XYDO.COM: top articles for Politics http://www.xydo.com Can the websites you visit predict your political leanings? That's the claim of Engage, a digital agency that says its algorithms have mapped the politics of the social web. Users of services on the left of this chart are more likely to vote for Obama, while users on the right are more likely to be Romney supporters. Services higher on the chart have more politically engaged voters, while those on the bottom have more politically disengaged users. Engage got the results by monitoring thousands of Facebook users and their "likes" using a program it calls "Trendsetter," which it claims tied together "polling, social influence data, and consumer preferences" to deliver the above resul… Continue reading... More About: 2012 presidential campaign, barack obama, Mitt Romney, Politics, Social Media, US http://mashable.com/2012/07/10/politics-social-web/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 http://mashable.com/2012/07/10/politics-social-web/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 A record-low 21% of Americans express a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in television news. Confidence among liberals and moderates has fallen significantly and is now similar to that of conservatives. http://www.gallup.com/poll/155585/Americans-Confidence-Television-News-Drops-New-Low.aspx http://www.gallup.com/poll/155585/Americans-Confidence-Television-News-Drops-New-Low.aspx Ex-Barclays boss Bob Diamond says he is "dismayed" by MPs' views that he was "less than candid" when he appeared before the Treasury Select Committee last week. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18791147 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18791147 President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, July 9, 2012. Facing sagging jobs numbers, President Barack Obama seeks to recast the election as a debate over tax fairness. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Barack Obama is launching a push to extend tax cuts for the middle class, as he seeks to shift the election-year economic debate away from the dismal jobs market and toward the issue of tax fairness. President Barack Obama is launching a push to extend tax cuts for the middle class, as he seeks to shift the election-year economic debate away from the dismal jobs market and toward the issue of tax fairness. President Barack Obama, eager to shift election-year attention away from the nation's lackluster jobs market, called on Congress Monday to extend tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 a year while allowing... President Barack Obama, eager to shift election-year attention away from the nation's lackluster jobs market, called on Congress Monday to extend tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 a year while allowing... Seeking an election-year fight over taxes, President Barack Obama is hitting the road to press Congress to extend tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners, framing a debate with Mitt Romney and congressional... Seeking an election-year fight over taxes, President Barack Obama is hitting the road to press Congress to extend tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners, framing a debate with Mitt Romney and congressional... President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are clashing in a reinvigorated election-year debate over tax fairness, with both sides claiming their position is best for a struggling middle class. President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are clashing in a reinvigorated election-year debate over tax fairness, with both sides claiming their position is best for a struggling middle class. U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring that shows the economy is still struggling three years after the recession ended. U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring that shows the economy is still struggling three years after the recession ended. The price of oil jumped to the highest level since May on renewed fears of a military conflict with Iran. The price of oil jumped to the highest level since May on renewed fears of a military conflict with Iran. Renewed tensions between Iran and the West pushed oil its highest level in more than a month. Renewed tensions between Iran and the West pushed oil its highest level in more than a month. U.S. stock futures are following global markets higher ahead of a shortened trading session a day before the Independence Day holiday. U.S. stock futures are following global markets higher ahead of a shortened trading session a day before the Independence Day holiday. Stocks climbed Tuesday in an abbreviated holiday trading session after an encouraging report about manufacturing. Energy stocks rose the most because of increased tension over oil-rich Iran. Stocks climbed Tuesday in an abbreviated holiday trading session after an encouraging report about manufacturing. Energy stocks rose the most because of increased tension over oil-rich Iran. US factory received 0.7 percent more orders in May following 2 months of declines. US factory received 0.7 percent more orders in May following 2 months of declines. US factory received 0.7 percent more orders in May following 2 months of declines. US factory received 0.7 percent more orders in May following 2 months of declines. U.S. factories received more orders in May from April after two consecutive months of declines, as businesses demanded more goods that signal investment plans. U.S. factories received more orders in May from April after two consecutive months of declines, as businesses demanded more goods that signal investment plans. Companies placed more orders with U.S. factories in May from April, demanding more computers, machinery and other equipment that signal investment plans. Companies placed more orders with U.S. factories in May from April, demanding more computers, machinery and other equipment that signal investment plans. A spokesman for Greece's new government says it will present "alarming" data on its recession and unemployment to international debt inspectors this week, in a bid to renegotiate the terms of its bailout... A spokesman for Greece's new government says it will present "alarming" data on its recession and unemployment to international debt inspectors this week, in a bid to renegotiate the terms of its bailout... Greece's new government will present "alarming" data on its recession and unemployment to international debt inspectors this week, in a bid to renegotiate the terms of its bailout agreements. Greece's new government will present "alarming" data on its recession and unemployment to international debt inspectors this week, in a bid to renegotiate the terms of its bailout agreements. The International Monetary Fund is urging Germany to boost domestic demand to ensure Europe's biggest economy doesn't falter if exports drop off. The International Monetary Fund is urging Germany to boost domestic demand to ensure Europe's biggest economy doesn't falter if exports drop off. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday praised Germany's strong economic record in the face of turmoil in financial markets and Europe's debt crisis, but urged Berlin to take the opportunity to boost domestic... The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday praised Germany's strong economic record in the face of turmoil in financial markets and Europe's debt crisis, but urged Berlin to take the opportunity to boost domestic... President Barack Obama is launching a push to extend tax cuts for the middle class, as he seeks to shift the election-year economic debate away from the dismal jobs market and toward the issue of tax fairness. President Barack Obama is launching a push to extend tax cuts for the middle class, as he seeks to shift the election-year economic debate away from the dismal jobs market and toward the issue of tax fairness. President Barack Obama, eager to shift election-year attention away from the nation's lackluster jobs market, called on Congress Monday to extend tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 a year while allowing... President Barack Obama, eager to shift election-year attention away from the nation's lackluster jobs market, called on Congress Monday to extend tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 a year while allowing... Seeking an election-year fight over taxes, President Barack Obama is hitting the road to press Congress to extend tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners, framing a debate with Mitt Romney and congressional... Seeking an election-year fight over taxes, President Barack Obama is hitting the road to press Congress to extend tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners, framing a debate with Mitt Romney and congressional... President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are clashing in a reinvigorated election-year debate over tax fairness, with both sides claiming their position is best for a struggling middle class. President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are clashing in a reinvigorated election-year debate over tax fairness, with both sides claiming their position is best for a struggling middle class. President Barack Obama on Monday said he raised $71 million in June for his re-election campaign, after Republican candidate Mitt Romney reported $106 million during the same period. It was the second consecutive... President Barack Obama on Monday said he raised $71 million in June for his re-election campaign, after Republican candidate Mitt Romney reported $106 million during the same period. It was the second consecutive... President Barack Obama on Monday said he raised $71 million in June for his re-election campaign, after Republican candidate Mitt Romney reported $106 million during the same period. It was the second consecutive month that... President Barack Obama on Monday said he raised $71 million in June for his re-election campaign, after Republican candidate Mitt Romney reported $106 million during the same period. It was the second consecutive month that... President Barack Obama's campaign and the Democratic party raised $71 million in June, well below the $106 million hauled in by rival Mitt Romney and the Republican party during the same period. President Barack Obama's campaign and the Democratic party raised $71 million in June, well below the $106 million hauled in by rival Mitt Romney and the Republican party during the same period. President Barack Obama's campaign and the Democratic party raised $71 million in June, well below the $106 million hauled in by rival Mitt Romney and the Republican party during the same period. President Barack Obama's campaign and the Democratic party raised $71 million in June, well below the $106 million hauled in by rival Mitt Romney and the Republican party during the same period. President Barack Obama is accusing Republican Mitt Romney of caving under pressure from Rush Limbaugh for saying that requiring all Americans to buy health insurance amounts to a tax. President Barack Obama is accusing Republican Mitt Romney of caving under pressure from Rush Limbaugh for saying that requiring all Americans to buy health insurance amounts to a tax. President Barack Obama is accusing Republican Mitt Romney of caving under pressure from Rush Limbaugh for saying that requiring all Americans to buy health insurance amounts to a tax. President Barack Obama is accusing Republican Mitt Romney of caving under pressure from Rush Limbaugh for saying that requiring all Americans to buy health insurance amounts to a tax. President Barack Obama is going after votes over a little eggs and grits. President Barack Obama is going after votes over a little eggs and grits. Disappointing job growth jolted the presidential campaign four months before Election Day, and the candidates quickly put their vastly different views on display, underscoring the economy as the central issue between... Disappointing job growth jolted the presidential campaign four months before Election Day, and the candidates quickly put their vastly different views on display, underscoring the economy as the central issue between... A chorus of prominent conservative voices is worrying aloud that Republican candidate Mitt Romney's play-it-safe strategy is jeopardizing his chance to win the presidency. A chorus of prominent conservative voices is worrying aloud that Republican candidate Mitt Romney's play-it-safe strategy is jeopardizing his chance to win the presidency. A chorus of prominent conservative voices is worrying aloud that Republican candidate Mitt Romney's play-it-safe strategy is jeopardizing his chance to win the presidency. A chorus of prominent conservative voices is worrying aloud that Republican candidate Mitt Romney's play-it-safe strategy is jeopardizing his chance to win the presidency. Re-electing President Barack Obama is so important to Guy Hancock that he spends more time as a volunteer data collector at Obama's campaign headquarters here than at his paying job as a college professor. Re-electing President Barack Obama is so important to Guy Hancock that he spends more time as a volunteer data collector at Obama's campaign headquarters here than at his paying job as a college professor. Re-electing President Barack Obama is so important to Guy Hancock that he spends more time as a volunteer data collector at Obama's campaign headquarters here than at his paying job as a college professor. Re-electing President Barack Obama is so important to Guy Hancock that he spends more time as a volunteer data collector at Obama's campaign headquarters here than at his paying job as a college professor. In New Mexico, Tomasita Maestas says she will pick the presidential candidate who has the best plan to fix education and the economy. In New Mexico, Tomasita Maestas says she will pick the presidential candidate who has the best plan to fix education and the economy. In New Mexico, Tomasita Maestas says she will pick the presidential candidate who has the best plan to fix education and the economy. In New Mexico, Tomasita Maestas says she will pick the presidential candidate who has the best plan to fix education and the economy. Presidents live in a world of wins and losses quickly forgotten. Rarely are they presented with the kind of defining moment that President Barack Obama experienced when the Supreme Court upheld his health care law. Presidents live in a world of wins and losses quickly forgotten. Rarely are they presented with the kind of defining moment that President Barack Obama experienced when the Supreme Court upheld his health care law. Presidents live in a world of wins and losses quickly forgotten. Rarely are they presented with the kind of defining moment that President Barack Obama experienced when the Supreme Court upheld his health care law. Presidents live in a world of wins and losses quickly forgotten. Rarely are they presented with the kind of defining moment that President Barack Obama experienced when the Supreme Court upheld his health care law. By KASIE HUNT and KEN THOMASAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are clashing in a reinvigorated election-year debate over tax fairness, with both sides claiming their position is best for a struggling middle class. Romney challenged Obama's call for a one-year extension of tax cuts limited to households earning less than $250,000, saying the U.S. needed to restore economic freedom for everyone. "To restore economic freedom we have to have taxes that are competitive with other nations," Romney told radio host Michael Medved on Monday. Romney has pushed for an extension of all the cuts signed into law by President George W. Bush. The across-the-board cuts will expire at the end of the year unless Congress acts. A day after the president sought to elevate the tax debate as a key election-year issue, Obama was to make his tax pitch in Iowa, the state that launched his presidential bid in 2008. He