Yahoo! News: Politics News

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• Final campaign reports: 2012 election nears record
• THE RESET: Other voices in fiscal cliff debate
• INSIDE WASHINGTON: Fiscal fight, broken politics
• Michigan GOP pushes right to work amid protests
• Obama Pitches Fiscal Cliff Plan In Visit With Virginia Family
• With focus on opposition, U.S. races against time on Syria
• Egypt demonstrators reject Mursi call for dialogue
• Aides: US Sen. Mark Kirk to return to work Jan. 3
• Both sides scramble for leverage as clock ticks on "fiscal cliff"
• Two decades later, Central Park Jogger rape case lives on
• Senators to Screen 'Lincoln', Seek a Waiver for Popcorn
• Trade-offs in raising Medicare eligibility age
• Casino owner aided Romney in late $10 million bet
• Leading conservative DeMint resigning Senate seat
• Tax filing delay looms if no fix for minimum tax: IRS
• Michigan House approves "right-to-work" bill to weaken unions
• New York man charged in bid to send defense-use goods to China, Taiwan
• Feds: New student loan repayment options set
• Protesters enter Mich. Capitol with court order
• Michigan House approves right-to-work legislation
• Venezuela's Chavez to skip summit due to health
• Russian trade, human rights bill heads to Obama
• Egypt activist movement rejects talks with Mursi
• Debt limit gives GOP leverage, Obama demands fix
• Russia, U.S. talk as Syria events "accelerate on the ground"
• Egyptian president calls for national dialogue meeting
• Egypt's Mursi says dialogue needed to end crisis
• Muslim Brotherhood HQ in Cairo torched: website
• Egypt opposition group assessing president's talks offer
• Conservative Senator DeMint to resign, head up think tank
• Russia, U.S. to seek "creative" Syria solution -envoy
• Former Navy Sailor Charged with Attempted Espionage
• Obama seeks to put personal touch on cliff talks
• With war shifting, US, Russia talk Syria's future
• RIM offers biggest clients incentives to adopt BB10
• On Same Day as White House Visit, Christie Vetoes State Health Care Exchanges
• Senate passes Russia trade and rights bill, angering Moscow
• Recall news
• Michigan Republicans confront unions over "right-to-work"

Final campaign reports: 2012 election nears record Posted: 06 Dec 2012 03:11 PM PST Final campaign finance tallies trickled out Thursday for a presidential race expected to be the most expensive in U.S. political history, showing a last-minute $10 million contribution to a political action committee backing Republican candidate Mitt Romney from a billionaire Las Vegas casino magnate who has been the election's biggest moneyman.

THE RESET: Other voices in fiscal cliff debate Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:03 PM PST They don't have a seat at the talks to defuse a year-end fiscal bomb, yet wield considerable influence.

INSIDE WASHINGTON: Fiscal fight, broken politics Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:27 AM PST Here we slow again.

Michigan GOP pushes right to work amid protests Posted: 06 Dec 2012 03:11 PM PST Republicans rushed right-to-work legislation through the Michigan Legislature Thursday, drawing raucous protests from hundreds of union supporters, some of whom were pepper-sprayed by police when they tried to storm the Senate chamber.

Obama Pitches Fiscal Cliff Plan In Visit With Virginia Family Posted: 06 Dec 2012 03:05 PM PST President Obama took his "fiscal cliff" campaign to the living room of a Northern Virginia family today, where he urged lawmakers to extend middle class tax cuts and warned that failure to do so would harm the nation's economy. Putting a human face to the...

With focus on opposition, U.S. races against time on Syria Posted: 06 Dec 2012 03:03 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is racing to finalize elements of its Syria strategy, planning new steps to shape and strengthen the still-fragmented opposition as signs build that the country is nearing a tipping point in the 20-month rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad. Blocked at the United Nations by Russia and China, and wary of the growing influence of radical Islamists in the Syrian revolt, the Obama administration has forced a reorganization of the Syrian opposition into a new, broad coalition. It hopes the new coalition can secure stability after what U.S. ...

Egypt demonstrators reject Mursi call for dialogue Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:59 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Demonstrators rejected a call from Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Mursi for a national dialogue after deadly clashes around his palace, demanding the "downfall of the regime" - the chant that brought down Hosni Mubarak. Mursi said in a televised speech late on Thursday that plans were on track for a referendum on a new constitution on December 15 despite clashes that killed seven people. He proposed a meeting on Saturday with political leaders, "revolutionary youth" and legal figures to discuss the way forward after that. ...

Aides: US Sen. Mark Kirk to return to work Jan. 3 Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:54 PM PST Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, who suffered a major stroke a year ago that required months of intense physical and speech rehabilitation, will return to work in Washington on Jan. 3, aides said Thursday.

Both sides scramble for leverage as clock ticks on "fiscal cliff" Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:47 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the clock ticking toward an end-of-year deadline, the "fiscal cliff" showdown focused on Thursday on a renewed fight over raising the U.S. debt ceiling as both sides maneuvered for political and public relations advantage. A largely partisan procedural scuffle broke out in the U.S. Senate when Republicans tried to provoke a vote related to the debt ceiling, in an apparent effort to reframe the debate on more favorable terms and gain some leverage. ...

