Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/160755198?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Friday, November 11, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Bernanke seeks to reassure vets in weak economy (AP)
WASHINGTON ? Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday tried to reassure U.S. soldiers, a group hit hard by high unemployment, that the Fed is working to strengthen the economy.
In a speech at a military base in El Paso, Texas, Bernanke told the soldiers and their families that the Fed is trying to lower unemployment. He talked about the Fed's policies of keeping short-term rates near zero and buying securities to try and lower longer-term rates, such as mortgages.
Many veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are returning home to find few jobs and limited prospects. The unemployment rate for veterans of those wars was 12.1 percent in October. That's up from 10.6 percent a year ago and well above the national average of 9 percent.
"I'm here because the men and women in military service, like all Americans, are profoundly affected by the economic challenges our nation has faced these past several years," Bernanke said during the speech at Fort Bliss, the country's largest Army base.
The town hall meeting was the latest in a series of public outreach efforts Bernanke has made to underscore the efforts the central bank is pursuing to help ordinary Americans cope with the Great Recession. Over the past 2 1/2 years, Bernanke has attended half a dozen informal gatherings in Kansas City, Atlanta, Cleveland and other cities.
Before the town hall meeting, Bernanke showed up at the base airport at 3 a.m. to greet a group of 250 returning soldiers from Iraq. It marked the first appearance by a Fed chairman at a military base in recent memory.
Fed officials say Bernanke chose the location because he wanted to highlight the base's successful financial literacy program.
It was also Bernanke first trip to Texas since Gov. Rick Perry warned that the Fed chairman would be treated "ugly" if he continued to pursue a policy of ever-lower interest rates. The Fed chairman has never responded to Perry's comments. But some Fed watchers say the trip was Bernanke's way of showing the Fed is independent.
Only one question during the hour-plus-long event touched on criticism of the Fed. One officer asked about Rep. Ron Paul's call to abolish the Fed. Paul, a congressman from Texas, is also seeking the Republican presidential nomination.
Bernanke said such a move would really not be feasible, but he didn't say why.
Most economists agree that the Fed serves a vital role. It controls inflation and limits unemployment by managing the size of the U.S. money supply.
Bernanke did note that when the country was on the gold standard, it faced more problems with inflation and financial crises than it does now.
Last week, the Fed downgraded its economic outlook for the next two years and said that it does not expect the unemployment rate to fall significantly through the end of next year.
President Barack Obama is pushing for tax credits of up to $5,600 to businesses that hire a veteran who has been unemployed for six months or more. Another tax credit would provide $9,600 for companies that hire an injured vet who has been unemployed that long.
The Senate approved the tax credits Thursday. The House could pass the legislation next week. The provisions were split out of Obama's $447 billion jobs plan in an effort to win approval for parts of the plan.
___
Associated Press Correspondent Juan Carlos Llorca in El Paso contributed to this report.
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Three Election Issues that May Determine Who Takes the White House in 2012 (ContributorNetwork)
The honeymoon is over for President Barack Obama. Gallup numbers warn a generic GOP candidate currently beats the sitting president with 46 percent to 38 percent. Can the Democratic Party point to the issues and turn around this trend? Does the GOP have what it takes to capitalize on President Obama's perceived weaknesses and take a deciding lead in the 2012 election?
Federal Budget Concerns
A Nov. 4 Gallup poll highlights that swing state voters consider the federal budget and national debt to be among the most pressing issues. With a 16 percent point spread between the parties -- the advantage goes to the Republicans -- this is the most damaging issue for President Obama.
The last federal government surplus occurred under Democratic President Bill Clinton. The White House's historical financial documents show deficit spending increased during both terms of Republican George W. Bush and then again during President Obama's tenure. A quintessential example of presidential spending is the recent executive order releasing $527 million in grant monies for infrastructure spending.
