US, Europe look at fast but risky penalty on Iran (AP)

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• US, Europe look at fast but risky penalty on Iran (AP)
• Israel blames Iran for series of Bangkok blasts (AP)
• Capitol Hill weighs GOP payroll tax gambit (AP)
• GOP critics hit Obama's $3.8 trillion budget (AP)
• Santorum revels in sudden support — but how deep? (AP)
• Private funeral for Houston set for Saturday in NJ (AP)
• Panetta, Dempsey defend military budget plan (AP)
• Obama: Strong US-China ties help rest of the world (AP)
• Ill. doc gets 4 life terms in Ohio pill mill case (AP)
• Regis Philbin to guest star on 'Hot in Cleveland' (AP)
• Obama greets China's Xi with friendly words, firm stance (Reuters)
• Lawmakers near deal on payroll tax cut, jobless benefits (Reuters)
• Yahoo-Alibaba talks at an impasse: sources (Reuters)
• Conflict flares across Syria, Arabs mull arms support (Reuters)
• Retail sales point to underlying strength (Reuters)
• U.S. clarifies Iran sanctions bill enforcement (Reuters)
• Moody's warns it may cut AAA-rating for UK and France (Reuters)
• Avon sales slide as door-to-door reps leave (Reuters)
• Whitney Houston death: a moment of national mourning, shared on Twitter (The Christian Science Monitor)
• Is Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show dissing shelter dogs? (The Christian Science Monitor)

US, Europe look at fast but risky penalty on Iran (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:07 PM PST AP - The United States and Europe are considering unprecedented punishment against Iran that could immediately cripple the country's financial lifeline. But it's an extreme option in the banking world that would come with its own costs.

Israel blames Iran for series of Bangkok blasts (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:22 PM PST AP - Israel accused Iran of waging a covert campaign of state terror that stretched this week from the Middle East to the heart of Asia after a bungled series of explosions led to the capture of two Iranian nationals in Bangkok.

Capitol Hill weighs GOP payroll tax gambit (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:07 PM PST AP - President Barack Obama said Tuesday he's hopeful Congress will renew a 2-percentage-point cut in the payroll tax before it lapses at the end of the month, but said it's important to also renew jobless benefits for millions of the long-term unemployed as well.

GOP critics hit Obama's $3.8 trillion budget (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:07 PM PST AP - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress Tuesday that the president's new $3.8 trillion spending plan would impose new taxes on only 2 percent of the nation's wealthiest families and the alternative would be to seek more painful cuts in other government programs such as defense, Social Security and Medicare.

Santorum revels in sudden support — but how deep? (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:06 PM PST AP - The latest Republican to surge in polls, Rick Santorum is trying to turn his newfound strength into something lasting.

Private funeral for Houston set for Saturday in NJ (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:39 PM PST AP - Whitney Houston's funeral will be held Saturday in the church where she first showcased her singing talents as a child, her family choosing to remember her in a private service rather than in a large event at an arena.

Panetta, Dempsey defend military budget plan (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:21 PM PST AP - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the nation's top military leader on Tuesday defended the Pentagon's slimmed-down, $614 billion budget, telling lawmakers it's time to show Congress is serious about reducing the deficit.

Obama: Strong US-China ties help rest of the world (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:31 PM PST AP - President Barack Obama assured Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Tuesday that the United States welcomes Beijing's rise in the world, offering a warm welcome despite sharp policy differences over Syria, Iran and economic issues.

Ill. doc gets 4 life terms in Ohio pill mill case (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:28 PM PST AP - A Chicago doctor who prosecutors say dispensed more of the powerful painkiller oxycodone from 2003 to 2005 than any other physician in the country was sentenced Tuesday to four life terms in the overdose deaths of four patients.

Regis Philbin to guest star on 'Hot in Cleveland' (AP) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:00 PM PST AP - Regis Philbin might no longer be a staple on morning television, but he'll soon appear in primetime on "Hot in Cleveland."

Obama greets China's Xi with friendly words, firm stance (Reuters) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:37 AM PST Reuters - President Barack Obama told Chinese leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping on Tuesday that Beijing must play fair in international trade and vowed to keep pressing China to clean up its human rights record.

Lawmakers near deal on payroll tax cut, jobless benefits (Reuters) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:19 PM PST Reuters - U.S. lawmakers were nearing a deal on Tuesday on legislation that would boost the economy in the short term by extending a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers and long-term jobless benefits for a full year, congressional aides said.

Yahoo-Alibaba talks at an impasse: sources (Reuters) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:05 PM PST Reuters - Talks between Yahoo Inc and China's Alibaba over the U.S. Internet giant's Asian assets have hit an impasse, throwing their plans for a $17 billion tax-free asset swap into question, according to sources briefed on the situation.

Conflict flares across Syria, Arabs mull arms support (Reuters) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 09:47 AM PST Reuters - Government forces and opponents of President Bashar al-Assad clashed in cities and countryside across Syria on Tuesday and Arab officials confirmed that regional governments would be ready to arm the resistance if the bloodshed did not cease.

Retail sales point to underlying strength (Reuters) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:46 AM PST Reuters - Retail sales picked up last month after a sluggish December, providing a firm foundation for the economy's recovery.

U.S. clarifies Iran sanctions bill enforcement (Reuters) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:06 PM PST Reuters - The Obama administration on Tuesday clarified how it would enforce recently passed Iran sanctions including how the United States would determine if another country has significantly reduced oil purchases from Iran.

Moody's warns it may cut AAA-rating for UK and France (Reuters) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:24 AM PST Reuters - Rating agency Moody's warned it may cut the triple-A ratings of France, Britain and Austria and it downgraded six other European nations including Italy, Spain and Portugal, citing growing risks from Europe's debt crisis.

Avon sales slide as door-to-door reps leave (Reuters) Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:12 AM PST Reuters - Avon Products Inc reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results as sales slid in most markets, and executives raised the possibility of layoffs soon.

Whitney Houston death: a moment of national mourning, shared on Twitter (The Christian Science Monitor) Posted: 13 Feb 2012 03:32 PM PST The Christian Science Monitor - The news that singer Whitney Houston had died on Saturday appeared on Twitter before any so-called regular news outlets, such as the Associated Press or Reuters. Within an hour, some 2.5 million tweets about her passing had filled the digisphere, making it the most-tweeted breaking-news event in the medium’s six-year history.

Is Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show dissing shelter dogs? (The Christian Science Monitor) Posted: 13 Feb 2012 03:25 PM PST The Christian Science Monitor - The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is on TV Monday night, and the humans and canines in our household remain eager to see which breeds win. The hound group leads off the evening, followed by the toy group, the non-sporting group, and the herding group. Best of Show won’t be crowned until Tuesday night.

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