Daily News: Politics - White House strikes back on Death Star petition

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Friday, Jan 11, 2013 11:02 PM PST
Today's Politics - Bloomberg News Headlines - Yahoo! News: White House strikes back on Death Star petition No clear path for Obama to act alone on U.S. debt cap: experts Lawyer says suspect in Oregon bomb plot was entrapped Sony Pictures executive: "Zero Dark Thirty" "does not advocate torture" Ohio town to allow some employees to bring guns to school Bolivia says re-admitted to U.N. drug convention on its own terms Exclusive: Readying for Sandy, NJ Transit erred in modeling storm Court says Kansas must increase school funding, slams tax cuts Malian army drives back Islamist rebels with French help Top porn producer sues to overturn Los Angeles condom law BofA director settlement over Merrill triples to $62.5 million - source AIG sues NY Fed over right to sue Bank of America, others France tells U.N. that Mali operation to last as long as necessary Obama, Karzai accelerate end of U.S. combat role in Afghanistan Canadian PM agrees to pay more heed to native demands Biden gun proposals likely to spark fight in Congress NBC Sports Network will sponsor gun show despite Newtown School shootings Malian army retakes central town from Islamists France says has begun military intervention in Mali Pentagon weighs Mali options, including intelligence-sharing Judge keeps Planned Parenthood out of Texas program More U.S. soldiers docked pay over Colombia prostitution scandal Man pardoned by former Mississippi governor involved in shooting Victim's dad tells accused Colorado gunman to "Rot in hell" Malian army beats back Islamist rebels with French help Senior Obama aide DeParle leaving White House: source Northern Irish police fire plastic bullets at rioters Biden eyeing technology in gun violence fight Newark Mayor Booker files papers to run for Senate Canada natives block Harper's office, threaten unrest Wife of former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. quits Chicago council More than 30,000 flee fighting in Sudan's Darfur: U.N. U.S. safety chief tests "future for aviation" with 787 review Judge keeps Planned Parenthood out of Texas health program Central African Republic signs peace deal with rebels Flu reaches epidemic level in U.S., says CDC TV anchorman Gregory won't face charges over gun clip Democrats urge Obama to be ready to bypass Congress on debt cap Venezuela's Maduro to visit Chavez again in Cuba Supreme Court to review free speech of HIV/AIDS groups

White House strikes back on Death Star petition  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 11:02 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration dashed the hopes of Star Wars geeks across the galaxy by rejecting an official petition calling for the U.S. government to build a Death Star, the fictional planet-destroying space station featured in the Star Wars movies. "The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon," said Paul Shawcross, head of the White House budget office's science and space branch. ... Full Story	Top
No clear path for Obama to act alone on U.S. debt cap: experts  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 10:04 PM PST NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House would be taking a risk if it tries to make a constitutional end-run around Congress' authority to raise the debt ceiling, legal experts said. The "public debt" clause of the 14th Amendment is being cited by a number of lawmakers as giving President Barack Obama a legal way to issue debt and pay bills, working around the debt ceiling and avoiding default. The 14th Amendment is best known for extending civil rights protections in the wake of the Civil War. ... Full Story	Top
Lawyer says suspect in Oregon bomb plot was entrapped  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 08:03 PM PST PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - An attorney for a Somali-born man charged with trying to blow up a crowd of people at a Christmas tree-lighting event in Oregon told a court on Friday his client was a hard-partying college student manipulated by FBI agents posing as Islamist militants. But a prosecutor told jurors during opening statements in the federal trial of Mohamed Osman Mohamud that he acted on his own volition in what he thought was a plan for a mass killing. Mohamud, a former Oregon State University student and a naturalized U.S. ... Full Story	Top
Sony Pictures executive: "Zero Dark Thirty" "does not advocate torture"  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 07:56 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sony Pictures executive Amy Pascal lashed out on Friday at a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) who accused Osama bin Laden film "Zero Dark Thirty" of promoting torture and urged fellow Academy members not to vote for it in the Oscars race. In a strongly worded statement, Pascal said the "attempt to censure one of the great films of our time should be opposed. ... Full Story	Top
Ohio town to allow some employees to bring guns to school  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 07:34 PM PST CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A small town Ohio school board voted unanimously to allow four employees who have permits to carry concealed weapons to bring their guns to school once they have some tactical training, the school superintendent said on Friday. Jamie Grime, superintendent of the Montpelier Village schools in western Ohio, would not identify the four employees but said they are not teachers. ... Full Story	Top