Two decades later, Central Park Jogger rape case lives on Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:46 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Trisha Meili was out jogging in Central Park on April 19, 1989, when she was bound, gagged, raped and beaten nearly to death, a chilling crime to which five teenage boys confessed after hours of interrogation by New York City police. ...

Senators to Screen 'Lincoln', Seek a Waiver for Popcorn Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:46 PM PST As lawmakers struggle to solve the fiscal cliff, they're also struggling for the right to snack on movie night. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., will make a formal appeal to the Senate Rules Committee in order to allow popcorn into the Senate's special screening...

Trade-offs in raising Medicare eligibility age Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:43 PM PST Americans are living longer, and Republicans want to raise the Medicare eligibility age as part of any deal to reduce the government's huge deficits.

Casino owner aided Romney in late $10 million bet Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:41 PM PST New campaign finance figures for the final two weeks of the 2012 campaign show that Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife gave $10 million to a "super" political committee supporting losing GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Leading conservative DeMint resigning Senate seat Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:41 PM PST Sen. Jim DeMint, patron saint of the tea party and a would-be Republican kingmaker, announced suddenly Thursday he would resign his South Carolina seat to head Washington's conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, a shift that reverberated through a soul-searching GOP.

Tax filing delay looms if no fix for minimum tax: IRS Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:38 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. tax collector warned on Thursday of a delayed start to 2013's tax season if Congress fails to reset the alternative minimum tax (AMT) on high-income taxpayers so that it does not sweep in millions of middle-income people. Without another adjustment by lawmakers soon to the AMT, "many of us will see a delayed filing season," said Steven Miller, named just last month as Internal Revenue Service acting commissioner. ...

Michigan House approves "right-to-work" bill to weaken unions Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:33 PM PST LANSING, Michigan (Reuters) - The Michigan House on Thursday voted to approve a "right-to-work" bill that would weaken labor union powers after Democratic representatives left the chambers in protest at the decision earlier to lock the state Capitol doors. The House voted 58 to 52 to approve a bill that would make Michigan, the home of the U.S. auto industry, the 24th right-to-work state. A previously introduced bill was used to press the measure to the floor for debate on Thursday afternoon. ...

New York man charged in bid to send defense-use goods to China, Taiwan Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:30 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York man has been criminally charged with illegally exporting defense articles and goods with military applications to China and Taiwan, one day after prosecutors announced charges against four people over exports to China and Iran. Mark Henry was accused of trying to ship military-grade material used to coat rocket nozzles to Taiwan, and microwave amplifiers that have military applications to China, without first getting licenses from U.S. government agencies. ...

Feds: New student loan repayment options set Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:24 PM PST A new version of the income-based federal student loan repayment program that's more favorable to many borrowers will go into effect starting Dec. 21, according to regulations scheduled for publication Friday.

Protesters enter Mich. Capitol with court order Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:23 PM PST Hundreds of chanting and cheering protesters have streamed back into the Michigan Capitol after receiving a court order saying that the building must reopen.

Michigan House approves right-to-work legislation Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:21 PM PST The Michigan House has voted to approve right-to-work legislation for private-sector workers.

Venezuela's Chavez to skip summit due to health Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:21 PM PST BRASILIA/CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will not attend a regional trade summit in Brazil on Friday, sources said, an absence sure to heighten speculation over the leftist leader's health. Before he went to Cuba last week for more cancer-related treatment, Chavez had spoken enthusiastically about attending the Mercosur bloc's meeting in Brasilia to celebrate Venezuela's entry. He has not been seen in public since November 15. "Chavez is not coming. They've even canceled the hotel reservation," a Brazilian foreign ministry source said on Thursday. ...

Russian trade, human rights bill heads to Obama Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:12 PM PST A Russian trade and human rights bill cleared Congress and headed for President Barack Obama's signature Thursday, opening new export opportunities for American businesses but antagonizing relations with Russia over its treatment of dissidents.

Egypt activist movement rejects talks with Mursi Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:08 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - A leading Egyptian pro-democracy movement rejected President Mohamed Mursi's call for dialogue on Thursday and said it would take part in a protest against the head of state. The "April 6" movement, which played a prominent role in igniting the revolt against Hosni Mubarak, made the announcement on its Facebook page. It said Friday's protest would be called the "red card" for Mursi. (Reporting by Cairo Bureau staff; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Debt limit gives GOP leverage, Obama demands fix Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:06 PM PST The political fight that took the nation to the verge of defaulting on its debts last year is back, overshadowed by "fiscal cliff" disputes but with consequences far graver than looming tax hikes and steep spending cuts.

Russia, U.S. talk as Syria events "accelerate on the ground" Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:05 PM PST BEIRUT/DUBLIN (Reuters) - The two superpowers divided by Syria's civil war met head to head on Thursday, with signs emerging that Russia might curb its support for President Bashar al-Assad and Washington saying events were gathering speed on the ground. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Dublin on the sidelines of a security conference, at a time when rebel advances have brought the 20-month war to the doorstep of the capital Damascus. ...