faces a tough contest there against Romney this fall. The White House and Obama's campaign want to use the tax debate to portray congressional Republicans as obstructionists and Romney as a defender of the wealthy who is willing to push an across-the-board extension of the tax breaks at the expense of those earning more modest incomes. "Let's not hold the vast majority of Americans and our entire economy hostage while we debate the merits of another tax cut for the wealthy," Obama said Monday at the White House. Obama threatened to veto a full extension of the Bush tax cuts, saying in an interview with WWL-TV in New Orleans on Monday that a tax cut for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans would cost $1 trillion over the next decade at a time when the nation needs to reduce the federal deficit. On Tuesday, the Obama campaign reiterated calls for Romney to release more of his tax returns. In a video posted on YouTube, the campaign asks: "How long can Romney keep information on his investments in overseas tax havens secret? And why did he do it in the first place?" Emphasizing the consequences to families, Obama was meeting Tuesday with an Iowa couple that the White House said would benefit from his tax plan. He was then holding a campaign event at a Cedar Rapids community college where he planned to make the case for the extension for those earning $250,000 or less. Obama was making another visit to a battleground state with a more positive economic outlook than other parts of the nation. Iowa's strong farm economy has pushed the state's unemployment rate down to 5.1 percent, well below the national average of 8.2 percent. Obama took a bus tour through parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania last week - both states have more positive jobless rates than the rest of the nation - and was campaigning in Virginia on Friday and Saturday. Virginia's unemployment rate is 5.5 percent. Yet polls in Iowa have shown Obama locked in a tight race with Romney for the state's six electoral votes, a potential warning sign after Obama triumphed in Iowa's leadoff caucuses in 2008 and then captured the state in the general election. Senior campaign adviser David Plouffe said Tuesday the Obama campaign wants to focus its appeal on battleground states "to educate voters about what the choice is" in 2012. Plouffe said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the Obama camp is concerned about the role of super PACs in bankrolling Romney's challenge, charging that they want to "buy the White House" for the former Massachusetts governor. "Money matters in politics," he said. Many voters have expressed wariness about Obama's handling of the economy, his plans to reduce the federal debt and his ability to cure Washington gridlock. An NBC News/Marist poll in Iowa released in late May gave Romney a slight edge (46 percent to 41 percent) on who would best handle the economy - but when asked who would do a better job of reducing the national debt, voters gave Romney a solid advantage over Obama (52 percent to 34 percent). "The president's got his work cut out for him here. It's not one to be marked over into his column by any stretch of the imagination," said Rob Tully, a former Iowa state party chairman. "But this state could easily go back into the president's column if there's commonsense decisions made between now and November." Republicans were countering Obama on multiple fronts. Ahead of Obama's visit, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, called the president's tax plan another attempt to "divide people one against another based on class warfare. The very people we need to invest and create jobs are afraid to because they're afraid their taxes are going up." Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, was shadowing Obama in Cedar Rapids with a news conference where he planned to accuse the president of wasting taxpayer money on stimulus programs that he said created jobs overseas. It aimed to rebut criticism from Democrats that Romney's former private equity firm did business with companies that shifted jobs to lower-wage countries to cut costs. Romney was holding fundraisers in Colorado and planned to discuss energy policies on Tuesday in Grand Junction, Colo., an oil town in the western part of the state. The former Massachusetts governor held a closed-door fundraiser Monday night in Aspen, where between 300 and 400 guests gave about $2.4 million, according to the campaign. Guests in Ferraris, Bentleys and Porsches drove down a private gravel road past a horse ranch to valet park outside the sprawling stone private home. Romney's staff set up speakers blaring music outside of the tent set up in the backyard, noise that prevented reporters on the public sidewalk outside from hearing any of Romney's remarks. Romney's event in Grand Junction carried some symbolic meaning. It was the site of an August 2009 Obama rally where he focused on selling his national health care plan to the American people. Hunt reported from Aspen, Colo. Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont contributed from Des Moines, Iowa. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/18986663/in-iowa-obama-to-make-pitch-on-tax-cuts http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/18986663/in-iowa-obama-to-make-pitch-on-tax-cuts WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are clashing in a reinvigorated election-year debate over tax fairness, with both sides claiming their position is best for a struggling middle class. Romney challenged Obama's call for a one-year extension of tax cuts limited to households earning less than $250,000, saying the U.S. needed to restore economic freedom for everyone. "To restore economic freedom we have to have taxes that are competitive with other nations," Romney told radio host Michael Medved on Monday. Romney has pushed for an extension of all the cuts signed into law by President George W. Bush. The across-the-board cuts will expire at the end of the year unless Congress acts. A day after the president sought to elevate the tax debate as a key election-year issue, Obama was to make his tax pitch in Iowa, the state that launched his presidential bid in 2008. He faces a tough contest there against Romney this fall. The White House and Obama's campaign want to use the tax debate to portray congressional Republicans as obstructionists and Romney as a defender of the wealthy who is willing to push an across-the-board extension of the tax breaks at the expense of those earning more modest incomes. "Let's not hold the vast majority of Americans and our entire economy hostage while we debate the merits of another tax cut for the wealthy," Obama said Monday at the White House. Obama threatened to veto a full extension of the Bush tax cuts, saying in an interview with WWL-TV in New Orleans on Monday that a tax cut for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans would cost $1 trillion over the next decade at a time when the nation needs to reduce the federal deficit. On Tuesday, the Obama campaign reiterated calls for Romney to release more of his tax returns. In a video posted on YouTube, the campaign asks: "How long can Romney keep information on his investments in overseas tax havens secret? And why did he do it in the first place?" Emphasizing the consequences to families, Obama was meeting Tuesday with an Iowa couple that the White House said would benefit from his tax plan. He was then holding a campaign event at a Cedar Rapids community college where he planned to make the case for the extension for those earning $250,000 or less. Obama was making another visit to a battleground state with a more positive economic outlook than other parts of the nation. Iowa's strong farm economy has pushed the state's unemployment rate down to 5.1 percent, well below the national average of 8.2 percent. Obama took a bus tour through parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania last week — both states have more positive jobless rates