Not surprisingly, GOP contenders succeed in painting the Democratic Party as the party of "tax and spend." Case in point is Herman Cain, who warns voters that "federal government spending is out of control." He believes to hold the answer: Modernization or elimination of "some of our entitlement programs." Cain further envisions cuts to every federal agency.
Unemployment Worries
Gallup's swing state voters cited unemployment as the second most important issue, with a much smaller point spread of 7 percent separating the parties. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the unemployment rate has fluctuated marginally between 9 percent and 9.2 percent from April to October 2011. Long-term unemployment - those out of work for at least 27 weeks - declined marginally to 5.9 million workers (of the total 13.9 million).
The president had drafted his contentious Jobs Act to turn things around; Republicans balked at the details. Calling this move "unacceptable" - as highlighted by ABC News - the Obama Administration attempted righteous blustering. This move fell flat in light of Democratic defections. Fox News shows that the real issue of the bill's failure had to do with the fact that "Democrats Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut" refused to go along.
GOP contenders are capitalizing on a divided Democratic Party and presenting their own plans for getting Americans back to work. Take Mitt Romney's "Believe in America" plan, which details how the candidate intends to combine corporate tax cuts with an easing of regulations to invigorate the business landscape.
Health Care Failures
The narrow margin of 1 percent stands between the GOP and the DNC when it comes to health care. Republicans "want you to die quickly if you get sick," Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida asserted in 2009. USA Today highlighted in this manner the contentious nature of debate over the health care bill. Fast forward to 2011, and ABC notes that the Affordable Care Act is gradually unraveling, with the latest cut being the Community Living Assistance Services and Support program.
GOP contender Rick Perry seizes the opportunity to offer Americans a way to return to a status quo of "employer-sponsored health plans." He intends to repeal "Obamacare."
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Industry says Africa fastest growing mobile market (AP)
JOHANNESBURG ? Sure, 24-year-old Gertrude Kitongo cherishes a cell phone as a link to family and friends, from her grandmother in a Ugandan village to former schoolmates in Zimbabwe.
For Kitongo, her cell phone also serves as a radio, library, mini cinema, bank teller and more. The Kenyan-Ugandan who just finished marketing studies in South Africa is an urban, cosmopolitan, on-the-move face of cell phone users on the continent, where a report released Wednesday shows mobile penetration has reached 649 million connections, second only to Asia.
The report by the industry group GSMA, or Groupe Speciale Mobile Association, said Africa is the fastest growing mobile market. For each of the past five years, the number of subscribers across Africa has grown by almost 20 percent and is expected to reach 738 million by the end of next year.
In releasing its report, GSMA called on African governments to allocate more mobile broadband spectrum and cut taxes on mobile operators to further spur expansion. Citing studies by the World Bank and others, GSMA says that in developing countries, for every 10 percent increase in mobile penetration there is a 0.81 percent increase in GDP.
Africa has been described as the Silicon Valley of cell phones because of the innovative ways they are used on the continent. Cell phone networks have been set up to help health care workers in remote villages consult with doctors in cities. Researchers have used cell phone technology to track animals for wildlife studies. Africans use cell phones to make payments across borders.
"The mobile industry in Africa is booming and a catalyst for immense growth, but there is scope for far greater development," said Peter Lyons, a GSMA policy expert.
While GSMA said voice service dominates in Africa, use of data service is increasing steadily.
"I use my phone for everything," Kitongo said.
When she has a spare moment, whereever she is, Kitongo downloads and watches movies or catches up on her Oprah magazine subscription. She makes payments and checks her bank balance using her smart phone, and her bank sends her a text message, or SMS, when she receives a payment. Kitongo has a second, less high-tech phone she uses for its radio, and for her subscription to an east African mobile service that doesn't charge roaming fees in that region, making it cheaper for friends and family in Uganda and Kenya to call her.
If Kitongo uses the land line at her Johannesburg home at all, it's to order in a meal. If she uses her laptop, it's to hook its large screen to her phone for ease of reading Facebook messages. It's cheaper, she says, to explore the Internet using her phone than her computer modem. She also saves money by text and instant messaging instead of calling friends. She can sound like a saleswoman when discussing the airtime and other options open to her, including free messages if they are exchanged among others who use her brand of cell phone.
