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• Social Security fast-tracks rare disease claims
• Pentagon begins planning for massive budget cuts
• THE RESET: Obama faces major foreign policy tests
• Ag chair says she's open to more food stamp cuts
• Cuba protests U.N. ruling on jailed U.S. contractor
• Analysis: Obama could risk going over 'cliff'
• Texas mayor whose tenure spanned six decades dies at 92
• US, allies seek UN action if NKorea fires rocket
• Medicare emerging as prime target in U.S. "fiscal cliff" talks
• PM Note: Boehner and Obama Speak, Geithner 'Absolutely' Ready to Cliff Dive, Worthless Cliff Polls, Longest Serving American Mayor Dies
• DHS grant spending questioned amid budget woes
• Geithner: White House 'Absolutely' Willing To Go Off The Fiscal Cliff
• Obama, Boehner speak by phone on fiscal cliff
• President Obama, House Speaker Boehner discuss "fiscal cliff": aide
• Rivals clash as Mursi's deputy seeks end to Egypt crisis
• Rubio Answers Question on Age of Earth
• Diseases in fast-track Social Security program
• SEC charges Wells Fargo banker, nine others with insider-trading
• Starbucks CEO says in talks on UK tax payment
• IRS finalizes new tax for medical devices in healthcare law
• Poll shows support for raising taxes on the rich
• Kuwaitis protest on outskirts of capital after vote
• Mayor Faces Challenges on Food Stamp Budget
• Proponents seek end to ban on abortion coverage
• New York prosecutors drop sexual abuse case against U.N. employee
• U.S. House Democrats introduce new meningitis legislation
• Typhoon kills at least 283, hundreds missing, in Philippines
• Republicans weigh swallowing tax hike on the wealthy
• Democrats: Obama to ask for $50 billion Sandy aid
• How the AP-GfK poll was conducted
• Website names tied to crowdfunding spike: NASAA
• Fiscal Cliff: Do You Trust the Polls?
• Geithner: U.S. will go over fiscal cliff unless top tax rates rise
• Researchers say form of Ecstasy may heal combat trauma
• Ghana poll tests Africa's "model democracy"
• U.S. aerospace industry sees 10th straight growth year
• Court hears challenge to Obama recess appointments
• Senate to take up bill normalizing Russia trade
• Liberal Pushback: Bernie Sanders Calls on Dems to Reject Entitlement Cuts

Social Security fast-tracks rare disease claims Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:06 PM PST In an effort to ease the burden of being stricken with a debilitating condition, the Social Security Administration is expanding a program that fast-tracks disability claims by people who get serious illnesses such as cancer, early-onset Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease — claims that could take months or years to approve in the past.

Pentagon begins planning for massive budget cuts Posted: 05 Dec 2012 12:46 PM PST The Defense Department has begun planning for the roughly $500 billion in personnel and program cuts over a decade that will be needed if Congress and the White House fail to reach a deal that would avoid the double hit of tax hikes and automatic spending reductions dubbed the "fiscal cliff."

THE RESET: Obama faces major foreign policy tests Posted: 05 Dec 2012 09:30 AM PST Debate over the looming "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and spending cuts is consuming most of the political oxygen in Washington lately. But President Barack Obama also faces huge second-term foreign policy challenges.

Ag chair says she's open to more food stamp cuts Posted: 05 Dec 2012 03:12 PM PST The Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee says she is willing to consider higher cuts to the food stamp program in an effort to include a massive five-year farm bill in negotiations on the so-called fiscal cliff.

Cuba protests U.N. ruling on jailed U.S. contractor Posted: 05 Dec 2012 03:12 PM PST HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba reacted angrily on Wednesday to a U.N. ruling that its imprisonment of American contractor Alan Gross was arbitrary and accused the United States of lying about his health. Josefina Vidal, a Foreign Ministry official, said Cuba received a copy of the yet to be published decision by the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Tuesday, the third anniversary of the arrest of Gross and the same day the U.S. Senate passed a resolution demanding his release. ...

Analysis: Obama could risk going over 'cliff' Posted: 05 Dec 2012 03:07 PM PST It may be just a bluff or a bargaining ploy, but the White House is signaling that President Barack Obama is willing to let the country go over the "fiscal cliff," a hard-line negotiating strategy aimed at winning concessions from Republicans on taxes.

