Yahoo! News: Politics News

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• International audition: Romney faces high stakes
• In reversal, GOP puts Obama on defense for a bit
• Biden to firefighters: GOP doesn't understand you
• Christie says he's open to 2016 presidential bid
• Senate OKs Dem tax-cut bill in showdown with GOP
• US House passes Fed audit bill; measure seen dying in Senate
• About 50 political groups win tax-exempt status: IRS
• Romney Says Colo. Shooter Shouldn't Have Had Weapons, But New Gun Laws Won't Help
• As Ghana mourns president, focus turns to election race
• Senate passes middle-class tax cut bill in symbolic move
• Feds act to stop sale of magnetic Buckyballs
• Jeb Bush wants Romney to choose Rubio for VP
• GOP senators launch tour warning of defense cuts
• House passes bill increasing scrutiny over Fed
• Syrian ambassadors to Emirates, Cyprus defect
• Mexico's new president faces long grind on poverty
• Syrian armored column closes in on Aleppo
• Deadlocked U.N. Security Council members lay blame over Syria
• Greek triple jumper's coach says expulsion too harsh
• Greek triple jumper withdrawn from Olympics for racist tweet
• International audition: Romney faces high stakes
• North Korea incident overshadows action
• In reversal, GOP puts Obama on defense for a bit
• Some fixes needed to get vet programs moving
• Republican tax bill fails in Senate, aided by two Republicans
• New York police violated rights of Occupy protesters: report
• GOP bill has major typo on jobless rate
• China's hawks gaining sway in South China sea dispute
• Obama to address National Urban League
• Cate Edwards Jumps Back Into Politics With Michigan Endorsement
• NY's transportation agency projects deficits from 2012
• Formats announced for 3 fall presidential debates
• Colombia's Santos adamant security hasn't deteriorated

International audition: Romney faces high stakes Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:30 PM PDT Mitt Romney — a one-term governor untested on the world's political stage — faces high stakes in the coming week during visits to England, Israel and Poland. It's a trip that amounts to an international audition.

In reversal, GOP puts Obama on defense for a bit Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:24 PM PDT Relentless GOP criticism of a 12-day-old remark about business owners has taken a campaign toll on President Barack Obama, forcing him to defend himself and giving Republican Mitt Romney a break from steady attacks.

Biden to firefighters: GOP doesn't understand you Posted: 25 Jul 2012 01:50 PM PDT Vice President Joe Biden told a national firefighters' union Wednesday that Republicans don't understand them and that government should be helping cities and states maintain fire services — not threatening to cut funding.

Christie says he's open to 2016 presidential bid Posted: 25 Jul 2012 03:06 PM PDT New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he's open to running for president in four years if the job is open.

Senate OKs Dem tax-cut bill in showdown with GOP Posted: 25 Jul 2012 03:04 PM PDT Democrats pushed a yearlong extension of tax cuts for all but the highest-earning Americans through the Senate on Wednesday, giving Democrats a significant political victory on a measure that is fated to go no further in Congress.

US House passes Fed audit bill; measure seen dying in Senate Posted: 25 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation to subject the Federal Reserve's monetary policy to audits sailed through the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday although the measure is expected to die in the Democrat-controlled Senate. The legislation, written by Republican representative Ron Paul, whose anti-Fed crusade prompted a presidential bid and his grass-roots folk-hero status, passed the House by a 327-98 vote on Wednesday, exceeding the two-thirds majority needed. Eighty-nine Democrats joined 238 Republicans to approve it. ...

About 50 political groups win tax-exempt status: IRS Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:56 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior Internal Revenue Service official on Wednesday put a number for the first time on how many political groups, including some "Tea Party" organizations, have gained IRS tax-exempt status In recent years. About 50 groups received the designation in 2010 and 2011, out of about 200 that applied, said Steven Miller, deputy IRS commissioner for enforcement, at a congressional hearing. ...

Romney Says Colo. Shooter Shouldn't Have Had Weapons, But New Gun Laws Won't Help Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:48 PM PDT LONDON — Mitt Romney said today that was "illegal" for the Colorado shooter to have "many" of the weapons he had the night of the deadly incident, he still does not believe changing gun laws will prevent similar incidents from happening. Asked in an interview...

As Ghana mourns president, focus turns to election race Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:48 PM PDT ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana has seen a smooth transition of power after the sudden death of its president, but as the nation mourns attention is already turning to who will replace him as the ruling party's candidate in a December vote. Vice-President John Dramani Mahama was sworn in hours after the announcement of the death through sudden illness on Tuesday of 68-year-old President John Atta Mills. ...