For all the convenience, Kitongo questions some of the profound changes mobile technology has brought to her life in just a few years. When friends get together for a coffee, she finds they're often distracted, paying more attention to their phones than to the people across the table.
When she was in high school, she said, boys used to write letters to ask her on dates. Now, she said, no one takes time to do more than dash off a few lines in abbreviated "SMS language."
"Now, people break up by SMS," she said.
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Dish Network's Q3 profits rise 30 percent, but subscriber base diminishes
The third fiscal quarter of this year saw the best of times and the worst of times for Dish Network. On the positive side of the ledger, the company saw net revenues grow by 12.3 percent since Q3 2010, reaching $3.6 billion. Profits, meanwhile, jumped by 30.3 percent over the year to $319 million, compared with the $245 million it raked in during the third quarter of 2010. Dish said the jump in revenues could be partially attributed to its acquisition of Blockbuster and the subsequent launch of Blockbuster Movie Pass, which the company hopes to expand and build upon going forward. The report wasn't entirely rosy, however, as Dish Network saw a net loss of about 111,000 subscribers during the quarter (about 20,000 more than analysts had predicted), bringing its total to approximately 14 million customers. By contrast, during the third quarter of last year, the company added about 327,000 users. But this decline didn't stop Dish from doling out a rare $2.00 per share dividend to investors, which may make its less savory results a bit easier on the stomach. Check out the full report, after the break. Continue reading Dish Network's Q3 profits rise 30 percent, but subscriber base diminishes
Dish Network's Q3 profits rise 30 percent, but subscriber base diminishes originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Biden's Threats to Congress Are Empty (ContributorNetwork)
COMMENTARY | Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday that Republicans have to pass the jobs bill and put Americans back to work or President Barack Obama will continue to find ways to do without their help.
Filling in for Obama during the weekly radio address, Biden said the president will continue to use his executive powers to create more jobs if Congress does not act, according to Associated Press. Obama already has used his powers to restructure student loans and rewrite certain provisions for home loan refinancing.
Biden's threat fell upon the deaf ears of a gridlocked Congress. Little is going to change there until next year's election. Republicans are not going to pass another stimulus bill or the jobs bill, and Democrats have twice watched the jobs bill fail in the Senate.
If the president possesses such vast powers to create jobs as Biden suggested, then the obvious question is: why has he waited until now to do so?
Manipulating federal regulations and loan repayment terms are administrative tasks. Federal agency directors should have taken those measures long ago to protect people prior to defaulting on their loans through no fault of their own. Why wait until a year before the election to this step?
Obama's re-election campaign needs an economic victory and, since Congress isn't going to cooperate by handing it one, it is hunting for any minute opportunity to claim a win. I suppose they can't be blamed -- Obama's approval rating, although improved slightly over October, is still in the basement, according to AFP, and that's not a good sign for an incumbent wanting another four years at the helm of the economy.
Rather than waste his time manufacturing small victories by executive order, I'd prefer Obama to engage congressional Republicans in a frank discussion about what they can agree upon. There are highway projects both parties want to see finished. Let's do them. There are energy programs both parties need. Let's start them. And, for a change, how about Obama staying in Washington to do the people's business rather than jetting all around the world? Send Biden instead.
Both parties are determined to deprive the other of any victory. Meanwhile, unemployed workers and their families suffer. Hopefully, voters will remember that when they hit the polls next year and send a clear message to all incumbents that it's time to change the way Washington does business.
Dan McGinnis is a freelance writer, published author and former newspaper publisher. He has been a candidate, campaign manager and press secretary for state and local political campaigns for more than 30 years.
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Monday, November 7, 2011
Boxer Joe Frazier Has Liver Cancer - Starpulse.com
Legendary boxer Joe Frazier is fighting for his life after he was diagnosed with liver cancer.
