Yahoo! News: Politics News

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• Top Obama donors among frequent White House guests
• Romney trumpets rush of conservative endorsements
• Justices moving to heart of health care overhaul
• Ottawa hints at changing Air Canada law
• Obama to Russia: More flexibility after elections
• Bernanke says U.S. needs faster growth
• Dueling chants as demonstrators vent over U.S. healthcare law
• Supreme court unlikely to delay Obama healthcare ruling
• U.S. nominee to head World Bank goes on tour
• Lawmakers call airport screeners ineffective, rude
• House moves toward easing some financial rules
• Immersed in race, Gingrich stays in despite setbacks
• Excerpts from Supreme Court health care arguments
• 'Let's Plant!' Michelle Obama Seeds 4th WH Garden
• Mitt Romney Says Russia Is No. 1 Geopolitical Foe
• House GOP Blasts 'Malignant Tumor,' aka Affordable Care Act
• AFL-CIO calls on Romney to dismiss labor advisor
• Romney scrambles to raise cash for Santorum battle
• U.S. ponders heart safety trials for obesity drugs
• Former U.S. Rep. Jefferson loses appeal on bribery convictions
• Chants, marching, debate, even jazz, outside court
• Why Health Care Won't Be a Campaign Issue in 2012
• Justices moving to heart of health care overhaul
• Pope receives warm welcome in communist Cuba
• Outside Supreme Court, Santorum argues own case
• Killer of Florida teen told police he was attacked first
• Ex-IMF head Strauss-Kahn put under formal probe in France
• 'ObamaCare' Challengers Say 'This Is Not About Health Care'
• EXCLUSIVE: The Story Behind Cheney's Heart Transplant Surgery
• U.S. regulators push for online "do not track" system
• Footage filmed by French gunman sent to Al Jazeera: police
• Fed should not pump more money into economy in 2012: survey
• Canada court ruling would allow legal brothels

Top Obama donors among frequent White House guests Posted: More than half of President Barack Obama's most generous campaign fundraisers have visited the White House at least once for meetings with top advisers, holiday parties or state dinners, according to a review by The Associated Press. Scores made multiple visits.

Romney trumpets rush of conservative endorsements Posted: Mitt Romney trumpeted a flurry of conservative endorsements along with backing Monday from a delegate who belonged to campaign dropout Jon Huntsman as he looks to wrap up the GOP presidential nomination.

Justices moving to heart of health care overhaul Posted: As demonstrations swirled outside, Supreme Court justices signaled on Monday they are ready to confront without delay the keep-or-kill questions at the heart of challenges to President Barack Obama's historic health care overhaul. Virtually every American will be affected by the outcome, due this summer in the heat of the election campaign.

Ottawa hints at changing Air Canada law Posted: OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government, faced with strife over the closure of facilities that overhaul Air Canada planes, hinted on Monday at changing the law that requires Air Canada to maintain these overhaul stations at three Canadian cities. Aveos, formerly an Air Canada division but now a private company, performed the airline's heavy maintenance but last week shut its Canadian operations and obtained bankruptcy protection. "It's a complex file. This law was analyzed a long time ago. ...

Obama to Russia: More flexibility after elections Posted: President Barack Obama told Russia's leader Monday that he would have more flexibility after the November election to deal with the contentious issue of missile defense, a candid assessment of political reality that was picked up by a microphone without either leader apparently knowing.

Bernanke says U.S. needs faster growth Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy needs to grow more quickly to bring the unemployment rate down further, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Monday, defending the central bank's policy of very low interest rates. While he offered no indication the Fed is keen to embark on a third round of bond purchases, Bernanke also made clear the central bank is in no rush to reverse course after responding aggressively to a deep recession. The jobless rate has dropped to 8.3 percent from 9. ...

Dueling chants as demonstrators vent over U.S. healthcare law Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supporters of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law chanted "We love Obamacare" while opponents replied "We love the Constitution" in lively demonstrations outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday as the justices weighed the fate of the statute. Gusty winds whipped American flags, signs and banners as hundreds of supporters of the law outnumbered opponents at the white marble columned court building on the first of three days of arguments over the law signed by Obama in 2010. ...

Supreme court unlikely to delay Obama healthcare ruling Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Monday appeared prepared to decide the fate of President Barack Obama's sweeping healthcare law soon, rather than delaying for years a ruling on the mandate that Americans buy insurance or pay a penalty. In the first of three days of historic arguments, the justices voiced doubt that a U.S. tax law requiring that people pay first and litigate later should postpone a ruling on the legal challenge to the president's signature domestic legislative achievement. ...