Senate passes middle-class tax cut bill in symbolic move Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:44 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's fellow Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday won passage of a bill to renew tax cuts for tens of millions of Americans while letting some rates rise for the wealthiest, in a symbolic vote. The legislation, certain to be rejected by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, lets Democrats claim in advance of the November 6 elections that they passed tax cuts for most Americans only to be stymied by Republicans. ...

Feds act to stop sale of magnetic Buckyballs Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:44 PM PDT Buckyballs are high-powered desktop magnetic toys for adults, but some young children are swallowing the tiny magnets and getting hurt. Teens also have accidentally ingested the magnetic balls after trying to mimic tongue piercings, leading the government to take steps to stop the sale of the product.

Jeb Bush wants Romney to choose Rubio for VP Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:41 PM PDT Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says he thinks Sen. Marco Rubio is ready to be vice president and that he has shared those thoughts with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

GOP senators launch tour warning of defense cuts Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:40 PM PDT Senate Republicans warning of the devastating impact from looming defense cuts will hit four presidential battleground states next week, ratcheting up the political pressure on President Barack Obama even though Congress endorsed the reductions.

House passes bill increasing scrutiny over Fed Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:37 PM PDT The House voted Wednesday to give Congress greater scrutiny over the monetary policy decisions of the Federal Reserve, approving legislation sponsored by longtime Fed nemesis Rep. Ron Paul.

Syrian ambassadors to Emirates, Cyprus defect Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:34 PM PDT AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria's ambassadors to the United Arab Emirates and Cyprus, who are husband and wife, have defected to Qatar, spokesmen for the opposition Syrian National Council said on Wednesday. They are the second and third senior diplomats to defect since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began 16 months ago. "The ambassador (Abdelatif al-Dabbagh) is now in Qatar," SNC spokesman Mohammad Sarmini told Reuters by telephone, referring to the ambassador to the UAE. ...

Mexico's new president faces long grind on poverty Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:33 PM PDT SAN SIMON ZAHUATLAN, Mexico (Reuters) - Sofia Irene can remember when a Mexican president came to visit her mountaintop village pledging to replace dirt floors with cement, pave roads and broaden electricity coverage. Seven years on, most homes in San Simon Zahuatlan have solid foundations and electric lights and two concrete roads run through the remote settlement in Oaxaca state in southwestern Mexico. But soon after the day President Vicente Fox entered the village with a bustling entourage in 2005, Mexico had its back to the wall again in its long fight against poverty. ...

Syrian armored column closes in on Aleppo Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:31 PM PDT AZAZ, Syria (Reuters) - The Syrian army turned its forces on Aleppo on Wednesday, ordering an armored column to advance on the country's second biggest city and pounding rebels there with artillery and attack helicopters, opposition activists said. As hostilities intensified near the Turkish border, Ankara said it was closing its crossing posts, although the United Nations said refugees fleeing Syria would be allowed through. ...

Deadlocked U.N. Security Council members lay blame over Syria Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:31 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Security Council members blamed each other for rising violence in Syria on Wednesday, with Western states pledging to also seek an end to the 16-month conflict outside the world body as Russia warned of "likely catastrophic consequences" with that approach. Russia, an ally of Syria, and China have repeatedly blocked Western-backed Security Council attempts to increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end the violence sparked by a government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. ...

Greek triple jumper's coach says expulsion too harsh Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:31 PM PDT ATHENS (Reuters) - Triple jumper Paraskevi Papachristou's expulsion from the Greek Olympics team for a tweet seen as racist was unduly harsh, her coach told Reuters on Wednesday. "It's too much, the penalty should not have been so strict," George Pomaski told Reuters. "She has already apologized for her remarks." Papachristou, 23, was pulled from the team in London on Wednesday after she prompted outrage at home for tweeting: "With so many Africans in Greece... ...

Greek triple jumper withdrawn from Olympics for racist tweet Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:31 PM PDT ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek triple jumper Paraskevi Papachristou was withdrawn from the London Olympics on Wednesday after causing an uproar at home for a tweet slammed as racist, the Greek Olympics team said. "With so many Africans in Greece... the West Nile mosquitoes will at least eat homemade food!!!" she had posted on her Twitter account. The country's Olympic Committee said she was being pulled from the team because her comments were against the Olympic spirit. "She showed no respect for a basic Olympic value and unfortunately she is out," Greek mission chief Isidoros Kouvelos told SKAI TV. ...