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The former World Heavyweight Champion, nicknamed Smokin' Joe, learned he was battling the deadly disease around four or five weeks ago and the 67 year old has been receiving treatment at a hospice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the past week.
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Confirming the news to the Associated Press, Frazier's manager Leslie Wolff says, "We have medical experts looking into all the options that are out there. There are very few. But that doesn't mean we're going to stop looking.
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"We appreciate every prayer we can get. I've got everybody praying for him. We'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope for a miracle."
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Frazier became the first man to beat Muhammad Ali when he knocked him down in the 1971 fight regularly referred to as the Fight of the Century.
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But he struggled in repeated performances against Ali and lost two other bouts against him, including the epic Thrilla in Manila fight in 1975.
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He earned the heavyweight title in 1970 and successfully defeated it four times, before losing the championship belt to George Foreman in 1973.
Source: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2011/11/07/boxer_joe_frazier_has_liver_cancer
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Sunday, November 6, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Head of largest public employee union to step down
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The head of the nation's largest public employee union plans to step down, setting up a heated contest to guide a political powerhouse that has been among the biggest spenders in Democratic campaigns.
Gerald McEntee has guided the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees since 1981. An e-mail obtained by The Associated Press shows he's informed senior union officials of his plans.
McEntee's decision comes amid a titanic public employee union battle against efforts to curb its clout in state legislatures around the country.
It's not clear exactly when he will step down. If McEntee leaves before the union's 2012 convention, secretary-treasurer Lee Saunders would become interim president. But Saunders is expected to face a strong challenge from the union's New York leader, Danny Donohue.
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Rihanna cancels second Sweden show
Rock 'n' rollers
Singers, from left, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield and Nicole Scherzinger perform on stage during the Conde Nast Media Group's Fifth Annual Fashion Rocks at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sept. 5, 2008. (Stephen Lovekin?/?Getty Images) Back to slideshow navigationSource: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45145815/ns/today-entertainment/
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Friday, November 4, 2011
Republic Wireless Will Offer an Unbelievable $19 Unlimited Data/Voice/Text Plan [Dealzmodo]
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Thursday, November 3, 2011
Israel to speed up settlement building in West Bank (Reuters)
JERUSALEM (Reuters) ? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the accelerated construction of some 2,000 housing units in areas in the West Bank and around Jerusalem, an official statement said on Tuesday.
The statement came after Netanyahu called a special cabinet session to discuss the granting of full membership to the Palestinians by UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, a move opposed by Israel and the United States.
A senior government official said after the meeting that the cabinet had also decided to halt money transfers to the Palestinians Authority as a temporary measure until a final decision was made.
"You can't demand from the Israeli public to continue to show restraint when the Palestinian leadership continues to slam the door in their face," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The statement said the new building will be in "areas that in any future arrangement will remain in Israel's hands."
The official said 1,650 of the new tenders are for units in eastern parts of Jerusalem, and the rest are for Efrat and Maale Adumim, Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
In the absence of peace talks, which collapsed about a year ago in a dispute over settlement building, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been seeking statehood recognition from the United Nations.
The Palestinians are looking to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, land Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East War.
On Monday, UNESCO granted the Palestinians full membership. Israel called the move a "tragedy" that would hurt peace efforts, and the United States said as a result it would stop funding the organization.
Israel routinely transfers funds it collects from customs and other levies on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
(Editing by Jon Hemming)
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2 giraffes, other animals die in NJ zoo fire (AP)
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, N.J. ? A fire has killed a mother giraffe, its 3-week-old calf and a collection of exotic birds at a New Jersey zoo where the owner's wife died in a fire months ago.
Animal Kingdom Zoo owner Burton Sipp says three dogs and four cats also perished in Sunday night's fire.
It's the second fire to strike the private zoo in central New Jersey's Springfield Township this year. Bridget Sipp was killed in April when a fire burned the couple's log cabin on the property. No animals were hurt then.