Bolivia says re-admitted to U.N. drug convention on its own terms  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 07:30 PM PST LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivia on Friday said it had been re-admitted to the U.N. anti-narcotics convention after persuading member states to recognize the right of its indigenous people to chew raw coca leaf, which is used in making cocaine. President Evo Morales had faced opposition from Washington in his campaign against the classification of coca as an illicit drug. "The coca leaf has accompanied indigenous peoples for 6,000 years," said Dionisio Nunez, Bolivia's deputy minister of coca and integrated development. "Coca leaf was never used to hurt people. It was used as medicine. ... Full Story	Top
Exclusive: Readying for Sandy, NJ Transit erred in modeling storm  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 07:11 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Transit incorrectly used federal government software that otherwise could have warned officials against a disastrous decision to leave hundreds of millions of dollars worth of equipment in a low-lying rail yard before Superstorm Sandy struck, a Reuters examination has found. ... Full Story	Top
Court says Kansas must increase school funding, slams tax cuts  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 06:17 PM PST OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (Reuters) - Kansas is unconstitutionally short-changing its students by underfunding education needs and must increase spending by about $400 million, a three-judge panel ruled unanimously on Friday. The court said it was "illogical" for the state to argue that it could not adequately fund schools at the same time it slashed income taxes. The ruling is the latest in a series of court victories for a group of public school districts, parents and students in Kansas who have demanded for years that the state provide more money for education. ... Full Story	Top
Malian army drives back Islamist rebels with French help  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 06:16 PM PST PARIS/BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian government troops drove back Islamist rebels from a strategic central town after France intervened on Friday with air strikes to halt advances by the militants controlling the country's desert north. Western governments, particularly former colonial power France, had voiced alarm after the al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured the town of Konna on Thursday, a gateway towards the capital, Bamako, 600 km (375 miles) south. President Francois Hollande said France would not stand by to watch the rebels push southward. ... Full Story	Top
Top porn producer sues to overturn Los Angeles condom law  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 06:10 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A top adult film producer sued Los Angeles County on Friday over a voter-approved measure requiring porn actors to wear condoms, saying the law infringes on their First Amendment rights and was driving the industry out of southern California. Vivid Entertainment, which was joined in the lawsuit by porn stars Kayden Kross and Logan Pierce, claims the mandate is both an unconstitutional prior restraint on freedom of expression and a financial burden that studios could not bear. ... Full Story	Top
BofA director settlement over Merrill triples to $62.5 million - source  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 06:08 PM PST (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp directors have reached a $62.5 million settlement to resolve investor claims over the bank's acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co, a person familiar with the matter said, after a federal judge expressed reservations about an earlier version of the accord. U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel in Manhattan on Friday agreed to increase the size of the settlement from $20 million, the person said. This came after Castel had indicated in a January 4 order that he had yet to be persuaded of the fairness of the settlement, which also includes governance reforms. ... Full Story	Top
AIG sues NY Fed over right to sue Bank of America, others  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 06:03 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - American International Group Inc has filed a lawsuit against a vehicle created by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to help bail out the insurer, in a bid to preserve its right to sue Bank of America Corp and other issuers of mortgage debt that went sour. The complaint filed in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan seeks a declaration that AIG has not transferred billions of dollars of "litigation claims" to Maiden Lane II, including many related to the insurer's $10 billion lawsuit against Bank of America. ... Full Story	Top
France tells U.N. that Mali operation to last as long as necessary  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 06:03 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - France informed the U.N. Security Council on Friday that its military operations in support of the Malian army against Islamist rebels in the north would last as long as needed. "This operation, which takes place within the framework of international law, will last as long as necessary," France's U.N. ambassador, Gerard Araud, wrote in a letter to the Security Council obtained by Reuters. ... Full Story	Top
Obama, Karzai accelerate end of U.S. combat role in Afghanistan  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 05:27 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed on Friday to speed up the handover of combat operations in Afghanistan to Afghan forces, raising the prospect of an accelerated U.S. withdrawal from the country and underscoring Obama's determination to wind down a long, unpopular war. Signaling a narrowing of differences, Karzai appeared to give ground in talks at the White House on U.S. ... Full Story	Top