U.S. nominee to head World Bank goes on tour Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jim Yong Kim, the U.S. pick to take over at mid-year as head of the World Bank, launches a world tour on Tuesday to seek support for his candidacy. Kim, a Korean-American, will be contesting two nominees from emerging market countries - Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Colombian Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo - for the World Bank's top job. ...

Lawmakers call airport screeners ineffective, rude Posted: House members of both parties on Monday teed off against the agency in charge of airport and port anti-terrorist screening, saying it uses ineffective tactics, wastes money on faulty equipment and treats travelers rudely.

House moves toward easing some financial rules Posted: To the chagrin of consumer groups, the House neared bipartisan approval Monday of two bills easing requirements that President Barack Obama's overhaul of financial regulations impose on some exotic financial instruments blamed for helping trigger the 2008 financial crisis.

Immersed in race, Gingrich stays in despite setbacks Posted: NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Newt Gingrich's Southern strategy to get back into the race for the Republican presidential nomination has collapsed, and his campaign is in the red, but the former U.S. House of Representatives speaker is marching on. Surrounded by a tight-knit team that includes his daughters and his third wife, Callista, Gingrich appears to be enjoying the campaign trail despite his dwindling electoral fortunes. Disliked by his party's establishment, he still receives regular affirmation from die-hard fans and time in the national spotlight. ...

Excerpts from Supreme Court health care arguments Posted: Excerpts from Monday's Supreme Court arguments over whether legal challenges to President Barack Obama's health care law are premature under the Anti-Injunction Act, which bars lawsuits against a tax until after the tax is paid:

'Let's Plant!' Michelle Obama Seeds 4th WH Garden Posted: New faces and new potatoes marked the fourth annual spring planting in the White House kitchen garden this afternoon. First lady Michelle Obama rolled up her sleeves and crouched down in the mud, working alongside three Girl Scouts from upstate New York to plant rows...

Mitt Romney Says Russia Is No. 1 Geopolitical Foe Posted: SAN DIEGO — Mitt Romney said today that Russia — not Iran or North Korea — is the United States' "number one geopolitical foe," adding that Russia "always stands up for the world's worst actors." Romney's remarks came during an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer,...

House GOP Blasts 'Malignant Tumor,' aka Affordable Care Act Posted: House Republicans today called on the Supreme Court to rule the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, projecting a high degree of confidence that the entire law will be struck down. Republicans used all sorts of colorful language to rip the divisive law, calling it an "unconstitutional...

AFL-CIO calls on Romney to dismiss labor advisor Posted: The AFL-CIO on Monday called for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to dismiss a campaign labor advisor linked to an ethics investigation at the National Labor Relations Board.

Romney scrambles to raise cash for Santorum battle Posted: SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Mitt Romney scrambled on Monday to raise campaign money to help him fend off the lingering challenge from rival Rick Santorum for the Republican presidential nomination, and he acknowledged that the battle could extend into June. The Republicans' extended race to find a challenger to President Barack Obama is sucking up more time and donors' money than expected, possibly weakening the eventual nominee at the November 6 general election. ...

U.S. ponders heart safety trials for obesity drugs Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators are asking for advice on whether, and when, heart safety studies should be required for new obesity drugs, possibly adding a new hurdle on their path to approval. An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will discuss this week whether regulators should mandate such trials before the drugs can be marketed in the United States. ...

Former U.S. Rep. Jefferson loses appeal on bribery convictions Posted: (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Monday upheld most of the convictions against former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson on multiple charges of bribery and money laundering. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, upheld all but one of 11 guilty counts against the former Democratic congressman from New Orleans, who used his home freezer to store $90,000 in cash. Jefferson was accused in 2007 of soliciting millions of dollars in bribes from companies while using his office to broker business deals in Africa. ...

Chants, marching, debate, even jazz, outside court Posted: Demonstrators with dueling chants, singers, doctors in white coats, even a presidential candidate and a brass quartet joined hundreds of people sounding off Monday on the broad sidewalk in front of the Supreme Court as the justices considered President Barack Obama's health care law.

Why Health Care Won't Be a Campaign Issue in 2012 Posted: The Supreme Court ruling on health care just may not be such a big deal in campaign 2012 after all. Most Americans have already formed an opinion of the Obama health care law,  and a Supreme Court ruling isn't going to change that. One Democratic strategist...

