• Elizabeth Warren seen securing Senate banking spot: aides
• Republicans block U.N. treaty to protect people with disabilities
• EU considers response to Israeli settlement building plans
• Man pleads guilty in plot to attack New York houses of worship
• Superstorm Sandy seen striking payrolls
• Arab Spring to take years to improve women's rights: activists
• Obama to fill key posts in weeks, Hagel on Pentagon short list
• Basic hygiene at risk in debt-stricken Greek hospitals
• Republicans see some leverage in "fiscal cliff" talks
• New inflation gauge would cut benefits, hike taxes
• U.S. says penalties under anti-fraud law hit record $5 billion
• Ariz. Gov. Brewer Keeps Trip a Secret
• Montenegro hands Djukanovic seventh term as prime minister
• Obama firm on tax rates amid Republican infighting
• Debt Ceiling 'Nonsense' and Tax Loopholes - Today's Q's for O's WH - 12/4/12
• BlackRock CEO Fink says not seeking Treasury job
• Rio arrests 63 police in corruption crackdown
• Obama says Republican "fiscal cliff" plan out of balance
• Tea party group chief quits, cites internal split
• Russia's leaders battered by 'sports injuries'
• American Air passenger service agents vote on unionizing
• U.S. judge dismisses sanctions case against Barclays
• Supreme Court: government may be liable for flood damage

Makings of a fiscal deal behind the hot rhetoric Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:26 PM PST Bluster and hot rhetoric aside, the White House and House Republicans have identified areas of significant overlap that could form the basis for a final agreement after "fiscal cliff" posturing gives way to hard bargaining.

Senate passes $631 billion defense bill Posted: 04 Dec 2012 03:11 PM PST The Senate overwhelmingly approved a sweeping, $631 billion defense bill Tuesday that sends a clear signal to President Barack Obama to move quickly to get U.S. combat troops out of Afghanistan, tightens sanctions on Iran and limits the president's authority in handling terror suspects.

GOP leaders remove 4 from plum House committees Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:47 PM PST House Speaker John Boehner's decision to take plum committee assignments away from four conservative Republican lawmakers after they bucked party leaders on key votes isn't going over well with advocacy groups that viewed them as role models.

Evacuation extended for Louisiana town near explosives cache Posted: 04 Dec 2012 03:22 PM PST (Reuters) - Some 800 residents of the town of Doyline, Louisiana, will be able to return to their homes full time on Thursday or Friday after the state clears out six tons of explosives that had been improperly stored at a nearby company. "We are progressing, working very hard to get this situation improved for them," State Police Captain Doug Cain said. Police have said the people were evacuated from the northwestern Louisiana town last Friday after a State Police trooper found a material called M6 propellant during an inspection of an industrial site used by Explo Systems Inc. ...

Mr. Burns Explains the Fiscal Cliff Posted: 04 Dec 2012 03:15 PM PST Mr. Burns from the hit TV show "The Simpsons" took a stab at explaining the "fiscal cliff" in a clip posted today on YouTube. As he waits for a call from Karl Rove with books reading, "Binders," "Women" and "Nate Silver Can't Add" strewn around...

U.S. court hearing set in Strauss-Kahn civil lawsuit Posted: 04 Dec 2012 03:04 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lawyers for former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault were ordered on Tuesday to appear in New York state court next week to brief a judge on the status of settlement talks in the maid's civil case against him. The setting of the court date comes just days after a source familiar with the matter said the two sides had reached a preliminary agreement to settle the case. ...

U.S. fails to win early limit on Net controls at global gathering Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:49 PM PST DUBAI/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. and Canadian proposal to protect the Internet from new international regulation has failed to win prompt backing from other countries, setting up potentially tough negotiations to rewrite a telecom treaty. The idea, also supported by Europe, would limit the International Telecommunication Union's rules to only telecom operators and not Internet-based companies such as Google Inc and Facebook Inc. ...