Canadian PM agrees to pay more heed to native demands  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 05:24 PM PST OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper agreed in a meeting with native leaders on Friday to pay more attention to their demands, trying to mollify an aboriginal protest movement that has threatened to blockade roads and railways across the country. Faced with a seemingly intractable situation that has confronted successive governments, Harper agreed to a high-level dialogue with the natives and to have his office take increased responsibility for their issues, Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan said. ... Full Story	Top
Biden gun proposals likely to spark fight in Congress  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 05:10 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden wrapped up a series of White House meetings on Friday and prepared recommendations to curb gun violence that will call for expanded background checks on gun buyers and set up a heated, likely uphill battle in Congress to revive a ban on military-style assault weapons. Biden, who heads a task force due to give President Barack Obama recommendations next week, met with representatives of the video game industry, whose products often enable players to carry out shootings in graphically violent games. ... Full Story	Top
NBC Sports Network will sponsor gun show despite Newtown School shootings  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 05:04 PM PST LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The NBC Sports Network is staying on target with its sponsorship of a major gun show that will take place a little more than a month after the Newtown, Conn., school shootings that left dozens, most of them children, dead. A spokesman for NBC Sports told TheWrap on Friday that the cable outlet NBC Sports Network will continue to sponsor the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference, otherwise known as the SHOT Show. ... Full Story	Top
Malian army retakes central town from Islamists  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 04:55 PM PST BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's armed forces retook the central town of Konna from Islamist rebels with French military support on Friday, a Malian defense ministry official and residents said. "The Malian army has retaken Konna with the help of our military partners. We are there now," Lieutenant Colonel Diaran Kone told Reuters. A local shopkeeper confirmed that the army had entered the town, which had been seized on Thursday by the al Qaeda-linked insurgents who control Mali's desert north. (Reporting By Bate Felix; Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Full Story	Top
France says has begun military intervention in Mali  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 04:55 PM PST PARIS (Reuters) - France said it launched a military operation in Mali on Friday to help the government there stem a push southwards by Islamist rebels who control much of the north, in a turnaround from its earlier stance against intervention by its forces. President Francois Hollande said a surge by the rebels into new territory this week had heightened the security situation and prompted France, backed by the U.N. Security Council and West African nations, to respond to a plea for help from its former colony. ... Full Story	Top
Pentagon weighs Mali options, including intelligence-sharing  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 04:55 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon is weighing options in Mali, including intelligence-sharing with France and logistics support, following French air strikes on Friday against Islamist rebels, a U.S. official told Reuters. "Discussions are ongoing," the official said on condition of anonymity. Western governments, particularly Mali's former colonial power, France, voiced alarm after the al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured the central Malian town of Konna on Thursday, a gateway to the capital, Bamako, 375 miles farther south. ... Full Story	Top
Judge keeps Planned Parenthood out of Texas program  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 04:50 PM PST AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas judge on Friday denied a Planned Parenthood request to be allowed to offer health services to low-income women through a state program. Texas now excludes abortion providers and affiliates from the program and Planned Parenthood has been fighting to become a provider again. State District Judge Stephen Yelenosky, who issued a temporary ruling in favor of Planned Parenthood in November, said on Friday it was unlikely Planned Parenthood would succeed at trial. ... Full Story	Top
More U.S. soldiers docked pay over Colombia prostitution scandal  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 04:27 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Another three U.S. soldiers were docked pay and reprimanded over their roles in the Secret Service prostitution scandal in Colombia last year, the U.S. military disclosed on Friday. U.S. military troops and Secret Service agents were helping provide security arrangements for President Barack Obama before his April visit to a summit in the seaside city of Cartagena. ... Full Story	Top
Man pardoned by former Mississippi governor involved in shooting  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 04:24 PM PST JACKSON, Mississippi (Reuters) - A man who was among roughly 200 felons pardoned a year ago by then-Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour as the Republican left office was involved in a gunfight on Thursday that left another man dead, authorities said. The pardoned man, Wayne Harris, 56, of Slate Spring, Mississippi, was recovering at a medical center on Friday after receiving two gunshot wounds in his legs during an altercation that resulted in 51-year-old Chris McGonagill's death. ... Full Story	Top