Texas mayor whose tenure spanned six decades dies at 92 Posted: 05 Dec 2012 03:03 PM PST SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - A rancher who served as mayor of a Texas town for 63 years and was thought to be the longest-serving mayor in the United States has died in office at age 92, city officials said on Wednesday. Hilmar Moore died on Tuesday night at a local hospital of complications from a fall last month, said Garry Gillen, a city commissioner in Richmond, located southwest of Houston. "He had a real sense for the history of Texas," Gillen said. "He embodied that Texas cowboy tradition. I think that's what kept him in office, was his sense of loyalty to the land and service to the people. ...

US, allies seek UN action if NKorea fires rocket Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:57 PM PST The U.S. and key Asian allies have agreed to seek U.N. Security Council action if North Korea launches a long-range rocket this month, the State Department said Wednesday.

Medicare emerging as prime target in U.S. "fiscal cliff" talks Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:51 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With rival Democratic and Republican deficit plans increasingly focused on Medicare, experts say the two sides could be edging toward common ground on important changes to the popular health insurance program for seniors and the disabled. None of the changes are assured and any specific decisions would come only after resolution of the "fiscal cliff," the combination of tax hikes and spending cuts that's driving the discussion. ...

PM Note: Boehner and Obama Speak, Geithner 'Absolutely' Ready to Cliff Dive, Worthless Cliff Polls, Longest Serving American Mayor Dies Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:44 PM PST Mayor for 63 Years! Longest Serving Mayor Dies – Richmond, Texas Mayor Hilmar Moore took office in 1949. That's before Robert Byrd was in the House of Representatives, much less a senator. And he was in office until he died Tuesday at 92. Moore was...

DHS grant spending questioned amid budget woes Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:39 PM PST The Homeland Security Department paid for an underwater robot in a Midwest city with no major rivers or lakes nearby, a hog catcher in rural Texas and a fish tank in a small Texas town, according to a new congressional report highlighting what it described as wasteful spending of tax money intended for counterterrorism purposes.

Geithner: White House 'Absolutely' Willing To Go Off The Fiscal Cliff Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:39 PM PST Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner this afternoon said the Obama administration is "absolutely" prepared to go off the looming "fiscal cliff" if Republicans do not agree to raise tax rates on the wealthy. Appearing on CNBC, Geithner was asked if the administration is willing to accept...

Obama, Boehner speak by phone on fiscal cliff Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:39 PM PST President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner discussed the fiscal cliff Wednesday in a telephone call. It followed several days of political sparring over steps to prevent a year-end series of tax increases and spending cuts.

President Obama, House Speaker Boehner discuss "fiscal cliff": aide Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:38 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner, locked in a stalemate over the "fiscal cliff," spoke by telephone this afternoon, a Boehner spokesman said. The spokesman offered no additional information, but the conversation marked the first time in a week that the two key figures talked to each other in the drive for a bipartisan deal. (Writing by Tom Ferraro and Steve Holland, editing by Stacey JOyce)

Rivals clash as Mursi's deputy seeks end to Egypt crisis Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:32 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Islamists battled with protesters outside Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's palace on Thursday, after his vice president suggested amendments could be agreed to the draft constitution that has divided the nation. Fires burned in the streets near the palace perimeter where opponents and supporters of Mursi threw stones and petrol bombs. Riot police tried to separate the two sides, but failed to halt fighting that extended from Wednesday into the early morning. ...

Rubio Answers Question on Age of Earth Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:30 PM PST Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., clarified his answer about the age of the Earth on Wednesday, two weeks after he passed on answering a question on the Earth's age in an interview with GQ. "Science says it's about four and a half billion years old, and...

Diseases in fast-track Social Security program Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:28 PM PST instead of months or years — for people with a select group of diseases or conditions. The agency is adding 35 conditions to the program on Thursday, bringing the total to 200.