Iowa's Senator Grassley urges hearing on SEC security lapse Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:47 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator Charles Grassley on Tuesday urged the Senate Banking Committee to hold a hearing to examine the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's failure to encrypt some computers containing highly sensitive stock exchange data. Grassley, an Iowa Republican, wrote in a letter to Senate Banking Chairman Tim Johnson that the panel has "a strong role to play and responsibility in ensuring the safety and security of our exchange platforms," and he urged Johnson to hold hearings on the issue. ...

Highlights of White House, GOP budget plans Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:46 PM PST The Obama administration and House Republicans have unveiled their opening offers in talks to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. Details are scant but the White House estimates its plan would carve $4.4 trillion from the deficit over the coming decade, including previously enacted cuts ($1 trillion) and savings from reduced costs for overseas military operations ($800 billion), as well as interest payments on the national debt ($600 billion).

Illinois moves to grant drivers licenses to illegal immigrants Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:45 PM PST SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (Reuters) - Illinois took a major step on Tuesday toward granting drivers licenses to illegal immigrants, which would make it the most populous U.S. state to allow undocumented migrants to legally drive. The Democratic-controlled state Senate voted 41-14 to approve licenses for illegal immigrants to raucous cheers from the legislative gallery. If approved by the House, also with a majority of Democrats, and signed into law by Democratic Governor Pat Quinn, Illinois would join only two other states, Washington and New Mexico, in granting such drivers licenses. ...

After meeting Obama, governors urge resolution of fiscal impasse Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:45 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic and Republican governors urged the White House and Congress on Tuesday to reach a deal to avoid year-end tax hikes and spending cuts, but they did not publicly recommend how the sides should bridge differences. "We're not saying it should be this plan or that plan, I think what we all agree on is something's got to get done," Delaware Governor Jack Markell told reporters after meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House. ...

Maxine Waters elected ranking member of House financial panel Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:32 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - California Democrat Maxine Waters was elected to serve as ranking member of the House Financial Service Committee, according to an announcement from Waters' office on Tuesday. In a statement, Waters said she looks forward to defending the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulatory overhaul and plans to focus on housing finance reform. "I understand that regulatory certainty is an important aspect of growing our economy, and remain committed to ensuring clear and transparent regulation, which creates the space for innovation, safety and soundness," she said. ...

Judge allows California gay conversion therapy ban to take effect Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:30 PM PST SACRAMENTO (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday cleared the way for a landmark California law that bars a controversial therapy aimed at reversing homosexuality in children and teenagers to take effect in January. California's Democratic Governor Jerry Brown signed the ban into law in September, making the nation's most populous state the first to ban so-called conversion therapy among youths. U.S. ...

FEMA chief: Sandy fund should last until spring Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:29 PM PST The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday there's enough money in the government's disaster relief fund for Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts until early spring.

Elizabeth Warren seen securing Senate banking spot: aides Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:28 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator-elect Elizabeth Warren is expected to secure a seat on the Senate Banking Committee, two congressional aides said on Tuesday, a move that would give the Wall Street critic a powerful platform from which to oversee financial firms. "We see her as an effective advocate for consumers," said one senior Democratic aide, in explaining the interest in putting Warren on the panel. The aide added that a final decision will not be made until the new Congress convenes next month. ...

Republicans block U.N. treaty to protect people with disabilities Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:26 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers on Tuesday blocked a treaty to protect people with disabilities from discrimination despite a passionate plea from former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, who was severely wounded in World War Two. The Senate voted 61-38 to pass the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, falling short of the 66 votes needed to ratify the treaty. ...

EU considers response to Israeli settlement building plans Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:25 PM PST BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union states struggled to agree on Tuesday on a common response to Israel's plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, highlighting the divisions within the bloc over how to tackle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. At a meeting in Brussels, ambassadors responsible for security issues discussed the possibility of all 27 EU states writing to Tel Aviv to express their displeasure or calling in Israeli ambassadors for consultations, as five EU countries have already done. ...