Victim's dad tells accused Colorado gunman to "Rot in hell"  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 04:20 PM PST CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Reuters) - Emotions boiled over on Friday at a court hearing for James Holmes, the man charged with shooting 12 people to death and wounding dozens more at a Batman movie, when the father of one victim shouted, "Rot in hell, Holmes!" The eruption came as the 25-year-old former graduate student was being ushered out of a suburban Denver courtroom in shackles at the conclusion of the brief proceedings. Holmes' back was turned to the packed courtroom audience at the time, and there was no visible reaction from him. ... Full Story	Top
Malian army beats back Islamist rebels with French help  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:59 PM PST PARIS/BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian government troops drove back Islamist rebels from a strategic central town after France intervened on Friday with air strikes to halt advances by the militants controlling the country's desert north. Western governments, particularly former colonial power France, had voiced alarm after the al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured the town of Konna on Thursday, a gateway towards the capital Bamako 600 km (375 miles) south. President Francois Hollande said France would not stand by to watch the rebels push southward. ... Full Story	Top
Senior Obama aide DeParle leaving White House: source  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:58 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nancy-Anne DeParle, a top aide to President Barack Obama, is leaving the White House, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday, marking the latest departure of a woman from a senior post in the administration. DeParle, 56, a White House deputy chief of staff, was Obama's point person on his signature healthcare overhaul in 2010. She was also a healthcare adviser to former President Bill Clinton and headed the agency that administers Medicare and Medicaid from 1997-2000. DeParle's departure is for personal reasons after nearly four years at the White House. ... Full Story	Top
Northern Irish police fire plastic bullets at rioters  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:54 PM PST BELFAST (Reuters) - Police in Northern Ireland fired plastic bullets and water cannon at rioters who wounded four officers with missiles and petrol bombs in the latest outbreak of anger at the removal of the British flag from Belfast City Hall. Hundreds of other protesters brought large areas of Belfast to a standstill, shutting at least a dozen roads and forcing the shut-down of the city's bus service. A major highway in the city was closed after a small bomb was found. ... Full Story	Top
Biden eyeing technology in gun violence fight  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:40 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Vice President Joe Biden prepares a set of proposals to curb gun violence for delivery next week, he is taking a look at technology that would make it impossible for people to fire guns that they did not buy themselves. At a meeting with video game industry executives on Friday, Biden said he and other officials would meet with experts to explore ways to limit how and by whom guns are fired. "We will be meeting with technology experts because, to overstate the case ... ... Full Story	Top
Newark Mayor Booker files papers to run for Senate  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:27 PM PST (Reuters) - Cory Booker, the New Jersey mayor who is a rising star in the Democratic party, filed documents on Friday revealing his intention to run for the U.S. Senate in 2014, possibly setting up a primary challenge against 88-year-old Democratic incumbent Frank Lautenberg Booker, the 43-year-old mayor of Newark, announced in December he would "explore the possibility" of running for Senate. Lautenberg has yet to announce his intentions. His press office did not return a call seeking comment on Booker's filing with the U.S. Federal Election Commission. ... Full Story	Top
Canada natives block Harper's office, threaten unrest  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:24 PM PST OTTAWA (Reuters) - Aboriginal protesters blocked the main entrance to a building where Canada's prime minister was preparing to meet some native leaders on Friday, highlighting a deep divide within the country's First Nations on how to push Ottawa to heed their demands. The noisy blockade, which lasted about an hour, ended just before Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his aides met with about 20 native chiefs, even as other leaders opted to boycott the session. ... Full Story	Top
Wife of former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. quits Chicago council  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:19 PM PST CHICAGO (Reuters) - Sandi Jackson, the wife of former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., resigned her seat on the Chicago city council on Friday, citing "very painful family health issues," after criticism over her frequent absences from council meetings. Jesse Jackson Jr., who has been treated for bipolar disorder and according to media reports is under investigation for possible misuse of campaign funds, resigned his seat last November for what he described as health reasons. ... Full Story	Top