SEC charges Wells Fargo banker, nine others with insider-trading Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:22 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. securities regulators on Wednesday charged a Wells Fargo investment banker and nine others for their alleged role in an insider-trading ring that earned more than $11 million by trading on tips about impending mergers. The Securities and Exchange Commission said that John Femenia, 30, misused his position at a unit of Wells Fargo to obtain material, non-public information about four different mergers involving firm clients. The SEC said Femenia then tipped his friend, Shawn Hegedus, a registered broker-dealer. ...

Starbucks CEO says in talks on UK tax payment Posted: 05 Dec 2012 03:14 PM PST (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp Chief Executive Howard Schultz on Wednesday said the coffee chain is in talks about paying income taxes in the UK, despite the fact the company has not made a profit in that market for many years. "We are engaged in discussions to make a contribution - despite the fact that we have not made a profit - that would legally put us in a position to pay income taxes," Schultz said in an interview with Reuters. ...

IRS finalizes new tax for medical devices in healthcare law Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:18 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday released final rules for a new tax on medical devices, products ranging from surgical sutures to knee replacement implants, that starts next year as part of President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare law. The 2.3-percent tax must be paid, effective after December 31, by device-makers on their gross sales. The tax is expected to raise $29 billion in government revenues through 2022. Companies including Boston Scientific Corp, 3M Co and Kimberly-Clark Corp have been lobbying the U.S. Congress for a repeal of the tax. ...

Poll shows support for raising taxes on the rich Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:18 PM PST Americans prefer letting tax cuts expire for the country's top earners, as President Barack Obama insists, while support has declined for cutting government services to curb budget deficits, an Associated Press-GfK poll shows. Fewer than half the Republicans polled favor continuing the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy.

Kuwaitis protest on outskirts of capital after vote Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:17 PM PST KUWAIT (Reuters) - Hundreds of young Kuwaitis chanting protest slogans gathered at a roundabout outside the Gulf Arab state's capital on Wednesday in the latest snap demonstration since a parliamentary election on Saturday. Police have broken up several marches outside Kuwait City since Saturday, part of protests triggered by changes to voting rules the opposition said were designed to skew elections in favor of pro-government candidates. ...

Mayor Faces Challenges on Food Stamp Budget Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:09 PM PST Chickpeas and lettuce. No coffee. That's what Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker had for breakfast on his second day living on the food budget of an average American receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. From Dec. 4 to Dec. 12, Booker has agreed...

Proponents seek end to ban on abortion coverage Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:08 PM PST Proponents of ending the ban on women in the military using their health insurance to pay for abortions in cases of rape and incest stepped up the political pressure on Wednesday, insisting that this year's defense bill be used to finally lift the prohibition.

New York prosecutors drop sexual abuse case against U.N. employee Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:06 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Manhattan District Attorney's office has dropped a sexual abuse case against a mid-level U.N. official arrested in June, the official's attorneys said on Wednesday. Dushyant Joshi, who works on the U.N. human resources department's emergency preparedness and support team, was arrested on charges of third-degree sexual abuse of a former U.N. contractor. The district attorney's office "has completed an investigation of allegations of inappropriate touching, and no criminal charges will be filed," Andrea Zellan, one of Joshi's attorneys, told Reuters. ...

U.S. House Democrats introduce new meningitis legislation Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:03 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation on Wednesday aimed at bolstering federal oversight of compounded drugs like the tainted steroid injections blamed for a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak. But the legislation is not likely to move forward in the Republican-controlled chamber. ...

Typhoon kills at least 283, hundreds missing, in Philippines Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:02 PM PST NEW BATAAN, Philippines (Reuters) - Blocked roads and severed communications in the southern Philippines frustrated rescuers on Wednesday as teams searched for hundreds of people missing after the strongest typhoon this year killed at least 283 people. Typhoon Bopha, with central winds of 120 kph (75 mph) and gusts of up to 150 kph (93 mph), battered beach resorts and dive spots on Palawan island on Wednesday but it was weakening as it moved west. Hardest hit was the southern island of Mindanao, where Bopha made landfall on Tuesday. ...

Republicans weigh swallowing tax hike on the wealthy Posted: 05 Dec 2012 02:00 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - While Republican leaders in the House of Representatives insist that raising tax rates on the rich is an impossibility, some Republican lawmakers now see it as inevitable to avoiding the "fiscal cliff" of severe tax hikes and spending cuts set to start January 1. Congressional aides, who asked not to be identified, said Republicans are losing the public relations battle over keeping low tax rates for the rich and are getting battered by President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats in Congress following their November 6 election victories. ...