Egyptian president calls for national dialogue meeting Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:57 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi invited political groups, judges and others to meet on Saturday for a national dialogue on a political road map after a referendum on a new constitution, which he signalled would go ahead as scheduled on December 15. In a televised address, Mursi also said he was open to the idea of removing an article in a controversial decree that shielded his decisions from judicial review, saying that could happen if "dialogue led to that". ...

Egypt's Mursi says dialogue needed to end crisis Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:57 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi said on Thursday that a political crisis sparked by his move to expand his powers should be resolved by dialogue not violence. "Such painful events happened because of political differences that should be resolved through dialogue," the Islamist president said in a televised address to the nation after two days of violence during protests. (Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Muslim Brotherhood HQ in Cairo torched: website Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:57 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood's main office in Cairo was set ablaze on Thursday, the group's political party said, and another office used by the party was torched in a suburb south of the city, the state news agency reported. The Freedom and Justice Party said on its Facebook page that the headquarters in the Mukattam district had been attacked in "a terrorist aggression" by thugs. The state news agency said the office used by the FJP was set ablaze in the Cairo suburb of Maadi. Another office was broken into near the city centre, it said. (Cairo Bureau)

Egypt opposition group assessing president's talks offer Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:57 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, is assessing President Mohamed Mursi's offer to hold a national dialogue after the Islamist leader sparked a crisis by expanding his powers, a spokesman for the group said on Thursday. "We are still assessing the president's speech and call for talks. We are discussing it with our members and youths," the alliance spokesman, Hussein Abdel-Ghani, told Reuters. Other officials in the Front echoed those comments. (Reporting by Yasmine Saleh; Writing by Edmund Blair)

Conservative Senator DeMint to resign, head up think tank Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:56 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator Jim DeMint, a leading voice in the modern American conservative movement who has riled fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, surprised both parties on Thursday by declaring he was retiring from the chamber to head a conservative think tank. DeMint's announcement came two days after he won praise from hard-liners by ripping into the top Republican, Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner. ...

Russia, U.S. to seek "creative" Syria solution -envoy Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:54 PM PST DUBLIN (Reuters) - Russia and the United States will seek a "creative" solution to drag Syria back from the brink, the international mediator on Syria said on Thursday after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The comments by Lakhdar Brahimi, who called the unscheduled meeting on the sidelines of a Dublin conference, suggested a new coordination among the major powers could be emerging on Syria after months of sometimes bitter disagreement. But statements from officials remained cautious. A senior U.S. ...

Former Navy Sailor Charged with Attempted Espionage Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:44 PM PST A former Navy sailor has been arrested and charged with attempting to pass classified information about U.S. submarines to Russian spies. Robert Patrick Hoffman II was arrested by agents from the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) this morning at his home in...

Obama seeks to put personal touch on cliff talks Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:40 PM PST President Barack Obama, trying to put a personal touch on "fiscal cliff" negotiations, visited a northern Virginia family's basement apartment Thursday to press his hard line on tax rate increases for the wealthy.

With war shifting, US, Russia talk Syria's future Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:38 PM PST Diplomatic efforts to end Syria's civil war moved forward Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joining Russia's foreign minister and the U.N. peace envoy to the Arab country for extraordinary three-way talks that suggested Washington and Moscow might finally unite behind a strategy as the Assad regime weakens.

RIM offers biggest clients incentives to adopt BB10 Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:32 PM PST TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd on Thursday outlined a program of incentives to encourage its biggest customers to run its soon-to-launch line of BlackBerry 10 devices, seeking to persuade corporations and government users to stick with its secure smartphones. RIM is betting that the devices, to be launched on January 30, will revive its fortunes. That will depend to a large extent on the response from RIM's enterprise customers -- the business users who value BlackBerry's strong security features. ...

On Same Day as White House Visit, Christie Vetoes State Health Care Exchanges Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:28 PM PST With his state still reeling from superstorm Sandy, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie paid a visit to the White House today to ask the president for more hurricane relief. That's right, President Obama, whom he toured his state with in the days following the storm,...

Senate passes Russia trade and rights bill, angering Moscow Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:25 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved legislation to punish Russian human rights violators as part of a broader bill to expand U.S. trade with Washington's former Cold War enemy. Passage of the bill, by a 92-4 vote, drew an immediate angry response from Moscow, which had been warning that the human rights provisions would damage relations. "The decision of the U.S. Senate ... is a performance in the theater of the absurd," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. A senior Russian lawmaker said Moscow could retaliate with a similar law. ...

Recall news Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:24 PM PST The following recalls have been announced:

Michigan Republicans confront unions over "right-to-work" Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:22 PM PST LANSING, Michigan (Reuters) - Michigan Republicans on Thursday began a drive to make the home of the U.S. auto industry the 24th "right to work" state banning mandatory union dues, setting off a confrontation with organized labor that immediately led to the arrest of protesters. Hundreds of union workers converged on the state capital of Lansing. Majority Republicans in the state legislature introduced a draft law in the House on Thursday afternoon with a target for passage by the end of the year. ...

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