Man pleads guilty in plot to attack New York houses of worship Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:22 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York man on Tuesday pleaded guilty to 10 charges connected with a plan to blow up synagogues and churches in Manhattan last year. Ahmed Ferhani, 27, admitted to conspiring to attack the biggest synagogue in Manhattan as well as churches in order to send a message of violence to non-Muslims. Ferhani, who was arrested in May 2011, entered the plea in New York State Supreme Court. (Reporting By Chris Francescani; Writing by Dan Burns; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Superstorm Sandy seen striking payrolls Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:20 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. job growth likely slowed sharply in November as superstorm Sandy disrupted economic activity, making it hard get a clear picture of a labor market that has also been hobbled by fears of government austerity. Nonfarm payrolls are expected to have increased only 93,000 last month, a sharp step-down from October's 171,000 job gain, according to a Reuters survey of economists. The unemployment rate is seen holding steady at 7.9 percent. ...

Arab Spring to take years to improve women's rights: activists Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:18 PM PST LONDON (Reuters) - The Arab Spring has failed to deliver greater political power to women in the region or to offer them better protection from sexual harassment, but may yet yield female-friendly reform, a conference on women's rights heard on Tuesday. Human rights campaigners had hoped that women's involvement in protests that toppled governments in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen and overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in Libya would lead to more power for women in Arab states. The uprisings unseated a string of autocrats and triggered some change, including relatively free elections. ...

Obama to fill key posts in weeks, Hagel on Pentagon short list Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:18 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is expected to announce his nominees for secretaries of state and defense in the next two weeks, with former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel on the short list of potential choices to head the Pentagon, senior administration officials said on Tuesday. Hagel, whose appointment would give Obama's reshuffled second-term Cabinet a bipartisan cast, met the Democratic president at the White House this week to discuss a post on his national security team. But there was no sign that Obama had decided on any of the key nominations he will put forth. ...

Basic hygiene at risk in debt-stricken Greek hospitals Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:14 PM PST LONDON (Reuters) - Greek hospitals are in such dire straits that staff are failing to keep up basic disease controls such as using gloves and gowns, threatening a rise in multidrug-resistant infections, according to Europe's top health official. Greece already has one of the worst problems in Europe with hospital-acquired infections, and disease experts fear this is being made worse by an economic crisis that has cut health care staffing levels and hurt standards of care. ...

Republicans see some leverage in "fiscal cliff" talks Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:11 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republicans may have some leverage in their fiscal cliffhanger with President Barack Obama: the threat of forcing a disproportionate number of Democrats to pay the so-called alternative minimum tax. Under U.S. law, taxpayers each year must pay the greater of regular federal income tax, or the AMT. The latter requires taxpayers to give up certain tax breaks, typically exemptions and deductions for state and local taxes and medical costs. ...

New inflation gauge would cut benefits, hike taxes Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:00 PM PST Tweaking the way the government measures inflation sounds like an obscure method to help reduce budget deficits, but over time it would lead to significantly lower Social Security benefits while increasing taxes, mainly on low- and middle-income families.

U.S. says penalties under anti-fraud law hit record $5 billion Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:49 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Settlements and court judgments under the U.S. government's primary anti-fraud law reached a record $5 billion in the most recent federal fiscal year, helped by cases against drugmakers, the Justice Department said on Tuesday. The previous record for penalties under the False Claims Act was $3.1 billion, in the 2006 fiscal year, according to a search of prior department announcements. ...

Ariz. Gov. Brewer Keeps Trip a Secret Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:47 PM PST Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is MIA. Sort of. The governor, who is best known for championing the state's controversial immigration law, is currently taking a week-long work trip out-of-state, but her office has refused to disclose where she is going. The mysterious trip, which was...

Montenegro hands Djukanovic seventh term as prime minister Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:36 PM PST PODGORICA (Reuters) - Montenegro's parliament handed Milo Djukanovic a seventh term as prime minister on Tuesday, and he promised to pay "special attention" to fighting the organized crime and corruption which is rife in the EU hopeful. Djukanovic has served as prime minister or president for all but three of the past 21 years, through the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s and the dissolution of Montenegro's 88-year union with Serbia in 2006. ...