Democrats: Obama to ask for $50 billion Sandy aid Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:59 PM PST President Barack Obama plans to ask Congress for about $50 billion in additional emergency aid for states hit by Superstorm Sandy, Democrats on Capitol Hill said Wednesday.

How the AP-GfK poll was conducted Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:58 PM PST The Associated Press-GfK poll on Congress and the budget was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3. It is based on landline telephone and cellphone interviews with a nationally representative random sample of 1,002 adults. Digits in the phone numbers dialed were generated randomly to reach households with unlisted and listed landline and cellphone numbers.

Website names tied to crowdfunding spike: NASAA Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:57 PM PST (Reuters) - A spike in website names related to crowdfunding suggests an upcoming wave of websites through which small businesses and entrepreneurs could raise investments using the online strategy, state securities regulators said on Wednesday. The website names have soared to 8,800 from fewer than 900 in January, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association, a Washington-based group of state securities regulators. They are proliferating as businesses await rules from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for structuring crowdfunding deals, the group said. ...

Fiscal Cliff: Do You Trust the Polls? Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:50 PM PST National polls show that Republicans would take the brunt of the blame for a dive over the so-called fiscal cliff.  A Washington Post/Pew Research Survey released this week found that a majority of the public (53 percent) would point the finger at Republicans if Congress...

Geithner: U.S. will go over fiscal cliff unless top tax rates rise Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:36 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday that the country would go over a year-end fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts, unless Republicans agreed to Democrat's demand to raise tax rates on the richest U.S. households. "There is no prospect (for) an agreement that doesn't involve rates going up on the top 2 percent of the wealthiest Americans," Geithner told CNBC television in an interview. "What we need to see is have them acknowledge that they are prepared to see rates go up. ...

Researchers say form of Ecstasy may heal combat trauma Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:35 PM PST CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - A South Carolina psychiatrist and his wife, a nurse, have taken an uncommon, controversial approach to helping war veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder by treating them with MDMA, a pure form of the party drug known as Ecstasy. Their studies have found that the psychoactive stimulant decreases fear and defensiveness while increasing trust in those who take it as part of a therapy program, say Dr. Michael Mithoefer and Ann Mithoefer. ...

Ghana poll tests Africa's "model democracy" Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:33 PM PST ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's cliff-hanger presidential election on Friday will test the country's reputation as a bulwark for democracy and economic growth in Africa's so-called coup-belt. The stakes are high with rivals jousting for a chance to oversee a boom in oil revenues that has brought hopes of increased development in a country where the average person makes less than $4 a day. "Ghana getting it right again will provide real mentorship and a signal for others," Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, director of Accra-based consultancy Centre for Democratic Development, said. ...

U.S. aerospace industry sees 10th straight growth year Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:32 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. aerospace and arms companies are poised for 2.8 percent overall sales growth next year to about $224 billion, which would mark their 10th straight year of growth, barring steep Pentagon budget cuts, the industry's chief trade group said on Wednesday. The forecast does not factor in so-called sequestration, a process that would lop about 10 percent off Pentagon arms purchases starting next month if Republicans and Democrats fail to agree on a new plan to pare federal deficits. ...

Court hears challenge to Obama recess appointments Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:28 PM PST Republicans and business groups told a federal appeals court Wednesday that President Barack Obama violated the Constitution earlier this year when he bypassed the Senate to fill vacancies in his administration.

Senate to take up bill normalizing Russia trade Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:14 PM PST The Senate on Wednesday headed toward a vote on legislation that would end four-decade-old trade restrictions that are blocking U.S. businesses from enjoying the benefits of a more open Russian market.

Liberal Pushback: Bernie Sanders Calls on Dems to Reject Entitlement Cuts Posted: 05 Dec 2012 01:06 PM PST Entitlement reform may offer an area of compromise on the fiscal cliff, but Bernie Sanders is having none of it. The independent Vermont senator, who has described himself as a "democratic socialist," is widely regarded as the most liberal member of the Democratic caucus. In...

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