than the rest of the nation — and was campaigning in Virginia on Friday and Saturday. Virginia's unemployment rate is 5.5 percent. Yet polls in Iowa have shown Obama locked in a tight race with Romney for the state's six electoral votes, a potential warning sign after Obama triumphed in Iowa's leadoff caucuses in 2008 and then captured the state in the general election. Senior campaign adviser David Plouffe said Tuesday the Obama campaign wants to focus its appeal on battleground states "to educate voters about what the choice is" in 2012. Plouffe said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the Obama camp is concerned about the role of super PACs in bankrolling Romney's challenge, charging that they want to "buy the White House" for the former Massachusetts governor. "Money matters in politics," he said. Many voters have expressed wariness about Obama's handling of the economy, his plans to reduce the federal debt and his ability to cure Washington gridlock. An NBC News/Marist poll in Iowa released in late May gave Romney a slight edge (46 percent to 41 percent) on who would best handle the economy — but when asked who would do a better job of reducing the national debt, voters gave Romney a solid advantage over Obama (52 percent to 34 percent). "The president's got his work cut out for him here. It's not one to be marked over into his column by any stretch of the imagination," said Rob Tully, a former Iowa state party chairman. "But this state could easily go back into the president's column if there's commonsense decisions made between now and November." Republicans were countering Obama on multiple fronts. Ahead of Obama's visit, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, called the president's tax plan another attempt to "divide people one against another based on class warfare. The very people we need to invest and create jobs are afraid to because they're afraid their taxes are going up." Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, was shadowing Obama in Cedar Rapids with a news conference where he planned to accuse the president of wasting taxpayer money on stimulus programs that he said created jobs overseas. It aimed to rebut criticism from Democrats that Romney's former private equity firm did business with companies that shifted jobs to lower-wage countries to cut costs. Romney was holding fundraisers in Colorado and planned to discuss energy policies on Tuesday in Grand Junction, Colo., an oil town in the western part of the state. The former Massachusetts governor held a closed-door fundraiser Monday night in Aspen, where between 300 and 400 guests gave about $2.4 million, according to the campaign. Guests in Ferraris, Bentleys and Porsches drove down a private gravel road past a horse ranch to valet park outside the sprawling stone private home. Romney's staff set up speakers blaring music outside of the tent set up in the backyard, noise that prevented reporters on the public sidewalk outside from hearing any of Romney's remarks. Romney's event in Grand Junction carried some symbolic meaning. It was the site of an August 2009 Obama rally where he focused on selling his national health care plan to the American people. Hunt reported from Aspen, Colo. Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont contributed from Des Moines, Iowa. http://news.yahoo.com/iowa-obama-pitch-tax-cuts-064957388.html http://news.yahoo.com/iowa-obama-pitch-tax-cuts-064957388.html GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Mitt Romney said there is "nothing hidden" in his tax returns that have yet to be released, responding to a question during a radio interview set to air later today regarding an onslaught of criticism from Democrats - including President Obama - on his refusal to be more transparent with his financial records. "I don't manage them. I don't even know where they are," said Romney in an interview with Iowa Radio. "That trustee follows all U.S. laws. All the taxes are paid, as appropriate." "All of them have been reported to the government," said Romney, adding, "There's nothing hidden there." "If, for instance, you own shares in Renault or Fiat, you still have to disclose that in the United States," Romney said. "So, you know, I understand the president's going to try to do anything he can to divert attention from the fact that his jobs record is weak and he has no plan to make things better." Democrats have not let up in their requests that Romney release several more of his tax returns following a Vanity Fair investigation of his offshore accounts. In January, after similarly intense criticism during the GOP primary, Romney released his 2010 tax returns as well as his estimates for his 2011 filings. Just a few months later, in April, the campaign announced that Romney had filed for an extension for his 2011 taxes and that they would be released sometime in the next six months - and definitely before the election this fall. The criticism intensified Monday when President Obama told ABC's New Hampshire affiliate WMUR that he too would like Romney to be more transparent. "What's important is if you are running for president is that the American people know who you are and what you've done and that you're an open book. And that's been true of every presidential candidate dating all the way back to Mitt Romney's father," said Obama. "Obviously there are unpleasant aspects of being poked and probed, and I understand that," Obama said. "But it's important for you to say here's who I am, and here's how I've done." http://news.yahoo.com/romney-says-theres-nothing-hidden-unreleased-tax-returns-052224653--abc-news-politics.html http://news.yahoo.com/romney-says-theres-nothing-hidden-unreleased-tax-returns-052224653--abc-news-politics.html Barclays executive chairman Marcus Agius is to being questioned by MPs about the bank lending rate scandal. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18779089 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18779089 The UK's trade deficit narrowed to £2.7bn in May, down from £4.1bn in April, as exports rose, official statistics show. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18780219 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18780219 Brad Pitt's mom in fear after slamming Obama(First column, 1st story, link) http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/brad-pitts-mom-bullied-into-silence/ http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/brad-pitts-mom-bullied-into-silence/ 1:39 pm ET - Cutting to the chase: It won't pass. Although voters support higher taxes on the rich – even some Democrats are wary that what counts as 'rich' in some states doesn't go as far in others. http://CSMonitor.com http://CSMonitor.com Brad Pitt's mom in fear after slamming Obama(First column, 1st story, link) http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/brad-pitts-mom-bullied-into-silence/ http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/brad-pitts-mom-bullied-into-silence/ Labour pledges to set up a military school in each region of England to boost aspirations. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18770387 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18770387 83% OF DOCTORS 'HAVE CONSIDERED QUITTING' OVER OBAMACARE(Main headline, 1st story, link) http://dailycaller.com/2012/07/09/report-83-percent-of-doctors-have-considered-quitting-over-obamacare/ http://dailycaller.com/2012/07/09/report-83-percent-of-doctors-have-considered-quitting-over-obamacare/ URGENT: Justice Department releases indictment charging 5 in Border Patrol agent Brian Terry's death and offers up to $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of four other suspects.Mexico Says Citizen Shot by Border Patrol Agent Near TexasFull Coverage: Fast and Furious http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/09/justice-unseals-indictment-charging-five-in-brian-terry-death/ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/09/justice-unseals-indictment-charging-five-in-brian-terry-death/ Shaxson’s article was the basis for a coordinated Obama campaign-mainstream media hit on Romney last week that CNN continues to pursue, long after theVanity Fair article has become old news--and timed, no doubt, to coincide with President Barack Obama’s press conference on taxing “the rich.” Perhaps CNN is worried that Obama’s negative campaign is failing. Regardless, after inviting Shaxson to trash Romney’s finances with a slew of innuendo, CNN host Carol Costello offered this mild question to her guest: Costello: As far as we know, though, Mitt Romney has done nothing wrong? He's done absolutely nothing wrong. So why should voters care about these things? Shaxson: Well, this has been the mantra of the campaign: we have followed every law scrupulously. My article decided to explore, is this actually true that he has broken no laws, paid all the taxes he owes and no more? In fact, the answer to that question is not completely straightforward. In tax law and in other laws there is generally a gray area between the legal and the illegal, tax avoidance and tax evasion, and there's quite a big gray area and financial players such as Mitt Romney have routinely strolled into this gray area. And Romney has shown on a number of occasions that he's content to stroll confidently into this gray area where you are not sure until there's been a resolution by the iIRS or someone else that this is strictly legal or not. There is a question mark. It is the mantra that it is completely legal and there's nothing wrong with it. That statement needs questioning further. Note that Shaxson fails to cite a simple example of wrongdoing by Romney; that he fails to cite a single inquiry by the IRS; and that he claims that since other “financial players” may have acted wrongly, Romney can be presumed guilty. Note, too, that Costello does not question Shaxson on any of these points--and that she does not appear to have invited anyone from the Romney campaign to rebut Shaxson’s wild accusations. And note the irony of Shaxson appearing from overseas, via Skype, to blast Romney for investing overseas. If it is not OK for Americans to profit from foreign countries, why is it OK for CNN and the Obama campaign to profit from foreign correspondents? CNN never explains what is wrong with Romney investing overseas--as government-run General Motors does, offshoring manufacturing and sales to China, for example. Above all, what is worst about CNN’s interview with Shaxson is that Costello allowed him to make a serious accusation against Mitt Romney--namely, that he had violated U.S. tax laws--without providing a single piece of evidence. The accusation was neither rebutted nor contextualized. Viewed against the broad sweep of CNN’s anti-Romney coverage this morning--neatly matching the Obama campaign’s talking points--it is clear that CNN is more than “in the tank” for the president: it is willing to lie for him. http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/07/09/Fraud-CNN-Airs-False-Accusation-That-Romney-Broke-Tax-Laws?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BreitbartFeed+%28Breitbart+Feed%29 http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/07/09/Fraud-CNN-Airs-False-Accusation-That-Romney-Broke-Tax-Laws?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BreitbartFeed+%28Breitbart+Feed%29 For something that predicts the future, the software is deceptively simple looking. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/tech/innovation/police-tech/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/tech/innovation/police-tech/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 'MISSING YEAR' AT COLUMBIA FOUND?(Second column, 1st story, link) http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/record-shows-obama-at-columbia-only-1-year/ http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/record-shows-obama-at-columbia-only-1-year/ The clamor for Mitt Romney to release a decade or so of tax returns continues to grow louder--and with very good reason. Mitt Romney is the only President or Presidential candidate in the past couple of decades to refuse to release his tax returns. He's also the only candidate for President in the Romney family to refuse to release his tax returns (Romney's dad, George Romney, released 12 years of returns--and said that releasing just one year's return, as Romney has done, is meaningless). Romney is also a candidate for President about which there are the completely justifiable questions and concerns about his earnings and tax payments. So it's no surprise that America is concluding that Romney is not releasing his tax returns because he has something to hide. And, the truth is of course he has something to hide. Even if Romney paid every dime of taxes that he owed, he made eye-popping amounts of money--earnings that presumably put him in the 0.001% of Americans, which he presumably does not want to remind people of. Romney also undoubtedly did his damnedest to avoid paying a single penny of taxes more than he had to--and was able to afford the best expertise available on how to do that. There is nothing wrong with that--if Mitt Romney's critics were as rich as Mitt Romney, they'd do the same thing. But Mitt Romney presumably knows that those tax-avoidance strategies were 1) very successful, and 2) won't look good to people who pay higher tax rates--namely most Americans. And Mitt Romney also wants to hide how rich he is and how much money he has made. Because, among other things, those facts will make his desire to further cut taxes for rich Americans look even more self-serving that it already seems to be. So, yes, Mitt Romney has something to hide--even if he paid every dime of taxes that he owed. But he should still release his returns. Why? Well, first, for these very good reasons, which I enumerated in more detail last week: It has become standard practice for Presidents and Presidential candidates to release their returns. Everyone already knows Mitt Romney is loaded, and he says he has paid all of his taxes, so he should have nothing to hide. Mitt Romney says taxes on rich people are too high, so if he releases his returns, he can use himself as a prime example of the harm that this causes the economy. Romney says that instead of resenting him for being a member of the 0.01%, Americans should be be proud of and emulate his success. Romney's own father released a dozen years of tax returns and said that one year is meaningless. And there's another very good reason: It's the right thing to do. Mitt Romney is campaigning to become President of the United States. Americans have every right to want to know how he made his money and and how he manages it, as well as what sorts of taxes he pays. Regardless of who you're rooting for in the campaign, it is is far better that this information come out now, rather than later (and it will come out). Given that Mitt Romney is campaigning on financial expertise and economic know-how, these questions are even more relevant for him than for any other candidate, which Mitt Romney obviously knows. And if Mitt Romney persists in refusing to release the returns, this issue really will become a distraction. The Mormon Church advocates doing the right thing without delay regardless of the cost. Mitt Romney should stop denouncing people asking perfectly reasonable questions and, instead, follow that advice. SEE ALSO: DEAR MITT ROMNEY: It's Time To Release All Your Tax Returns Please follow Politics on Twitter and Facebook.Join the conversation about this story » http://www.businessinsider.com/mitt-romney-mormon-church-doing-right-thing-2012-7?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+businessinsider+%28Business+Insider%29 http://www.businessinsider.com/mitt-romney-mormon-church-doing-right-thing-2012-7?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+businessinsider+%28Business+Insider%29 President Barack Obama is launching a push to extend tax cuts for the middle class, starting with an address from the White House on Monday. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2018640296_apusobama.html?syndication=rss http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2018640296_apusobama.html?syndication=rss Labour leader Ed Miliband calls for a code of conduct to be set up for bankers, following a series of scandals to hit the industry. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18766624 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18766624 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will call on Monday for a one-year extension of Bush-era tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 a year, according to a White House official, seeking to spare the economy the impact of taxes going up on January 1. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/09/us-usa-obama-taxes-idUSBRE86805220120709?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/09/us-usa-obama-taxes-idUSBRE86805220120709?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 More than 300,000 people worldwide, including many in the US and UK, could lose internet access later as the FBI shuts off servers used by cyber thieves. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18735228 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18735228 submitted by michaelboston80 [link] [1 comment] http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/w8r1m/in_the_first_public_accounting_of_its_kind/ http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/w8r1m/in_the_first_public_accounting_of_its_kind/ More than 300,000 people worldwide, including many in the US and UK, could lose internet access later as the FBI shuts off servers used by cyber thieves. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18735228 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18735228 Ernest Borgnine, the beefy screen star known for blustery, often villainous roles but who won the lead-actor Oscar for playing against type as a lovesick butcher in 1955's “Marty,” died Sunday. He was 95. His longtime spokesman, Harry Flynn, told the Associated Press that Borgnine died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with his family by his side. Television fans loved Borgnine as the scheming Navy officer in the sitcom “McHale's Navy.” Borgnine was also known as the heavy who beats up Frank Sinatra in “From Here to Eternity,” and one of the thugs who menaces Spencer Tracy in “Bad Day at Block Rock.” Then came “Marty,” a low-budget film based on a Paddy Chayefsky television play that starred Rod Steiger. Borgnine played a 34-year-old who fears he is so unattractive he will never find romance. Then, at a dance, he meets a girl with the same fear. “Sooner or later, there comes a point in a man's life when he's gotta face some facts,” Marty movingly tells his mother at one point in the film. “And one fact I gotta face is that, whatever it is that women like, I ain't got it. I chased after enough girls in my life. I-I went to enough dances. I got hurt enough. I don't wanna get hurt no more.” The realism of Chayefsky's prose and Delbert Mann's sensitive direction astonished audiences accustomed to happy Hollywood formulas. Borgnine won the Oscar and awards from the Cannes Film Festival, New York Critics and National Board of Review. ALSO: Natalie Wood death investigation remains open, officials say Council members who admitted affair now have restraining orders Burbank police find shotgun, $500,000 worth of meth in crib — Associated Press http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/07/ernest-borgnine-dead-at-95.html http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/07/ernest-borgnine-dead-at-95.html Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad accused the United States of assisting "gangs" to destabilise his country, in a rare interview with a western television channel to be aired on Sunday. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Jul-08/179792-assad-accuses-us-of-supporting-gangs-in-syria-german-tv.ashx http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Jul-08/179792-assad-accuses-us-of-supporting-gangs-in-syria-german-tv.ashx Roger Federer won his record-tying seventh Wimbledon title Sunday, beating Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 under a closed roof on Centre Court. http://espn.go.com/tennis/wimbledon12/story/_/id/8140852/roger-federer-thwarts-andy-murray-seventh-wimbledon-title http://espn.go.com/tennis/wimbledon12/story/_/id/8140852/roger-federer-thwarts-andy-murray-seventh-wimbledon-title In 2010, influenced by the Tea Party and its focus on fiscal issues, 17 states elected Republican governors. And, according to an Examiner.com analysis, every one of those states saw a drop in their unemployment rates since January of 2011. Furthermore, the average drop in the unemployment rate in these states was 1.35%, compared to the national decline of .9%, which means, according to the analysis, that the job market in these Republican states is improving 50% faster than the national rate. Since January of 2011, here is how much the unemployment rate declined in each of the 17 states that elected Republican governors in 2010, according to the Examiner: Kansas - 6.9% to 6.1% = a decline of 0.8% Maine - 8.0% to 7.4% = a decline of 0.6% Michigan - 10.9% to 8.5% = a decline of 2.4% New Mexico - 7.7% to 6.7% = a decline of 1.0% Oklahoma - 6.2% to 4.8% = a decline of 1.4% Pennsylvania - 8.0% to 7.4% = a decline of 0.6% Tennessee - 9.5% to 7.9% = a decline of 1.6% Wisconsin - 7.7% to 6.8% = a decline of 0.9% Wyoming - 6.3% to 5.2% = a decline of 1.1% Alabama - 9.3% to 7.4% = a decline of 1.9% Georgia - 10.1% to 8.9% = a decline of 1.2% South Carolina - 10.6% to 9.1% = a decline of 1.5% South Dakota - 5.0% to 4.3% = a decline of 0.7% Florida - 10.9% to 8.6% = a decline of 2.3% Nevada - 13.8% to 11.6% = a decline of 2.2% Iowa - 6.1% to 5.1% = a decline of 1.0% Ohio - 9.0% to 7.3% = a decline of 1.7% On the other hand, the unemployment rate in states that elected Democrats in 2010 dropped, on average, as much as the national rate decline and, in some states such as New York, the unemployment rate has risen since January of 2011. This is yet another example of how the so-called “blue state” model is not working. http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/07/Unemployment-Rate-Dropped-In-Every-State-That-Elected-A-Republican-Gov-In-2010?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BigGovernment+%28Big+Government%29 http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/07/Unemployment-Rate-Dropped-In-Every-State-That-Elected-A-Republican-Gov-In-2010?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BigGovernment+%28Big+Government%29 In 2010, influenced by the Tea Party and its focus on fiscal issues, 17 states elected Republican governors. And, according to an Examiner.com analysis, every one of those states saw a drop in their unemployment rates since January of 2011. Furthermore, the average drop in the unemployment rate in these states was 1.35%, compared to the national decline of .9%, which means, according to the analysis, that the job market in these Republican states is improving 50% faster than the national rate. Since January of 2011, here is how much the unemployment rate declined in each of the 17 states that elected Republican governors in 2010, according to the Examiner: Kansas - 6.9% to 6.1% = a decline of 0.8% Maine - 8.0% to 7.4% = a decline of 0.6% Michigan - 10.9% to 8.5% = a decline of 2.4% New Mexico - 7.7% to 6.7% = a decline of 1.0% Oklahoma - 6.2% to 4.8% = a decline of 1.4% Pennsylvania - 8.0% to 7.4% = a decline of 0.6% Tennessee - 9.5% to 7.9% = a decline of 1.6% Wisconsin - 7.7% to 6.8% = a decline of 0.9% Wyoming - 6.3% to 5.2% = a decline of 1.1% Alabama - 9.3% to 7.4% = a decline of 1.9% Georgia - 10.1% to 8.9% = a decline of 1.2% South Carolina - 10.6% to 9.1% = a decline of 1.5% South Dakota - 5.0% to 4.3% = a decline of 0.7% Florida - 10.9% to 8.6% = a decline of 2.3% Nevada - 13.8% to 11.6% = a decline of 2.2% Iowa - 6.1% to 5.1% = a decline of 1.0% Ohio - 9.0% to 7.3% = a decline of 1.7% On the other hand, the unemployment rate in states that elected Democrats in 2010 dropped, on average, as much as the national rate decline and, in some states such as New York, the unemployment rate has risen since January of 2011. This is yet another example of how the so-called “blue state” model is not working. http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/07/Unemployment-Rate-Dropped-In-Every-State-That-Elected-A-Republican-Gov-In-2010?