Obama firm on tax rates amid Republican infighting Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:30 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama dangled the possibility on Tuesday of lowering tax rates in 2013 with a broad U.S. tax code revamp, but he stood firm on insisting rates for the wealthiest must rise as part of a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff," a series of budget cuts and tax increases that will begin taking effect on December 31 unless Congress acts. Congressional Republicans, looking at yet another poll showing most Americans would blame them for going off the cliff, showed more signs of internal stress over how far to go in compromising with Obama's demands on tax rates. ...

Debt Ceiling 'Nonsense' and Tax Loopholes - Today's Q's for O's WH - 12/4/12 Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:29 PM PST TAPPER: Just a second ago you referred to — when talking about — how the debt ceiling, taking it off the table needs to be part of this deal, you referred to the economy being held hostage by an ideological few. You're aware that when...

BlackRock CEO Fink says not seeking Treasury job Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:24 PM PST (Reuters) - Laurence Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, the world's biggest money manager, said on Tuesday he is not seeking a job in the administration of Barack Obama. "I am not leaving this job," Fink told investors at the Goldman Sachs Financial Services Conference in New York. "I will be at BlackRock as long as my board wants me here." Fink has at times been rumored as a potential candidate to replace U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. "It's like a myth," Fink said of the recurrent rumor. "I am happy where I am. ...

Rio arrests 63 police in corruption crackdown Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:22 PM PST RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Investigators in Rio de Janeiro arrested 63 police officers and 11 alleged drug traffickers on Tuesday after a year-long bribery probe and ongoing efforts to stamp out police corruption ahead of the World Cup in 2014 and Summer Olympics in 2016. The arrests, part of a crackdown on Rio's historically violent and corrupt state police force, follow an investigation into bribes that drug dealers allegedly paid to police officers so they could operate without interference. ...

Obama says Republican "fiscal cliff" plan out of balance Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:17 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama rejected a Republican proposal to resolve a looming fiscal crisis on Tuesday as "still out of balance" and insisted any deal must include a rise in income tax rates on the wealthiest Americans. Obama told Bloomberg Television that the Republicans' reliance on eliminating tax deductions instead of letting taxes rise on Americans making more than $250,000 a year would not raise enough money to fund the government. ...

Tea party group chief quits, cites internal split Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:17 PM PST Eased out with an $8 million payout provided by an influential Republican fundraiser, former GOP House Majority Leader Dick Armey says he has left the conservative tea party group FreedomWorks because of an internal split over the group's future direction.

Russia's leaders battered by 'sports injuries' Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:11 PM PST First, Russian President Vladimir Putin begins to hobble because of what the Kremlin describes as a sports injury. Then, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shows up with a bandaged left wrist, again the result of a sports injury.

American Air passenger service agents vote on unionizing Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:07 PM PST (Reuters) - American Airlines passenger service agents, the only major employee group at the carrier not unionized, began voting Tuesday on whether to be represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union. About 9,700 airport agents and reservations representatives are eligible to cast ballots in a vote being conducted by the National Mediation Board (NMB), said Chuck Porcari, a CWA spokesman. Voting ends January 15. "All of the other work groups at American are unionized, and we're not," said Bridget Powell, a passenger service agent with American and union activist. ...

U.S. judge dismisses sanctions case against Barclays Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:01 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge ended a two-year-old case against Barclays involving its dealings with sanctioned countries, closing one investigative chapter against the bank even as it faces multiple continuing inquires. In an order filed on Monday and entered into the docket on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan granted a request to dismiss charges the U.S. filed against the bank in August 2010. ...

Supreme Court: government may be liable for flood damage Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:53 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the federal government may be required to pay damages when it releases water from a dam that causes temporary flooding for a property owner downstream. The case addressed the politically charged issue of when government activity that affects private property constitutes a "taking" that requires payment to a landowner. Under the 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the government must pay owners of private property that it takes for public purposes. ...

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