More than 30,000 flee fighting in Sudan's Darfur: U.N.  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:18 PM PST KHARTOUM (Reuters) - More than 30,000 people have fled during two weeks of fighting in Sudan's Darfur region, the United Nations said after some of the worst clashes between government troops, rebels and rival tribes reported there for months. Conflict has raged in Darfur, a vast arid region in the west of Sudan, since 2003 when mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms against the Arab government in Khartoum, accusing it of political and economic marginalization. ... Full Story	Top
U.S. safety chief tests "future for aviation" with 787 review  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:15 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When Michael Huerta joined the Federal Aviation Administration as its second-in-command in 2010, grumbles spread through the industry: This was a career transportation official but an outsider to the aerospace world. Now, Huerta is at the helm of the FAA and has been thrust into a very public review of what is seen as the future of aviation. ... Full Story	Top
Judge keeps Planned Parenthood out of Texas health program  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:12 PM PST AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas judge on Friday denied a Planned Parenthood request to be allowed to offer health services to low income women under a state program. Texas decided to enforce a law already on the books that bars funding for abortion providers and affiliates, and Planned Parenthood has been fighting its exclusion. State District Judge Stephen Yelenosky said it was unlikely that Planned Parenthood would succeed at trial, though a trial may still occur. The Women's Health Program provides family planning services and preventive health care. ... Full Story	Top
Central African Republic signs peace deal with rebels  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 03:05 PM PST LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Central African Republic's government and rebels agreed on Friday to the formation of a national unity government under a ceasefire deal to end an insurgency that swept to within striking distance of the capital. The agreement, signed in Gabon's coastal capital Libreville after three days of talks mediated by regional neighbors, averted the biggest threat to President Francois Bozize's decade in charge of the mineral-rich former French colony. Aid groups had warned that a rebel attack on the capital Bangui could trigger a humanitarian crisis. "God is great. ... Full Story	Top
Flu reaches epidemic level in U.S., says CDC  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 02:57 PM PST (Reuters) - Influenza has officially reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with 7.3 percent of deaths last week caused by pneumonia and the flu, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. The early start and fast spread of flu this season - especially after 2011-2012's very mild outbreak - has overwhelmed doctors' offices and hospitals, forcing some patients to wait through the night to be seen in emergency departments. Nine of the 10 U.S. ... Full Story	Top
TV anchorman Gregory won't face charges over gun clip  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 02:33 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The District of Columbia has declined to prosecute NBC News anchor David Gregory for displaying an illegal high-capacity gun clip on a broadcast, a prosecutor said on Friday. District of Columbia Attorney General Irvin Nathan said his office would not seek to charge Gregory for showing the 30-round magazine on the December 23 broadcast of "Meet the Press" in part because it was an element of the renewed debate about firearms. His office "has determined to exercise its prosecutorial discretion to decline to bring criminal charges against Mr. ... Full Story	Top
Democrats urge Obama to be ready to bypass Congress on debt cap  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 02:27 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top Democratic senators urged President Barack Obama on Friday to be ready to raise the debt ceiling without congressional approval in order to avert a damaging debt default. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his leadership team said Obama should use "any lawful steps" under his authority to "ensure that America does not break its promises and trigger a global economic crisis." They urged Obama to act on his own if Republicans insist on a debt limit extension that is coupled with "unbalanced or unreasonable" spending cuts. ... Full Story	Top
Venezuela's Maduro to visit Chavez again in Cuba  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 02:23 PM PST CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro will fly to Cuba on Friday to visit cancer-stricken Hugo Chavez, a month after the socialist leader underwent his fourth operation in 18 months. The 58-year-old president has neither been seen nor heard from since the surgery, and he has suffered multiple post-operative complications including a severe lung infection. He missed his own inauguration on Thursday, but the Supreme Court said he could be sworn in later - in theory meaning he could remain in office for weeks or months from a Havana hospital. ... Full Story	Top
Supreme Court to review free speech of HIV/AIDS groups  Friday, Jan 11, 2013 02:20 PM PST (Reuters) - The Supreme Court agreed to consider whether the government can require groups that receive federal funding for overseas HIV/AIDS programs to have explicit policies that oppose prostitution and sex trafficking. The case is one of six that the court on Friday agreed to hear in its current term, with oral arguments most likely in April. Among the other cases is one examining the reach of the court's landmark 1966 Miranda v. Arizona decision on the right to remain silent when questioned by the police. ... Full Story	Top

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