International audition: Romney faces high stakes Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:30 PM PDT Mitt Romney — a one-term governor untested on the world's political stage — faces high stakes in the coming week during visits to England, Israel and Poland. It's a trip that amounts to an international audition.

North Korea incident overshadows action Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:25 PM PDT CARDIFF (Reuters) - A major diplomatic incident marred the first day of competition at the London Olympics on Wednesday when the North Korea women's soccer team walked off after the South Korea flag was mistakenly displayed before their match against Colombia. The error occurred in Scotland at Glasgow's Hampden Park stadium which was hosting one of the day's six matches kicking off the women's tournament and led to a delay of more than an hour before the game eventually started. ...

In reversal, GOP puts Obama on defense for a bit Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:24 PM PDT Relentless GOP criticism of a 12-day-old remark about business owners has taken a campaign toll on President Barack Obama, forcing him to defend himself and giving Republican Mitt Romney a break from steady attacks.

Some fixes needed to get vet programs moving Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:19 PM PDT Bureaucratic foot dragging and infighting is slowing urgently needed programs for America's veterans and wounded troops and officials have to get the problem fixed, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Congress on Wednesday.

Republican tax bill fails in Senate, aided by two Republicans Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:15 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday rejected a Republican plan to extend all expiring individual tax rates, with the help of two Republicans, in a largely symbolic vote ahead of the November elections. The bill would have renewed tax cuts originally enacted under former Republican President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003, for all income levels. The Senate will later vote on a Democratic version of the legislation which would extend the lower tax rates for the vast majority of Americans but would raise tax rates for income earned above $250,000. ...

New York police violated rights of Occupy protesters: report Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:09 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York police officers employed excessive force, unjustified arrests and pervasive surveillance in violation of the rights of Occupy Wall Street protesters, a report from a group of human rights lawyers said on Wednesday. The report documents 130 incidents of alleged abuse by law enforcement authorities and calls for the creation of an independent inspector general to monitor the New York Police Department. ...

GOP bill has major typo on jobless rate Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:07 PM PDT A House Republican bill is designed to freeze major government regulations until the unemployment rate reaches 6 percent or below. An error in drafting the bill, however, turns that goal upside down.

China's hawks gaining sway in South China sea dispute Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:06 PM PDT HONG KONG (Reuters) - China has adopted a more aggressive stance in recent weeks on territorial disputes in the South China Sea as hard-line officials and commentators call on Beijing to take a tougher line with rival claimants. China's supreme policymaking body, the Politburo Standing Committee, is made up entirely of civilians, but outspoken People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers, intelligence advisers and maritime agency chiefs are arguing that Beijing should be more forceful in asserting its sovereignty over the sea and the oil and natural gas believed to lie under the sea-bed. ...

Obama to address National Urban League Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:03 PM PDT President Barack Obama is addressing his most solidly supportive constituency, black voters, at the end of a four-day, five-state trip on Wednesday.

Cate Edwards Jumps Back Into Politics With Michigan Endorsement Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:00 PM PDT Two months after standing steadfastly by her father John Edward's side during his hugely-publicized campaign finance fraud trial, Cate Edwards is hopping back into the political arena to stand by Trevor Thomas, a young, openly gay candidate for the U.S. House from Michigan. In her...

NY's transportation agency projects deficits from 2012 Posted: 25 Jul 2012 01:58 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority expects to end 2012 with a $46 million cash surplus, officials said on Wednesday, as they unveiled a "risk-laden" financial plan that projects deficits for 2014 through 2016. Balancing the MTA's budget depends on negotiating a three-year contract with unionized transit workers that has no wage hikes unless current restrictive work rules are amended or workers would pay more for healthcare, officials said. "Our budget is fragile; I prioritize it probably as our No. ...

Formats announced for 3 fall presidential debates Posted: 25 Jul 2012 01:56 PM PDT Don't look for podiums, opening statements or surprise topics at the debates if President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney follow the plan organizers released Wednesday.

Colombia's Santos adamant security hasn't deteriorated Posted: 25 Jul 2012 01:55 PM PDT CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos rejected accusations that leftist FARC guerrillas are making a comeback, describing recent attacks as a last-gasp effort to grab headlines that did not pose a threat to economic prosperity. In an interview at one of his official residences, in the coastal city of Cartagena, Santos said a surge in violence by the Marxist rebels was an attempt to remain relevant as they faced attacks by government troops that eroded their capacity to fight and demoralized their ranks. ...

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