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BigGovernment+%28Big+Government%29 http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/07/Unemployment-Rate-Dropped-In-Every-State-That-Elected-A-Republican-Gov-In-2010?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BigGovernment+%28Big+Government%29 WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. swaps regulator is set to finalize this week a critical reform that will trigger banks and traders having to comply with costly new derivatives rules. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/08/cftc-swaps-definition-idUSL2E8I6A8720120708?feedType=RSS&feedName=governmentFilingsNews http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/08/cftc-swaps-definition-idUSL2E8I6A8720120708?feedType=RSS&feedName=governmentFilingsNews Health officials say they have made an important discovery in the mystery surrounding the deaths of more than 60 children in Cambodia. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/08/world/asia/cambodia-children-disease/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/08/world/asia/cambodia-children-disease/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29 TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S.-Pakistani relationship remains challenging for both despite the reopening of Pakistani land routes to resupply U.S. troops in Afghanistan, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday. http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/08/pakistan-usa-idINDEE86703H20120708?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FINtopNews+%28News+%2F+IN+%2F+Top+News%29 http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/08/pakistan-usa-idINDEE86703H20120708?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FINtopNews+%28News+%2F+IN+%2F+Top+News%29 Labour leader Ed Miliband is pushing for further banking reform in order to make the industry more competitive. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18758492 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18758492 Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) married his partner Saturday in his hometown of Newton, Massachusetts, making him the first sitting congressman to be in a same-sex marriage. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick officiated the ceremony between the 72 year-old Frank and his partner, James Ready, according to a statement from the congressman’s office. Frank met Ready in 2005, and the two have been seeing each other since 2007. Many of Frank’s congressional colleagues turned out for the wedding, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, according to local media reports. In planning the event, Frank said he wanted to invite President Obama—who in May came out in support of same-sex marriage—but was worried the security detail would infringe on the ceremony. “I would be flattered to have the president do that, but it would ruin the party to have the Secret Service,” Frank said when asked in May if the Obamas were invited. “I’m not critical of them, but they can go take their layered protection of the president somewhere else. Not to my party.” In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to recognize same-sex marriages following a state Supreme Judicial Court ruling that it was unconstitutional to limit marriages to only heterosexual couples. Frank has represented Massachusetts’ Fourth Congressional District since 1981, and has been openly gay since 1987. He is retiring at the end of this term. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/07/rep-barney-frank-weds-longtime-partner-in-same-sex-marriage/ http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/07/rep-barney-frank-weds-longtime-partner-in-same-sex-marriage/ BOSTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic Representative Barney Frank wed his longtime partner, James Ready, on Saturday, becoming the first sitting congressman to enter into a same-sex marriage. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/08/us-usa-barneyfrank-wedding-idUSBRE86700820120708?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/08/us-usa-barneyfrank-wedding-idUSBRE86700820120708?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 Today, Google has announced an ambitious effort to legalize same-sex marriage across the globe. The project, called “Legalize Love,” was annouced earlier today at an event in London focusing on LGBT issues in the workplace. Dot429.com has the details: The “Legalize Love” campaign officially launches in Poland and Singapore on Saturday, July 7th. Google intends to eventually expand the initiative to every country where the company has an office, and will focus on places with homophobic cultures, where anti-gay laws exist. Google’s Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe outlined the initiative at a Global LGBT Workplace Summit in London earlier today. “We want our employees who are gay or lesbian or transgender to have the same experience outside the office as they do in the office. It is obviously a very ambitious piece of work. Their strategy involves developing partnerships between companies and organizations to support grass-roots campaigns. The project will initially focus on Poland and Singapore before expanding to other countries. Palmer-Edgecumbe explained that Google will impress on these countries that “being a global center and a world leader means you have to treat all people the same, irrespective of their sexual orientation.” The initiative was immediately praised by representatives from Citi and Ernst & Young. http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/07/07/512554/google-announces-worldwide-campaign-to-legalize-same-sex-marriage/?mobile=nc http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/07/07/512554/google-announces-worldwide-campaign-to-legalize-same-sex-marriage/?mobile=nc A source points out that President Barack Obama's new typeface is Revolution Gothic, a style inspired by retro Cuban propaganda posters. Who vets the fonts? (Obama press secretary Ben LaBolt emails: “Your GOP operative should have had the courtesy to stay sober before noon, and BuzzFeed should go back to labeling cat slideshows.”) Image by Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images "The original font is inspired by retro propaganda posters and wallpainting in Cuba from the 60s to 80s. And the original PAG Revolucion is the most popular font from Prop-A-Ganda." Source: myfonts.com Source: origin.myfonts.com Source: origin.myfonts.com View Entire List › http://www.buzzfeed.com/zekejmiller/the-new-obama-typeface-revolution-gothic http://www.buzzfeed.com/zekejmiller/the-new-obama-typeface-revolution-gothic A man Afghan officials say is a member of the Taliban shot dead a woman accused of adultery in front of a crowd near Kabul. http://www.lfpress.com/news/world/2012/07/07/19961896.html http://www.lfpress.com/news/world/2012/07/07/19961896.html A live television debate in Jordan descended into chaos, with a politician threatening an opponent with a gun. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18756726 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18756726 Critics say the government needs to provide further details on how it will fund a cap on social care costs and when it will be introduced. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18754431 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18754431 WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama challenged rival Mitt Romney's promise to get tough on China, saying in a new ad released Saturday that Romney "made a fortune" allowing China to take U.S. jobs.Obama's ad turns again to a report that several businesses backed by Romney's former private equity firm moved American jobs to China and India to cut costs. In a parting shot, a narrator says Romney is "not the solution. He's the problem."Read More... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/07/outsourcing-obama-romney_n_1655923.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/07/outsourcing-obama-romney_n_1655923.html FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A return to the D-Mark would throw Germany's economy into a deep structural crisis, the chief executive of Europe's biggest insurer was quoted saying, adding such a move would be "irresponsible". http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/07/us-germany-dmark-allianz-idUSBRE86605Z20120707?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/07/us-germany-dmark-allianz-idUSBRE86605Z20120707?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 At least three people in northern Lebanon are killed in attacks from across the Syrian border, officials and residents say. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18751199 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18751199 President Barack Obama is challenging Mitt Romney's vows to get tough on China, saying in a new ad that Romney "made a fortune" allowing China to take U.S. jobs. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/07/12608158-obama-challenges-romney-on-china-trade http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/07/12608158-obama-challenges-romney-on-china-trade McMahon (Stephan Savoia/AP)Republicans have excoriated down-ballot Democratic candidates who are planning to skip this summer's nominating convention. But the decision to steer clear of the party convention is not limited to Democrats. Former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman announced Friday that he plans to stay home in protest. "I will not be attending this year's convention, nor any Republican convention in the future, until the party focuses on a bigger, bolder, more confident future for the United States—a future based on problem solving, inclusiveness, and a willingness to address the trust deficit, which is every bit as corrosive as our fiscal and economic deficits," Huntsman said, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Huntsman had released his delegates to Mitt Romney and is no longer actively seeking office. But active candidates are making the same decision. The campaign for Connecticut Senate candidate Linda McMahon confirmed Thursday that if the former World Wrestling Entertainment executive wins the Republican Senate nomination Aug. 14, she won't be helping to formally nominate Mitt Romney. "Our focus is going to be on campaigning in Connecticut," McMahon campaign spokeswoman Kate Duffy first told The Connecticut Mirror. McMahon, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2010, is likely to face criticism similar to that being lobbed at Democrats—that she is skipping the convention to distance herself from her party. McMahon's campaign didn't immediately respond to Yahoo News' request for comment Friday. McMahon is one of several Republican candidates who have recently announced plans to skip the convention. Former Virginia Sen. George Allen confirmed this week that he plans to campaign instead of travel to Tampa, Fla.; Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg—who is running for Senate—will also not be in attendance; and Nevada Sen. Dean Heller said this week he is considering begging off if he doesn't get a major speaking role. "If they want us to speak, we'll probably be there," Heller, who skipped the 2008 convention, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "If they don't choose for us to get a good speaking position, we'll probably stay here and campaign." http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/linda-mcmahon-other-republicans-plan-skip-gop-convention-150147281.html http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/linda-mcmahon-other-republicans-plan-skip-gop-convention-150147281.html Ministers are to back in principle a cap on the amount people in England pay towards the cost of social care, but without any agreement on funding. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18750654 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18750654 SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California lawmakers approved billions of dollars Friday in construction financing for the initial segment of what would be the nation's first dedicated high-speed rail line connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco.The state Senate voted 21-16 on a party-line vote after intense lobbying by Gov. Jerry Brown, Democratic leaders and labor groups.Read More...More on Trains http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/california-high-speed-rail_n_1655437.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/california-high-speed-rail_n_1655437.html Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama signed on Friday a transportation funding and student loan bill which passed Congress last week in a rare election-year compromise between Republicans and Democrats. In an unusual show of bipartisanship, members of both parties were on hand for the White House ceremony, including members of the administration, Congress, as well as state and local governments. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/06/obama-signs-bipartisan-transportation-student-loan-bill/ http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/06/obama-signs-bipartisan-transportation-student-loan-bill/ Government departments cut £6.7bn more in spending than planned in the year to March, according to official data from the Treasury. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18744757 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18744757 I can’t even bring myself to embed it here: some trogolodytes have created a game that lets players beat up Anita Sarkeesian, the feminist video blogger who’s been subject to an unremitting campaign of harassment since she created a Kickstarter to support a project to explore tropes of female characters in video games. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: anyone who thinks that feminists who push back hard against online harassment are being oversensitive needs to understand that we’re all trying to keep ourselves from becoming Anita Sarkeesians. No matter how strong you are, and no matter how much support you have, this kind of concentrated campaign of harassment affects the targets of it. And the goal of these campaigns is to terrorize people into silence. It’s not disagreement. It’s not creative trolling. It’s deployment of a weapon. And even though it’s frightening, ugly stuff, the campaign waged against Sarkeesian illustrates the fundamental cowardice and weakness of the people attacking her. If you so lack confidence in your ideas, if you’re so uncomfortable defending your appreciation for problematic things (which, by the way, is tricky but not that tricky) that you can’t even put your hands over your ears and sing loudly and ignore them, that you have to actually go out and try to prevent anyone from from saying anything that could make you remotely uneasy, you are a coward. That’s cold comfort to folks like Sarkeesian who have to go through this now. But it’s why, long-term, angry, petty sexists are going to lose, and why it’s important to throw up bulwarks against trolls who try to venture out of their holes and take over mainstream conversations. These ideas don’t stand-up to discussion and debate. And sexist trolls can’t shut down all of those debates, no matter how hard they try. http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/07/06/512170/anita-sarkeesian/?mobile=nc http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/07/06/512170/anita-sarkeesian/?mobile=nc