Burton Sipp says he flew home from Phoenix early Monday after hearing about this weekend's fire. He says the zoo's seven remaining giraffes are being moved to the Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park for now. He says he hopes to rebuild.
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Aol?s Patch Taps Ad Tech Startup PaperG To Boost Local Ad Sales In Over 100 Markets
Traditional publishers and fledgling digital publications alike are trying to find the best ways to monetize their content on the Web and take advantage of the benefits offered by hyperlocal content and the targeted advertising that (should) come with it. PaperG, an advertising technology startup founded in 2007, is trying to become that go-to solution for small and established online publishers that are looking for a quick and easy solution for their hyperlocal advertising needs. Today, the startup is announcing that it will be providing its local display advertising technology to AOL Inc.?s hyperlocal platform of sites, Patch.com. (Disclosure: TechCrunch is owned by Aol.) PaperG's technology will be released in over 100 of Patch's markets, enabling Patch sales teams access to PaperG's instant ad creation, management, and optimization tools for their litany of local advertisers.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/T0YrT4zctqM/
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Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Liberia election chief resigns ahead of November 8 vote (Reuters)
MONROVIA (Reuters) ? The head of Liberia's election commission, who has been accused of bias by incumbent President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's challenger, has resigned, days ahead of a planned presidential run-off vote.
"I chose to step down for the sake of Liberia and so that (challenger Winston Tubman's) CDC (party) would not have an excuse not to participate in the run-off," NEC Chairman James Fromayan told Reuters Sunday.
Tubman last week threatened to withdraw from the November 8 run-off, the country's second post-war vote, unless there was a change of leadership at the election commission. Fromayan has denied any wrong-doing.
(Reporting by Clair MacDougall; Writing by David Lewis)
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Boeing Leases Former Space Shuttle Facility at the Kennedy Space Center (ContributorNetwork)
In a deal that will help transform the Kennedy Space Center from a mainly government space launch complex to one that will also service commercial customers, NASA and Boeing have signed an agreement concerning the Orbital Processing Facility.
What is the agreement between Boeing and NASA?
Boeing has signed a 15 year lease for the Orbital Processing Facility (OPF-3) to manufacture and test its CST-100 spacecraft, which are being developed under NASA's commercial crew program to send astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station. The deal will create 550 jobs at the Kennedy Space Center once commercial operations take place.
What is the Orbital Processing Facility?
The OPF, which is divided into three bays (OPF-1, OPF-2, and OPF-3) was used to process space shuttle orbiters. Almost immediately after an orbiter landed at the Kennedy Space Center, it would be towed to one of the bays at the OPF to remove fuel residues and previous payloads and to perform testing and refurbishing for the orbiter's next mission. OPF-3 will be converted for use by Boeing while the other two bays will be leased to other commercial customers.
What is the CST-100?
Boeing is developing a space capsule called the CST-100 under NASA's commercial crew program. The spacecraft will be capable of carrying up to seven astronauts or a mix of astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station or other destinations in low Earth orbit, such as the planned Bigelow private space station. The CST-100 will be capable of being launched on a variety of launch vehicles, including the Delta IV, the Atlas V, and the Falcon 9. The spacecraft will be capable of docking with the ISS within eight hours of launch. The time from undocking to landing will be about six hours. The CST-100 will be capable of landing on land, with a contingency water landing. The spacecraft can remain docked with the ISS up to 210 days.
Why is this deal important?
The deal furthers the goal, started during the Bush administration, but continued with a will by the Obama administration, of creating a commercial launch sector. With the end of the shuttle program and the beginning of Space Launch System launches at least six years away, adding commercial customers to the Kennedy Space Center is important to keep the space launch facility active and to create jobs and enhance the economy of south Florida, currently reeling from the end of the space shuttle program and by Obama's cancellation of the Constellation space exploration program.
Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals, including The Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post, USA Today, the L.A. Times and The Weekly Standard.
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