Justices moving to heart of health care overhaul Posted: As demonstrations swirled outside, Supreme Court justices signaled on Monday they are ready to confront without delay the keep-or-kill questions at the heart of challenges to President Barack Obama's historic health care overhaul. Virtually every American will be affected by the outcome, due this summer in the heat of the election campaign.

Pope receives warm welcome in communist Cuba Posted: SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (Reuters) - Pope Benedict arrived in Cuba on Monday for a three-day visit to showcase improving Church-state relations and push for a larger Church role at a time of change on the communist island. The pope was warmly greeted in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba at the steps of his plane by Cuban President Raul Castro, dressed in a dark suit, accompanied by a full Honor Guard and artillery gun salute. Visiting 14 years after Pope John Paul II's landmark trip to Cuba, Benedict will lead Masses in Santiago and in Havana before flying home on Wednesday. ...

Outside Supreme Court, Santorum argues own case Posted: Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum appeared outside the Supreme Court on Monday as the justices heard arguments over whether President Barack Obama's overhaul of the nation's health care system is constitutional.

Killer of Florida teen told police he was attacked first Posted: SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - The man who shot and killed an unarmed Florida teenager in a case that has sparked widespread public outrage told police the victim had punched him, knocked him down and slammed his head into the pavement repeatedly before he fired the fatal gunshot. The account of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, was published for the first time on Monday in the online edition of the Orlando Sentinel. ...

Ex-IMF head Strauss-Kahn put under formal probe in France Posted: LILLE, FRANCE (Reuters) - Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was put under formal investigation by a French court on Monday over his role in a prostitution case, his lawyer said. The move is an escalation of the case against the Socialist ex-finance minister but falls short of a formal charge. Strauss-Kahn has denied the allegations against him, arguing that he was unaware women he met at parties organized by business associates in Lille, Paris and Washington were prostitutes. (Reporting By Gerard Bon; Writing by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Karolina Tagaris)

'ObamaCare' Challengers Say 'This Is Not About Health Care' Posted: Outside the Supreme Court, hordes of demonstrators have marched, chanted, yelled and argued over President Obama's health care law. Doctors and cancer survivors have told emotional stories about how the law helped them, while tea party supporters brandishing American flags have scoffed at them. But...

EXCLUSIVE: The Story Behind Cheney's Heart Transplant Surgery Posted: Dick Cheney was sound asleep when the phone rang after midnight on Friday. It was a call from the cardiology department at Inova Fairfax Hospital; he was told to come to the hospital quickly – a donor heart was likely to become available within hours....

U.S. regulators push for online "do not track" system Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are pressuring Internet companies to put in place by the end of the year a "Do Not Track" system that would give consumers more control over their personal data online, in a report released on Monday that privacy advocates dismissed as too soft. The Federal Trade Commission's long-awaited 57-page final report on privacy recommendations relies heavily on industry voluntarily adopting best practices. ...

Footage filmed by French gunman sent to Al Jazeera: police Posted: PARIS (Reuters) - Video footage filmed by the French gunman Mohamed Merah during his bloody shooting spree has been sent to the Al Jazeera television network in Paris, a police source said on Monday. Al Jazeera received a computer memory drive containing a montage of footage accompanied by Islamist war songs, and sent the package on to police on Monday, the source close to the investigation told Reuters. An Al Jazeera employee contacted by Reuters confirmed the report. ...

Fed should not pump more money into economy in 2012: survey Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. business economists said the Federal Reserve's easy money policies have been effective but they do not think the central bank should pump more money into the economy, a survey showed on Monday. Just over 60 percent of economic professionals polled by the National Association for Business Economics felt the Fed's two rounds of quantitative easing had been a "success," the survey said. However, 81 percent of economists surveyed said the Fed should not pursue another round of quantitative easing or bond-buying this year. The U.S. ...

Canada court ruling would allow legal brothels Posted: TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario's highest court has struck down a national law that outlaws brothels but upheld an effective ban on street prostitution, a partial victory for those arguing Canada's laws put sex workers in harm's way. If the landmark decision stands - it will likely be appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada - the federal government will have to find new ways to regulate prostitution, perhaps by accepting legalized brothels of the sort found in Nevada. Accepting money in return for sex is not illegal in Canada, but most related activities have been. ...

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