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| Indian gang rape victim dies; New Delhi braces for protests Friday, Dec 28, 2012 10:23 PM PST  NEW DELHI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - An Indian woman whose gang rape in New Delhi triggered violent protests died of her injuries on Saturday in a Singapore hospital, bringing a security lockdown in Delhi and recognition from India's prime minister that social change is needed. Bracing for a new wave of protests, Indian authorities closed 10 metro stations and banned vehicles from some main roads in the heart of New Delhi, where demonstrators have converged since the attack to demand improved women's rights. About 100 people staged a peaceful protest on Saturday morning. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: For Senate leaders, a mission impossible from Obama Friday, Dec 28, 2012 10:02 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Following a Friday meeting with congressional leaders, an impatient and annoyed President Barack Obama said it was "mind boggling" that Congress has been unable to fix a "fiscal cliff" mess that everyone has known about for more than a year. He then dispatched Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, on a mind-boggling mission: coming up with a bipartisan bill to break the "fiscal cliff" stalemate in the most partisan and gridlocked U.S. Congress of modern times - in about 48 hours. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate leaders to make last-ditch "fiscal cliff" effort Friday, Dec 28, 2012 05:21 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and U.S. congressional leaders agreed on Friday to make a final effort to prevent the United States from going over the "fiscal cliff," setting off intense bargaining over Americans' tax rates as a New Year's Eve deadline looms. With only days left to avoid steep tax hikes and spending cuts that could cause a recession, two Senate veterans will try to forge a deal that has eluded the White House and Congress for months. Obama said he was "modestly optimistic" an agreement could be found. ... Full Story | Top |
| Governor signs new law for abortion clinics in Michigan Friday, Dec 28, 2012 04:39 PM PST  (Reuters) - Michigan's Republican governor on Friday signed into law new rules for abortion providers that supporters say will protect the health of pregnant women but critics say will shutter clinics and restrict access. The law signed by Governor Rick Snyder increases state oversight of abortion clinics and establishes a screening protocol to make sure women are not being forced to get an abortion. The measure requires health facilities or clinics that perform more than 120 abortions a year to become licensed freestanding surgical outpatient facilities. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate's Reid prepares bill with $250,000 tax-hike threshold Friday, Dec 28, 2012 03:59 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Friday he was preparing legislation to prevent middle-class tax hikes for a possible vote by Monday even as he negotiates with top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell for a larger deal to avert the looming "fiscal cliff." "At President Obama's request, I am readying a bill for a vote by Monday that will prevent a tax hike on middle-class families making up to $250,000, and that will include the additional, critical provisions outlined by President Obama," Reid said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| India gang-rape victim dies in Singapore hospital Friday, Dec 28, 2012 03:42 PM PST  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The Indian gang-rape victim whose assault in New Delhi triggered nationwide protests died in hospital on Saturday of injuries suffered in the attack, a Singapore hospital treating her said. The death of the 23-year-old medical student could spawn new protests and possibly fresh confrontations with the police, especially in the Indian capital, which has been the focus of the demonstrations. "We are very sad to report that the patient passed away peacefully at 4:45 a.m. on Dec 29, 2012 (15:45 a.m. ET Friday). ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama: "modestly optimistic" fiscal cliff deal can be reached Friday, Dec 28, 2012 03:42 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama held out hope for a last-minute agreement to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts after a meeting with congressional leaders, scolding Congress for leaving the problem unresolved until the eleventh hour. "The hour for immediate action is here," he told reporters at the White House. "I'm modestly optimistic that an agreement can be achieved," he said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama to discuss "fiscal cliff" on NBC's "Meet the Press" Friday, Dec 28, 2012 03:31 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will discuss the last-minute negotiations to avert the "fiscal cliff" during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, the network said in a statement. (Reporting By Karey Wutkowski; editing by Todd Eastham) Full Story | Top |
| U.S. Senate leaders aim to craft "fiscal cliff" bill by Sunday Friday, Dec 28, 2012 03:16 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate leaders are working to craft legislation by Sunday that averts the year-end "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts, but many details needed to be worked out after a crucial meeting with President Barack Obama on Friday. U.S. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell, termed the meeting "constructive" and "positive" and said they would keep working on trying to find a solution over the weekend. After adjourning on Friday, Reid he would probably not call the Senate back into session until about 1 p.m. ... Full Story | Top |
| Passengers on Queen Mary 2 sickened by unidentified pathogen Friday, Dec 28, 2012 03:05 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - An unknown illness, suspected of being a norovirus, has sickened 194 passengers and 11 crew members aboard the luxury cruise ship Queen Mary 2, causing vomiting and diarrhea, federal health officials said on Friday. Earlier in the week, 189 passengers and 31 crew members on the Emerald Princess came down with the same symptoms. The symptoms are those of norovirus, a contagious microorganism that can be acquired from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jean Harris, convicted of murdering "Scarsdale Diet" doctor, dies Friday, Dec 28, 2012 02:58 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jean Harris, a former girl's school headmistress who was convicted and imprisoned for the 1980 murder of a best-selling diet doctor, has died, The New York Times reported on Friday. Harris died on Sunday at an assisted-living facility in Connecticut, the Times said, citing her son James. She was 89. Harris served 12 years in prison for the murder of her lover, Dr. Herman Tarnower, author of the hugely popular "Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet. ... Full Story | Top |
| Congress to "keep working" on fiscal cliff deal Friday, Dec 28, 2012 02:38 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional leaders pledged to keep working on solutions to avert the year-end tax hikes and spending cuts that would come into force if the so-called fiscal cliff is not averted, but details were yet to be decided after a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday. "We have a lot of paths forward, (we) just have to find out which one we can take," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters after the meeting. Senate leaders will try to craft legislation for a "fiscal cliff" deal, said an aide to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. ... Full Story | Top |
| FDA approves Bristol Myers, Pfizer's anti-clotting drug Eliquis Friday, Dec 28, 2012 02:31 PM PST (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators approved clot prevention drug Eliquis, developed by Bristol Myers-Squibb Co and Pfizer Inc, for treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeats. The drug, also known as apixaban, was approved by European health regulators last month. Eliquis belongs to a new class of medicines designed to replace decades-old warfarin for preventing blood clots in heart patients, or after a hip- or knee-replacement surgery. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hospitals, red tape may be limiting tubal ligations Friday, Dec 28, 2012 02:03 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women in California and Texas have varying access to "getting their tubes tied" immediately after giving birth, according to a new study, but the reasons are still unclear researchers say. Analyzing the records of nearly 890,000 mothers across 499 hospitals in both states, they found that more women in Texas got the voluntary sterilization procedure after delivery in 2009 than did women in California. But the differences were not clearly linked to obvious factors - such as cost or religiously affiliated hospitals that refuse to do the surgery. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama not making new "fiscal cliff" offer to Congress: source Friday, Dec 28, 2012 01:06 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama was not planning to make a new offer to avert the tax increases and spending cuts that loom on January 1 at a White House meeting with congressional leaders on Friday, a source familiar with the meeting said. At the meeting, Obama was set to ask lawmakers to hold a vote on a "fiscal cliff" plan that would allow taxes to rise on those who earn $250,000 and up, and that would extend unemployment insurance benefits, according to the source. ... Full Story | Top |
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