Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Political Hot Topics Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Netanyahu: Palestinians are holding up peace
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lay out his vision of a settlement with the Palestinians in a speech to Congress Tuesday morning. His speech follows an appearance Monday night where he told the main U.S. Jewish lobby that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persists because the Palestinians "refuse to end it."
Obama in England to meet Queen Elizabeth and prime minister
After a rock star reception in Ireland, President Barack Obama was in England on Tuesday to meet with Britain's royal family and huddle with top politicians. The president will begin and end his day at Buckingham Palace where he will meet Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Later, he will dine with them and a host of others in the evening.
Romney front-runner, but voters far from settled
Three weeks before the first Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney remains the front-runner in the battle for the state that holds the first primary in the road to the White House, according to a new poll of Granite State voters. But a CNN/WMUR survey conducted by the University of New Hampshire also indicates that the race is far from settled, with nearly nine in ten potential Republican primary voters saying they haven't come close to making up their minds and more than four in ten saying they're not satisfied with the field of GOP candidates running for president.
Politico: GOP insiders: 2012 field is set
High-level Republican leaders tell POLITICO that they now believe the top tier of the presidential field is set, and that no major donors or operatives will remain on the sidelines hoping a dream candidate will make a last-minute entry. These leaders calculate that they are better off to accept the Mitch Daniels-less field as it is and not continue to waffle, letting President Barack Obama continue to build strength while the GOP dawdles.
Obama budget chief optimistic on debt deal
Jacob Lew, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told the Economic Club in Washington that he's optimistic about getting a deal done within the group headed by Vice President Joe Biden. …"One of the things that's very promising in the conversations that the vice president is leading is that there's a shared sense of purpose," Lew said. He said the group feels pressure to act now, "because it's not going to be easier to act six months or nine months from now."
116 dead from Missouri tornado; more twisters possible
While rescuers scramble to dig out any remaining survivors from a weekend tornado that killed 116, residents in Joplin, Missouri, are bracing for the possibility of more tornadoes on Tuesday. …The National Weather Service warned there was a 45% chance of another tornado outbreak - with the peak time between 4 p.m. and midnight Tuesday - over a wide swath including parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska and Missouri.
High court orders drastic prison population reduction in California
The Supreme Court has affirmed a federal order telling California to reduce its overflowing prison population, a situation the majority said "falls below the standard of decency." The 5-4 ruling Monday from the justices come in a classic battle over state versus federal authority, focusing on whether U.S. courts can step in and essentially run state prisons when officials have repeatedly violated basic constitutional guarantees afforded inmates.
New York Times: Ruling Raises Stakes in California’s Fiscal Crisis
The Supreme Court’s order to California to ease overcrowding in the state’s prisons, by releasing tens of thousands of inmates if no other solution can be found, will probably aid Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to move more inmates from state prisons to county jails. But it is also sure to set off a fresh round of budget battling in the financially distressed state as the governor and local officials insist on ensuring state financing before changing the system.
Alleged Philadelphia 'boss' of La Cosa Nostra arrested
FBI agents Monday arrested alleged Philadelphia crime boss Joseph Ligambi and 10 others in a takedown federal authorities hope represents a crushing blow to organized crime in Philadelphia. Among those arrested was alleged La Cosa Nostra "underboss" Joseph Massamino, according to Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer.
USA Today: Study: Mortgage-only defaulters may be safe credit risks
People who default on their mortgages — but no other debts — are not as risky as expected, according to a new study from credit monitor TransUnion. …TransUnion, like other credit-management firms, is seeking insight into mortgage-only defaulters, who could prove to be a big market for lenders. In the past five years, almost 4 million U.S. homes have been lost to foreclosure, says market researcher RealtyTrac. A chunk of those were "strategic defaults," in which homeowners who could afford to pay their mortgages walked because home values had tanked so much.
NATO aircraft pound Tripoli; government says 3 dead, 150 injured
The NATO attack, one of the heaviest against Tripoli since the NATO mission began just over two months ago, started at about 1 a.m. and lasted more than 20 minutes, with alliance jets circling overhead and Libyan loyalist forces responding with anti-aircraft fire. Moussa Ibrahim, a Libyan government spokesman, said the attack targeted a guard compound for pro-Gadhafi military volunteers that had been emptied in anticipation. At least three people were killed and 150 wounded, Ibrahim said, calling the attack an escalation by NATO.
Inside IMF: Female staff call for a woman at helm
The fund is scheduled to begin accepting nominations for [Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s] replacement, with a battle shaping up between Europe and the developing world. The United Kingdom said over the weekend it would back French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde for the position; a move that will likely appeal to female staff at the IMF, who
Fuel rods may have melted in more Japanese reactors, company says
Nuclear fuel rods in two more reactors at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan are believed to have melted during the first week of the nuclear crisis, the owner of the facility said Tuesday. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said a "major part" of the fuel rods in reactor No. 2 may have melted and fallen to the bottom of the pressure vessel 101 hours after the earthquake and tsunami that crippled the plant.
Al Jazeera: Mumbai suspect speaks of 'Pakistan role'
David Headley told a court on Monday that he had received help and guidance from at least two officers in Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Headley pleaded guilty in March 2010 to charges of being a co-conspirator in the Mumbai attacks, in which armed men from the Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) killed 166 people, including six Americans.
Volcanic ash from Iceland heads for British airspace
Volcanic ash from an Icelandic eruption could reach British airspace Tuesday, sooner than previously predicted, Britain's Civil Aviation Authority warned Monday. Scotland's Loganair announced that all flights will be canceled Tuesday due to forecasts that indicate "a high density of ash will be present in large parts of Scottish airspace." British Airways and Dutch airline KLM also canceled dozens of scheduled Tuesday flights to and from locations in Scotland.
New York Times: Sony Swings to Big Loss After Natural Disasters
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami probably pushed Sony to a $3.2 billion loss in the just-ended fiscal year, the electronics and entertainment giant warned Monday. It was the latest Japanese manufacturer to report a huge financial hit from the disaster. …
Twitter acquires TweetDeck
Twitter has acquired TweetDeck, an application for organizing the display of tweets, for more than $40 million in a mix of cash and stock, according to sources close to the deal. TweetDeck has been the subject of speculation about deals for months. TechCrunch surfaced reports, citing a $40 million-$50 million acquisition. The deal has yet to be announced, but papers finalizing the deal were signed Monday.
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